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A fourth gash appears within the next second, and on instinct, I throw myself over him in a protective way.
It’s stupid of me to shield him with my own body, but I don’t even think about what the consequences could mean for me. I just want to keep him from getting hurt more, but my efforts are in vain.
His lashes are coming from something magical, not physical.
One of the worst parts is that I can hear it. There’s no crack of a whip, but the sound of flesh being ripped open is something I’ll never forget—the squelching.
More marks come in quick succession. Kai’s skin is being sliced in places other than his back. They’re appearing on his arms and hands, too.
And I can’t help him.
Just the opposite, I’m causing him more pain by touching him. He growls and grunts, his fist gripping the blanket so hard it rips.
When I move away, I look at myself and the blood covering me. My yellow dress has red splotches all over it.
Tears streak my cheeks as I beg to no one in particular, “Make it stop, make it stop.”
“Be strong, Sunny,” Kai rasps. “It’s just an illusion.”
“It seems really fucking real to me.”
“Rowan, you adulterous bitch.” Zarid’s voice is no longer blocked by wood.
It doesn’t echo from the hall.
He’s here.
My head snaps to the open doorway where a monster in an aesthetically pleasing bodysuit stands.
Just as I remember him, Zarid’s blond hair hangs like a glossy curtain framing his elegant, yet masculine face. A shiny crown adorned with jewels sits on his head. He’s wearing his normal everyday attire of tan pants and a sleeveless white shirt with diamonds for buttons.
He’s muscular, but not bulky. His skin has a sun-kissed glow. All his facial features are individually flawless, and when you put them together, it’s almost as if someone created him with perfection in mind. If I had to compare him to a human, I’d say he resembles a surfing model. Or a fashion model. The kind of person whoalwaysgets the job.
Many people have been fooled by the pretty mask he was born with, but not me. I see his ugly insides, and he loathes me for it.
Zarid’s golden eyes glow with pure hatred. “I’ve always known you were dumb, but I thought you were smarter than this.” He flicks a finger at Kai. “Fornicating with scum under my roof? Such an idiotic infraction.”
My dead husband comes toward me with lazy strides. The way he stalks, slow and measured, only makes him seem scarier. He’s like the killer in the horror movies, always walking with a cool, calm, and collected air, but he’s still able to catch up to his target no matter how fast they run.
“You’re so worthless.” He slings more verbal abuse. “I wish you could see how pathetic and weak you look right now. You’re just a frightened little fawn, aren’t you? You can’t save your lover. You can’t even save yourself.”
I don’t disagree with him. I’m like a deer in headlights as he approaches me.
Unfortunately, I do this a lot in times of crisis—I panic and lock up.
If I were a better person, I’d do anything other than just sit here. I could try to defend myself somehow, but instead, I do nothing.
What I hate most about my reaction to fear is my inaction. People don’t talk often enough about the third companion to fight or flight.
Freeze.
But even if I could run, where would I go?
There’s no escape. In a world where I don’t belong, where I stand out because of how different I am, hiding has always been impossible.
That’s why I stayed. I didn’t have anyone to go to for help. I couldn’t get back to the Earth realm, and no one in Valora would’ve taken me in because that would’ve meant cementing their own death sentence.
No matter how much people liked me, they weren’t going to stick their neck out for a human queen.
