Apotheosis of the Immortal Read Free Page B

moving this fast? He made it up the steep hill to the cottage with amazingly little effort; he wasn’t even breathing hard. He was barely even breathing at all, actually. Still, his body was stronger than ever! Am I losing my mind? Am I dying? He was frightened and exhilarated at the same time.
    The far end of the cottage had been destroyed. The roof and logs were all in ashes, and only a pile of rocks remained. The smell of burnt wood and thatching filled the small clearing. There was also another smell, one Elijah didn’t recognize, but the sickening feeling that stole over him filled him with dread. When he rushed over to look at the destruction left behind, seared flesh and bone sticking from the ashes confirmed his horrified suspicion.
    “Sara!” he exclaimed. “Sara!” There was no response. Dead silence. Though it had been buried deep, he had hoped his brother might somehow have been wrong, and she might still be alive. That hope was now completely crushed. Clearly she had died with the rest of her family.
    Slumping to the ground, he leaned his back against what was left of the stone foundation and wept. Why would they do this to Sara and her family? It makes no sense!
    He didn’t know how he could keep going after this, but as his thoughts drifted away from his precious Sara and towards his father and Solomon, hate drove him to his feet. Yes, hate would keep him moving towards his purpose.
    He thought briefly about burying what he could find of the bodies in the house, but decided it wouldn’t make any difference. It would only slow him down. The only difference he could make now, for anyone, was to find and kill the ones responsible, those who remained of his family.

Chapter 5
     
    Elijah had never been far from home. He knew there was a small town somewhere on the river to the east; he had been there with his father when he was younger. He couldn’t remember exactly how far the town was, only that it hadn’t taken more than a few days to get there. He didn’t know how yet, but he needed to stock up on some supplies.
    Pushing himself up from the broken cottage wall Elijah thought he noticed movement coming from within, beneath the ash and rubble. Maneuvering closer, he spotted a foot sticking out from beneath some thatching. Sara? Could she be alive? His heart leapt as he climbed inside to investigate.
    As he lifted the thatching he was aghast at what lay revealed at his feet. Sara wasn’t moving; her withered body looked like a corpse. Elijah kneeled down beside her and wiped the blood and ash-stained hair from her face. She was still beautiful.
    Suddenly, a cloud of ash flew into the air as Sara’s body convulsed furiously. She heaved and coughed, and then her body became still once more. How can she still be alive? The thought sent Elijah into a panic; he had to keep her alive, but didn’t know how. Sliding his arms under her, he shoved to his feet, cradling her frail body as he rushed to the riverbank.
    Desperate and unprepared, he tilted her head back and poured a handful of water down her throat. There was no response. Elijah searched for signs of life, but found none. She wasn’t breathing, and he couldn’t feel her heart beating.
    Unsure of what to do next, he decided to carry her to town, hoping someone there would know what to do for her. It was dark, but Elijah felt there wasn’t much time. He still wasn’t tired, and he urgently needed to get help for Sara.
    He ran as hard as he could, never getting tired or weak. He was impossibly fast. What had happened to him? What was the source of this new power? How long would he have it? He didn’t know, but thought his father might.
    Elijah was still running towards town when Sara’s body suddenly convulsed again, jerking against his arms as she gasped for air. Looking down, he saw her eyes open for just a moment. His heart practically leapt out of his chest with joy. It was the first time he had seen her beautiful eyes in nearly three years,