Page 32 of The Beginning
How strange.
I stared down at the space between my fingers where the missing digit should have been… had always been.It didn't hurt at the moment, though it was still bleeding pretty freely.Thank the goddess for shock because I couldn’t access any of my healing magic at the moment… but it seemed impossible that it was just… not there anymore.
How had this happened?I remembered the white hot burst of pain, the dog tugging on my hand… oh.Oh.
Fuck.
Had my finger been a snack for that beast?
I wasn't at my car yet, and the damn crazed dog was still nearby.Probably had rabies, too.Just for good measure, wouldn’t that be perfect?
I had to move.
Blood spewed from my hand as I ran.Movement behind me caught my ear.I cocked my head and listened.Was that someone breathing?The sense of déjà vu overwhelmed me at that moment, and I wondered if the man with the dreamy green eyes from my vision was following me.
My feet did not stop running.
I barreled through the graves and stumbled, pressing my hand into the grass, leaving blood on the blades.I ran toward the trees, heart racing, my hands grabbing my chest as it burned with exertion.The hand with the missing finger was throbbing after all that running, and it stung so fiercely that tears leaked down my cheeks.But I couldn't stop now.Not until I got away from here.
I realized for the first time that this, whatever this was, wasn’t my sister's doing.It was so much bigger, and she was clearly in over her head.
I had to find Calyx.I had to get her away from these crazy people.She had no idea they were using her to get to me.
But for what?
My mind whirled as it tried to keep me upright, running, and focused while working through the pain.I had to figure out what to do with my hand.I tried to make a fist, but there was no way to pinch off the bleeding.I clutched at my shirt and realized it too was torn and covered in blood.I tore away a piece of the fabric and wrapped it, pressing it into the stump where my finger had been.It suddenly didn't hurt anymore.I wondered idly if I was going into shock.
As long as I didn't move it, it seemed like a surreal figment.And if I closed my eyes I could still feel my finger.I pressed the balled-up fabric into the wound, willing it to stop bleeding.I got into my dad's car, fumbled with the keys, unable to use my right hand to start the engine.
I pulled away from the shoulder, gravel exploding out behind the car, tires squealing on the asphalt.I tried to get my bearings.The air from the car's vents blew over me, making my skin cold.I looked down and saw through the rips in my shirt that I had blood oozing from my abdomen.
I lifted what was left of my shirt and gaped at the gouges.Three claws had torn across my midsection.As I moved my arm to adjust and buckle the seat belts, pain shot through my left shoulder.I pulled down the visor in the mirror, and tried to see if my shoulder was bloodied but I could not see a wound.I tried to feel it with my injured hand but the pain was too great.
Spots clouded my vision and I felt like I might faint.I raced away from the church, holding onto consciousness, unsure what to do.I had to get away from here, get somewhere safe.
Chapter Fourteen
Eamonn
The Human Realm
* * *
Even as I should be plowing through my paperwork, my mind stayed stuck in the past, to when I was sent away from the Fae Castle.
Connar and I, after clearing out my quarters in the King’s Guards bunks, left to stay the night in his rooms.The next morning, while we were arranging our travel to the Watchers’ outpost, Lord Marius had arrived, short one bride, ranting and yelling, accusing the king of fraudulent behavior.My admiration for King Jharak, despite the actions he'd just taken against me, grew when this incident was recounted to me.
Lord Marius had been a sight to behold, apparently.Red-faced and spitting mad, waving his arms and making threats.He'd invested considerable time and resources in courting Lady Annaliese, had made promises to his own family and allies.Her disappearance hadn't just been an embarrassment—it'd been a political disaster for him.
King Jharak greeted his friend with the same calm demeanor he always had, spoken calmly, and allowed Marius to yell all his anger.When Lord Marius finally left that evening, while still angry, he was no longer ranting and yelling, screaming imprecations against the king.
That was the king's gift, really.The ability to let people exhaust their fury while maintaining his own composure.I'd seen him do it countless times with various nobles and courtiers.He'd listen, nod thoughtfully, and somehow defuse the situation without actually giving ground.It was a skill I wished I possessed.
In thinking on it, the king had extended that demeanor and calmness toward me.I hadn’t been grateful in the moment.
Interestingly, I didn't think Lord Marius loved the Lady Annaliese.But her family was well-placed, and apparently, he'd felt there was some benefit to marrying her.He was quite a bit older than she, and she was extraordinarily lovely.Not so much to my eyes, as I preferred—I didn't know what I preferred anymore.I thought I had—but no.Not yet.The recounting in my head must follow events.
Only by keeping everything in order did I keep madness at bay.
