Masquerade (Heven and Hell #1)(85)
Author: Cambria Hebert

The barn was quiet, and to my great relief I couldn’t see the auras of the horses. Actually I’d learned that I couldn’t see the aura of any animal. I puzzled over why I wasn’t able to see Sam’s, because he isn’t what I would classify as an animal. Sam is human, he was born to two parents, and he is a child of God. Yet I couldn’t see his aura…the best I could come up with was that it had something to do with the extra chromosome that he had and that it somehow threw off his energy.

I took my time currying Jasper, relishing the fact that it was Friday. Finally. The whole weekend stretched before me, and I didn’t have to go out and deal with anyone.

How is work? I asked Sam, smiling.

Boring. No one wants to work out on a Friday night.

See you soon. Love you.

I can’t wait. Love you too.

I led Jasper out of the barn and hoisted myself up onto his saddle. I looked forward to a long, relaxing ride beneath the trees and amongst the spring air. The trail was exactly as I thought it would be. I rode for a long time, feeling the week’s tension seep out of me. School would be out next week, and I couldn’t be happier. My eyes finally adjusted to my aura ability, and I had no more eye sensitivity and no more headaches. There was still no sign of any other abilities, but I was okay with that. I liked the idea of getting used to this one first before another was sprung on me. Hopefully, I would be able to enjoy a fun, stalker-free summer with Sam and my friends.

I was heading back toward the barn when Jasper stiffened, his ears going flat. A moment of panic rolled through me, but I breathed through it, looking around for anything that might have spooked him.

Out of the corner of my eye there was movement. I turned toward it, and a streak of black dove behind the trees. I laughed.

“Did they let you leave early?”

Sam peaked out from behind a tree. Jasper danced. “Easy, boy.” I felt a moment of hesitation at Jasper’s uneasiness. He was usually much more comfortable around Sam these days.

Want to race to the barn? I asked him, gathering the reigns and readying myself to urge Jasper forward.

What?

I see you, silly. Want to race?

Where are you? There was a feeling of stillness that washed over me with his words.

Right in front of you, silly.

Are you alone?

Panic assailed me, and I realized that I was getting an example of how Sam’s feelings could bleed to me in intense circumstances from afar.

I’m at work, Heven.

I looked up to where the hound had been. It was gone. Crap. Panic pounded through me. It was China. She was back from wherever she kept disappearing to. There was a loud thump behind me; Jasper reared up and fled away from where China stood. I had to grope for his neck just to stay on.

I dared a glance over my shoulder to see the hound running after me, bouncing off trees and leaping into the air. “Run,” I urged Jasper. “Faster!”

Heven!

China’s back.

Get to the barn, lock yourself in! I’m coming.

There was only one problem. China was between me and the barn, and Jasper was running as fast as he could in the wrong direction.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Heven

She was toying with me.

I knew this because I knew that she could run faster than Jasper. She could have taken us down the minute she came upon us, but she didn’t. She simply ran behind, chasing us, scaring Jasper and scaring me. My heart raced at a speed I never thought possible, and I struggled to get air into my lungs. Why was she delaying? Was she so vile that it wasn’t enough to kill me but she had to torture me before I died? Visions of the car crash filled my mind and so did flashes of the newly discovered memories of the attack that left me disfigured. I wanted this torture to stop; yet, at the same time, I knew I should be grateful, because the more she played, the longer Sam had to get here.

Heven? Are you all right?

She’s still chasing us. I don’t know how much longer Jasper can run like this.

I’m almost there.

Hurry.

I was deep into the woods and knew that we should be nearing water. Grandma owned a lot of property that backed up to a small lake. I wasn’t familiar with this part of the property because she didn’t own the lake, and I’d never ventured this far in. I dared a glance behind me and earned a smack from a low-lying branch for my effort. I put my hands up trying to protect myself, but nearly lost my balance. I buried my hands in Jasper’s mane and bent over him, trying to stay on. If I fell off…

She’s getting closer.

Use your whistle!

Of course! I’d forgotten! I fumbled beneath my shirt and pulled out the small, silver whistle. With shaking hands I put it in my mouth and blew as hard as I could.

I heard nothing.

But the horse sure did. He reared up and I fell off, hitting the ground and rolling. Pain rocked my body, but I kept rolling and pushed to my feet. I looked back in time to see him stomp down right where I fell. I shuddered, thinking how close I came to having a broken bone and giving China even more of an advantage.

Heven!

Jasper heard it, too. I fell off.

Are you hurt?

No.

My legs were shaking as I tried to quickly calm Jasper. It was no use. I looked around for China, frightened that, because I was no longer running, she would decide just to end things now. My anxiety grew the longer I went without a glimpse of her jet black form – maybe I should be thankful for the lack of her presence, but I knew how cunning she was. I couldn’t let my guard down. Just because I couldn’t see her didn’t mean that she wasn’t there and ready to pounce. I made a feeble attempt to get back on Jasper, but he wasn’t having it; he was too upset. After a few tries I gave up trying to mount him, and instead I got him to turn toward the house. I hit him on the rump, hard. He took off without looking back.

Then I was alone.

China slithered from behind a large tree.

We stared at each other.

She sank down low and prepared to jump.

I blew the whistle again and she dropped down, cringing. Taking advantage of the moment I looked around for something to use as a weapon. There was nothing I could use against a large, angry hellhound.

She stood, shaking her head. I placed the whistle against my lips and she lunged. I blew it and she fell out of the sky onto the ground. The noise didn’t appear to hurt her, it just seemed to stun her enough that she couldn’t think.

Climb a tree! Sam told me urgently.

Just my luck, there was a tree nearby that I thought I might be able to hoist up into. I blew the whistle as I ran toward it, keeping China back. I scrambled up about halfway. Perched on a teetering branch, I looked down. China was growling and pacing at the bottom.