Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 123779 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 619(@200wpm)___ 495(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123779 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 619(@200wpm)___ 495(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
I want to push him away because I don’t want him feeling any of this pain. Unable to stop Raighne, he flows through my mind, and as he floods my body, his warmth battles the fire, easing some of the blistering pain.
“Raighne,” I groan internally. “I don’t want you here. Leave.”
“Never.” His voice is clear in my mind. “I’ll find you. Don’t give up.”
My whole body slumps, and totally exhausted, I just soak in Raighne’s comforting presence.
Then another voice enters my mind, sounding threatening, “Tell her, or I will be forced to kill you slowly and hand your soul to her.”
I shake my head as more sobs spill over my lips.
The sadistic bitch steps closer, enjoying my pain and despair. “You may stop, for now, Ares. Let’s see whether our little bird is ready to sing.”
The excruciating pain stops the minute he removes his hand, and I hang limply from where a rope is tied around my wrists.
“Tell me who the chosen ones are,” she demands.
My body jerks as I come to, and it takes a moment before I realize Raighne’s carrying me somewhere.
The vision I just had shudders through me, and I’m hit with a wave of utter despair.
Raighne must think I’m reacting to the pain of the wounds Brenna inflicted on me because he presses a kiss to my forehead and murmurs, “We’ll be home soon, then you can rest.”
I press my face to his shoulder, and unable to stop the tears, they soak into the leather of his shirt.
The sound of voices drifts to us, and soon, we’re moving through the camp.
When we enter my living quarters, I pull my face away from his shoulder.
He carries me into the bedroom and lays me down on the covers. “Try to get some sleep.”
I shake my head and stare at nothing in particular as the visions I’ve been having replay in my mind.
Raighne sits down on the side of the bed, and leaning over me, he braces a hand beside my hip. Tilting his head, he catches my eyes and says, “Talk to me.”
I stare at his face, that’s so familiar but at the same time foreign, and I remember how his strength flowed through me while I was being tortured.
My entire life has been thrown into chaos and the visions are only getting worse.
His eyes soften on me, and bringing his other hand to my face, he cups my cheek. “Talk to me, Alchera.”
I hate it as the words leave my lips. “I’m scared.”
“Of Brenna?” he asks.
I shake my head again, then admit, “I’ve been having visions.”
Frown lines appear on his forehead, and his thumb brushes tenderly over my skin. “Want to tell me about them?”
I lean into his palm, and closing my eyes, I say, “The one I’ve had twice, I’m in a foreign city, and people are running around. There are bodies, their faces burned.” I suck in a deep breath, trying to fight the despair flooding me just from thinking about it.
“Go on.” Raighne encourages me, keeping his tone gentle.
“It’s raining ash and debris,” I whisper, my tone raw. “At some point, I look up to see where the ash is coming from, and there are dark clouds. The middle is swirling, and the edges of the black clouds are dark red as if it’s been dipped in blood.” I try really hard to keep my voice from trembling. “The clouds look like they’re on fire.” I take another deep breath, and my ribs feel tender. Exhaling, I continue, “I think a volcano is erupting.” I glance down at my hands. “It erupts, and I’m not concerned about my own safety. I just feel empty…like a wasteland.” I swallow hard. “I feel dark inside.”
When I lift my eyes, it’s to see a very concerned expression etched deep into Raighne’s features.
I stare at him for a moment, wishing we could go back to being Jane and Ryan, just two teenagers without a care in the world.
Even though it’s only been a day since he dragged me back to this world, it feels as if an eternity has passed.
Pulling away from Raighne, I scoot off the bed and walk to the window. Looking outside, I see the old oak tree’s shadows in the dark.
I hear him stand up, and I take a deep breath, or as deep as my bruised ribs will allow, before I continue, “The part that bothers me most is when I turn around, and something slams into my chest.”
I turn around to face Raighne, who’s standing by the side of the bed.
Maybe I shouldn’t tell him.
I contemplate it for a moment but then decide against keeping it a secret.
“I think someone is going to shoot me.”
Looking at his worried face, I wait for him to say something.
“Did you see the person who’s going to shoot you?” he asks, his tone tense.