Free The Rising Moon by Nilsa Rodriguez Page B

as if she was possessed. The scene was like something out of a horror movie.
    “ He’s coming!” she squealed. “I could smell the coagulated blood that flows through his body, growing stronger.” She sniffed loudly, twitching her head side to side taking in long whiffs of air.
    I looked over to Lyle, confused. I didn’t know what or whom she was talking about, but Lyle and his brother’s attention were on their grandmother and on what she was saying as if they knew exactly who she was referring to.
    She looked my way with her eyes opened wide. She flinched and began to gag and choke. Frothy saliva dripped out of her mouth and hung from her chin like a long thread. Lyle wiped her chin and tried to lay her back on the bed, but she fought him.
    “ Do something!” Emi shouted at her brothers, “She’s going to die!”
    I kneeled beside her, “She’s going to be alright.”
    Ramira stiffened at the sound of my voice. Her once white eyes now shown like two shiny onyx as she stared at me.
    “ You!” she shouted rabidly, pointing her crooked finger at me. She turned her attention to Lyle. “It’s you! Can’t you fools see that Zaria’s returned? Can’t you see if she’s here, Adam will be too? You must destroy her before it is too late!”
    The room became quiet. Cold. Everyone’s eyes were on me. I slowly rose to my feet, scared to death. I felt like a deer staring into the hunter’s gun. Nausea ripped through me as I crashed on the wall for support. Ramira fixed her smoky eyes to Emi and began to chant unfamiliar words. Emi shivered and un-blinkingly met her gaze taking in whatever spell Ramira was casting on her.
    When Ramira stopped, Emi stood up from the chair with a distant look in her eyes. I walked over to Lyle, feeling the cold chill of Emi’s and Fenix’s stare on the back of my head.
    “ I think I should leave.”
    “ I’ll walk you,” replied Lyle with no hesitation.
    “ You should stay. Your family needs you,” I insisted. But he didn’t listen. He put his arm around me, protectively and closed the door behind us.
    We didn’t talk much as we walked to the cabin. Even the black bird that flew overhead didn’t crow. I looked over at Lyle, but he kept his head down.
    “ Lyle,” I said trying to break the silence between us. “Who’s Adam?”
    He stopped on his tracks and raised his head, “No one.”
    I doubted that was true.
    “ I feel you’re not telling me the truth. I thought I meant something to you but obviously I was wrong.” I turned away, but his hand on my arm stilled me.
    “ You mean more to me then you’ll ever know.” Lyle reached for my hand and held it tight. It felt cold and sweaty. “Maybe your friend was right. You should stay away from me.”
    “ What?” I squeezed his hand, “why?”
    “ There’s something about me, that you don’t know,” he said. I thought back to earlier tonight when his eyes glowed like the werewolf I saw in my dreams. “I’m not like regular men…”
    “ And I’m not like regular women.” I interrupted. I felt I could tell him what I was. I could burden him with everything and he would understand. “I know what you are, Lyle.”
    His dark brows drew together, “So now you know why you should stay away.”
    “ No.” I said looking at him in the eye. “Ramira called me Zaria. I know who she was and I know you know what I am. If it’s true, that I really am her, than who’s Adam? Ramira looked so frightened of him. Tell me. I must know who he is.”
    He took a deep breath, “he’s an enemy of my family.”
    “ And what does he have to do with me?”
    “ Everything,” he said.
    “ What do you mean…” I began to say, but he interrupted.
    “ Listen, it’s a very long story and tonight’s not the night to tell it. I really must head back to my grandmother. ”
    “ Okay. Tomorrow night then,” I replied before he headed back up the road.

∞ Chapter 13 ∞
     
    I JOLTED OUT OF BED at the first sign of sunlight