Page 7 of Malcolm

The lab?

As if her body had been electrocuted, she suddenly sat up, her eyes open and her hand out. Her skin tingled as lights flicked along her skin. She felt frightened as what felt like a rushof power left her body and slammed into the man who’d been speaking.

“What?”

“Shit.”

Both men shouted in shock; the one she aimed for lifted his cane just in time to block her attack. Lightning crashed into his magically created shield. She screamed in her head, trying to stop herself, but her arm wouldn’t budge. The smell of smoke and a thick, flare-like light filled the room.

“Malcolm, stop her,” the male blocking her attack yelled. His once bright blue shield slowly fluctuated as it turned black as if the light had absorbed the magic within it. “I can only hold her off for so long.”

Eliza could feel the cold slide of tears falling from her eyes; she couldn’t stop herself. Why couldn’t she move? Her body thrummed with a foreign power. She felt like she was watching it all from far away.

“Please, please, someone stop me.”

She silently pleaded; it was too much. It was all just too much.

“Love." A large hand landed on her arm, and she shuddered as she felt whatever had a hold on her body suddenly released. She slumped forward as her hand dropped. Shivering, she clutched at the person like she was drowning. His warmth drew her close, and she gasped, trying to breathe in and out as fast as she could.

“Shh, it’s okay. I have you,” he whispered, but she could barely hear him through the shock. She tried to grasp the little sanity she had left, but like loaches, they slipped through her fingers, leaving only discomfort and confusion behind.

“I have you,” he repeated.

She wanted to demand answers but could only hold onto him and not scream. The power that had run through her bodyhad been violent and intent on hurting the other male; she’d never felt such murderous hate before. She closed her eyes, her shivering slowing.

“Tell me how you really feel.” The sneakily spoken words were said by the man she’d attacked. She opened her eyes and glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes as he dropped his cane tip against the ground. Immediately, the area that had been scorched and burned withered and faded until it looked brand new.

His blue eyes narrowed on her. “I would assume the—" his lips worked, and as if he thought better of what he was about to say, he sighed. “Whatever, or whoever is occupying her body, isn’t interested in being returned.”

“Then she will remain with me,” Malcolm said, his voice rumbling against her ears. Eliza closed her eyes, hating her weakness, but she knew nothing. She couldn’t form a single thought before she felt her consciousness swept away once more by fear and panic. She needed a second to get her shit together.

And while she wasn’t sure who the two men in the room were. The man who glared at her was obviously eager to toss her into the hands of whoever was in charge. The one currently holding her wanted her near and unharmed.

She unknowingly pushed herself closer to the one holding her. For now, she’d stick with the man behind her.

“If you’re going to keep her, you can’t remain here.” The warlock pressed the lower half of the palm of his hand against his temple. “Tiller won’t be happy with you hiding her away. Just when I’d finally gotten Oye where I wanted her, this headache came along.”

“I know where to take her.”

She was fading; she wanted to ask where he thought he was taking her. She wasn’t going anywhere but home,—if she could build some strength, she’d demand they take her home.

“Malcolm, seriously. Think this over; they’ll chase you down.”

“I’ve made up my mind, Castian. I’ve served my time as I should; I told you already I won’t let chances at happiness slip through my fingers, and—it’s time I returned.”

Silence met his words, Eliza wanted to listen longer, but she fell unconscious before the next sentence was spoken.

The soundof birds chirping is what awoke her. Her eyelids felt heavy, but she forced them open. The sight of the blue sky was more a shock than welcome. How long had she been out? She moved to get up, only for her hand to press into the soft surface of the bed she lay in. Blinking, she shifted her hair brushed against her back as she straightened. She looked around the room; it wasn’t bare; it was clearly occupied by a man from the items that lay here and there.

The room held a desk and closet filled with basic jeans and a leather jacket, including something similar to a patterned blanket. Scooting to the end of the bed, she let her feet dangle before giving a slight jump. Surprisingly, she didn’t fall.

Her eyes squinted at the window, and her lips pressed together as she moved towards it. She couldn’t be sure if what she was seeing and experiencing was real. If this was another illusion, then she wasn’t sure she’d be able to recover from it.

Slowly walking over to the window, she didn’t attempt to cover her nude body. The floor felt real, as did the smell of aftershave. She walked over to the window and slowly reached out with her fingers, letting the tips tap against the cold surface. She flinched. She looked from her hand to the window before fully placing her right hand against the flat surface. Her otherhand followed, and she inhaled deeply as she pressed them against the glass. She closed her eyes and felt the sun's heat against her nude skin.

Was this all real?

Or another dream?

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