Necromance

Necromance: Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

I stirred awake, feeling groggy and stiff. My body felt like I'd been hit by a big rig. If I still drank, I'd say I was hungover. Hmm, maybe I was hungover. When I tried to think back to last night, I couldn't remember a thing. I settled for trying to recall my most recent memory.

It wasn't easy, but soon everything came rushing back.

"Shit," I said my voice dry and raspy.

A voice to my right startled me. "I'll say. You gave me quite a scare the other night."

I rolled over to face the voice and found Gavin leaning against the edge of a nightstand. He held a cup of water which he offered me. I took it gratefully and chugged until my parched throat was satisfied.

"What od you mean, 'the other night'? How long have I been out," I asked, handing him back the empty glass.

"Only two days."

"Only two days? You make it sound like nothing," I said in disbelief.

Gavin crossed his arms and gave me a stern look. "It is  nothing, if you consider the condition you could have been in."

I eased back against the pillow, trying to position myself in the most comfortable way. I was still hurting and the skin around my chest felt tight. "You have a point."

Gavin stopped leaning against the nightstand. "Of course I have a point. You could have died," he said with an edge to his tone, gesturing with his hands. "What were you thinking being so careless?"

"I wasn't thinking," I admitted.

"That's right, you weren't."

I glared. "Alright, Gavin, I get it."

He threw up his arms, clearly agitated. "No, I don't think you do," he huffed.

I knew I should be grateful. I was alive because of him. Call me hard to please, because my patience was rapidly running out.

"What do you care," I snapped.

I watched his hands curl into fists. "If you died, do you know how guilty I'd feel? I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"Oh, so this is about you, then? I'm sorry. Here, let me save you the guilt fest by bestowing a little knowledge on your neurotic ass. If I die, it is my fault. Not yours. Oh, but guess what? I'M NOT DEAD. So, you can quit your little girl tantrum now, thanks," I said, finishing my rant and rolling over to face away from him.

I waited, expecting some smartass retort on his end, but he didn't say anything. It was quiet for a long moment, then there was a knock at the door.

"Am I interrupting?"

Excited, I sat up too quickly, and instantly regretted it. Gavin steadied me and set me back gently against the bed.

"Careful," he said.

I nodded through the dizziness. My chest and shoulder were suddenly burning, but tried my best to relax.

Staring past Gavin, I smiled at our new guest. Camille was standing in the doorway of the bedroom. I recognized this place now; we were in one of her homes. It's the cabin, I realized. She usually stayed here in Big Bear during the winter. Snowboarding was one of her favorite activities when she wasn't hunting down monsters.

"Aren't you supposed to be in Paris," I asked.

She shrugged, walking over to my bedside. "You're much more important."