Page 102 of Visions & Shadows

My legs buckle under my weight, and I slump down to the ground. “Come back,” I gasp through the heartache. “Come back. She’s going to kill you,” I sob as I lie down right where I am, crying into the dirt.

“Alchera!” Raighne shouts.

Lifting my head, I barely make out Raighne running toward me. Everything is a blur.

A blur of pain. A blur of tears. A blur of heartache.

My life has become a blur of shadows, and I can’t handle it anymore.

Raighne crouches, and his strong arms slip beneath me. He lifts me to his chest, and I bury my face against his leather shirt as I cry, “It’s so unfair. He left me again.”

Setting me down on the side of the bed, he stands in front of me and leans down until we’re face-to-face. The moment our eyes lock, the heartache lessens, and a calmness washes over me.

“Your father will return,”he says, and the words calm me even more.

I nod and glance away from him. Gripping the blanket tighter, I ask, “Are there any clothes here? This blanket is getting very uncomfortable to hold up all the time.”

“I don’t see any clothes,” he replies. “Let me call someone to bring you something to wear.” Slowly, he pulls away from me and walks to the door.

I duck my head, letting my hair fall forward to cover my face, but instead of long curls, there are only uneven strands brushing over my shoulders.

My throat aches from fighting the tears as I tug at the butchered leftovers of my hair.

I hear Raighne talking in hushed tones with someone and duck my head lower.

Because of everything I’ve been forced to endure, it feels as if a darkness is growing deep in my soul.

I feel lonely and broken.

“You should lie down,” Raighne murmurs near me.

When I feel his fingers weaving through the hack job on my head, I jerk away.

“Shh. Your hair will grow back. Why don’t you try to get some rest?”

Anger bubbles up in my chest, as hot as the flames licking at my back.

Before I can stop myself, my head whips up, and I hiss, “I can’t! Don’t you think I would if I could?” I let the blanket fall away from me, exposingmy bare chest that’s riddled with bruises and wounds, then I snap, “On which side do you suggest I lie?”

Raighne’s features tighten, and instead of losing his patience with me, he moves as close to me as possible and grabs hold of the blanket. Fisting the fabric, he covers my front before pulling me to lean against his abdomen.

I can feel his body trembling, and his breaths warm the top of my head.

“I will spend the rest of my life making up to you for the horror you were forced to endure. I promise, Alchera. I know there’s not much I can do to make it better, and there’s nothing I can say to regain your trust, but I swear to Awo I will prove my worth to you.”

Tears sting my eyes, and I regret my outburst. Sucking in a deep breath, I try to control the chaotic dark emotions swirling in my chest.

“You didn’t do this to me.”

Pulling back, Raighne lifts his hand to my face, and his fingers carefully brush over the cuts on my cheek.

I wiggle uncomfortably, not wanting him to pay any attention to my wounds. It reminds me of how awful I look.

He leans even closer and tries to capture my eyes. His breath warms my lips, and his voice is soft in my mind.“Let me in.”

His lips move to the corner of my mouth, and an intense fluttering erupts in my stomach.

“Please stop closing yourself off from me,” he begs.

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