Sanity

23. Korey Matzen

"Your issue is with me," Jaelyn growled, trying to keep calm when all she wanted to do was rip the man's head off. "You said so yourself. Let him go and you can have me."

"Jaelyn," William protested, glaring at her. She looked at him quickly, realising she loved hearing him say her real name. She might have been born as Kamryn, but Jaelyn was who she was now. And he loved her for that.

Matzen laughed; it was a cold, hard thing, and reflected the insanity that had taken over his mind. His face was splattered with blood. Jaelyn remembered Noah had said that William got a shot in at his eye, and it was only then that she saw he was missing one. It gave her immense satisfaction.

"I'll have you after, child, don't you worry," he spat at her, not budging his grip on William's throat or the knife held to it. "My revenge will be all the sweeter when I get to see you watch me take someone you love from this world."

Jaelyn stiffened, realising he was referring to his wife. Her mother.

"It wasn't my fault she died," she tried to reason with him. "It wasn't anyone's fault. It was an accident; a really shitty one, but it was still an accident. She wouldn't have wanted you to keep carrying this grudge with you."

Anger flared in her father's eyes. "You have no idea what she would have wanted," he shouted, clenching his arms as his anger rose. William grimaced, and Jaelyn's heart raced faster. "You never knew her! You hadn't even come into this world when you killed her! They had to cut you out of her lifeless body, mutilating her to save your stupid, useless life!"

Jaelyn swallowed hard. "I'm sorry," she murmured, keeping her voice low so as not to trigger him any further. "If I had been given any choice in the matter, I would have let her live and let myself die, you must know that at least. But I didn't. Neither did she. Or you. Fate had made its decision, and all you could do was accept it. Nothing you do now will bring her back, or make it better. I swear this to you."

He smiled, a smile so wicked and full of hatred that Jaelyn blanched. "I don't know, sweet daughter," he said as his smile stretched out into a grin. "I have a feeling this will feel pretty good."

"NO!" Jaelyn screamed, wrenching herself forward as Matzen pulled his blade backward towards William. She couldn't see what was happening so close in the situation, but she felt herself collide heavily with someone, sending them both toppling over in a trail of curses. She scrambled to her feet with a wince as a stab of pain shot through her body, but she was running off pure adrenaline at this point. She focused and saw William had been knocked down, Matzen a few steps behind him. His hands were empty. Jaelyn took the opportunity presented to her and launched forward again, fists bared and teeth gritted together. She pulled her fist back and swung wide, feeling her knuckles connect with the side of his head. She heard him grunt in pain and ignored the pain she felt herself in her fist as she advanced further. She didn't give him space to move, or even to think. She couldn't let him get an advantage on her. He was bigger than her, stronger than her and he wasn't injured. But Jaelyn knew she was faster than he was, and planned to keep one step ahead of him.

"Jaelyn!"

"Leave me!" she screamed back at William and the others as she swung another fist lower, catching him in the gut but stepping forward with him as he kept stumbling back. "He's mine!"

Matzen growled and tried to respond by reaching out and grabbing at Jaelyn's shoulders, but she ducked down at the last minute and struck her boot savagely. He howled in pain and reached down to clutch his knee, leaving Jaelyn time to use the distraction to bring her elbow up and drive it down onto the flesh around his shoulder blade. He crumpled down and lashed his arm out on his way down, successfully hitting her at the same time. Her knee buckled and hit the ground, but he was too distracted by the obvious pain he was experiencing to have done more than knock her over. She pushed herself up with a cry as her leg straightened abruptly, but pushed through the agony and drove a hard, savage kick right into his gut, completely knocking him over. He tumbled to his side, curling up slightly, but she would not give him any reprieve.