BLOOD MOON » Embry Call

23. COLD

   THE WOODS were ponderously still that night. Avery's eyes practically bore through the thick fog, but there was no movement. No branches, no birds, nothing. It almost felt as if every living thing had been petrified.

   Avery hadn't moved once in the past three hours and yet she couldn't seem to be able to fall asleep. Her head was spinning, thoughts racing through her mind at a million miles per hour. Among it all, one image kept reappearing, as though to torment her. Sera's bright red eyes. The wild animalistic glare evident within them. Her desire for blood.

   The knock at the door startled Avery. When she didn't respond there was another, more urging knock.

   "Ava?" Embry's muffled voice sounded through the door. "Can I come in?"

   "Sure."

   Embry slowly opened the door, surprised to find the girl laying on top of the covers in complete darkness, as she stared out into the woods. He let out a deep sigh while he closed the door and locked the remainder of light out in the hallway. Her back was facing him and she had her legs pulled up close to her body. In the dim reflection of the window he could see that her eyes were wide open, however she seemed to look at nothing in particular.

   "Do you need anything?" he asked quietly and sat down on the very edge of the bed. When there was no response he added "Is there anything you want to talk about? The Cullens are all out hunting. Bella, Edward and Nessie are at their place, and Jason is patrolling the area. It's just me."

   Avery exhaled. "Well good thing I'm not all by myself, left here to die, isn't it?"

   Embry grimaced as he inched closer to her slightly. He lifted up his arm to place a hand on her shoulder but retracted it again. With a dull thud one of her daggers landed on the carpet and he could see her trace the blade of the other with her fingertips.

   "Why does everyone think I'm some frail human that's gonna fall apart if a vampire so much as breathes in my direction?" She picked at the handle and twisted it around. "This-hunting-it's what I was born to do. What's so different now that I can't go out there myself and get rid of the bastard?"

   "Well, for starters, he's specifically out to get you," Embry mused and slowly slid onto his back, setting down his hands on his stomach. Avery mimicked his movements and held the dagger into the air.

   "I still think it would be easiest if I just go after him myself and take care of it. And if that means he achieves his goal of wiping out the Dalton line, or whatever he's trying to do, then so be it. I just want this to be over."

   Slowly Embry turned his head to look at her, gaze fixed on the dagger, before he shot up and shook his head vehemently. "Ava, don't even think about it! Why would you even consider that a possibilty? A suicide mission? That's not happening."

   She smiled bitterly before tossing the dagger aside and glancing over at Embry, waiting for him to calm down again. Once he did he sank back onto the mattress while Avery kept her eyes glued to the ceiling. He wondered what she was thinking, what he had to do to convince her to stay. He knew that, if it came down to it, he would never be able to take that decision away from her and he would have to accept it, no matter the outcome. As long as she would be alright.

   "I spoke to Sera."

   Her hoarse voice cut through the silence and Embry turned his head to look at her. She had her hands folded over her stomach, jaw clenched.

   "Really?" A hum sounded from next to him. "That's great! How is she?"

   There was no response, and this time the silence weighed heavy. Something about the way she had closed her eyes as soon as he finished his question stopped him from probing any further. Avery felt the knot in her throat tighten. Tears burned behind her eyelids and when she opened them again to resume her staring at the ceiling, her vision grew blurry.