in her head. A sob caught in her throat. She was helpless and no one knew where she was.
Breathing heavy, she fought down her panic. If she didn’t get a handle on her emotions, nothing would work. Whatever was on the rag kept her unfocused and edgy. Concentrating on wiggling her fingers was too much effort and she was too weak to summon the energy necessary to undo her bonds.
Darkness greeted her when she opened her eyes. She closed them again as hot tears seeped beneath her lashes. How? How did she get out of this? Silence. She stiffened. The chanting had stopped.
“So you are the woman I have to thank for this lovely gift of life.” A scaly finger dragged across her cheek. She turned her head. His fingers dug into her face as he forced it back. He snatched the gag from her mouth.
“It wasn’t yours to take.” She spat. Her tongue felt too large for her mouth, but she was grateful to have that awful gag removed.
“Even helpless, you’re fighting. I thought for sure you’d realize resistance is futile.” He touched a spot on her belly and an ache crept through her abdomen, gradually building to a cramp that snowballed into fire.
She gritted her teeth to keep from crying out.
“Oh you’re strong. Very strong, but you don’t have what it takes to defeat me.” He removed his hand and the pain stopped.
Warmth enveloped her and relief flooded through her making her limbs weak. Simon . He hadn’t deserted her.
No sweetheart, I’d never leave you. I love you.
She stilled at his admission. How can you say that?
Thin cold metal dragged against her skin. She held her breath at the bite of a sharp edge poised just above her heart.
He’s doing something.
Listen. You have to endure. We’re not far away.
“What do you want?” Power and energy surged around her, sliding beneath her skin like static electricity, but it waited, coiled and ready to strike.
“It’s very simple. You’re going to give me back my life.”
She shook her head. “I can’t give back what isn’t yours.”
The tip pierced her skin. She whimpered as a lone bead of liquid rolled between her breasts.
“You gave me life.”
“You took life. Two lives, and neither belonged to you.” The knife went deeper. Pain seared nerve endings she didn’t even know she had. Sweat beaded and rolled off her forehead as a whimper fought past her lips.
He leaned close, his fetid breath burning her cheek. “Pain I can give you. Lots and lots of pain.” And to demonstrate he drove the knife to the hilt.
She screamed and for a moment she felt Simon, staggering to his knees as he fought to keep them both from passing out.
“One more heart. The heart of the One who brings life and death with a single touch and I will live forever.”
Dana struggled for each shallow breath she drew. Tears drenched her blindfold. The power that had coiled moments ago ebbed with each beat of her heart. Simon. I’m sorry.
“Did you know your heart can live for nearly an hour outside your body? Of course I won’t need it that long. The others, well they needed a little help, but you, you’ll give me all the power needed to take down the Council and with your last breath I’ll have your gift.”
He was delusional. No matter what chant or spell he said, he’d never get her powers.
“You’ve been talking to the wrong elder. There’s no magic that will give you my gift.”
He wiggled the knife. Blackness edged into the corners of her mind, while blood, warm and sticky, coated her chest and trickled past her collarbone.
“Tsk. Tsk.” Footsteps echoed and scraped on the stone floor. Intense heat flared and then died away. Chanting began again.
Dana.
The voice was back. She wanted to answer, she truly did, but there was so much pain. With every gasp, her heart seemed to stutter and a weight squeezed her chest with each shallow breath.
It hurts.
I know. Sadness clung to his voice and sorrow swamped her, nearly drowning her in grief. She didn’t want
Breathing heavy, she fought down her panic. If she didn’t get a handle on her emotions, nothing would work. Whatever was on the rag kept her unfocused and edgy. Concentrating on wiggling her fingers was too much effort and she was too weak to summon the energy necessary to undo her bonds.
Darkness greeted her when she opened her eyes. She closed them again as hot tears seeped beneath her lashes. How? How did she get out of this? Silence. She stiffened. The chanting had stopped.
“So you are the woman I have to thank for this lovely gift of life.” A scaly finger dragged across her cheek. She turned her head. His fingers dug into her face as he forced it back. He snatched the gag from her mouth.
“It wasn’t yours to take.” She spat. Her tongue felt too large for her mouth, but she was grateful to have that awful gag removed.
“Even helpless, you’re fighting. I thought for sure you’d realize resistance is futile.” He touched a spot on her belly and an ache crept through her abdomen, gradually building to a cramp that snowballed into fire.
She gritted her teeth to keep from crying out.
“Oh you’re strong. Very strong, but you don’t have what it takes to defeat me.” He removed his hand and the pain stopped.
Warmth enveloped her and relief flooded through her making her limbs weak. Simon . He hadn’t deserted her.
No sweetheart, I’d never leave you. I love you.
She stilled at his admission. How can you say that?
Thin cold metal dragged against her skin. She held her breath at the bite of a sharp edge poised just above her heart.
He’s doing something.
Listen. You have to endure. We’re not far away.
“What do you want?” Power and energy surged around her, sliding beneath her skin like static electricity, but it waited, coiled and ready to strike.
“It’s very simple. You’re going to give me back my life.”
She shook her head. “I can’t give back what isn’t yours.”
The tip pierced her skin. She whimpered as a lone bead of liquid rolled between her breasts.
“You gave me life.”
“You took life. Two lives, and neither belonged to you.” The knife went deeper. Pain seared nerve endings she didn’t even know she had. Sweat beaded and rolled off her forehead as a whimper fought past her lips.
He leaned close, his fetid breath burning her cheek. “Pain I can give you. Lots and lots of pain.” And to demonstrate he drove the knife to the hilt.
She screamed and for a moment she felt Simon, staggering to his knees as he fought to keep them both from passing out.
“One more heart. The heart of the One who brings life and death with a single touch and I will live forever.”
Dana struggled for each shallow breath she drew. Tears drenched her blindfold. The power that had coiled moments ago ebbed with each beat of her heart. Simon. I’m sorry.
“Did you know your heart can live for nearly an hour outside your body? Of course I won’t need it that long. The others, well they needed a little help, but you, you’ll give me all the power needed to take down the Council and with your last breath I’ll have your gift.”
He was delusional. No matter what chant or spell he said, he’d never get her powers.
“You’ve been talking to the wrong elder. There’s no magic that will give you my gift.”
He wiggled the knife. Blackness edged into the corners of her mind, while blood, warm and sticky, coated her chest and trickled past her collarbone.
“Tsk. Tsk.” Footsteps echoed and scraped on the stone floor. Intense heat flared and then died away. Chanting began again.
Dana.
The voice was back. She wanted to answer, she truly did, but there was so much pain. With every gasp, her heart seemed to stutter and a weight squeezed her chest with each shallow breath.
It hurts.
I know. Sadness clung to his voice and sorrow swamped her, nearly drowning her in grief. She didn’t want
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