The Druid Gene Read Free Page B

rigid, straightening and flattening against the exposed rock under her.
    Her left hand crossed her body of its own accord, pinning itself to the stone floor, and began to glow in the same way. She arched, struggling to keep the rest of her body from being drawn down. It was futile. As the tingling blue light crawled up her arm, it drew that limb down to the stone and then her shoulder too. The stack of stones fell on top of her with a soft clatter, but she barely felt it as her body stretched over the dusty canyon floor, shuddering with pins and needles.
    It never occurred to her to scream. She felt as though she were trapped in a dream where anything could happen to her body while she remained motionless, observing herself undergoing some kind of transformation.
    Something was clearly affecting her central nervous system. The glowing lines along her nerves… It felt like that light was being drawn into her. But how? From where? And what would it do to her?
    She closed her eyes to shut it out, but behind her lids, there was nothing but blue fire.

2
    S he had to be hallucinating . Maybe she’d brushed up against the wrong plant on the hike or accidentally consumed some kind of psychoactive substance and was tripping. Or it was a stroke, an aneurism, a seizure, or—holy shit—she might actually be dying.
    Her head swam. It felt like she was spinning. She was hyperventilating and couldn’t stop. Her vision darkened, spiraling down to a pinpoint.
    She was paralyzed, glowing blue like a neon beer sign. Why hadn’t Adam seen her? Why hadn’t he come to help her? Had he known this would happen? Was that why he’d brought her out here, speaking of special energy like some hippie?
    Her lips pulled back in a rictus. How could something like this even happen?
    She was alone. So alone.
    Her body vibrated like a tuning fork, grew hot, and she felt sweat bead up all over. Something was building inside her, pouring into her. She was pinioned in the eye of a vortex. It swirled around her, through her, slowly reaching a rumbling crescendo. Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it could burst from her chest.
    It was unbearable. It would never stop.
    And then, all at once, it did.
    The blue aura was gone. She trembled violently. Her body still felt thick and heavy, but she could move again. The sweat on her skin cooled quickly and she began to shiver. She tried to call to Adam, but all that came out of her mouth was a mewl. She gasped for breath and tried again, gaining some strength with each new attempt.
    Then he was there, pulling the rocks off of her, cradling her in his arms.
    “What happened? Did you fall?”
    She sobbed, clutching at him weakly, saying, “I don’t know,” over and over.
    “You’re so cold. I need to warm you up. Can you walk? Is anything broken?”
    His warm, brown eyes were so worried, searching. It helped to ground her. She stared into them and worked to match his breathing, to calm down so she could think more clearly. “I don’t think I broke anything when I fell. I should be able to walk.”
    He stood, pulling her with him. She swayed on her feet, grateful for his support. They stepped outside the stone circle and a weird feeling came over her. She stopped moving.
    “Okay?”
    “Yes.” She forced herself to take another step. It felt like she’d just disconnected from something powerful, like an appliance being unplugged.
    He helped her back to the campsite and wrapped her up in her sleeping bag. He put a blue metal coffee mug, half-filled with steaming soup, in her hands. Then he settled behind her, wrapping his arms around her as though he could still her violent shivering with a tight hug.
    She slumped against him, completely enervated. “I think I just had a seizure,” she whispered.
    “Have you ever had one before?”
    “No. I an’t think what else it could be.” The mug was too hot. She loosened her sleeves and pulled them over her hands so she could grip it more comfortably.
    “I