Page 25 of Broken By The Devil

“Shh, Viper, look at me,” I plead. It’s hard seeing her this way. She doesn’t respond to me. She’s too far gone into the episode. It’s like she physically can’t hear me.

“Viper, stay with me. Take some deep breaths, you need to slow your breathing,” I plead again.

“I can’t breathe, Kade,” she sobs.

“You can, in through your nose and out through your mouth, slowly.”

“I can’t!”

“Yes, you can, and you will. Slow your breathing!” Every word is a command. She takes a shuddering breath in and releases it slower.

“Again,” I demand.

Another shallow breath in and out slowly.

“Good, now tell me what you can feel?” I ask.

“The sand,” she breathes, clutching the sand in her fists beneath her. Better the sand than her hair.

“Good, what else?” I’m trying to keep her talking and matching our breathing. It’s getting slower.

“The wind on my face,” she shakily explains.

“Good, one more.” I place my hand on her cheek and gently lift her head with my thumb beneath her jaw so she looks directly at me.

“I feel you, I always feel you,” she breathes. Her breathing is almost back to normal, her tears are slowly beginning to stop, and she’s more lucid.

I move to sit beside her, placing my arm over her knees and tug her into me where she places her head on my shoulder. We stay like that for a while, I don’t know how long exactly. I don’t want to push her for information after coming out of an attack. I like being close to her, being able to feel her breathing evening out, and feeling the soft skin of her hand atop mine.

“I didn’t want you to see me this way. You can go—you don’t have to stay with me,” she chokes.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I say.

She takes a long shaky breath in and exhales. Her head lifts off my shoulder, and she looks directly at me. Her eyes almost glow turquoise from the tears, absolutely captivating, I don’t want to look away. I swipe a stray tear away from her cheek and tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. She’s beautiful. Nothing can change that.

“Do you want to marry him?” I ask.

“No,” she whispers.

“Then why?” Anger creeping into my words that I can’t seem to stop. “Why are you giving him what he wants? Why aren’t you making your own choices?” I can’t stop the questions forming or the anger in my words. I want to be able to understand what is going on here, but I can’t help if I don’t know. I get no response. Emilia just looks at me, pleading, tears forming in her eyes again.

“There’s a reason I call you Viper, you know that? You’re fierce and viscous when you want to be, so where is she?” I demand to know.

“Why, Emilia?” I shout. The little Viper finally snaps.

“Tom isn’t who you think he is Kade! He’s a monster. He is Satan incarnate. I have had too many close encounters with the devil since I was thirteen years old. Do not assume you know anything about me!” She roars. She stands abruptly and storms towards the entrance of the alcove.

I’ve come too far to let this go now. I’m going to get answers. I start after her and grab her arm to swivel her around to face to me, but she shoves my arm away and darts backwards.

“I know you’ve had to fight a lot more than the rest of us. I know you wear a mask every single day to prevent anyone knowing what you’re going through, and I know you’re so busy protecting everyone else around you that you forget about yourself. So tell me, who ensures your safety? Who protects you?” I rage.

“Me, Kade! It’s always been me!” she screams.

I don’t think. My legs are moving faster than my brain can comprehend. “Fuck it.”

My hands are cupping her face and I bring my mouth down to hers. The kiss isn’t gentle, it’s demanding. I trace her bottom lip with my tongue and she opens for me. She moans with every flick of my tongue in her mouth. My hand finds the back of her neck and grasps her hair whilst my other hand slides down to her waist. I move her back into the alcove and press her against the rock. I can feel her trembling whilst she moves her hands to the back of my neck pressing me in closer. She pulls back suddenly, but my forehead is still pressed against hers, both of us struggling to even out our breathing.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” I question.