“My dearest Christina,” the man in the black suit said, using a voice meant to sooth like a father would a daughter.
I shot him a look that would kill. Anger boiled in me, bubbling up to the surface until I realized that if I dared open my mouth, dared to let one word come out, it would be in a scream so loud and harsh that no one would understand me. And, if I started, I feared I might never stop, like I would scream myself to death. Probably not possible, but it sure felt that way at the moment. How dare he try to comfort me? The whole idea of it, I found not only demeaning, but ultimately rude and egotistical. Ego was something I just didn’t get, and it incensed me to even consider it.
“Calm down, dear. I just need to talk to you, to explain to you what is happening, and what needs to happen to save this man you love. That magic of yours glowing from your hands will not save him, only hurt him more. If you hurt me, he will die. Trust me.”
I grumbled or groaned, maybe growled, the sound that rumbled through my chest burning my dry lungs, bringing more tears to my eyes, something I couldn’t explain.
“Listen, dear,” he continued, before he actually stopped, jerking his head back at the look I gave him, wanting to rip his head off with my bare hands, to feel it burn in them when I unleashed my magic. What came across my face had to be animalistic. It actually hurt, the way it wrinkled up my forehead and nose. I scared myself, the way I was losing the human ability to care about the harm I wished to do this man.
Crouching here beside Lex, all of his agony washing over me, all of his physical and emotional pain streaking through me, I couldn’t breathe, think, or get a grip on anything, let alone the reality of consequences for any of my actions. With the continued noises downstairs as a background, not knowing who was winning or losing, it didn’t help me at all to get a handle on myself, to even begin to think rationally again.
“Please, Christina, you must understand, or at least try to, the life my people have been forced to live under our curse. Our sorcerer…”
I cut him off with, “You mean the poor man you kidnapped?”
“Our sorcerer believes that with you, a Royal, he can give us what we need. With that in mind, I have Lex here bound in spelled chains. They are not allowing his magic to heal him. If he remains here much longer, he will indeed die. As I said, you hurt me, and he will be left to die because I won’t be here to get someone to break the chains.”
“If he dies, it will be because of you, not me. You are the monster here. You are the one who has continued to hurt him beyond what his body can handle. He has suffered, for days now, you monster,” I yelled, cringing at the volume of my own voice.
Poor Lex moaned beside me. I could tell he wanted to move, to talk, but his body was so worn down, so drained of blood, probably half-starved and dehydrated as well, that he just couldn’t. Still, I felt how much he wanted to help, to save me, and it encouraged me to go on, from the depth of that love that remained despite what this animal in front of me had done to him.
“Once he is released, he will heal, be as good as new in no time,” he offered like he was a righteous man, and that a worthy offer, one I’d be a fool not to take. “All you have to do is give yourself to me, and in return, I will let him go; save the life of the man you love. Otherwise, you will watch him die, and still, I will take you. Your choice.”
Chapter Ten
As the anger and energy merged into one, I was like a ticking time bomb. Only, I feared even I might not survive the release of it. My hands had started to glow even brighter, like a force field of light had formed around them. Forcing them out in front of me, my mittens of pulsing light, I watched as the man in the black suit took a step back, assuming I was threatening him rather than just keeping my magic at arm’s length. While I only meant to move away from Lex, the man thought I was moving toward him. A flood of warmth, both my magic and triumph, surged through me.
Paper dust and other trash-like remnants began to move around on the floor around me, the magic coming out of my pores to stir up the room. Every glance at Lex increased the whirlwind, creating a fat tornado-like thing around me. My hair whipped up around my face, and I drank in the feeling of taking back the power in this situation. If I was the center of this force, I stood as far from calm, though. The more power I felt, the more I created.