Ame Perdue

Chapter Nineteen

I pushed myself to my feet with a frown, looking around me.

I was alone on the side of the stream, in an area that I didn't recognize. I pushed my fingers against the side of my face, unsurprised to find the area pain-free. My accelerated healing must have taken care of the wound while I slept. I automatically looked towards my left arm, grimacing at the solid black limb. I couldn't even see if it had spread without taking off my shirt. My frown deepened as I looked around.

Where were my companions?

Spinning in a slow circle, I didn't see any signs of them around me. Something told me that they wouldn't have just left me alone here either. Or at least Kam wouldn't have, everyone else was debatable. A familiar feeling washed over me as I looked around. A sense that everything around me wasn't real. That none of this existed even though it appeared to be as real as I was. I cursed under my breath.

I was dreaming.

I knew from experience that I wasn't far from my companions. I almost always appeared near Acilia or Kam, but never within view of them. I assumed that this time would be no different. I jogged slowly back the way that assumed that they were. I didn't recognize the area, so I head back the way that we were coming from. I must have materialized farther down the stream.

After a few minutes, I turned around and headed back the way that I came.

I really hadn't been paying attention earlier.

Going the correct way, I saw the others after only a few moments. I slowed down as I approached the group, immediately locating everyone. Both Acilia and Milo were sleeping. I raised an eyebrow at the nearness of the pair. It looked as if they had fallen asleep talking with one another, Milo was propped up with his back against a tree with Acilia stretched out on the ground beside him. Her hand was resting on his lap.

Kam better step up his game.

A quick survey showed that Shadow hadn't left. He was back in his fox form, sitting near the edge of the stream. A flash of yellow told me that he hadn't given into the idea of sleeping. I had no intentions of provoking the fox, especially not in his fox form. The idea of getting any closer to him already had my breath catching in my throat. Keeping half an eye on him, I turned my gaze to the only other person sleeping.

"That's trippy," I muttered to myself as I stared down at my unconscious body. I almost didn't recognize myself, not because I looked that different, but because it wasn't often that I looked into a mirror. Everything about the boy was as familiar as it was unfamiliar, from the acne marring my tan skin to the dark hair that was little more than a tangled mop on my head. There were dark circles under my eyes, and it was obvious why with all of the thrashing that I was doing. The dark circles matched the dirt and blood clinging to my face; I was as filthy as I had ever seen me.

'Mom' would have a fit.

Although I was sleeping, it clearly wasn't very restful. I kept thrashing around my sleep, distinguish murmurs falling from my lips. It looked like someone had put a jacket as a pillow underneath my head at some point, but the balled-up piece of fabric was feet away from where I laid. It was a miracle that I hadn't slammed my head hard enough into the rocks to give me a concussion. Again.

Looking around, I saw the air in front of the lake was simmering slightly. Kam must have put up a barrier to keep me from accidentally falling into it in my sleep. After a moment, I grabbed the jacket and shoved it under my head. I wasn't particularly worried about myself waking up, but with the gash that was still leaking on the rocks, I figured the cushion was a good idea. Eventually, I wasn't going to have a brain left with the way that my head was being thrown around.