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And it’s on we go, back and forth, trading blows until he gets me right below the left ribs and I have to step back, raising my hand for a break. Wheezing, I lean over to help alleviate the pain, but when I do, black spots encroach on my vision.
‘Knots!?’ Is that Rez yelling for me? Is she in trouble?
I try to will my body to move, but I can’t even feel it now. My knees slam into the floor, but strangely, no pain comes with it as the room tilts. I catch sight of feet running my way just as my vision goes black.
CHAPTER 22
The Devil Within
Knots
The sun’s rays warm my exposed skin as I lay against the cool ground. Tall green grass lightly sways in the breeze as I enjoy the scent of flowers in the meadow.
“Kanotiel! Where are you?” a feminine voice laughs.
“Maybe he’s hiding?” a boy’s voice speaks up.
“But he said he would train us,” the girl whines.
“Maybe it’s a test!” he blurts.
I chuckle, not able to hold in my laughter.
“Did you hear that?” the girl gasps.
The sound of them taking off reaches me, but I don’t move until I hear them run in the opposite direction. I sigh and shake my head as I slowly get up and brush off my pants.
“Got ya!” they scream, tackling me from behind. I turn and take in Hannah and Gabriel, both with bright blue eyes and brown hair, just like their mother.
“How did you do that?” I ask in amazement.
“Momma said to keep it a secret,” Gabriel teases.
“Fine, keep your secrets for now, but I’ll find out,” I say as I reach out and mess up his mop of hair.
“Momma sent us to find you. She said we’re done with our chores and it’s time for training,” Hannah reminds me.
“So it is. Race you back!” I yell and start running, but the kids catch up soon enough and bypass me as we race through the waist-high grass back to the house.
“Knots! Please wake up.” Rez’s voice cracks, jarring me out of my dream. I think it was a dream. My head feels fuzzy, my tongue feels thick and heavy, and so do my eyes. To make things worse, my legs feel extremely warm.
“Rez,” I croak.
“Oh! You’re awake,” she sighs, grabbing my hand. “Are you in pain?”
“Can’t… open… eyes. Tongue… swollen,” I manage to get out.
“Just relax, Knots,” Lilith says, and Rez’s soft hand squeezes mine. “I’m just going to apply some ointment to your eyes that should help relieve any soreness or pain. I also have some liquid that should soothe your tongue and throat.”
“What are his stats, Lilith?” a familiar voice asks.
“Just one moment, Carl, and I’ll get them for you,” she snaps.
“I got it, Mom,” Ryker says, and I hear him read off numbers that make no sense to me.
Lilith applies some ointment to my eyelids and pours a small amount of sweet liquid into my mouth, relieving my pain. A sigh escapes me from the immediate relief, yet my legs are still warm. I slowly open my eyes and the prettiest gray eyes stare down at me.
“Hey,” Rez sighs.
