Lani Woodland - Yara Silva Trilogy 1 Intrinsical

INTRINSICAL

Lani Woodland

Pendrell Publishing

Published by Pendrell Publishing Hollywood CA

For information regarding permission, write to: Pendrell Publishing, Attention Permissions Department, P.O. Box 344

Hollywood, CA 90078

Text copyright 2010 Michele Tolley

Cover Photography 2010

Sweet Expressions Photography

''Can't Stop Dreaming Of You'' was written by E. Joseph Tolley for exclusive use in Intrinsical

All rights Reserved

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010911650

ISBN-13: 9780982729717

Intrinsical

Lani Woodland

For Mom and Dad

Who taught me that anything was possible if you have enough hope and work hard enough for it.

Prologue

My shadow stretched out in front of me, making my small build and slight frame seem almost tallwillowy even. It had an air of grace about it that I envied, and made me feel more elegant than the boarding school uniform-wearing sixteen year old I was.

The humid summer swelter had not yet surrendered to the much more bearable temperatures of fall. A gust of wind momentarily stirred the air, giving me a respite from the suffocating heat as my shirt billowed out around me. I could feel the sturdy beads of my necklace warm against my skin, reflecting the bright sunlight onto the wall of the campus library in a shower of amber sparkles.

I decided to seek solace from the heat in the shade of a tall tree. Dropping to the well-manicured grass at its base, I slouched against the scratchy bark that pricked my scalp and snared my mocha-colored hair. A lone white cloud hung in the sky, thin and shredded around the edges, losing a battle against the summers unyielding heat.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something slide past me. Curious, I turned to find something shimmering in the air, almost like a fine mistbut it was unlike any mist I had ever seen. Instead of a transparent white, it was a deep charcoal gray, almost black. It brought to mind a dark rain cloud, one that promised a terrible storm. The mist radiated coldness. Cold wasnt the right word though. It was... chilling, and not the good air-conditioned kind. Its chill ran down my spine and the warm sweat that had beaded on my skin now turned icy.

The fog hung in the air for a moment, its whirling tendrils frothing, churning, and folding in on themselves. I shuddered as the writhing patch of darkness glided a few feet off the ground. It seemed to move with purpose as it swirled around the students who were loitering around campus.

What is that? I asked myself, speaking aloud. I blinked and rubbed my eyes, sure I was imagining it. But I wasnt; it was still there.

My stomach sunk as I watched the fog. It couldnt be a ghost. Could it? My grandmothers descriptions of some of the ghosts she had encountered trickled through my mind. But I was different than other women in my family; I couldnt see them. Had genetics caught up to me at long last?

The mist wound around one student, then another, releasing each before moving on, still searching. Then, abruptly, it paused, circling tightly around a boy with sable brown hair.

His friends surrounded him but no one seemed to notice the blanket of vapor that now enveloped him. Someone must have told a joke, because he threw his head back in a laugh, a sound that rang through the air like a velvety melody. With the speed of a whip slicing through the air, a tendril of darkness slid inside his open mouth. My own mouth went suddenly dry. I felt sick, as if I had swallowed it myself.

The boys eyes instantly went wide and his hands went reflexively to his neck. He leaned forward, gasping for air as if the darkness were squeezing his airway shut.

I jumped to my feet and felt myself take a step forward.

Eyes bulging wide, he kept one hand clasped at his throat while his other hand waved desperately in the air, signaling for somebody to step in and help him. Brent? Brent! I heard one of his friends shout.

I didnt even realize my feet were running toward him, pushing authoritatively through the immobile, gaping crowd. One friend pounded him on the back before I shoved him out of the way.

I kneeled in front of a complete stranger, as if somehow I had the power to save him. I knew the basics of CPR, and although I had never done it, I now steeled myself to try, fumbling for the information I had once learned. Tears streamed down my face and I took his hand in mine. Hey! I shouted. His brown eyes met my hazel ones and I could see he knew what was happening, knew he was moments from death. He stared back at me, and in his expression I could see he was pleading desperately for help. I was sure that the horror I saw in his eyes was mirrored in my own.

Dropping his hand and rising to my feet I circled behind him and wrapped my arms around his body. Leaning in close to his ear I promised, You are going to be okay! My shaking hands clasped together as they found the correct placement. I repeated again, You will be okay. It was a promise to myself as much as to him.

Leaning forward, my hair, tears, and necklace fell in a silky puddle across his cheek. I could feel the warmth from his skin on my face, and my heart started beating faster at what I was about to do. The air around me shifted as I thrust my hands under his ribs. With a violent blast, the intruder that had entered his body withdrew. The freezing vapor encircled us both before vanishing with an anguished scream. Brent instantly took a deep, painful-sounding breath, and began coughing as soon as the fresh air filled his starved lungs. He turned toward me and his eyes locked with mine.

Breathe with me, I instructed, trying to help his ragged breathing normalize. Slowly, the panicked look in his eyes quieted but his hand clutched mine as if it alone were tethering him to life.

I knew there were people around me, that someone was recording the whole thing on their phone. I was even aware of some of them trying to get our attention, but I couldnt make out anything they said. I didnt care about any of it; all that mattered was that he was alive.

A pair of hands grabbed me forcefully from behind, moving me out of the way. The movement broke our eye contact and I lost my grip on Brents hand. The world tumbled back to life around me, and now I could make out the conversations that were happening in the crowd. I could see the larger group of onlookers frantically rehashing what they had just seen.

I didnt care. None of it mattered.

He was still watching me, but the nurse slid between us, checking his pulse and making sure he was okay. The crowd began to thin as everyone realized the action was over and lost interest. His friends stood off to the side waiting for him, shuffling around nervously. I dug my shoe into the grass, trying to fade into the background, unsure if I should stay. Shaking my head, I tried to clear away the intensity of the moment.

I need you to come to my office, just to be sure, I heard the nurse instruct him as he stood with a slight balance check. Looking up, I watched him nod, but he wasnt looking at her, he was looking at me. When he turned to walk toward the infirmary, I followed for a few steps before I stopped myself. What was I doing? He didnt need me anymore. Instead, I headed towards my dorm.

I had only taken perhaps three steps when someone caught my wrist. I knew it was him before I even turned around. I looked back, blinking stupidly, wondering if this was even real. I could feel the strong pulse from his fingers that slid down to my hand.

Boldly, he lifted my hand and placed it on his chest over the steady thumping of his heart. I stifled a gasp as I felt my own heart shift to beat in rhythm with his.

You saved my life, he stated in a raspy voice. Im in your debt. Despite the twinkle in his eye, there was a weight to his words that made me shiver. He opened his mouth to say more, but the nurse, a formidable woman, caught hold of his elbow and steered him towards her office.