He slams my face into the earth. I hear his zipper lower, and his weight shifts. I twist and turn my body over. Throwing my fist out, I barely catch him in the head. I hurl my body up to scratch his face. I fight with everything I have, trying to avoid his hits in return. He’s too big, too strong. He overpowers me. Too soon, he pins me to the ground, trapping my arms above my head, while he paws at my jeans.
Magic. Jessica, use your magic.I try to summon wind magic to surround me as it had, but nothing happens. Panic rises from my chest as Boris unfastens my pants. I try again, wiggling my fingers to conjure lightning. Again, nothing happens.
He tugs my jeans down, barely getting them over my hip. I press my thighs together and plaster my pelvis into the ground, making it harder for him to undress me. I squeeze my eyes shut and clamp down on my lips, holding back the scream fightingfor release. Because that’s what he wants. He wants to hear my anguish, my despair. I will not submit to his desire.
Please, please someone help me.Behind the darkness of my lids, I picture the sky bursting with bolts of lightning one last time. I envision the blurred images of Shadow, plucking me from the freezing waters near the pier. I thought it was a dream, until I was told it wasn’t.He found you when no one else could.Will he be able to find me again?
Please find me,Shadow. Please find me.
Shadow
I bolt up into a sitting position, sweat dripping down the side of my face. Images of Jessica being attacked by a man flash through my mind.Princess. I need to find her.
This strange sensation sits heavy in my chest. Urgency tingles against my scalp. Transporting myself in front of my closet, hastily grabbing whatever I can find to pull on, I slip my feet into a pair of shoes. I transport myself to the middle of a grassy area. I might be losing my mind, transporting myself out of bed in a haste to find the Princess, but this place looks like the area in my dream.
I scan the ground and find a flattened patch of grass compared to the long blades standing erect, not yet burdened by the heavy dew of the early morning. I crouch down to inspect the area closely. The familiar scent of honey and lavender combined with hints of rain and magic infiltrates my senses accompanied by a male scent. A familiar one.When I find him, I will kill him.
Eyeing the area for more clues, I try to determine which direction they went. I stand and follow the path that hopefully will lead me to Jessica before it’s too late.
Princess, where are you?
As if answering my question, the sky bursts with streaks of lightning. Within mere seconds, I find Boris with his pants open and hanging low off his hips. He pins Jessica’s hands with one of his own while the other tugs at her jeans.
My hands ball into fists as I glance down at Jessica’s face. Eyes screwed shut, head angled to the side, I taste her fear on my tongue.
A murderous rage bubbles from under my skin. I want to devour his soul, but I don’t want her to see that part of myself, so I push it down. In three quick strides, I slam my foot into Boris’s side. The satisfying crunch of bone penetrates the night air. His body lands on the ground with a thud. I transport over his body, grabbing the front of his shirt and punch him in the face repeatedly until he starts to choke on his own blood.
Enough, I’ll come back to finish him.
I stride over to Jessica, sitting with a far-off stare. She holds her shirt together over her chest. I pick her up, and she buries her face in my chest.
“You came. You found me,” she whimpers. I wrap my arms around her, cradling her head against my shoulder. The rapid beat of my heart thumps against my ribs.
She’s safe. That’s all that matters, for now.
“I’m going to kill both of you!” Boris rages, clutching at his side. He rushes forward. “The world will rejoice once I rid it of you two filthy scum!” He raises his free hand, and a shiny, metallic object glints in the moonlight. A gun.
“No!” Jessica screams and pushes wind magic against my chest. Lightning shoots from her hand. I pull her into me as a loud bang echoes through the night sky. A bullet whizzes by, andthe heat and a sting of pain graze against my forehead just before we collide with the ground. I run my hands over her head and her back, checking for wounds. Nothing. She’s okay.She’s safe.
Jessica straddles my body and pats me down, looking for any hint of an open wound herself.
“I’m okay. I’m okay,” I reassure her. Her tiny hand caresses my face, and I hiss as she makes contact. A sob falls from her swollen lips. “It’s just a scratch. I’m fine.”
She audibly swallows. I pull her down against me and cradle her while she cries against my chest.
I look toward the body crumpled on the ground. Steam rises into the cool air. The smell of burned flesh wafts in our direction.
Holding Jessica closer to me with one arm, I push us both into a sitting position. She turns her head to look at Boris’s body, but I catch her beautiful face in my hands. She doesn’t need to see him. She doesn’t need to remember what he looks like in death.
“I killed him,” she stammers. Using the pads of my thumbs, I swipe at her tears.
“You saved my life. It was him or us.” My lips twitch as I force the corners into a smile, hoping that it’s enough to put her at ease. I can feel my body already knitting the skin back together.
Her eyes glaze over, no longer focusing on me.She’s going into shock.
“Princess, I need to take you back. Is there someone from the guard who you trust, who can watch over you? Someone who can keep a secret.”
Her eyes drop to my chest. “Liam,” she finally whispers. A small twinge of jealousy flits against my chest. “Stables. Take me to the stables.” She stares vacantly at the ground, her voice hollow. Pulling her closer into me, I cradle her face into my chest and teleport us both to the stables.
