Enchanted By Him, page 11
A whole other state? There was no chance Noah could get to me.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked back up at him.
“Let’s go,” he said.
Like a zap of electricity, my body complied, and I was out the door and by his side in a heartbeat. My mind was screaming, raging for me to go the other way, but I just could not bring myself to do it.
Mind control. I need to fight it.
Walking forward, I pushed and pushed in my mind to break any spell he was putting on me. I wasn’t going to give up, if I was going to die anyway, I might as well die fighting. The leaves crunched underneath our feet, and my mind was running around in circles. Adrenaline was coursing through every inch of my body, but I could not act on it. I was simply stuck. Trapped in my own skin.
“Please, just let me go. I will give you anything you want.” It was a futile attempt, to which he just chuckled darkly.
“I can’t believe you don’t know yet. Do you even know what we are? We’re Fae, not sure if your boyfriend told you that. And you are much more important than you think. For that reason alone, I have to kill you. I love my cousin, but it has to be done.”
My lips closed as if my lips were sewn shut. It felt as if fog had settled over my mind, but that fog was just controlling my physical movements. I knew he had the power to take over my mind as well, but he wanted me to think freely. He wants to torture me.
I was able to see him from the corner of my eyes. He was hunched over next to me. It was different from the straight cocky posture he usually had. He had a sadness in his eyes that made me think he might regret what he was doing. But then he looked at me and scowled, the sadness being quickly replaced with a darkness. I knew I would be a goner.
My three steps matched to his one and I was quickly out of breath. We walked, and walked, and walked, and walked. I am not sure where we were heading to. If he wanted to kill me now, why didn’t he just get it over with already?
Just kill me. I wanted to beg him. I could not take any more of this agony. It felt like the most powerful panic attack I had ever had. My body was on overdrive, but my mind could not help. I couldn’t change anything. I was trapped. I would die like this. Finding any last strength within me, I worked to push his control on my mind further away.
I felt like a twig snapped, and I was free. I did not have time to grasp why or how. I knew he felt it too because his head jerked towards my direction. With the remaining strength I had left in my limbs I sprinted. He was faster than me, I knew he would catch up. But maybe I could confuse him with my path, get slightly ahead of him to obscure myself from his view.
I could hear his fast approach, but that only pushed me to move faster. I continued to run in zig zag, twisting and turning around trees. Branches scraped my arms, legs, and face and I knew I was bleeding. My heart felt as if it was going to explode out of my chest. I could not take much more physical exertion. I would need to slow down soon. I jumped over a stream, the water splashing the back of my ankles. It was only then that I noticed I had lost my shoes. The cold water was like a shock to my system, I was hoping it could push me just a bit further.
My body was suddenly slammed into the nearest tree, taking my breath away. A hand latched on to my throat and squeezed. Clawing at the hand, I tried to get it to release its hold. My lungs burned, tears bridging my eyes. I would give anything for just one breath of air.
I felt something ripped from my arm, and my throat was released. I collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. It was euphoria, every breath in, and I felt as if I would eventually be okay. I just had to hold on for a bit longer. How did I never appreciate air before? It felt great swishing into my nose, going down to my lungs, and back up and out my mouth.
“You’re lucky the bastard slipped this on you and I didn’t notice.”
I looked up, squinting as I was seeing three of him. When he finally came into focus, I witnessed the black beaded bracelet dangling from his hands. It was the one Noah had left at my house with his hoodie last week. What was so special about that bracelet?
“What..?” I asked my voice raspy and my throat sore.
He crouched down so he was in my face. He put a finger under my chin and lifted my head to meet his gaze. “This bracelet contains the plant Dragonia. It allows magic to be dulled. Apparently, it dulled it just enough for you to break out of my grasp. We can’t have that happen, now can we?” he smiled down at me.
I desperately looked around to try and see if anything was drawn to our noise, a person, an animal, anything.
