Stories of the Past

My Mate or My Daughter?

Karn's PoV

Tara sits across from me at the table, feeding our baby. Our daughter. Jay. She's only a few weeks old and I can't keep myself away from her. I and my magic feel such a strong urge to protect her, from everything in the world. Tara eyes me and laughs slightly as she hoists Jay onto her shoulder, patting her back, making Jay let out little burps. My girls.

"You want a turn?" She asks. Panic flares in me and my magic gets flustered, my whole body freezing up. What if I drop her? I'm clumsy as hell, what if she gets hurt? "She isn't made of glass, she won't shatter if you hold her wrong. Just calm down, you'll know what to do," Tara tells me gently. I nod to her and she walks around, passing the sleepy baby into my arms while also giving me a peck on the cheek. I relax and my instincts take over, cradling her to me as I kiss the top of her head, wisps of black hair on her head. "See, I told you."

I look back over at Tara, bags under her eyes that I'm sure are under mine. Jay does not like falling asleep at night, she much prefers sleeping during the day. Probably the enderman in her keeping her up. Tara eyes the baby in my arms, watching over her with a mother's care and protection, but she's safe in my arms as I rock her. She opens her eyes slightly, bright purple eyes staring up at me. She mumbles something unintelligible and reaches for my face. "Shhh," I whisper to her, rocking her in my arms. Her arm drops back down again and her eyes close as she falls into a nap.

Tara smiles and walks over to her cot that we have set up and I follow her, setting Jay in her bed. Tara checks the blanket that she's wrapped in then leaves her there, sitting back down at our table, sipping on the coffee in front of her. My magic stirs in me and a weird, nervous feeling fills me. Something's off.

"Karn, what is it?" Tara asks, her voice barely above a whisper as to not wake Jay up.

"I don't know, something feels off."

Then I hear something.

A scream rips through the air from outside and everything feels like it goes in slow motion. I turn and look out the window to see people rushing forward, dressed in black with swords in hand. I whip back around to Tara, meeting her eyes right as an explosion goes off, sending her flying across the room and slamming into the wall as I crash into a different wall. Part of the roof falls in, right on top of Tara, my heart and magic going into overdrive. I run forward, throwing rubble away from that area but I'm yanked back by someone, a fist flying across my cheek and stunning me. I snap back into action, claws elongating and I tear the throat out of the man.

I twirl around and hear Jay start crying but the warmth of fire has me spinning on my heel to see the village in flames. Fire is in our house too, lapping at the walls of oak and the birch wood floors. We need to get out.

Someone else springs on me, followed by two others, but I roll onto my back, effectively crushing them momentarily before throwing them off me. Their sword left cuts but that's the least of my concerns right now. I kill all of them and throw rubble off the pile that Tara is buried under, panic coursing through me.

I dig up someone who has blood running from a cut on the side of their head and from various other scrapes. Her hazel eyes meet mine and she nods towards the cot. "Get out of here! Take Jay and go!"

"I'm not leaving you!" I yell back, trying to be heard over the screams from the rest of the village.

"Karn, take our daughter and leave!"

I ignore her and try to move the stone that's covering her leg and half her body, but the slab is too big and heavy for me to move. "Karn, go!"

"No!" I grunt with the effort of trying to haul it off her, but it's to no avail. The stone isn't budging. I step back and run over to Jay, picking her up and cradling her in my arms. "Shh, shh, it's okay baby girl," I coo, but my heart drops as I realise that I won't be able to get Tara out. Blood runs over one of her eyes and she looks at me with desperation in her eyes. I can't leave her behind.