Page 87 of Dusk Macabre

My body still wasn’t obeying my simple commands to move. It was like I was stuck in mud or cement or something. But my pulse was thumping like crazy, full of anger and rage over the artificial imprisonment I’d been subjected to. It was maddening, laying here powerless and ineffective to help the man I loved. I couldn’t even prevent my own fate.

The worst part was probably that I was about to get taken out by a fairy, of all things.

Kiam had to have been wondering where I was. I had no idea what he was going through with Adrian, and for all I knew, they were engaged in battle outside of the veil Leander had placed around me. Just then, a stifled thud made me think maybe that was what was going on. Did Adrian hurt him? If he had, he was going to pay for hurting the man I loved.

My head buzzed with the sudden realization I’d just had. The one where I admitted to myself that I loved him.

When he’d basically confessed he loved me, I’d answered rather casually. The chance to sit down and really think about it hadn’t happened. But I knew deep down in my soul what my true feelings were. I wasn’t going to let this creep take away my chance to tell Kiam how I felt.

“Can they see us?” I asked Leander. The strange dim light was otherworldly. Shadowy in places, the scant illumination almost acted like moonlight in a forest, the way it bent around trees, but here it shone past columns, tables and chairs.

He dug a fingernail into my skin; with the needle he’d fashioned poised directly over my vein. “No. No one is coming to help you.” He smiled that stupid smile again. “It's just you and me, darling.”

Where was that damned crow? What good was that energy practice if it couldn’t help me even the slightest little bit? I tried again, pleading and begging the crow to come and save me. Squeezing my eyes shut, I pictured it in my head, how the bird would swoop in and shove its beak in the Fae’s eye and rip it to shreds.

Visualizing my muscles flexing and doing their jobs still hadn’t seemed to make a difference, although I didn’t give up trying.

I wasn’t ready when something pierced my inner elbow. My nerve endings felt like they were crackling under my skin, fighting the unnatural hold when my back should have bowed off the bench in pain.

There was a scratch and then Leander jerked away from me with a yell. My eyes flew open, and I gasped as a swirl of black twirled in the air around his face.

The crow had come, and it was flapping its wings and diving furiously at the Fae. I was still stuck in place, but just now, one of my fingers twitched.

One by one, each trembling digit made a tiny, little move. Forcing all my will toward my hands, I kept at it until I could feel my tendons stretching and loosening. Encouraged, I tried to wiggle my toes.

Nothing happened.

Leander sprang up from where he’d been crouched beside me, drawing one of his swords from his waist. He whirled around in a circle, the picture of perfectly choreographed elegance as he wielded his blade against the bird. He was no match for a screeching, outraged, winged monster.

The crow dipped and dived, outwitting the cut of the shiny weapon. It struck the Fae repeatedly, leaving rivulets of blood coursing down Leander’s forehead. My bird had to have seen what I’d pictured in my mind, since it seemed to be aiming directly for the eyes. The Fae was bleeding from his eyebrows, and he had a small gash on his cheekbone.

Finally, my palm rose from the velvet cushion, and I was able to bend my ankle. Then, my toes curled inside of my boots, bumping the leather at the tip of the shoe and sliding against the liner. I kept at it, fighting the invisible threads of sorcery, while keeping one eye on the action and another on the dagger I wanted so badly to grab.

I watched as Leander’s sword came crashing down on a tabletop, splitting the piece of furniture in half with a loud boom. His strength stunned me, or maybe it was the strength of the sword, itself. The freaking tables had marble tops.

“Is that your fucking bird?” Leander growled, taking two long steps toward me.

I stilled, not wanting to give away my progress. “Maybe.”

His weapon dragged along the floor with a scratching sound with every step he took. “Just one more unwanted creature to kill today,” he remarked. The smile didn’t reach his eyes this time.

The crow swooped downward, aiming for his neck, and I broke free, falling onto the ground. The impact made my teeth rattle when I landed on my knees and I tasted blood. Taking one, quick glance at the Fae, I ran for the dagger and snatched it from the seat before crouching on the floor. Now, I was situated between the bench I had been laying on, and the chair that held my dagger.

Not that I was any match for the man, but I wanted my turn as soon as the bird left an opening. It was he had forgotten all about me. All of his attention on the winged demon assailing him.

Crow, can I get in there? I want to stab a motherfucker.

“No,” the bird answered in my head.

Please? I need to stab him.

The crow didn’t answer, but he swung himself up toward the ceiling. Taking my chance, I sprinted toward Leander, with the dagger tight in my fist. I pulled it backward, pushing my weight back on my heels before I propelled my arm forward. Leander grabbed me, but I switched the blade to my other hand and spun around, shoving the knife at him.

Shock nearly stopped me in my tracks when I made contact. The dagger had hit his leather armor and I felt it pierce through the material. Whether it was a lucky strike between the layers of his outfit or the knife was just that sharp, I didn’t know. When I pulled my weapon back, it was stained red. Satisfaction filled me. I’d stabbed the asshole.

Then, another wave of shock hit me. I had just hurt another living, breathing creature. Sure, he had tried more than once to kill me. He’d filled my head with terrifying scenes and touched me in ways I absolutely did not welcome. But he was another person. Just because he was a different species, it didn’t make me feel less bad about it.

I stared at the blade for a second, eyeing the red stains. A drip fell to the floor and the sound it made hitting the stone was preternaturally loud. The noise echoed around us, emphasizing what I’d just done.