Burned at the Cross

Burned at the Cross ~ Ch. 17

{[Eamon]}

Fire was all around me but all of my concentration was on Alyssa's mother. Alyssa was an exact carbon copy of her, she could be Alyssa's sister. Distantly, I heard people shouting but my focus was divided by getting Alyssa out or confronting the woman who wanted to kill my father.

"What do you want?" I shouted over the crackling flames.

The vixen had the audacity to laugh. "Is it not obvious? I want you dead." she said in a sweet, syrupy voice. "To avenge my daughter. She deserves to rest in peace."

Sweat ran down my face. I couldn't think of anything to say back at her.

"Because of you filthy animals," Danielle spat. "My youngest daughter was murdered -mauled!" -her voice was becoming hysterically enraged- "You animals need to be punished! My daughter for the Price family! The Overlord's family and himself!"

While she was talking, I had set Alyssa's dying body on the ground and stalked towards her. My leopard beast sprang free, my claws trying to find purchase on her.

Danielle threw a spell at me, but my momentum couldn't be stopped. I missed her, but had knocked her off balance.

She laughed. "You think you can beat me, Prince? Fight, and die trying."

I roared and flew at her, but she wouldn't let me get near her, throwing spells at me if I got even close to her.

This went on as the fire got hotter and hotter, more and more intense. I was breathing hard, panting and sweating, beaten. Danielle looked bored and I collapsed next to Alyssa. I had no idea if she was still alive, and I refused to take my eyes off the enemy.

"This has been great fun and all, prince, but you're starting to bore me now." she said, ignoring the flames that seemed to be so close to her, it was licking her skin. "Have a fun trip to hell."

And then everything was dark.

{[Alyssa]}

I was dead, but I was alive. I was paralyzed, but awake. I watched as mother threw a lethal spell at Eamon, and watched, horrified, as his leopard form slumped in front of her.

Eamon!

No... he couldn't die. She didn't trade her life for his just so he could get killed again! He had landed right next to me, within arms reach. His green eyes stared at me and that gave me the strength to find myself.

Like lifting lead, I raised my arm and stroked his soft fur. I could feel heat all around me, scorching. As a witch, the only death expected is by burning and that's what I'd accepted years and years ago. But not with him. Not with Eamon Price.

Not with the man I had fallen in love with.

There was a disturbance in the air. An angry shriek that I had heard before. Maria shot across the firey garden at the speed of light, crashing into mother with all the rage she had. They rolled to the ground, both women shrieking and clawing.

I watched with dawning horror. When Danielle got the chance, she said a quick spell and Maria burst into flames, screeching in agony.

Other servants tried and the same fate was fallen upon them.

Someone dragged Eamon away, and I tried to stop them, but my body refused. No, they wouldn't take him away from me, not again. Someone picked me up and cradled me, but I was numb. Nothing could have woken me up.

Danielle threw her head back and laughed loudly.

I couldn't take it any more. I passed out as I was rushed out of the garden.

 {[Alyssa]}

My head pounded, my body ached, I felt mentally and physically drained. When I woke up in a damp, dark cave with a dispaired Aiden and a sleeping Eamon, I found out I've been asleep for almost a month.

Aiden had looked at me as if I was just an illusion in his head when I got up from the small pallet of blankets that I had been laying on. His hair looked like he had run his hands through it many times, dark circles were under his eyes along with some stress lines.

Eamon had been beside me the whole time, sleeping along with me, except he didn't wake up. He was as still as a statue -the only thing that reassured me that he was alive was the shallow breathing in and out. His skin was pale and cold, despite the fact that he was bundled up in almost all the blankets.

I found out that no one had survived my mother's attack besides Aiden, Eamon, and I. Servants had dragged us out, and then went back in hopes to get rid of the enemy.

Danielle couldn't do this. Not to innocents, not to Aiden or Eamon, and not to me. I always had the feeling that mother had something dark brewing inside her before when we lived together, but I never would have guessed it'd have pressed this far.

The mental pain finally slammed into me that my own mother had just tried to kill me, and turned on me. Tears gathered in my eyes and I found that I was crying. Aiden comforted me throughout the night.

By morning, it was still raining, and I just sat, watching the water fall from the sky. My eyes hurt from crying, but I knew I was done wasting my tears for Danielle Bell. I refuse to see her as my mother, because no mother of mine would kill people just for vengence.

Things were finally clear in my heart as to what I had to do and why I was sent to the Overlord's home. To protect them from Danielle, and that's exactly what I'll do.

Today, from now on, I would not be hunted. Danielle would soon see that I now lived in a house full of predators, and that I'm coming after her.

To be continued... Look for the next book: Drowned by Trial