Josh followed my gaze, “You looking for Noah? He will not be coming. I glamoured the place so not even he can see it. Now, enough chit-chat. Time for you to take a walk, it’s a nice night for a swim.” He stood in front of me placing his hands on my shoulder. His eyes glowed yellow. “I want you to go under the water and not come up until I say so.”
At his words my body lifted itself upright and the familiar fog settled in my brain. This time I had a sense of calm though. I trekked along and realized I was right earlier, my legs were bleeding. How sharp were those branches? I did not feel the need to panic though, I just stared entranced as the red liquid dripped down my legs.
My body was collapsing, my steps were becoming slower, and as hard as I was pushing myself, I didn’t know how much further I could go. I was not scared, just observant, taking in the physical sensations coursing through my body.
I reached the lake, the moonlight danced across the surface of the water invitingly.
I kept shuffling forward. My feet were then submerged in water. I stepped on and on, until the cold water hit my stomach and the cold water submerged my shoulders and splashed my face. Before my ears went under, I heard a rough scream that sent shivers down my spine. I sank down under the icy waters. I knew what I had to do. I had to wait for Josh to tell me to surface. Forever I would wait.
I could see my dad in the distance beckoning to me. I did not want to be anywhere else but in his arms. I felt joy, pure joy. I had missed him for so long; seeing his smile put all my fear at ease and caused a warm pleasurable sensation to take over my body.
When I was finally able to wrap my arms around him, I was enveloped with a feeling of peace so strong, I knew this must be heaven.
Chapter 23
“Aubree!”
I felt a pounding on my chest. I couldn’t breathe, my mind was still swirling. Why was I laying down?
The burning sensation was back and more painful than before. I coughed up water.
Water came out of my mouth and went down my neck. After a few more coughs I was finally able to breathe. Breathing in and out, in and out, savoring any little bit of air I could get. I could not think, I just did what I needed to do. What my body was screaming at me to do.
It was after my breathing came back down to a normal steady rhythm that I realized I was shivering and soaking wet from my head to my toes. It all came flooding back to me, the walk in the woods, Josh, the water, drowning, my dad. Had Noah come to save me? A smile came to my face. My knight in shining armor.
I sat up with an abrupt gasp, opening my eyes to lay them upon the person I least expected to see, Steve.
He was also soaking wet, and his giant crossbow was next to me. I started hyperventilating when he placed both hands on the sides of my face, “Just breathe, Aubree, you are all right.”
I pushed his hands away. His hands were cold to the touch and intensified my shivering. Finally, with my consciousness returning, I recognized the sound of groaning pain. I looked to my right to see Josh kneeling in the grass, an arrow piercing his arm. Blood gushed down his arm, but it was a different color than normal. It was a pink color, not red.
Did Steve do that?
“Be quiet,” Steve snapped at him and sat up, flexing his fingers. He looked so natural, as if shooting Fae in the woods was a normal occurrence. I guess for him it was.
“YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!” Josh shrieked at Steve.
He was standing now but clutching his left arm with force. “YOU TOOK MY BEST FRIEND, MY TWIN! MY MOM WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. YOU TORTURED HER BEYOND SANTIY! YOU RUINED MY LIFE. AND FOR WHAT? BECAUSE A DUMB HUMAN GIRL REALIZED SHE DIDN’T LOVE YOU ANYMORE AND WENT FOR SOMEONE BETTER!” Josh yelled.
Steve quickly walked over to him and punched him in the face. With a grunt, Josh took the blow then looked back up at him with blood gushing out his nose.
“I should leave you out here and let the Crem have you,” Steve growled.
My hair was sticking to my neck and I did not have any strength in my limbs. I realized that now was the time to run. Although Steve saved me, I was trapped in the woods with two monsters. I could think of a million other places I would rather be.
Josh punched Steve back with his good arm and landed the blow right in Steve’s stomach. Steve doubled over. I looked around frantically, looking for anything I could use to protect myself. I knew I was forgotten for a moment, but I would not be for long.
