"Shit Daniel, I think you completely destroyed my ribcage," I cough. I grit my teeth against the stabbing pain in my lungs and clench my fists as I shift, trying to find a position that makes it easier to breathe.
He frowns. "Are you trying to make me feel bad about saving your life?"
"Sorry, it just hurts," I mutter, offering him a pained side smile.
He sighs and places his hand on my cheek. He leans down and I close my eyes as his lips touch mine. The pain starts to subside when his hand curls around my neck.
"Oh come you guys! Do you have to start making out every time I leave?" Diana snaps angrily.
Daniel pulls away with a chuckle that makes me smile.
My cheeks burn. "Give me a break Diana, I just came back from the dead," I mumble.
"Fine. I couldn't find any food, there is literally nothing edible out here," she mutters. She sits down beside us and looks at me with a frown. "So what are we going to do now? You're alive but you're still poisoned and we kinda need you in order to get into the rehab facility," she says.
"Not to mention we're all in danger as long as we stay here," Daniel adds with a heavy sigh.
I glance around me, nodding in agreement. There are a few trees around us but nothing else to provide cover from anything in the sky.
"How far are we from Australia?" I ask.
"Uh, well we're actually in Australia. We kept going since you were just unconscious, but then we stopped because your heart just stopped," Diana explains.
My eyes widen. "How long was I out for?"
She starts counting on her fingers. My jaw drops when she reaches ten then starts over again. "What the hell? I thought it was only a day or two," I exclaim.
"No it was more like couple of weeks, anyway we're at the western edge of Australia, the rehab facility is in the middle of the continent, in the desert."
I look at the stars and realize that the constellations are familiar. "You know, I think I've been here before," I murmured.
"What?"
"I think the house I grew up in is around here. And I think there might be another house nearby that would be a safe place to hide until I'm healed," I say, recalling my dream. It seemed so real—almost like a memory but, some parts of it just felt . . . different somehow. I shake my head a little and ignore the nagging questions in my mind.
"Why were you guys so close to the rehab facility?"
"No fucking clue," I admit.
"How can you be sure the Council didn't find this house after they captured you?"
"No fucking clue."
Diana lets out an exasperated sigh. "Well then is it safe for us?"
"You're not gonna like the answer."
"Luci come on!"
I huff out an annoyed sigh. "Look I know it's a shitty idea, but we don't exactly have any other options." I start to shrug but then suck in a sharp breath as my shoulder starts burning again. My eyes water and it takes everything I have not to scream at the pain pulsing through my body.
"Ana are you alright?" Daniel asks.
"It's hurting again," I rasp. His fingers lace through mine and I squeeze his hand hard.
"Okay—not to sound rude—but how are you still alive? Shouldn't the poison have killed you by now?" Diana suddenly asks.
"I don't know," I manage to croak out before coughing violently.
"Ana we need to leave soon so where is this place?" Daniel asks softly.
I swallow hard. "I—I don't really know. It was a long time ago. I just remember it was a wooden house in the middle of the field that goes on for miles. I think there's a forest on one side of it . . ." I trail off, my memory clouding.
"Well that's just perfect, I guess we'll just fly around until something of that description turns up," Diana spits.
"Calm down Diana, it's not her fault she can't remember," Daniel snaps.
She laughs. "Of course it's not her fault! Nothing's ever her fault!"
Daniel growls, his fingers clenching tighter around mine. "Take a walk Diana, now," he tells her in his Alpha voice.
She glares at him before turning around and stalking away. I can hear her grumbling curse words under her breath.
"I though that was only supposed to work on other werewolves," I mumble.
"It is."
"Why is she so snippy? Did something happen while I was out?"
He sighs. "No she's just frustrated. Is there anything else that you remember that might help us find this place?" he asks.
I close my eyes and try to remember when my parents were leading me there.
"How much further?" I rasped to my parents.
"A few more miles, are you okay Luci?" my father asked.
"My throat and my head still hurt," I admitted.
"You're probably dehydrated, we need to find some water," my mother sighed.
"There's a lake on Logan's property, I'm sure there's more nearby" my father told her.
My mother nodded before closing her eyes. She tilted her head slightly, then smiled. "There's rushing water about a mile in that direction, sounds like a river," she said.
I looked where she pointed and saw nothing but trees.
"Come on Luci, it'll only take a few minutes to get there." My mother led while my father trailed behind me, offering words of encouragement when I started to slow.
I watched the forest just below us and let the scenery keep my mind off of the throbbing pain in my body.
The memory starts to fade and I groan in frustration. "There's a river and a lake on the property but I can't remember what it looks like or how big it is or anything else," I mutter.
"That might be helpful, as long as we follow the river the right way."
"I'm sorry, I was only there once and it was years ago."
"Well there can't be many rivers nearby—or large forests for that matter."
My head pounds but I still manage to nod.
"Try to get some rest, Diana and I will find it," he says, pressing his lips onto my forehead.
I close my eyes and almost immediately fall into a fitful sleep.
***
I slowly wake to Daniel calling my name. It takes me a few moments to realize I'm in his arms. I panic for a second when I realize we're flying.
"What—" I burst into a coughing fit, squeezing my eyes shut as pain rips through my chest. I start to shake from the cold and curl my body closer to Daniel's warm one. My clothes stick to my body, damp with sweat.
"I think we found it this time, is it that one over there?" He asks softly.
I follow his finger painfully toward a small red house. I have to squint to see it clearly.
"Is that it?" Diana asks, suddenly beside us.
I close my eyes and swallow the thick lump in my throat. "No."
YOU ARE READING
Angel Academy
Werewolf**cover by SodaliteSilver** Luciana Morgenstern has been hunted all her life. The High Council told everyone it was because she was a hybrid, but Luciana knows they merely consider her a threat because she has abilities that make her far more powerf...
