Page 79 of King Elijah (The Zemiran Chronicles 2)

Elijah dropped his power and ran toward her, cupping her cheeks in his palms.

“Janelle,” he said, lifting her up to her feet. “Look at me.”

Her eyes looked up, letting out a heavy breath. She placed her hand over Elijah’s and leaned into his palm.

Elijah moved back a flyaway hair that spilled over her face. He froze as his eyes locked on the bruises on her cheek.

An uncomfortable silence settled between them before he ran his thumb along the wound caused by her captors. Elijah’s eyes turned dark again, savage. He was so angry that she felt the energy flow through him and into her, taking in his own rage.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice low and desperate. “I wish I could kill them all over again for what they did to you, just to watch them suffer.”

A tear slipped from the corner of her eye, but she wiped it away before it fell down her cheek. Janelle knew she should feel guilty for what she had done or frightened of Elijah and his combined capacity for violence. But she didn’t. All she felt was the depth of his feelings for her, his willingness to kill for her, wrapping around her like a warm blanket.

“We can unleash that anger on the one who sent them,” she said.

Elijah’s power dimmed slightly, his features softening before he nodded. But his hand still caressed her injured cheek.

“No one will ever hurt you again,” he promised. “I give you my word, Janelle. If anyone ever touches you again, I will unleash the monster inside me to protect you. Do you understand?” Her eyes widened. Janelle didn’t know if she should be afraid of him then. She could still feel that darkness leeching out of him.

In the last two weeks they had known each other, she had never seen that look in his eyes. The look that said Elijah would kill for her. He would protect her, even if it meant risking his own life.

He leaned in, pressing his forehead to hers, and whispered. “You’re the only one who has ever made me feel light when consumed by darkness.”

Elijah used his thumb to wipe away another tear falling down her cheek.

“Am I still your prisoner, Elijah?” she asked and watched a smile tug at the side of his mouth.

He brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek. “Well, I don’t want to let you go. So . . .” His smile dropped, his features taking on a more serious tone. “I want you to choose to be mine as I choose to be yours.”

Janelle’s stomach fluttered. The last six years had never been hers. No freedom, no choice, no hope. The ones who trapped her behind the sorcerer’s walls dictated and molded her into something she wasn’t. At least, not the version of her she wanted to be. But with Elijah, it seemed as if he wanted her so profoundly that she would surrender her body and mind for him to consume; she wanted nothing more. It was overwhelming, in the best possible way.

But her hatred for Kieran would always remain hers, and hers alone.

“Let me kill him,” she said. “I need to kill him myself—”

Her voice trailed off, interrupted by a loud hum that vibrated through their ears. They winced at the sound, looking around to find the source. Everything was as still as before. Except, as she looked toward the woods, Janelle caught sight of the same dark shadow she thought she’d seen earlier.

“Elijah, quick, we need to get inside the gates,” she said, eyeing the shadow as it moved past the trees, a roiling, ominous darkness moving swiftly toward them.

“To the enemy?” he asked, watching her with a confused look on his face.

“We don’t have a choice. Kieran’s mansion is filled with defensive magic. We’ll die out here!”

She saw Elijah’s eyes narrow as he sensed the same thing she did. He put his hand on her back, pushing her behind him.

“I can feel it,” he said with a nod.

Sudden, icy terror gripped Janelle’s body. More fear than she had ever felt at the hands of Victor and Lars, or even Kieran. This fear was something primal, housed in the basest parts of her mind.

She moved back a step as the creature glided along the grass. Within the shadow formed a silhouette, long limbs, and red, sunken eyes.

“Get on the horse. Now!” Elijah shouted as he turned to run, reaching out to catch her wrist and drag her after him.

They sprinted toward the horses, jumped on, and urged the animals quickly into a gallop. They headed away from the monster, toward the city. Not once did they look back as fear spurred them forward to the gates.That creature was far worse than the Newick coven, and if they didn’t hurry behind the mansion gates, they were going to die.

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