Fantasy novel with 40 year old protagonist

Chapter 2

Three years ago, she wouldn't have gotten involved. Three years and, back then, someone had been waiting for her at home. Someone who mattered and for whom she mattered, someone who made her life 1000 times better. He was her everything. Her getting hurt would have made such an impact in his life that she would have never risked putting herself in a dangerous situation. Especially when she was not sure of her chances.

Not today, though. Today, Daciana was walking back to an empty home.

She had changed since and was evaluating priorities differently than she would have in the past. These days, she did not have as much to lose. Some days she felt like she had nothing left to lose. But, unlike any other day, she was not sad about it. Because strange as it was, today this set her free. It made her powerful beyond measure despite how scared she was.

She thought that she should stay out of it. For a good 10 seconds. She considered waiting for the police, too. After all, she was challenging someone almost a head above her height, who weighed at least half her weight over her. He was undoubtedly stronger than she was. He clearly had a temper and no problem attacking a woman. He would see her for the skinny thing she was and would not hesitate.

But no matter how many excuses she could find not to do this, deep down, she knew she would always try. Because this was not right!

Courage is being brave enough to do the right thing. She had to. So she opened her mouth.

"Get your hands off her right now!"

It's so interesting how fear stops when you do something that previously scared you terribly. One moment, you're pondering your decision, weighing the pros and the cons, and thinking about everything that could work against you.

Yet the moment you decide to act, everything changes. It's as if your body decides to turn the light off on the fear and put a spotlight on everything that could give you a competitive advantage. And even when time feels unnaturally stretched while you think about it, it all happens in less than a second.

"Get your hands off her right now!" And, just like that, the fear was gone.

"What - Whoa, hold on." He was startled. She could see it in his face, barely lit by the yellow light of the alleyway. And it was enough to shift his focus and make him stop hitting his girlfriend.

"I don't know what you think you saw, but nothing is happening here," he replied and Daciana knew she heard his voice squeak almost as clear as the street sign in the corner was squeaking every time the wind made its way between the grey buildings. "We were having an argument about something, that's all," he continued in a syrupy voice, more nauseating than a tea in which you spilled a cup full of sugar. Was he really trying to diffuse this by playing the denial card?

He hadn't seen Daciana previously, but now that his surprise was wearing off he really looked at her, took her in head-to-toe, appraised her strengths and weaknesses. And decided that she was not a threat. He must have thought that, once he spoke, she would reconsider her actions and back away. Still, Daciana read the concealed anger into his tight-lip smile and those flaming, narrow eyes. The woman, whom he still held by the lapel, made herself as small as possible, averting her gaze in shame.

"Unfortunately, it was painfully clear that you were hitting her," she stood her ground.

"This doesn't concern you, babe. Take my advice. It's dark. It's late, and you really don't want to be caught up in this. Better hurry and be on your way home."

Now, this sounded an awful lot like a threat. Because a cornered dog will always start by showing his teeth.

In the dim light from the streetlamps, his girlfriend lifted her eyes, and Daciana saw nothing but pure horror in them. This was certainly not the first time this had happened, but the fact that he was enraged by being caught would certainly not do her well.