Lily Nephel: Teraphim

Prologue

 Authors Note: Thank you @lukacaverly for the fantastic cover! I was fortunate enough to have several talented designers make covers for me and will be rotating among them until I decide which one to use for good. The others I'll probably try to have edited and used for the second and third book in this series, Nephilim and Seraphim. I love all of them! If anyone needs a cover go see @lukacaverly or @distinctive. Thanks!

November in Phenex was colder than ever.

It was nauseating. The sounds my feet made, thick sucking sounds as I walked deep on the shoulder of the highway, every step sinking inches into mud made deeper by still falling rain.  More than a little off balance, I debated taking off my right boot. I’d long since lost the left one and the three inch heel was not helping maintain my balance nor what little dignity I had left. Taking the black leather bootie off however would only guarantee five more frozen toes. I wasn’t willing to risk the frostbite.

I could barely see where I stepped, having never noticed before the absolute lack of streetlights on this stretch of road. Of course in the past I’d always been in a nice, warm, safe car. How much I’d love to be in one of the cars flying past opposite the guard rail, sending my black hair flying in violent waves around my face. Goosebumps covered my bare skin. I’d tried running my hands up and down my arms for some bit of warmth but between the aching bruises and the need to keep my balance, I was better off with my hands at my sides.

That didn’t last long.

As a semi flew past, a particularly rough gust of wind along with a deeper section of mud than I’d anticipated had me wind milling my arms, blue eyes wide. For a comically prolonged moment I thought I’d regain my composure… and then with a splat I landed hard on my ass.

"Fuck!"

It certainly wasn’t my proudest moment. Not only was I hip deep in mud and who knew what else, but after my fall I began pounding my fists on the ground, sounds escaping my swollen lips I imagined to be similar to a banshee in labor. It was a temper tantrum to rival my two year old niece at her finest. Of course, my niece had never been cast off on the side of the highway with cigarette butts and soda bottles full of urine, beating the ground in a fit of fury. This unfortunately accomplished little other than sending splashes of filth into the air and raining down onto my hair and face and chest.

I couldn’t imagine what I looked like, I wouldn’t have wanted to. My long hair was soaked with mud and rain and I knew blood in some places. Though I could feel a large knot forming on my forehead I knew that at least wasn’t bleeding. Mascara streaked down my face and one of my eyes was already swelling shut, my lip tender and the copper taste of blood still lingered on my tongue. My thin tank top was stretched from attempting to escape and I knew my skirt was torn almost entirely up the back. The one boot I managed to keep on my feet was no longer black but a lovely shade of shit smeared sepia, complimenting the green, blue, purple and gold of bruises decorating every bit of my exposed flesh. Some patches of bruise and finger prints were fresh, others lingering from weeks old “misunderstandings.”

Misunderstandings.

A favorite adjective.

A misunderstanding was missing the previews when you read the start time of a movie wrong. A misunderstanding was arriving for the wrong time to a dinner. A misunderstanding was missing a text messages because your phone was still on silent.

Misunderstandings did not involve throwing someone you claimed you couldn't live without from a moving vehicle onto the highway.

I exhaled harshly and pulled my knees up against my chest, embracing the free mud bath I was partaking in. People paid for these treatments right? Wrapping my arms around my legs, I laughed to myself and leaned my forehead against my knee. It started out a small hesitant sound but before I was able to stop myself I was cackling like a mad woman and rocking back and forth, sinking further and further into my mud hole.

I probably would have stayed there until hypothermia sank in but it was the flash of light across my eyes that tore me from my madness. There was no reason for any of the headlights on the highway to be pointed in my direction but there I was, guarding my eyes from the high beams. I tried to peer out from behind the shield of my forearm but could see nothing but light. A bright light that induced a painful throbbing in my temples. I pushed to my feet, albeit unsteady, suddenly aware of how vulnerable I really was. Isolated and alone, unable to flee and blinded by whatever asshole had pulled onto the shoulder and angled his trucks headlights into the thick brush.

I waited for someone to call out to me, offer me help maybe? But no one spoke. Just when I was about to start screaming and flip the jerk off or throw a rock in his general direction the lights cut off. My night vision now ruined, I could only just make out the form of someone emerging from the driver’s seat and walking towards the guard rail.

Instinctively I took a step back and behind a tree, crouching down low.

“No,” I murmured, leaning my forehead against the cold, rough, bark of the tree. “No, no, no!”

I was suddenly aware of my body trembling. I wasn't sure if I'd been shaking all along from the cold and the pain, but the tremors came now in crippling waves. Each crest hit me like his fist in my gut.

Fight or flight?

Fight or flight?

Fight or flight?

I pulled the bootie from my foot, chills engulfing my newly exposed skin like maggots on carrion. As the large male figure leaned against the guardrail, peering towards where I’d just sat, I sat up on my frozen toes. I was ready to run, prepared to toss the boot as far away from me as I could to lend a distraction before taking off in the opposite direction.

He’d found me.

He’d come back to finish the job.

Just as he’d promised.

And the arrogant shit stood calmly by and lit a cigarette.

In one slick motion I tossed the boot in a high arch between two trees, the moment it hit the ground with a thud I took off. For one brief moment I was able to ignore all parts of my body screaming out in pain. I was thankful for the years I’d spent training to compete on the track squad, back when running was my only escape from the comforts of home. That second of appreciation however was shattered as I was stopped dead in my tracks.

This time it wasn’t a hand in my hair or a boot to the center of my back that halted my flight. It was a much, much greater force.

It was his voice.

“Lilith!”

And I sank to my knees.....