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I didn't know. Not anything. The ache in my brain seemed to be all-consuming, and nothing was getting past it. Nothing except pain and the need to find shelter before the sun burned me to a crisp.
I lightly hugged my knees with my arms and stared at the landscape around me. Hill after red hill. Few trees, no houses, no cars, and certainly no people.
There weren't even footprints in the earth. How I'd gotten here was anyone's guess. Hell, I might have been dropped from the sky for all I knew. But sitting here wondering how I'd gotten into this situation rather than doing something about it wasn't going to stop my skin from getting redder.
I braced my hands against the warm, sandy soil and pushed upright. Every part of me protested the movement, and I ached with a ferocity I wouldn't have thought possible. Sweat broke out anew across my forehead, and my breath hissed past gritted teeth. But I forced my sore knees to lock and made it upright.
Just.
I stood there, wavering, for several seconds. Or maybe it was the landscape around me that was wavering. I couldn't have said for certain.
Taking another swipe at the sweat and blood dribbling down the side of my face, I resolutely focused my gaze on a lone gum tree and headed toward it.
Luckily for me, the soles of my feet were fairly tough - in fact, I think they were the only bits of me that weren't aching - and the heated earth, sharp stones, and barbed scrubby bushes didn't do much to hinder my progress.
It took about an hour to finally reach the shade. The sun seemed to be hotter even though it was clearly late afternoon, but the minute the dappled light of the tree caressed my skin, the relief from the burning was almost instantaneous. I sighed and, for a moment, closed my eyes, fighting the urge to sit down, to rest.
If I sat, I might not get up. It would be easy to die in a place like this.
I don't intend to kill you, whispered a voice through the fog and the pain clouding my brain. That would be too easy.
I knew that voice, but I couldn't name it. Couldn't bring to mind an image of the man who spoke the words. Didn't know why he would want to put me in such a place, in such danger.
Why would someone want to dump me in the middle of nowhere? I was just ...
What was I? Who the hell was I?
I didn't know. Reach as I might, no information was getting through the fog.
Anger rose, and I swore softly, frustrated by the lack of memories and understanding.
Someone had put me here, that much was obvious. I couldn't have gotten here any other way, unless I could fly.
The thought made me pause.
Could I fly?
I frowned, uncertain. It seemed right, and yet wrong. Like it was something I could do even if it wasn't something I was born to, wasn't something that was a part of my soul.
But what was my soul?
Hunter, hunter, sleek red hunter. The chant ran gently through my subconscious and memories surfaced - me, being chased by a boy with wild red hair and bright gray eyes. A boy who sang the child's chant moments before he slipped from human to wolf form and pounced.>I hesitated, then shook my head. "I'll just read the report. I really need to go home, grab a shower, then rest."
His gaze swept me, and his voice was wry as he said, "Oh, I don't know. Bloodstained blue silk looks quite fetching on you."
And if I didn't watch it, that would be all my life contained. Bloodstains. On my skin, in my soul. I forced a smiled then walked away, Quinn by my side.
I raised a hand to cut the glare of the sun as we walked out of the building, pausing on the front step as I looked down the street. My car was still parked where I'd left it.
I squinted down to the other end of the street but couldn't see Quinn's car. "Where's your car parked?"
"A few streets over. I abandoned it when I felt you slipping too fast." He bent to kiss me, his lips still cool on mine. "I'll be right behind you within a minute."
"It's not like I'm going to pass out while I'm driving," I said. "I'm really not that weak."
He smiled, and lightly touched my nose. "You lie, Riley Jenson, but I appreciate the effort."
With that, he turned and walked away. I watched him for several seconds, enjoying the lithe, economical way he moved, then turned and headed for my car.
