Page 195 of Midnights
I try to focus onanythingelse, and finding my mind circling back to the story. The king and his girlfriend. Ornotgirlfriend.
If she’d just gone after him, confronted him, demanded answers… maybe their story wouldn’t have ended in tragedy. Maybe they could’ve had some sort of closure, or better yet, a happy ending. But no. She let pride keep her from getting answers. So instead of fighting for something real, everything fell apart. Because why?
A fresh wave of bitterness settles in my chest and I shake my head at myself. Why am I even thinking about this? It’s just some old story.
More tears crash into me again before I can stop them, trailing down my face.
The streetlights flicker and the rain falls harder. Thunder snarls overhead, while lightning rips through the sky, painting the pavement in harsh, eerie flashes.
I make it a little further down the street when I feel the same tingling feeling from earlier. Only now, it’s stronger, rippling across my skin like something's trying to pull at me. Goosebumps prick my arms, and my heartbeat thunders in my ears.
Okay, remain calm. Think.
My hands grow hot, and the warmth radiating from my palms feels like a fire I can’t put out. Desperate to distract myself, I rub my hands against the wet fabric of my dress, trying to take in my surroundings.
But the heat won't stop.
“Fight.”
I hear a whisper. It's barely there, but clear as fucking day. What the hell?
Ice floods my veins and I stop dead. I suck in a sharp breath as I whip my head around, scanning the rain-soaked street.I don’t see anything. Just the empty road stretching ahead and the shifting shadows under the streetlights. But everything looks normal.
My pulse hammers against my ribs as I glance over my other shoulder, the rain blurring my vision as thunder continues to crash overhead.
“Raven!”
The whisper slithers through the storm, feeling closer this time.
I hear a cough and ice spikes through my veins as something slams into the side of my face.
The impact is instant. I hear a sickening crack as my head jerks back, and pain splits through my skull, radiating across my cheekbone. Stars burst behind my eyes, my vision going momentarily dark. I barely manage to stay upright, as my boots slip against the slick pavement.
Really? Again?
The thought is quick but fueled by adrenaline as I force myself to focus, my breath feels ragged against the cold air. The storm rages around me as the wind whips through my soaked dress. But all I can see ishim,a shadow in the rain.
His stance is cocky, like he already knows how this is going to end.What is going on?
I swipe the rain from my face, barely suppressing the white-hot anger unfurling in my chest. “What thefuck,” I spit, hoping my voice is sharp enough to cut through the downpour.
No answer. Just a slow tilt of his head, and an almost amused flick of his fingers, like I’m nothing more than a passing inconvenience.
I see the punch coming a second too late. My body reacts on instinct, twisting to the side just as his fist cuts through the empty air where my face was a second ago. The force of the swing makes him stagger slightly, and I backpedal fast. My heart slamming against my ribs, and I just pray that I make it out of this alive.
“Honestly? That was embarrassing.”
Am I taunting a man that can kick my ass and probably kill me. Yeah, but I need to buy some time to figure out how the fuck I’m going to get out of this.
He laughs, and the sound is a low, dark chuckle that sends a shiver rolling through my entire body. Lightning flashes overhead, catching the scar that slices across his cheek, making it look less like a wound and more like a cruel smile etched into his face.
Yikes, he looks scary.
He stands there like he doesn't have a care in the world. He looks lazy and relaxed, yet it's the staring that crawls under my skin.
I barely have time to process before he’s lunging. He’s fast for his size, and his next hit is aimed straight for my ribs. I duck, but my boots slip on the wet ground. My damn dress tangles around my legs, slowing me down, but I somehow manage to stay upright.
His fist clips my side, but it's enough to make me grit my teeth against the pain.Fuck that hurt.If my ribs weren’t already broken, they might be now.
