Forbidden magic

chapter nine

The world is not what it seems.
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Click.

Click.

Click.

Raven's ears perked up at the faint sound, her eyelids cracked open. She blinked away her blemished vision until her pupils had adjusted to her surroundings. She was sprawled on a mattress, a thin comforter draped her legs. The room had a dim radiance of light, Raven could not inspect the area in a detailed way. It was just a dark room with awful lighting to her.

Casting a glance down, Raven noticed that she was in a completely different set of clothes. The t-shirt she recalled wearing was now replaced by a grey cashmere sweater, and her faded denim jeans by yoga pants. Her brows pulled together at the sight, a despicable theory breached her mind.

But not before the vivid myriad of memories pierced every corner of her head. Edmund, Cassandra...and the monsters that took them from her.

There was a loud pounding in her ears, her pulse raced like never before and a huge lump formed in her throat. She brought her hands to rake her fingers through her hair but they were trembling. Quivering like an earthquake.

"Unc...," a hoarse whisper emerged as the words refused to come out of her mouth. Her voice box felt stuffed, stabbed and stepped on. Tears tumble down her cheeks before she even realized that she was crying, her whole body shook vigorously. Both inside and out.

As much as her conscience warned her that it was not the place to mourn, the tears automatically dribbled.

Maybe it was all a dream. She assured herself. But the little voices in her head murmured otherwise, a wretched aching seared through her chest. It hurts to breathe.

"Inhale gently and exhale slowly. It works for heart break," a voice emerged. Raven's head whipped to her right and her eyes landed on a man. His back faced her as his hands moved with flow while the clacking of metal filled the room. The source of light came from the study lamp perched on his desk, neatly outlining his masculine frame.

Click.

"Speak while I am in the mood of answering," an aura of authority leaked off him and Raven had a feeling that he had brought her here.

"Where am I?" What she had intended to be a demand came out as a cracked sob, she mentally cursed her meek tone.

"The Javen Island, amongst the Pacific Ocean."

"How long have I been here?" Her voice grew bolder by the minute.

"Four days, you've been out for twice as long."

Her eyes searched the area for something that she could defend herself, or at least try to. She froze when her hands advanced to her left and touched something.

Looking down, her eyes confirmed a gun.

With her stare firmly fixed on the dark haired man, her hands clasped the handle. She held it out, directing the barrel at his back.

"I knew it might give you some reassurance," he said. "The gun. There's a lone bullet in there, use it as you wish." The calmness of his tone provoked a tinge of anger in Raven. There was nothing harried about his words, but the way he said them made her think that he was emphasizing something.