Awakening Read Online Free PDF Page B

glass provided little protection. Anyone could follow us
into the store.
    “ We need something to block
that broken window pane.” I was exhausted, and helping him inside
had taken most of my energy.
    We eased him down to the
floor.
    “ Worried someone might
steal something? Normally our reputation keeps people at
bay.” His voice was laced with
pain.
    Sometimes a reputation was
a double-edged sword. The hatred for the
death dealers was widespread. He’d almost gotten killed a few
minutes ago because of it. The very nature of his powers had
horrified the woman he’d tried to rescue, enough so she’d actually
stabbed her savior. I didn’t worry about thieves--I worried about
gang members looking for payback.
    “ We need a board or
something to cover the opening. We need bandages and any medical
supplies you have, and we need to get dry and out of these wet
clothes,” I said, stomping my feet and rubbing my arms. I was
trying to keep myself moving by sheer force of will. I felt
completely drained of energy. If I sat down now, I was worried I
would never get back up.
    Darla unwound her braid and started to
wring out her hair. She was drenched, and I realized she wasn’t the
only one. A shiver ran down my back and goose bumps covered my
arms. We were all soaked, and it was a chilly night.
    Luke looked up at me. “You can find
what you need to fix the pane in the supply room, through the hall
to the left of the stairway.”
    “ I’ll get blankets, and
there’s a medical kit behind the counter,” Darla said, moving
swiftly across the room to the doorway behind the
counter.
    “ Bring towels or blankets,
anything we can use to get dry and keep warm,” I yelled after
her.
    “ Do you have any medical
skills beyond the magic kind?” Luke asked.
    “ Keep pressure on the
wound. What kind of medical kit do you have?”
    “ It’s a basic kit with
bandages. But we do sell some salves and herbs.” He pointed toward
the back of the shop.
    I nodded and made my way to the back.
I wandered around, picking up bottles and pouches, looking for
names I recognized. I found a few things I could use, but I
couldn’t treat anything serious with the things he carried in his
shop. He had some ointments to rub on your chest for colds, and
some remedies for stomach aches and joint pain.
    I did find something I could use to
clean the wound and something I could give him that might help with
the pain, but what we needed was a proper healer.
    A healer. I used to be a healer. A sob
escaped my mouth. I touched my cheeks in surprise and realized
tears were streaming down my face.
    I had panicked out there. He’d almost
died because I had froze. I had to keep it together. I forced
myself to take a deep breath and then another. I wiped the tears
from my eyes and made my way back to his side.
    I uncorked a brown bottle and passed
it to him. “Drink half the bottle.”
    He looked at me. “Are you sure? You’re
not trying to poison me are you?” His voice was weak, but he
sounded amused.
    “ It’ll help with the pain.
I’ll be right back. I’ve got to fix that door. We don’t want any
unwelcome company.”
    He drank from the bottle and
nodded.
    In the supply room, I found a board, a
hammer and a handful of nails. I made my way back to the front of
the store.
    “ How are you doing?” I
asked as I passed him.
    “ Still alive and kicking,”
he answered. His voice sounded a bit stronger.
    I stood in front of the door and held
the board across the broken pane. I put a few nails in my mouth and
then concentrated on pounding them into the board one after the
other. The hammer missed its mark a few times, and I slammed my
thumb twice, but I managed to cover the hole. I slid the deadbolt
into place. It wouldn’t keep out anyone who really wanted to get
inside. All they had to do was break down the door. It was not a
comforting thought. I went to the front window and looked out. The
street was deserted. It had started raining again.
    We