Aurelie sat straight up on her bed, gasping for air, covered in a cold sweat. The sky outside her window had darkened to night, but the shining moon and twinkling stars did little to slow her racing heart… or abate the tears running down her cheeks. Not caring about who heard her, she threw off the covers and changed her clothes in a hurry, then rushed out of the window and down the tree. Instinctively, she went to the quietest places, but she was in such a rush that Farn, whose room was beneath hers, woke up.

Seeing Aurelie run off somewhere, Farn sat up, considered something, then went after her.

~~~~~~~

Aurelie finally collapsed a good ways from the village, gasping and coughing. She still hadn’t fully recovered from her injuries, and now that the adrenaline rush from the dream was fading, she felt as though all the bones in her entire body were creaking.

Gradas Meir had really done a number on her. He’d broken both her legs and half her ribs, and bruised practically every organ in her body. Mrs. Dreslin had healed the most serious injuries, but her bones were still rather brittle, and she felt like the wrong move would make them break all over again.

Rolling over onto her back, Aurelie watched as the stars peered down at her. She formed the mental image of two middle aged male angels with balding heads and a potbelly. She was too busy panting and hurting to curse the two of them out loud, but inside her head, they were being cursed with such blue words that even sailors would cringe. Then she ended it with, “You jerks took Mel up there, so you better look after her, or I’ll beat you up.”

There was no doubt in Aurelie’s mind that her friend was in Heaven. Mellana wasn’t exactly innocent, but she held no evil intentions within her. She was pure. Aurelie’s dream proved it. Whenever a good person whom she knew died, she would have that very dream. She didn’t get it for bad people, even if she liked them, nor for the people she killed. Just the pure ones.

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She smiled sardonically. ‘The fact that I know the pattern says a lot about how many good people I know have passed away. I’m like the freaking plague, everyone I know dies.’

Sighing, she turned over again. She had rushed out of the house, but there was nowhere she wanted to go. If she went back now, it would just be another cycle of everyone trying to see her, to worry about her. Ever since Gradas’ death, and the subsequent admission from the Village Heads that Aurelie may have killed the Elemental Apprentice, her status was sky high. She was practically worshipped by the villagers, and every other move she made caused them all to fly into a tizzy. It was exhausting.

The only quiet place was the Village Hall, but even that wasn’t much better. There was a tense, gloomy atmosphere around the house, and she knew it was caused by Mel’s death. Danadie was always hovering nearby anxiously, and everyone kept on trying to reassure her by saying that Farn’s words had merely been said due to his depression and sadness, and that he hadn’t mean it. Aurelie wasn’t so sure.

To take her mind off of it all, she pulled out her phone and began to look through the pictures she’d taken. Many of them featured Zane, though there wasn’t a lack of pictures in which Chase was there. She paused at a photo that showcased all three of them. Zane was looking as cool as ever, glaring at the camera as though it was his mortal enemy. She was between him and Uncle Chase, holding onto their arms and giving the camera a huge grin. Happiness radiated off her face. Uncle Chase was smiling as well, though his gave off a more mature feeling. He was relaxed, one arm slung over Aurelie’s shoulder, and the other hanging loosely by his side.

Remembering that particular trip, one of the very few that didn’t involve either Zane or her killing someone, the present Aurelie grinned. It had been nice to sit back and relax. The grin abruptly dropped after a moment, though, when she remembered what had happened the last time she’d relaxed.

Groaning, she sat up, deciding that she should head back to the Village Hall, having nothing better to do.

Suddenly, an arrow thudded into the place where her head had been.