I looked back just as Steve grabbed the knife strapped to his thigh and sliced right through Josh’s right wing. I gasped, and Josh made a sound I’ve never heard before and I will never forget it. He was a creature in so much pain, so much agony.
Tears streamed down Josh’s face. Whimpering, he gave one last look towards Steve then used his Fae speed to disappear.
Steve turned to me, pink Fae blood coating his hands. He walked closer and I flinched away. He sighed and squatted down, looking into my eyes. His eyes were unnaturally black.
“Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?” he asked me.
He had a gentle tone to his voice, and I couldn’t tell if he really cared about my well-being or if it was just for show.
I shook my head. Other than not having any strength in my muscles, and still struggling to breathe with water in my lungs, I was okay.
“Well, then let’s get you out of here,” he grabbed me by the hand, and looped an arm around my waist holding up most of my weight.
We started walking along. I was not really sure where we were walking to, but we were on the move and it made me feel better. I wanted to be as far away from this place as possible. The forest was silent, but in my mind, I kept hearing Josh’s scream on repeat. Needing a distraction, I asked Steve, “How did you even find me?”
“Tracked your phone,” he replied bluntly.
He was staring straight ahead, and I turned to see what he was looking at. A jeep sitting in the middle of the woods. I guess I now know how he got here. He opened the door for me and lifted me into the passenger seat.
I was still shivering, so he grabbed a sweatshirt from the backseat and handed it to me. It was my favorite. I was not sure how he had gotten it. I shuddered at the idea of him going through my room.
He closed the door and made his way to the driver’s seat.
“I didn’t know you had a jeep,” I said, my voice hoarse.
“Work car,” he replied, and I flinched at just what exactly his work was.
The car roared to life, and a hypnotizing lull of the engine took the place of the silence. I leaned my head on the window as Steve started to drive. Desperate to know where he was taking me, I tried to keep my eyes open.
After ten minutes of trees just passing us by, I gave up my attempt and fell asleep. I slept deeply. I must have been out for at least an hour or so. Steve pulled into the parking lot of a diner. I thought it was a bit strange to be coming here when I almost just died.
He just turned to me and shrugged, “You need to eat.”
He got out of the car and then opened the back door, grabbing a bag.
“Here,” he said, handing me the bag.
I looked inside to see a fresh change of clothes. I had never been more grateful and suspicious at the same moment. I would have given anything to get out of the damp cold pieces of fabric I had on, but why had he packed me an outfit? Had he known he would have had to come save me from an attack?
The need to be warm took dominance, and I hurried inside the diner. The place was obviously old. The walls had paint cracks and the entire place looked straight out of a 60’s movie. I padded my way with bare feet to the restaurant’s bathroom, trying not to outwardly cringe at the amount of germs latching onto my feet.
I opened the bathroom door to find two toilet stalls, one sink, and a mirror with a crack in it. Steve sure knows how to pick ‘em.
I lifted up the bag of clothes onto the sink and peaked inside. A shirt, a pair of cheap flip flops and running shorts. I quickly changed and then turned on the squeaky sink. I washed my face in the cold water, and it did little to make me feel any more awake. I felt as if I had been hit by a bus.
Satisfied I looked the best that was possible, I bagged up my wet clothes and stuffed them in the trash. I never would wear that outfit again; it would just be a painful reminder of what happened tonight.
I needed to tell Noah everything.
I walked out the bathroom and scanned the diner for Steve. Seeing him in a booth in the corner, I trudged over, passing a homeless man sleeping in one of the booths.
I sat down and saw Steve had already ordered for the both of us. For me he got blueberry pancakes, and a glass of OJ. For himself he got a ham and cheese omelet. He was already devouring his food, and I started cutting into the pancakes.
The pancakes were sugary sweet, it almost gave me a toothache. They were good though. Steve had finished his food before I was halfway done with mine, and he silently stared at me until I finished every last bite.
