Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
“Wha—?” I felt my chest, how my heart wouldn’t slow down. “Kellan! My heart.”
“It’s okay. I promise.” He pressed a kiss against my forehead and rested his cheek there.
My heart started to slow, just a bit.
He lifted me up and cradled me on his chest, scooting backward until his back was against the wall. Then he rocked me back and forth, repeating his words, “It’s okay. I promise. It’s okay. I promise.”
I gasped for breath and burrowed into him, seeking more shelter. I was only aware of his fingers on my forehead, how he brushed my hair back and kept doing it over and over. I felt my heart starting to slow down. It still pounded throughout my whole body, but a few minutes later, I saw that I was in his arms. Then we were on his bed, in his room, in our home. Finally, I breathed in and out, at a normal rate, and I was able to push up from him.
“What happened? Something happened?” My eyes searched his.
Kellan frowned, but didn’t hide anything. He let me see into him, to the demon inside of him. The demon looked back at me, concerned, too. I reeled back and scrambled out of his arms. “What—your—what?”
He closed his eyes and shook his head. “I don’t want to hurt you. I mean that.”
“But—” I heard the whispers again. They were scratching at my consciousness. They wanted me to remember something. “She’s his.” I asked Kellan, “Who is his? What happened?”
“The messenger in you took control.” He sounded in pain.
“What? Why?” Then I gulped. What had happened when I wasn’t in control?
“She tried to hurt me. My demon came out, and they fought, but it was over quickly.”
I jerked to my feet and darted to the farthest corner of the room. With my back to the wall, I looked at Kellan, still on the bed. “You…” My voice trembled. “You’re not my brother. You told me that before—the thing happened.”
He settled back against the wall and sighed. “Yes. I told you that.”
I swallowed, nervous now. “What does that mean? You’re here because of me.”
Kellan started to stand up, but I shot out my hand. “Please don’t. I’m freaked out. I can’t… Just stay there. Please.”
He sat back down, and I relaxed. His eyes searched mine intently as he spoke, “I’m here because my human side is bonded with your human side. I’m here because of you, for you.”
“How—how do you know?”
“Because you came to me when you were a child. You weren’t in control of your powers, but they were too strong back then. The messenger was mixed with your human side. The two of you flowed together naturally, and you wanted to find your soulmate. You were a child. You didn’t know how frightening your powers were to others, but you came to me. My father felt your presence.”
“What, like a house? Like I literally came to your house?”
“No.” He shook his head, looking sad, almost wounded. “It was through magic. Your presence found mine. My father felt inside of you and found where you were, that you came from demons. He didn’t understand your existence, how you could live in a home of demons when you were half-messenger, but he sent me here. For you. Because of you. I’m here because you wanted me to come here.”
I gaped at him. Had he grown two heads? Had I? “None of this makes sense,” I sputtered out, but it did. Clamping my eyes shut, I tried to ward of memories. They were coming at me fast, hard, too frightening for me to remember. “No, no, no, no. I couldn’t. I hadn’t…”
Then Kellan was in front of me. His hands took my wrists and he lifted them around his head. “Hug me. Please.” He urged me closer, and then I jumped, going into him. I clung to him with my eyes closed, burrowing into him.
The memories kept coming, and I remembered being a little girl. My mother had just read a book to me. I was the princess, and I needed to find my prince. She tucked me in bed, kissed my forehead, and said goodnight. I hadn’t gone to sleep, though. I crawled out and went to my window. As I placed my hand to the window, I closed my eyes and wished to find my prince. I wanted my own fairytale so bad, and I wished with all my heart. Something left my body. It sailed through the window, gliding seamlessly, and looked back once. My body remained in the room with my eyes closed so tight and my lips pursed together, sitting there in my pink princess pajamas. My blonde hair had started to grow, and it flowed over my shoulders, shining from the moonlight. I looked like I was praying, but then I looked back in the air, floating over the forests. I floated over lakes, over houses, over cities.