Free Revelations by Sophia Sharp Page B

picked up speed. The trees were less dense, here, and it made for an easier run. A small creek ran beside them, and Gray lapped through it happily as he trailed them. Alexander looked back, to make sure Nora wasn’t too far behind, and when he was satisfied that she wasn’t, continued to lead. Nora ran, enjoying the feeling of the wind in her hair and the feeling of being absolutely connected to nature. The air was pristine, and the only sounds she could hear were Gray’s splashing and the odd birds singing in the distance.
    She wondered what had happened to Rafael. She hoped he survived, but despite Alexander’s conviction that he had, she wasn’t so sure. What Rafael had done for her had been nothing less than a sacrifice. He sacrificed himself completely for her to survive. Her and Hunter , actually. She felt indebted to him for that and knew she could never pay it back.
    A wild fox appeared beside them, running alongside Nora. Nora surprised herself by noticing it – it blended extraordinarily well with the surroundings. Gray barked at it, and it ran off.
    Something didn’t make sense in Nora’s mind. She had avoided thinking about it so far, but…why had Hunter shown her the world of dreams if he knew it was forbidden? If he knew it would get him in trouble, and if he knew it was breaking the creed, how did doing it make any sense? He had been surprised that they were noticed, but if it was really such a crime, would he have taken that chance in the first place?
    Up ahead, Alexander laughed and picked up speed. Nora kept up easily. She zipped amongst the trees, racing through the wild tangles of the forest with nary a stumble. She felt surefooted and graceful.
    A sudden pang of guilt overtook Nora by surprise. All this while, she realized, she had avoided thinking about probably the most important thing of all. Her family. They were probably worried sick. They didn’t know where she was. They hadn’t heard from her since she’d left. The whole community must be searching for her.
    And then there were all her friends. This was the longest time she’d gone without seeing any of them. Could she…maybe…call her family to say she was ok? Once they got to Natsuk, or Naksup, or whatever the town was called. It would be her first opportunity to do so since all this began.
    But then again…deep down, she knew she could never go back. She knew that going back was impossible. As much as it pained her to admit, a clean break from her former life was probably for the best. She didn’t want to endanger her family or her friends by making contact with them. With the Vassiz after her, there was no point in risking turning their attention to her old town.
    Gray clambered behind them. Nora noted he was getting faster, too. And bigger. His silver fur coat was almost fully in. A little hint of brown, remaining just above the shoulders, gave it graceful elegance. She felt a bond to him already, but he was more than just a pet. Alexander had put it best. A companion .
    She ran and spotted an overturned log up ahead. It was wide and precariously balanced between two boulders. She could just go around, but…she felt strong, and more in tune with her body and with what she could do. She jumped and nimbly landed on top of the log, running across without once feeling like she would lose her balance.
    She laughed in delight. This reminded her a lot of when she was in the dream with Hunt— she stopped herself. She didn’t like how her thoughts kept leading back to him. He had left her, after taking her away from her family, after saying that he was “protecting her.” But now she saw the truth of how much that protection really offered.
    It was better to have never met him. None of this – any of it – would be happening were it not for him. It was all so confusing. And crazy. She wanted desperately to push him out of her mind, but she just…couldn’t. She knew she should be angry with him for ripping her away from her life