Free Pine Needles (Veil Realms Series) by Karli Rush

Nina’s mouth blurs within my sight as if she had no mouth at all.
    Faces become disturbingly distorted, blank figures stand around me and I mumble, “W- What’s happening to me?” My jittery tone doesn’t make any sense and no one answers, Sirius’s form still holds the same features, as his discerning eyes carefully monitor me. “Sirius, can you hear me?” I wonder if he can hear my scouting thoughts back to him, but the results are the same as if I had physically spoken a few seconds ago. He can’t hear me. No one can, oh my God what’s happening? Is this a dream? Am I frozen in some kind of comatose state?
    The drumming of the metrical rain tapers and humanistic outlines emit a radiating thermal type image. I can see through the walls. Narrowing my unbelieving eyes I focus on the ingrained walls, watching the movements of the warriors just outside the hut. 
    Seeing the lambent heat branching out through their bodies, giving me a unique sense of their presence, I become even more honed-in to the hypnotic beating of their hearts. Pulsating a subduing melody, I slowly watch as my vision tunnels and narrows to absolute nothingness.
     

Chapter Nine
     
    Reborn
     
     
    “Selene…” indolently I rub my sore wrist, stirring myself awake. A light flutters through the fissures of the wooden planks. Reminding me I’m still inside the hut, I prop myself up against the wall. Nevaeh readily slopes a bowl to my lips she commands, “Drink.”
    A repelling smell overwhelms me and I attempt to shove the bowl away as I groan out, “I can’t, it’s making me feel nauseous with just the scent of it.” Ignoring my words the brimming bowl sloshes its contents down my lips, I cringe for the rancid liquid to bring bile to my mouth but the taste is shockingly null. No taste aversion arises as the liquid slides down my throat until the bowl is empty. My hand outstretches giving the bowl back to Nevaeh. I see a glimmer of something embedded in my wrist, the reason for the tenderness. An inflamed redden cog looking mark rises on my skin, and one of my tear-shaped diamonds twinkles itself back and forth to me as I twist my arm.
    “Nevaeh…what’s this?” Turning my wrist around I hold it out f or her to see. Both of her firm but affable hands hold my clearly marked wrist as she clarifies, “It is the claim of Sirius, his forewarning to all others that you are his.” With dark solemnizing eyes she sends me a comforting smile and she adds, “You are and will be protected by Sirius, Selene. It is something we all wish we could say for ourselves.” She pats my leg before she stands.
    Shaking my head in wariness , trying to comprehend everything, I spew out out, “So, he brands me like I’m some kind of animal?” My abrading tone wafts through the isolated hut. Fuzzy, dull memories from last night begin to swim through my clustered mind, making me remember vague uncanny images of the brute warriors just outside the hut. I could see them through the cracks.
    Sitting upright I rub my eyes. “It is not as bad as you may think, Selene. You have been chosen. A blessing in disguise… now just lay back and rest. Sirius will return shortly.”
    I clasp my hand on hers as she walks by. “I think I need to sit up for a moment… I…I saw the strangest things last night Nevaeh.”
    “Your body underwent a traumatic injury, and I’m sure after the transformation things may be different for you now.” I watch her gather several bowls of unusual off-beat multi-colored fruit, which appear much like miniature grapes and berries. She mixes and combines them into some kind of thin dark liquid.
    “Here drink this…” Unsure if it’s the same repelling substance as before I take a daring sniff, and I’m quickly conquered with welcoming scents of roses, violets, mint, and even parsley. I cup the boorish bowl with both hands and take a good hearty drink.
    “I see you like the natal Alltrite and Sispin fruit Nina collected while you