“I don’t know. I feel like I keep putting those around me in difficult positions. Also, I just cried all over you,” I chuckled softly. Matthew smiled at me.
“You are in a difficult position yourself, darling. Don’t apologize to me for that. I’m a reason for your suffering. I wanted to be the one to keep you safe, but I feel like all I’m doing is hurting you,” I heard his breathing increase slightly. “I’m trying my hardest not to hurt you, Eva.”
His words hung in the air, waiting for me to grab ahold of them. I wasn’t sure how to respond, so we sat together in perfect silence. My eyes becoming heavier and heavier…
I opened my eyes, and the night was so black that I couldn’t see anything in front of me. I must have fallen asleep when he was comforting me. I didn’t know why he hadn’t woken me up when he left.
I had seen this type of darkness before, and it typically emanated from Matthew. It had a way of cutting off all other senses so that you were completely at his mercy. My hand lit up like a torch, which did little to ease the darkness.
“Matthew?” I called out to him but heard nothing. It was silent. I felt like I could hear myself think and hear my heart beating erratically.
I stood up, attempting to spread the light coming from my hand, but it was no use. I couldn’t dare let it go out, though. I needed to find my way out of here, at least to the house, if I could.
“Kalen? Anybody?” I could hear the panic rise in my voice.
“Eva…” a deep voice whispered. I couldn’t tell who it was or where it was coming from. Suddenly, it was all around me, coming from all different directions. The voice grew louder until my name was being shrieked at me.
I dropped to my knees and covered my ears, screaming for it to stop, but it didn’t. It was an unrelenting assault. I couldn’t move or think. All I could hear was the sound of my name being screamed in my ear.
“Please, stop! Stop! Stop!” I leaned my head back and screamed at the sky. I saw the faintest trace of lighting through the darkness. Suddenly it stopped, but it was replaced by something worse.
Hands came up from behind and grabbed me, one hand on my mouth to cover up my screams and the other around my waist. I couldn’t see anything. I called the fire to the surface of my skin and the hands disappeared, followed by a muttering of curses.
I took off at a run, not knowing where I was going or what I was doing. All I knew was that I needed to get out of here.
I could hear footsteps thundering behind me, but I pushed myself further, faster. I almost felt like I was flying. Wildly, I sent balls of fire behind me, hoping they would knock into my assailant, but the footsteps kept coming. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going, not that I could see much in front of me anyway, but I definitely didn’t see the estate wall that I crashed into either. I fell with a large thud. My head was pounding as it hit the ground.
I tried to get up, but I could barely move. My whole body ached from the collision. I was completely disoriented.
“Matthew!” I screamed out for him. I needed him. Where was he?
“Oh Eva, Matthew isn’t here right now.” That voice. That was the voice that I’d heard screaming my name. It was cold and deep, the type that you would hear in your nightmares. I didn’t even know who it belonged to, and I hated it.
I tried to look around, but there was nothing. I was still blinded by the darkness and even the fire that burned inside of me couldn’t help.
I heard the footsteps as they came closer, circling me as if I was something to be examined. “Matthew!” I screamed again, trying anything I could to draw attention to myself. Surely someone would hear me.
“Tsk, tsk. I already told you, he isn’t here right now,” the bitter voice replied.
There was a sharp pain in my stomach and my breath left my body as the foot connected with it. I rolled into myself, but I still couldn’t breathe. Another kick came, then another. I felt like I was dying. I just needed a breath, a single breath, but I couldn’t catch it.
The bitter voice laughed. He was getting off on the pain. I was dying, and he was enjoying the slow death.
“You’re not dying, Eva,” the bitter voice said. “But you’ll wish that you were by the time I’m done with you.”
A kick to my head was the final blow that I remember as I drifted into unconsciousness.
28
MATTHEW
Ilooked down at Eva sleeping peacefully in my lap. She was gorgeous, and the moon played off her dark black hair beautifully. It almost shimmered in the light, and I was mesmerized. I knew I should wake her, should bring her to bed, but the way she looked right now was perfect.
I hated keeping things from her, being a reason for her tears, but I couldn’t say anything yet. I needed to know that she would not run back to Helia and ruin everything. War was such a fine line to walk, and even the best people could become your worst enemy in an instant. I needed to know that I could trust her, and right now… I couldn’t.
“Matt?”
I looked up. It was Kalen. He was one of the few people that called me Matt, and he knew I hated it, but it never stopped it from happening.
