Page 9 of Beneath the Flames
I didn’t even know why I bothered to save her.She was just another human—nothing special in the grand scheme of things.Sure, she had intrigued me when she was perusing that store, the interesting reddish-brown shade of her hair and the tiny freckles on her face, so different from the females in my world.Then there was that brutal-looking bruise covering her wrist that she had tried to hide.I had silently wondered how she got it, but I had decided not to pursue her.I had planned to leave her alone.
At least until my magic killed that man.
And now she’d seen my magic.I ran a frustrated hand over my face.
With one moment of losing my control, I had doomed the girl.
Now, I had no choice.
From one kidnapper to another.I was a fool.
With a tight grip on her upper arm, I led her back up the street toward the car I used whenever I came to this world.Her breath escaped in quick gasps, but she neither said anything nor fought my grasp.Her wide eyes told me she was in shock.
The heat of the day had sweat sliding down my temples, making my shirt stick to my back.I had to get her out of there before the shock wore off—before she fully understood what I had done and what I was now doing to her.
Opening the car door, I pushed her up into the seat.The hot leather creaked and crunched beneath her weight, and I buckled the belt for her since she still wasn’t responding, only blinking out the window.
“What just happened?”she finally asked, holding the sides of her head with her hands as I was about to shut the door.
I winced but didn’t respond as I slammed it closed and jogged around the car, jumped into my seat, and turned the key.The engine rumbled to life, filling the interior with cool air that made me shiver.
The humans’ way of transportation was so inconvenient.It was loud, and it smelled, and there was no way tosneakanywhere.
“What just happened?”she repeated, lowering her hands and slowly turning her head to look at me.Her breaths were getting deeper, those gray eyes losing their fogged-over look and instead piercing straight through me.“Where are you taking me?”
What did I even say?I’d never been such a fool to get myself into a mess like this before.
My knuckles turned white as I strangled the steering wheel, teeth threatening to crack as I clenched my jaw.
“Hello?”She waved a hand in front of my face when I didn’t look at her.Her breaths were starting to come faster, and I could feel her panic rising again.I didn’t need my magic to feel the fear filling every part of her mind.
I couldn’t answer her.My tongue sat like a heavy weight in my mouth, unable to utter a single word in explanation.
“Quiet,” I finally said between clenched teeth.“I’m trying to think.”
“You’retrying to think?”the girl exclaimed, before slamming her lips together.Her eyes grew wide, as if her outburst was unexpected.She shrank back into her seat, leaning away from me.She lowered her voice, draining any emotion from it as she continued.“You can shoot golden death rays out of your hands, and you just killed my would-be kidnapper without touching him.”
“You have an overactive imagination,” I replied.This girl was way too perceptive.Humans were usually unobservant, easily swayed to believe they had imagined things that didn’t make sense in this world, but this girl had already snapped out of her shock enough to understand what I’d done.Golden death rays is a new one though.Haven’t heard that before.
“What—”
“Quiet,” I repeated, scrubbing a hand over my face.There must have been something in my voice because she went silent, crossing her arms over her chest as she sank into the seat.She absentmindedly rubbed the bruise on her wrist, and I again dismissed the curiosity regarding its cause.It didn’t matter.
Her breath shook as she exhaled.
The sound caught my attention, and I met her eyes for a second before returning to the road.My heart pounded in my chest, and my hands were slippery on the steering wheel.Why was this girl’s fear affecting me like this?None of the others’ had.
I turned down Sycamore Street, the road turning to gravel.The car filled with white noise from the sound of the tires on rough road, and I was thankful for a reprieve from her questions.At least until I made it to the very end where it dead-ended at a dilapidated house.It was a small, run-down cottage with a sagging porch and broken windows.It had been abandoned decades ago, which was the only reason why I utilized it at all.No one ever came here.There were no other buildings or people.Just too-long weeds swaying in the sweltering breeze.
The car jerked as it came to a stop.A pulse of silence settled between us.
“Where are we?”she dared to ask again.“Why are we here?”
I shook my head, the words escaping before I could stop them.“You’ve seen too much.”
The blood drained from her face, those gray eyes widening.“What?”
I shook my head again, a lock of dark hair falling onto my forehead.
