Page 34 of The Spark that Ignites
Swiping the perspiration from his brow, Vesper’s eyes smouldered. “I told you not to touch anything! Do you know howmoronicthat was?”
She shrank into the ground, fear spiking her body and pulse pounding. With Vesper’s limbs tangled with hers, she couldn’t move. Memories of rough hands and pain and pressureresurfaced, the helplessness of her pinned arms, her legs spread, exposed, unable to move—
“You nearly got us trapped! Do you know what Kaah would have done to me? Probably an eternity of servitude. Or his laundry, I’m not sure which is worse.” Vesper grumbled. “Did you see his cloak? That’snasty!”
His humour merely slid off, her mind rejecting it. Emmery squirmed, pushing at his chest but he didn’t budge. Her world tilted and spun, and she couldn’t breathe. Raw panic followed the memories.
“Please,” she whimpered, tears stinging her throat. Hysteria bubbled up and she couldn’t stop it, her hands shaking as she shoved his chest. “Please, get off me.”
Vesper’s brows rose as he scrutinized her unfocussed eyes, but he couldn’t seem to place what was happening inside her, the riotous torrent of panic choking her.
Shuddering, she sobbed, and the words ripped from her throat. “Vesper! Get off me. Get off me!Get off me!”
His lips parted as recognition sank in, and he rolled off and got to his feet. Gripping the back of his neck, skin whitening around his hold, he helplessly watched her wipe her grubby hands down her face.
She wouldn’t cry. Wouldn’t reveal the weakness. Wouldn’t let him see her pained heart. But would she ever truly be whole again? Would the haunting memories ever cease?
Emmery lay there gasping for air, her head falling back in the long, damp grass. Her vision blurred at the edges, temples pulsing as she squeezed her eyes shut, fighting the gathering moisture, and tried to collect herself. In and out, her breath went. In and out.Slow.
She was alright. He would never hurt her again.
When her thundering heart quieted enough to make out the ticking of her pocket watch, Emmery focussed on the steadybeat and pressed it into her chest.Tick,tick,tick. She tried to remember what her mother’s tight squeezes felt like. ‘Bearhugs’ she would call them. Gods, she would give anything to be held by her again. This was before she was sick of course. There were no bearhugs after Maela was born.
Remorse radiated off Vesper, his gaze locked on her, but he couldn’t have predicted that reaction. He didn’t know her. Didn’t know the vile things done to her. And she couldn’t blame him.
When her heart finally slowed and the panic subsided, she sank into the earth wishing it would open up and swallow her whole. But the air outside the woods—smelling of petrichor and sunlight—soothed her.
Gone were the thundering skies. Magic shimmered, stroking every blade of grass. This was what she imagined beyond the gate. A world tied up in wonder.
The fox nuzzled her neck and their eyes locked. It was a strange little being, with tiny white horns protruding from its head. Snowy fur coated its body in lush white waves, its tail, the length of its small frame, narrowed with a puff of fur at the end. Fangs poked over the lips of its tapered snout but most notable were its wings. The glossy black feathers were flawless except the left, likely twisted in the taut webbing.
As it watched her, that connection and undeniable pull remained. Her heart squeezed and she pushed her forehead against its side. Emmery tugged off the remaining webs and scratched its head. Tucking its nose under her arm, it curled into her lap as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Vesper doubled over, exhaling loudly as he braced his hands on his knees. His head hung between his legs, the colour bleeding from his cheeks. Emmery desperately hoped he wouldn’t retch. The smell of vomit was sure to make her sick too.
That hadn’t exactly gone the way she planned. Emmery gave him a sheepish smile, but her brows scrunched as she noticedthe black roots of his hair had completely greyed. When did that happen? Not wanting to give light to her episodic panic, as a distraction she said, “That didn’t go well.” She bit down on her lip. “Oops.”
“Oops?” His eyes narrowed but his voice softened. “You’ve got to be joking. I told younotto touch anything. We had one goal. To get across Kaah’s territory and—”
“I’m sorry you got trapped, but not that we saved her.” Emmery hugged the fox tighter. “She’s thankful. See?”
The fox gave Vesper a toothy smile which he narrowed his eyes at.
“You’ll be the death of me, I swear.” His face hardened as he righted himself and extended his hand. Blood smeared his cheek, a ragged bite mark on his shoulder peeking through his ripped tunic. Vesper gritted his teeth as he pulled her up, his shoulder hanging at an odd angle.
“You’re hurt,” Emmery murmured. The fox curled around her neck, head nestling on her collarbone above herzvezda. She reached for Vesper’s arm, but he jerked away.
“It’s a tad tender. Needs a good rest.”
She frowned. “Dislocated is more like it. It needs to be put back in.”
“I said it’sfine. It’s popped out before, it’ll go back on its own. No need to baby me.”
She knew it wasn’t but let it go. “It’s your shoulder. Your pain. Don’t come crying to me when you want to use your arm.”
“To be clear, I’m still bloody pissed,” he grumbled, glowering at the creature on Emmery’s shoulder, but a gentleness tainted his gaze when he met those big amber eyes.
“But look how cute she is.” Emmery cupped the creature’s cheeks. Saving it was one of the few things she’d done right in her life, even if it nearly cost them theirs. “How could you stay mad at that face?”
