the angrier she got. Hot tears fell as the feeling of helplessness consumed her.
“Chantal, we don’t know what they can remember,” Mathias said, pulling her closer. She went willingly, laying her head on his chest as his words soothed her. “Lydia is old enough to tell us what she sees, and it took several months of coaxing for her to relay those messages. Even then, they’ve been vague. As for the other children, they are quite normal during the day. We suspect that those images disappear for them as they’re gift is not as developed, or they force them to fade just as they do for you.”
“They don’t disappear altogether. I just try to push them out of my mind,” she said. The warmth of his skin through his thin shirt, along with the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, was comforting, and she felt more confident to share the nightmares in greater detail.
“I didn’t recognize the man’s face,” she said. “But something about him seems familiar. He kept me chained, and did . . . horrible things.”
She felt Mathias tense as he pulled her tighter against him.
“I will protect you,” he pledged, his voice filled with utter dedication. She pushed herself back and turned to look at him, his eyes blazing with truth and confidence in his ability to protect her. For a brief moment, she saw something else she didn’t recognize, but assumed her emotions were clouding her interpretation.
“I know you will,” she said.
They were both silent for several moments, time seeming to count the daylight hours away. He gently stroked her hair, and she was confused by how much she enjoyed how his arms felt warm and comforting around her body. She heard nothing but his steady breathing and rhythmic heartbeat and let her mind drift into deep thoughts that would’ve been terrifying if it hadn’t been for his presence.
Lydia had warned her of an evil man looking for the both of them and then that very night, she dreamed of being held captive, alone and scared. She didn’t understand this new world she’d been thrust into, yet now more than ever, she accepted that someone or something was coming for her.
In that moment in her warrior’s arms, she felt like she could prepare herself for anything. Time might not be on their side, but she was determined to capitalize on every single moment to prepare her for the battle at hand.
Mathias had fought for her, and she’d fight for her freedom and for that of her Oracle sisters.
“Wake up!”
A pounding on the door jolted Chantal from a light sleep, and she felt Mathias extricate himself from below her. Rubbing a hand over his face, he reached for the lock with the other one, glancing back at Chantal with a sleepy smile.
“Mathias,” a deep voice greeted, and the sudden tension in her warrior’s posture did not go unnoticed. In an unfamiliar language, he began to have a heated exchange with the visitor.
Mathias turned and leveled her with a grave expression. “We have to go.”
“Why? Wha—”
She was cut short when a hulking man stepped through the door. It wasn’t his presence or his harsh exterior that brought her up short. It was his eyes. Those vivid, golden eyes she’d seen countless times in her youth, making the hazy memories return more sharply than they’d ever been before.
“Hello, Chantal,” he greeted warmly, and a tear streaked down her face as she stared at the owner of those unforgettable eyes—the eyes of her werewolf protector.
“It’s you . . .”
“Chantal, this is my brother, Titus.” Mathias said with a hint of hesitancy.
She was about to say something when he held his hand up. “We will speak later. For now, we must run. He’s found you. The others are coming.”
“What do you mean? H-how do you know?” She rose from the bed and pulled on her sweatshirt as Mathias turned off the light and retreated into the Shade. He returned just as fast, already dressed in black and clutching a pile of battle
“Chantal, we don’t know what they can remember,” Mathias said, pulling her closer. She went willingly, laying her head on his chest as his words soothed her. “Lydia is old enough to tell us what she sees, and it took several months of coaxing for her to relay those messages. Even then, they’ve been vague. As for the other children, they are quite normal during the day. We suspect that those images disappear for them as they’re gift is not as developed, or they force them to fade just as they do for you.”
“They don’t disappear altogether. I just try to push them out of my mind,” she said. The warmth of his skin through his thin shirt, along with the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, was comforting, and she felt more confident to share the nightmares in greater detail.
“I didn’t recognize the man’s face,” she said. “But something about him seems familiar. He kept me chained, and did . . . horrible things.”
She felt Mathias tense as he pulled her tighter against him.
“I will protect you,” he pledged, his voice filled with utter dedication. She pushed herself back and turned to look at him, his eyes blazing with truth and confidence in his ability to protect her. For a brief moment, she saw something else she didn’t recognize, but assumed her emotions were clouding her interpretation.
“I know you will,” she said.
They were both silent for several moments, time seeming to count the daylight hours away. He gently stroked her hair, and she was confused by how much she enjoyed how his arms felt warm and comforting around her body. She heard nothing but his steady breathing and rhythmic heartbeat and let her mind drift into deep thoughts that would’ve been terrifying if it hadn’t been for his presence.
Lydia had warned her of an evil man looking for the both of them and then that very night, she dreamed of being held captive, alone and scared. She didn’t understand this new world she’d been thrust into, yet now more than ever, she accepted that someone or something was coming for her.
In that moment in her warrior’s arms, she felt like she could prepare herself for anything. Time might not be on their side, but she was determined to capitalize on every single moment to prepare her for the battle at hand.
Mathias had fought for her, and she’d fight for her freedom and for that of her Oracle sisters.
“Wake up!”
A pounding on the door jolted Chantal from a light sleep, and she felt Mathias extricate himself from below her. Rubbing a hand over his face, he reached for the lock with the other one, glancing back at Chantal with a sleepy smile.
“Mathias,” a deep voice greeted, and the sudden tension in her warrior’s posture did not go unnoticed. In an unfamiliar language, he began to have a heated exchange with the visitor.
Mathias turned and leveled her with a grave expression. “We have to go.”
“Why? Wha—”
She was cut short when a hulking man stepped through the door. It wasn’t his presence or his harsh exterior that brought her up short. It was his eyes. Those vivid, golden eyes she’d seen countless times in her youth, making the hazy memories return more sharply than they’d ever been before.
“Hello, Chantal,” he greeted warmly, and a tear streaked down her face as she stared at the owner of those unforgettable eyes—the eyes of her werewolf protector.
“It’s you . . .”
“Chantal, this is my brother, Titus.” Mathias said with a hint of hesitancy.
She was about to say something when he held his hand up. “We will speak later. For now, we must run. He’s found you. The others are coming.”
“What do you mean? H-how do you know?” She rose from the bed and pulled on her sweatshirt as Mathias turned off the light and retreated into the Shade. He returned just as fast, already dressed in black and clutching a pile of battle
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