She can't blink. She can't move. She can't do anything, nothing but take shallow breaths in rapid succession. She feels the man's fingers tracing down her cheek and shudders, trying to see if she can break the barrier in her mind enough to thank Arian.
And then it's like her whole body has relaxed, as if someone has dropped all pins stabbing her to a wall. Her shoulders relax, and her legs, and her face. Not used to this sudden change, she falls forward with a loud thud, onto her knees, and feels a stinging blow as someone's boot makes contact with the side of her head.
By twisting her head slightly, she can see Arian, and though his gaze is not allowed to waver, she knows he sees her. "Get up!" Someone is yelling, and the boot meets her face again. She turns to block the blow, and hears her siblings' cries ring out. Her heart goes out to them.
She's still trembly, but not willing to get another kick. Slowly and painfully, she crawls to her feet. She turns to face the line of children to reassure them that she is all right, but that just makes them sob harder. She can feel the slow trickle of blood running down her cheek and fresh bruises sprouting.
The person kicks her again, and she is forced to turn around, but not before she sees Freya. The little girl is crying, her eyes darker than dusk, but she's doing the most peculiar thing. She's pointing over and over to someone, and Nimue takes a brief glance at the person, trying to find an explanation for Freya's actions.
It's the person who unfroze her. Yet all over, the sight of them makes her freeze. She utters only one word and hears the sharp gasps of the adults behind her. "Lucifer."
The boy that was her best friend and later almost lover now stands in front of her jeering. The former nystergeryi that once held powers almost as powerful as her own is now wielding a weapon to her throat.
His stick up hair that never sat straight is now greasy and flat to his head, and his dark eyes bear into hers as his mouth curls into a smile. "Nimue. How good to see you again."
YOU ARE READING
Water and Wind
FantasyEvery year, in the old log cabin in the heart of the woods, a face appears at the window. A haunted face, illuminated by the light of the moon with the backdrop of the dark forest. It is the same story each year, the same cabin, woman, circumstances...
