Page 64 of Seized to Sacrifice
She stared at the babe, a refusal on her lips, but Kora was already passing her over and Elle had no option but to take her from the other woman’s outstretched arms.
Elle settled her on her knee the way she'd seen Kora and Lucien do. This didn’t feel natural. She didn't think she'd done this before, but as she looked down into Ana’s face, the sadness that she’d felt before reared up. She might not remember, but there was something about this …
Her lip trembled and, all of a sudden, she wanted to cry. Her eyes filled with tears, and she choked back a sob, sealing her lips together to keep herself silent. Her mouth curved into an involuntary frown, her chin quivering.
‘I'm sorry,’ she said, her voice breaking. She handed the child back to Kora quickly and fled the room.
She looked to the left and the right, not sure which way to go and blinded by her tears. She bolted left, running down the corridor and around the corner at the end, making sure there was no one there to observe her before she slid down the rough, stone wall to the floor. She was sobbing. The sadness that she felt was worse than anything that had come before, and she didn't know why. What if she had a babe out there who needed her?
The corridor was silent except for her weeping. She could hear the muffled voices of the men downstairs, and Kora had thankfully not tried to follow her.
But as she sat alone and her years began to dry, an icy feeling crawled up her spine. She looked around her, trying to find the source of the fear but there was no one there but her.
Her eyes darted around as she slowly got her feet – no sudden movements – knowing in her very being that there wassomethingwatching her.
She peered around the corner, looking at the closed door to the library. She could make it there, she thought, but discounted the idea immediately. She didn’t want to lead whatever it was to Kora and the babe.
Instead she began to take small steps backwards towards the stairs. If she could make it to the hall where the others were …
Something slammed into her, throwing her into the wall and holding her there by her throat. She grasped the unseen claw that she could feel wrapped around her neck, trying to pry it off as she choked.
‘Found you,’ said a whisper in the air, echoing through the hallway and her stomach dropped into her gut like an anchor.
That voice.
She knew that voice, but where from?
A breach opened right next to her, and she began to struggle anew as she was drawn towards it, trying to call upon the power that had killed Eruk to save her. It began to flow through her. She could feel it coursing through her veins.
‘Elle?’ Thorne was coming up the stairs.
She was dropped and she fell to the floor, wheezing and coughing, the power disappearing as quickly as it had arisen.
Both the feeling and the portal were gone by the time she looked up. What had just happened? What was that thing and why had it been trying to take her? Why had it stopped?
Thorne came into view, and she saw a flash of concern when he noticed she was on the floor. She clawed her way up the wall to standing as he loomed over her.
‘I thought …’ he shook his head. ‘What happened?’
She rubbed at her neck. ‘I just fell,’ she whispered, swallowing hard and willing her voice to sound normal though her throat felt bruised. Her hands shook so she hid them in the folds of the gown.
She looked up at Thorne, wondering why he was here.
‘You fell?’ He sounded as if he didn’t believe her, but she nodded.
His countenance was grim. He knew she wasn’t telling the truth, but he didn’t ask any more questions.
‘Come on,’ he said, his eyes lingering on her neck as he beckoned her to the stairwell, frowning.
She walked in front of him swiftly, hoping he wouldn’t ask her anything else. She resisted rubbing her shoulder that was aching, it having taken the brunt of her impact with the stone wall.
She let out a gasp as she was pulled back and turned forcibly, but gently. The Beast was behind her.
He let out a warning growl. ‘No more lies,’ he murmured, pulling her close and inspecting her neck. ‘Who did this?’
She leaned into the great hands that touched her, taking comfort in his presence.
‘I don't know,’ she breathed. ‘It must have been right in front of me, but I couldn't see it.’
