19. Amelie #3
The man’s lips tipped upward and my heart dropped to my stomach. It was evil. Everything about him was evil.
“Won’t work out here, darling. Not with me here. Call to him all you want but he can’t come. He won’t hear you.”
“Who are you?”
The man’s smile grew wider.
“My baby brother didn’t tell you about me?”
My heart was gone now. I felt its thudding presence but it wasn’t in my chest anymore. Kiaran didn’t have a brother. Only a sister, Mia. He never mentioned a brother.
“Our mother sent for you. You’re coming with me.”
“The hell I am!” I shouted at him and spun on my heel to run. I made it a total of three steps before I ran into him again.
“Oh, this will be fun,” he said, reaching for me.
Trying again, I ran the opposite direction only making it a little further.
This time, he clasped the back of my neck in his strong hands and my legs flew out from under me. He had me in a chokehold and was laughing at me. “Remind me to thank Mom when we get back. You’re going to love her!” he quipped. “No really. She’s been waiting for you for years.”
“Why are you doing this?” I screamed, my skin crawling under his touch.
“She wants to meet her beloved son’s newest toy. See if she approves. You’ve made quite the impression back home with Mommy.”
“Let me go!” I choked out, losing air quickly the tighter he squeezed on my throat.
“Kiaran always preferred the bitchy ones.”
“Do not…” I panted, “say his name!”
“Tsk tsk tsk,” he sounded. “Protective over a man who has such a tragic fate? Stupid, worthless girl.” His breath reeked of alcohol.
Kiaran had only just gave me ownership of my body back. We wrote into the stars together that no one would touch me without permission again. This nasty fucking man restraining me was fucking with that.
I would not let him take me without a fight.
Kicking my legs and clawing his arms, he dragged me through the Forest. My heels finally connected with the dirt and propelled me upward. The back of my head connected with his nose. He stumbled, weakening his hold around my neck enough for me to break away.
He cradled his nose in his hands. Good, I hope I broke it. I wanted him in pieces. I wanted him broken and ripped apart on the ground for Frea to do with him as she pleased .
A sacrifice of sorts.
Kiaran!
I tried to call to him again. No answer.
My eyes stung but not with tears. Rage burned through me, fire flared in the rivers of gold around my irises. Through the flames, I saw the man holding his nose start to scream in agony.
I kept my eyes tunneled in on him.
Kiaran showed me how it felt to be in control and what it felt like to embrace a wanted touch. The man in front of me didn’t. He was forcing me and he was going to pay for that.
I heard tree branches crunching all around me.
No.
It was his bones. His hand bent unnaturally first, then his upper leg, then his lower leg.
His screams were summoning the creatures of the Forest. Dwarves lined up on my left, I could feel their passion thrumming as they watched this outsider crumble at my hands.
Fae were floating in the air, their tiny voices buzzing in solidarity.
What I could only describe as gremlins hobbled to hide behind trees, peeking out at the horror in front of them, chanting in support for me.
The Lost Souls filled in the spaces, Al, Friedrich, Niklaus and Josef stood a few feet behind the man writhing in pain on the ground.
My family watched with pride as I took Kiaran’s brother to the ground, no hesitation in the pain I inflicted on the man who dared to touch me.
The camaraderie that surrounded me in this Forest could only be described as an army. Ready for battle if I just said so.
“You bitch! Stop! She’ll come for you!”
I burned, energy vibrating through me uncontrollably.
“Good. I’ll be waiting for her.”
Walking up to stand over him, I bent down in front of the heap of broken bones he’d collapsed into so he could look me in the eyes.
“Do not ever lay your hands on another woman again. Enough men have come to the garden of my soul and plucked flowers that I did not give permission to take. If you ever take what is not yours again, I will know and the pain you feel now?” A sinister laugh escaped me, one of years of torture and rage.
“It won’t compare. You will beg for mercy but it will be far too late. ”
He looked at me with fearful eyes. A feeling I’d never incited in a man and one I will revel in forever.
Then I snapped what was left of his wrist. Wind swept around me, aiding me. As if it was a snake tightening where I wanted him to break.
“You’ll never touch me again.”
His bicep bent in half.
“I swore someday I would take you down, Rad”
Each one of his fingers became a zig-zag. Someone pulled at my side, saying something, but I couldn’t hear them.
I pulled up the sleeve on my right arm. “Remember this?” A deep laugh, layered by more voices than just mine, escaped me. “Remember when you tore a piece of my skin off with your teeth?”
His jaw cracked and hung unhinged to the side, his screams threatening to drown out my voice but he wouldn’t prevail.
“Or this one?” I pulled at the neckline of my sweater, exposing the slightly crooked bone. “Do you remember when you shoved me into the back of the shoe shop and broke my collarbone before raping me?”
I knew it wasn’t Rad in front of me, or any of the other guards, and Kiaran’s brother hadn’t done a fraction of the damage the guards back home had, but he was going to pay for it.
The magic that was siphoning out of me didn’t know the difference and frankly, I didn’t care.
I wanted him to pay, as a message to his fucking mother, at minimum.
Taking a broader view of the crumpled up man before me, I saw eyes that looked a lot like Kiaran’s.
Eyes that said maybe he did have a soul tucked somewhere inside of him.
But they don’t get to break Kiaran’s bones for merely leaving the confines of his home.
No, they don’t get to hurt people anymore.
Men, nor the McCalmonts, would never hurt another one of my people for as long as I could help it.
I was to protect this Forest and I would do so with my life. No one will hurt me, the creatures here, or the ground that gave us foundation under my watch. Ever.
Fire burned through my eyes as the weight of the moment settled in. I felt the Earth shake beneath my feet as those who watched the massacre rushed toward me.
The last thing I remembered was Ethel’s warm hand pressing into my cheek as my limp body slumped into Friedrich’s arms.