Dance of the Moons

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

            The horse reared and released a great neigh, its head flung back in rage.  Time slowed as the hooves began to descend towards us—sure to crush David and I to nothing—and I squealed and flung myself over David’s weak body.  I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated on creating a dome of protective energy around me.  As exhausted as I was, the orange glow surrounded David and I, encasing us in protection.

            The horse crashed on top of the dome and defected.  The furious animal released a shout of rage that reverberated around our shelter.  Again and again, hooves crashed onto the shield.  They never managed to pierce it, but I could feel the blow.  I could feel myself weakening further.

            “Is this the welcoming committee?” David muttered dryly.  He was lying on his back, eyes closed, his face blanched and shining with sweat.

            “I was aiming for the front yard,” I said. “Mr. Keith mentioned before that his horses didn’t like visitors unless accompanied by him.”

            David grunted and smiled. “You gotta work on your navigating.”

            “I got us here, didn’t I?” I snapped, unamused.  It was getting harder for me to breathe because of the effort to resist the horse attacks.

            His eyes opened and I felt his cold hand wrap around my wrist.  “Yeah,” he whispered, smiling, “you saved me again.”

            Outside, as second pair of hooves were attacking us.  I could see more running across the field towards us.  Horse cries were ringing thick in my ears.  I noticed I was shaking.  David was still holding onto my wrist but his grip was weak.  His eyes were closed again and he was holding his jaw tightly in pain.

            “David” I gasped, “David?”

            My vision went fuzzy and my breath caught in my throat.  I was stuck somewhere between crying and hyperventilating, swaying on the edge of a panic attack.  My concentration was slipping.  The hooves pounded.  Louder and louder.  My ears could hear nothing but the horses.  I was shaking all over, choking on the knot in my throat.

            “David,” I whispered.

            Through the haze of my senses I was able to note voices.  The horses were no longer screaming and pounding on my shield.  I looked around, trying to make out the figures on the other side of the orange wall.  There were three forms, one shorter than the other two.

            “Leila?” I muffled female voice called. “Leila are you in there?  Are you okay?”

            Somewhere in the back of my mind I recognized this voice.  I trusted this voice.  But whose was it?  I couldn’t remember where I was.  I was numb.  I felt a spasm shiver through me and wind washed over me.

            “Leila!” the voice exclaimed, clearer.  I thought I felt hands on me, but I wasn’t sure.  Everything was fading.  I couldn’t focus.  I couldn’t stop the slip into oblivion.

            I was first aware of someone swearing—a man, the voice not well-known but not altogether unfamiliar either.  The energy ran through me a second later, and my body whipped into a sitting position.  My eyes open to reveal an unfamiliar room, with three people: a woman many months pregnant trying to placate the yelling man and my friend Kaelyn, standing over me with concern.