A Fifth Daughter [Book 1: The Dragon Rider]

Chapter ~ 18

~ Chapter 18: Remember How Powerful I Am? Yeah, I Don't Either ~

"Memory-loss... damage... careful..."

"Lie... pain..."

"Cai... Angel..."

"Talpa... Werewolf... forget..."

"Shh..."

A hand brushes mine and I cringe, the image of gold-grey eyes coming to mind, before the face morphs into one of pure agony and suddenly blood is coating everything.

I sit up with a silent scream on my lips and an aching pulse behind my eyes at the sudden invasion of bright white light. That's all I can see. That white light follows me wherever I look.

"Smoke, it's okay." Someone soothes. "Tell Mom she's awake." That's Carma's voice, and the hand touching mine suddenly has a much kinder face, one with worried green eyes and disarrayed blonde hair. I frown, and then realize I'm looking right at her and the white light has moved to stay with the fixture on the ceiling.

The door in the far corner, beside closed curtains to the hallway of – I'm guessing – a hospital, opens and Mom enters with Tempest on her heels.

"Smoke, how are you feeling?" I stare at Mom. The face I remember is harsher, more defined from years of dealing with seven kids, but now her features are tired, softer, as if years of being a worried mother have finally caught up with her.

Her question catches up to me: How am I feeling?

Like I've been... the comparison escapes me... something about being run over or beaten. I'm not sure. Maybe both

Instead of trying to actually remember the phrase, I hash out; "I feel fine." Wow, lie of the year. "What happened?" I try to remember myself.

An image of towering walls and turrets enter my thoughts. We were at Rosemont Castle. Flowers and pews, walking down the aisle, standing on the stairs. I was at a wedding – no I was in a wedding. White dress and Carma's smiling face. I was at Carma's wedding. And then I draw a blank.

"You collapsed at the wedding." Mom says. Tempest behind her twitches obviously. Her nose scrunches up and her right eyebrow goes into her hairline.

Lie. The thought enters my mind so suddenly that I'm thrown off guard for a moment. Why would Mom lie to me? She has no reason to. But there's that small doubt, so small that I barely register that it's there, but I feel it eat away at the cautious part of my brain anyways, even as I try to ignore the nagging.

"Oh," I frown, then turn to Carma, "Was it before or after you said your vows?"

Carma isn't listening to me. She's staring at the floor, her eyes glassy; proclaiming she's on the verge of tears.