Ch. 21
“Delirium”
I can feel the cold moving up me. I don’t look down at my hands because I know the purple is taking over now. I feel the claws forming in my clench fists, but I keep moving. I move past a wagon. A horse attached to it rears up and shakes the wagon. I know my ears have changed because everything has become so loud. I hear Iamys feet, he is running, but not toward me. I hear scouts starting to shout. The air around me is turning into a foggy mist. The cold is now moving up my arms. I reach him in a matter of seconds. Everything becoming sharper, my eyes have changed. The edges of my vision blurred in he is all I am focused on.
He is standing by the time I reach him, which was smart because I am next to him, within a few blinks. My edges blurring with the motion. One good shove and he is back on that stump with that stupid smirk on his face.
“What did you do?” I hiss.
“Me, nothing…” His eyes move to my face. Flames dancing in his cerulean eyes. “I could ask you the same thing…” He looks at my hands. “Feeling cold?”
My claws digging deeper into my palms. I can feel the blood pooling in my fists. Purples climbing up to my shoulders now. “You know something.”
His gaze still at my hands, but not in fear, but with that observational stare he likes to use. “I know plenty of things.” His eyes move up to my face and he tilts his head. “But for what is happening here.” He motions his head toward me. “I’m not fully sure, yet.” His eyes move up to the top of my head. “Those are cute by the way.” I feel my eyes narrow. I could eat you alive and have your blood dripping down my fangs. I would enjoy every moment of it. His eyes darken, “That sounds delightful…”
I feel my claws relax ever so slightly, blood dripping down on the ground below. There is no way. Did I say that out loud? Everything is so loud. I hear feet pounding, yelling, and horse whinnying, fear. My ears twitch. I shake my head and look back at him.
“Oh, little bat…” He leans back on the tree stump. Resting on his palms that grip the edges of the stump. “After our hands met…I felt a change.” I feel my braid fall down my back and a shadow moves out of the corner of my eye. A shadow… “Do you feel it too?”
My eyes cut back to him. No, that is not possible. He is in my head. No. Remain. Coldness moves up my neck. My breathing increases. I took his power. I felt it. Did I accidentally give it back? I haven’t mastered that. That is not possible.
I hear a woman yelling. Devlyn? Snowflakes start to fall around me. My nose twitches. Mint, the fucking smell of mint fills my nostrils.
“Why do you always smell like fucking mint?” I growl as my voice becomes more graveled and louder. Shit.
I reach for my new dagger on my thigh in the holster Devlyn gave me, the thigh with the handprint. The dagger is out of my hand before I even realize it. Flying before sticking straight out of a tree behind Zanir’s head. Shaking from the impact. A line appears on his cheek, and red starts to drip down his face.
His hand reaches for his cheek and a grin moves past his teeth. His fangless teeth. Out for blood, little bat. Still mortal if you’re wondering. I’ll take a scar from you over Iamys any day. I can feel the coldness start to cross my face. To answer your previous question… it reminds me of home… He taps the pocket of his pants. His eyes narrow, he stands and tilts his head down to me. Little bat, you need to calm down.
Breathing is becoming hard. Cold. I’m so cold. My heart is racing. A knock on my mental door. No. Remain.
A hand grabs my wrist.
Zanir is inches from me now.
Calm. Down.
My chest heaves. My brain is fogging. It is dark. So dark.
Breathe, little bat. You are in control. Breathe.
A deep breath in, and a shaky breath out.
Good, little bat.
Again, a deep breath in, breath out. I feel the cold start to retreat. Claws slipping away. My eyes flutter...
The sun is bright against my eyes, blinding against the once darkness. I blink a few times.
I shake my head and rub my eyes. Then realize that Zanir is standing in front of me. He searches for my eyes, and studies me for what feels like way too long before letting go of my wrist. Purple finger marks, wrapping around the Samca inked in my skin. I hear yelling behind me, quieter than before. My vision is moving to a less crisp picture. Zanir is looking down at me, my wrist. I can feel it. I can always feel his eyes. His small braid nearly touching the top of my head.
Shit.
I lost control.
No, you regained control.
