collapse to my knees and retch all over his nice clean rug.
“Your true self.”
“Well, I don’t want it. I don’t want to be this.” I spat out the last word.Eyes wild, I searched the room. “Where are my clothes? I need them. I want to go home.”
“You can’t drive home.”
Fresh tears spilled from my eyes. Absolute despair threatened to overwhelm me. “I want to go home. Please, let me go home.”
Another wave of body-racking pain surged over and through me. A thousand blades slicing my flesh at once. I panted through it, squeezing shut my eyes and digging my nails into the wall. They left divots.
“I’ll get your clothes, but I’m driving you.”
I didn’t argue with him. I couldn’t think beyond the tearing and ripping. The thing inside me was persistently destroying every inch of my flesh. Every nerve ending, every muscle and fiber, every strand of DNA that fit together to make me, screamed. I was no longer Nina Decker, trauma nurse, but N’lina, princess of the dark fae.
Then the darkness swooped up from the floor and swallowed me whole. I became one with it as I was absorbed inch by inch. Light couldn’t even penetrate my fugue. I was lost, groping blindly in the black. Hope abandoned me. I had no illusions that I would ever make it out again.
Then a voice reached me through the abyss. The sound touched me and I opened my eyes. I blinked groggily out into the night.
“Nina?”
I thought I saw Severin looking my way from behind the wheel of a car. Concern crinkled his brow.
“We’re almost there, love. You’re almost home.”
Home. Did I know what that was? A place. A feeling. A person waiting for me.
“Da?” Did he know what was happening?
Severin nodded. “Yes, I’ll take you to your father.”
There was a sudden lurch forward in the car, and then Severin opened his door and jumped out. Next thing I knew, the door next to me opened and he pulled me out. Was I even walking? I couldn’t feel my legs. My whole body was numb.
He had my keys and he unlocked the door, all the while juggling me in his arms. He nudged open the door and carried me inside. He laid me on the sofa in the living room on my side.
A shudder racked my body. It nearly lifted me off the cushions. Severin grabbed a blanket from the back of the sofa and covered me. I wanted to tell him I wasn’t cold. That in fact, I was on fire from the inside out. Sweat coated my face. I swore I could smell my flesh sizzle.
“Nina?”
My father came into view and I tried to smile, but my mouth wouldn’t move. Instead, I lifted my hand and reached for him.
He looked at Severin. “Who are you? What’s wrong with my daughter?””
“I’m Severin Saint Morgan, a friend. She’s becoming.”
My father’s eyes widened. Frightened, he looked down at me, his gaze racing over my body.
“She’s finally changing into the beautiful creature I created.”
The new lilting voice made me cringe. Another shudder sent convulsions over my back. Through the sweat dripping into my eyes, I saw her as she stepped into the room to stand beside my father.
My mother had returned.
“Hello, my darling.” She smiled down at me, her lips a thin line.
I wanted to retch.
Then her intense gaze fixed on Severin and she snarled wickedly, “What are you doing here?”
Severin squared his shoulders, looking her in the eyes. “I brought her home.”
“How dare you subvert my daughter.”
“I haven’t. Not yet. But she needs to know the truth,” he countered.
“The only truth there is to know is that your kind is cruel, ruthless, and bloodthirsty.”
Severin smiled, but the gesture was not kind. “I believe you are mistaking me for you, A’lona.”
My stomach roiled as I listened to their banter. I heard the words, but their true meaning was beyond my scope as more pain cascaded over me like molten lava.
“Get out!” she shrieked. “Get out of this house!” She
“Your true self.”
“Well, I don’t want it. I don’t want to be this.” I spat out the last word.Eyes wild, I searched the room. “Where are my clothes? I need them. I want to go home.”
“You can’t drive home.”
Fresh tears spilled from my eyes. Absolute despair threatened to overwhelm me. “I want to go home. Please, let me go home.”
Another wave of body-racking pain surged over and through me. A thousand blades slicing my flesh at once. I panted through it, squeezing shut my eyes and digging my nails into the wall. They left divots.
“I’ll get your clothes, but I’m driving you.”
I didn’t argue with him. I couldn’t think beyond the tearing and ripping. The thing inside me was persistently destroying every inch of my flesh. Every nerve ending, every muscle and fiber, every strand of DNA that fit together to make me, screamed. I was no longer Nina Decker, trauma nurse, but N’lina, princess of the dark fae.
Then the darkness swooped up from the floor and swallowed me whole. I became one with it as I was absorbed inch by inch. Light couldn’t even penetrate my fugue. I was lost, groping blindly in the black. Hope abandoned me. I had no illusions that I would ever make it out again.
Then a voice reached me through the abyss. The sound touched me and I opened my eyes. I blinked groggily out into the night.
“Nina?”
I thought I saw Severin looking my way from behind the wheel of a car. Concern crinkled his brow.
“We’re almost there, love. You’re almost home.”
Home. Did I know what that was? A place. A feeling. A person waiting for me.
“Da?” Did he know what was happening?
Severin nodded. “Yes, I’ll take you to your father.”
There was a sudden lurch forward in the car, and then Severin opened his door and jumped out. Next thing I knew, the door next to me opened and he pulled me out. Was I even walking? I couldn’t feel my legs. My whole body was numb.
He had my keys and he unlocked the door, all the while juggling me in his arms. He nudged open the door and carried me inside. He laid me on the sofa in the living room on my side.
A shudder racked my body. It nearly lifted me off the cushions. Severin grabbed a blanket from the back of the sofa and covered me. I wanted to tell him I wasn’t cold. That in fact, I was on fire from the inside out. Sweat coated my face. I swore I could smell my flesh sizzle.
“Nina?”
My father came into view and I tried to smile, but my mouth wouldn’t move. Instead, I lifted my hand and reached for him.
He looked at Severin. “Who are you? What’s wrong with my daughter?””
“I’m Severin Saint Morgan, a friend. She’s becoming.”
My father’s eyes widened. Frightened, he looked down at me, his gaze racing over my body.
“She’s finally changing into the beautiful creature I created.”
The new lilting voice made me cringe. Another shudder sent convulsions over my back. Through the sweat dripping into my eyes, I saw her as she stepped into the room to stand beside my father.
My mother had returned.
“Hello, my darling.” She smiled down at me, her lips a thin line.
I wanted to retch.
Then her intense gaze fixed on Severin and she snarled wickedly, “What are you doing here?”
Severin squared his shoulders, looking her in the eyes. “I brought her home.”
“How dare you subvert my daughter.”
“I haven’t. Not yet. But she needs to know the truth,” he countered.
“The only truth there is to know is that your kind is cruel, ruthless, and bloodthirsty.”
Severin smiled, but the gesture was not kind. “I believe you are mistaking me for you, A’lona.”
My stomach roiled as I listened to their banter. I heard the words, but their true meaning was beyond my scope as more pain cascaded over me like molten lava.
“Get out!” she shrieked. “Get out of this house!” She
Similar Books
