Page 36 of Visions & Shadows

God, he’s much stronger than he looks.

Panic takes over, but before I can shove at Ryan to try and free myself, he moves so fast wind swirls around us, whipping my hair into my face.

Holy shit!

He slams us into the icy waterfall, the speed alone taking my breath away, never mind the freezing water that rushes over us, quickly soaking our clothes.

“Don’t think of anything, Alchera. Clear your mind. Let me take you,” Ryan says urgently, right by my ear. “Please let me take you. Let me keep you safe. You belong with me.”

Intense fear fills me from how quickly Ryan went from being my friend to a dangerously insane stranger.

I didn’t see any of this coming. How stupid am I?

Before another panicked thought can enter my mind, I’m overcome with a sickening feeling, and the world blurs and spins around me.

The water begins to grow warmer, and when I’m pulled away from the waterfall, bright sunlight stings my eyes.

What. The. Hell. Is. Happening?

It feels as if my head is going to explode from intense pressure, and I struggle to breathe as I’m dragged through a pool until I can feel slimy ground and pebbles beneath my feet.

Finally, I’m able to take a deep breath, and the pain lessens in my head. When I look behind us, I see a beautiful blue-green curtain of water, like the one from my dream.

Holy shit. The waterfall looks precisely like the one I’ve been drawing.

“It took me a few times before I got used to shifting,” Ryan says, hisvoice much deeper than it was a few seconds ago.

My eyes snap to his face, and I’m so shocked by what I see, I shove away from him and fall backward into the water.

Splashing, I fight to regain my balance, my eyes not leaving the man in front of me.

Oh my God.

Drops of water sparkle in his dark brown hair, and he’s much taller.

HolyShit.HolyShit.HolyShit.

His eyes sparkle like amethysts, and he looks older. Easily ten to fifteen years older.

My mind is completely frazzled, and I can’t process what I’m seeing at all.

There’s no sign of Ryan, the teenage boy I was falling in love with. Instead, I’m staring at a man that’s twice my size.

One hell of a strong man by the looks of his muscled body.

Is he wearing leather?

I start to frown and shake my head because none of this makes sense, and I figure it has to be another weird dream.

Yep. That’s it. You’re dreaming.

You’re fast asleep in your bed.

This isn’t real.

Everything feels weird and out of place.

A familiar crooked smile tugs at the corner of his mouth, and it confuses me even more.

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