Ch. 21
“Delirium”
I can feel the cold moving up me. I don’t look down at my hands because I know the purple is taking over now. I feel the claws forming in my clench fists, but I keep moving. I move past a wagon. A horse attached to it rears up and shakes the wagon. I know my ears have changed because everything has become so loud. I hear Iamys feet, he is running, but not toward me. I hear scouts starting to shout. The air around me is turning into a foggy mist. The cold is now moving up my arms. I reach him in a matter of seconds. Everything becoming sharper, my eyes have changed. The edges of my vision blurred in he is all I am focused on.
He is standing by the time I reach him, which was smart because I am next to him, within a few blinks. My edges blurring with the motion. One good shove and he is back on that stump with that stupid smirk on his face.
“What did you do?” I hiss.
“Me, nothing…” His eyes move to my face. Flames dancing in his cerulean eyes. “I could ask you the same thing…” He looks at my hands. “Feeling cold?”
My claws digging deeper into my palms. I can feel the blood pooling in my fists. Purples climbing up to my shoulders now. “You know something.”
His gaze still at my hands, but not in fear, but with that observational stare he likes to use. “I know plenty of things.” His eyes move up to my face and he tilts his head. “But for what is happening here.” He motions his head toward me. “I’m not fully sure, yet.” His eyes move up to the top of my head. “Those are cute by the way.” I feel my eyes narrow. I could eat you alive and have your blood dripping down my fangs. I would enjoy every moment of it. His eyes darken, “That sounds delightful…”
I feel my claws relax ever so slightly, blood dripping down on the ground below. There is no way. Did I say that out loud? Everything is so loud. I hear feet pounding, yelling, and horse whinnying, fear. My ears twitch. I shake my head and look back at him.
“Oh, little bat…” He leans back on the tree stump. Resting on his palms that grip the edges of the stump. “After our hands met…I felt a change.” I feel my braid fall down my back and a shadow moves out of the corner of my eye. A shadow… “Do you feel it too?”
My eyes cut back to him. No, that is not possible. He is in my head. No. Remain. Coldness moves up my neck. My breathing increases. I took his power. I felt it. Did I accidentally give it back? I haven’t mastered that. That is not possible.
I hear a woman yelling. Devlyn? Snowflakes start to fall around me. My nose twitches. Mint, the fucking smell of mint fills my nostrils.
“Why do you always smell like fucking mint?” I growl as my voice becomes more graveled and louder. Shit.
I reach for my new dagger on my thigh in the holster Devlyn gave me, the thigh with the handprint. The dagger is out of my hand before I even realize it. Flying before sticking straight out of a tree behind Zanir’s head. Shaking from the impact. A line appears on his cheek, and red starts to drip down his face.
His hand reaches for his cheek and a grin moves past his teeth. His fangless teeth. Out for blood, little bat. Still mortal if you’re wondering. I’ll take a scar from you over Iamys any day. I can feel the coldness start to cross my face. To answer your previous question… it reminds me of home… He taps the pocket of his pants. His eyes narrow, he stands and tilts his head down to me. Little bat, you need to calm down.
Breathing is becoming hard. Cold. I’m so cold. My heart is racing. A knock on my mental door. No. Remain.
A hand grabs my wrist.
Zanir is inches from me now.
Calm. Down.
My chest heaves. My brain is fogging. It is dark. So dark.
Breathe, little bat. You are in control. Breathe.
A deep breath in, and a shaky breath out.
Good, little bat.
Again, a deep breath in, breath out. I feel the cold start to retreat. Claws slipping away. My eyes flutter...
The sun is bright against my eyes, blinding against the once darkness. I blink a few times.
I shake my head and rub my eyes. Then realize that Zanir is standing in front of me. He searches for my eyes, and studies me for what feels like way too long before letting go of my wrist. Purple finger marks, wrapping around the Samca inked in my skin. I hear yelling behind me, quieter than before. My vision is moving to a less crisp picture. Zanir is looking down at me, my wrist. I can feel it. I can always feel his eyes. His small braid nearly touching the top of my head.
Shit.
I lost control.
No, you regained control.
