Cinderella: A Fractured Fairytale

Sixteen

Chapter 16

Eric's POV

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This isn't a hallucination, is it? The realization made me open my eyes all the way and stare at Ana. "What are you doing here?"

"Saving you!" she replied in a voice that conveyed that it should have been obvious.

"Oh, well, isn't this a twist." Father chuckled darkly. In a moment he had crossed the room and was gripping her arm firmly. "My dear, I believe it's you who needs saving. And who will rescue the rescuer?" He twisted her wrist around the wrong way. For a split second she shrieked in pain, but then she saw my agonized expression and clamped her mouth shut, refusing to make a sound.

"Stop," I protested weakly. I couldn't save her. I couldn't do anything.

He could kill her in front of my eyes and I'd still be helpless.

He only laughed and twisted harder. Ana gasped, her breathing coming fast and shallow, and with one last wrench he threw her to the floor. "Who would have guessed that my son would fall for such a weakling?" His voice was cold and hard with a tinge of mockery. "Let this be a lesson to you, son. I can tear apart everything you hold dear before your very eyes."

Ana! I gathered my strength and reached for her, gently grasping her uninjured arm and pulling her to me. She helped me sit up, face wrenched with unspoken pain. "Eric..."

She touched the stone that was lying forgotten in my hand, and it flickered with the tiniest bit of a glow. I felt a bit of my strength returning to me. Then she grabbed onto my hand and held it tightly. I saw the stone getting brighter and brighter, and felt life flooding back into me.

My father seemed unaware of what was happening, "So." He stared down at us coldly. "Who wants to die first?"