He paid the check and we walked out in silence. My vision was starting to blur, and I desperately needed sleep. I hauled myself into the car, every movement sent my muscles into agony. The familiar roar of the engine and the dull sound of it had me drifting in and out of sleep.
*****
My nose itched and I reached up to scratch it, but I simply could not move my arm. I opened my eyes and looked down. I could not move my head. I had to look down with only my eyes. My body looked as it had when I first got into the car. I had not moved positions, and I couldn’t move if I wanted to.
I tried everything, wiggling my toes, fingers, shaking my legs. Nothing worked. The only thing that seemed to be working was my eye movements.
I looked out of the corner of my eye to see that Steve had abandoned his seat. It was not until I saw he was gone that I noticed the car was stopped, and once again surrounded by trees. I tried to scream, but the sound just got caught in my throat.
The door swung open showing an exhausted Steve. Without any words he swung me over his shoulder and began trekking through the woods.
Why would he take me back here?
My heart started to race, and I tried desperately to speak. My lips were able to slightly move and it was an extra effort to speak.
I just said one word, “What?”
He seemed to understand, “Well, my dear, Aubree, we are finally going to fulfill the purpose you were born for. You are going to help me rid the world of Fae magic once and for all.”
He started aggressively coughing on those last words. Sick. He was sick and had been hiding it. It was not until I heard him cough that I remembered the bags he had under his eyes in the diner and the near purplish tint to his skin.
“Please,” I managed to get out.
He kept swinging me along, barely missing branches and tree trunks. “Listen, Aubree, I like you. I don’t want to kill you, but it is out of our hands. You are part of a bigger plan to make the world a better place. Just think of Josh, he basically forced you to kill yourself against your will. We can’t have creatures like that roaming around now, can we?”
It was at the word creatures that I first heard it; big, heavy footsteps surrounded us. Steve didn’t seem concerned though. Hoping to buy myself time and keep him talking, I tried to get out a few more questions.
“Why me?”
“That is basically just what you were destined to be. Fate has decided you would be the first female human descendent of the powerful Fae king. This Fae king was seven hundred years old and had many sons. Those sons had sons and so on. A few of those sons fell in love with humans. When half-Fae eventually reproduce, they cannot pass on any Fae powers. Your grandmother fell in love with a half Fae descendent, and they had your father, and your father had you. Legend says that the first female descendent of King Leon, if sacrificed, will diminish all Fae magic into nothingness.”
He seemed tired. I could hear his labored breathing with every step.
“So,” he continued, “you are going to be that sacrifice. You will save the world. Sadly, it will cost you your life, but think of the greater good.” He chuckled. “It’s actually a blessing I didn’t kill you sooner. I did not know everything that had to be included in the ritual. The car accident that you were in, the one with the supposed drunk driver? Yeah, that was me. Sorry about your dad. I was aiming for you, and he happened to die. Collateral damage. After the accident I realized I needed more information to know all that was required for the sacrifice ritual, and I captured two Fae. The younger one was useless to me but the older one knew of ancient texts that I needed to read to find out more about the ritual. I read ancient texts and found out all the steps that were required. They also led me to the mock magic to make your mother submissive and trick her into marrying me. I had to keep you safe, close, and alive.”
Tears leaked down my face at the thought of my poor, innocent dad. I would give anything to get him back and this monster, carrying me like a sack of potatoes, took him from me! Now he was going to kill me, and no one will be here to save me this time.
“See?” he started up again. “One of the requirements was for you to be at least four months into your 18th year. Now that you are a fully developed adult your essence can be used. You met that requirement a few weeks ago, but I needed to gather some things for the ritual. Josh was smart though. If you die outside of the ritual, my chance to end the Fae magic would be done for. He wanted to kill you before I could. He was close, I’ll admit, but I’m always one step ahead. I should have killed him when I had the chance, but I guess shredding his wings was satisfying too.”
