Freedom, Paid in Flesh
“Naci,” Nella breathed as she latched onto my arm.
I pushed her behind me and looked to Fadric.
Fear for us etched his features. He looked between Aemilia and me as he seemed to make a split-second decision.
He knew how cruel she was and what she liked to use her lightning powers for around town.
This was confirmation for him—she used them on me too.
“Bad, bad Naci and Nella. Sneaking out. Daddy won’t like this at all.
And he didn’t get the king’s coin today, so I know he’ll be extra mad.
Maybe this is the time he’ll finally let me use the full extent of my powers on you.
I’ve been itching to light your bones up and singe every nerve in your body.
” Aemilia smirked, playing with the lightning in her palm as she stalked closer, the ends of her long hair lifting from the static.
She looked almost ethereal, in a terrifying way, glowing with both magic and glee.
“My gods…” Fadric breathed in horror. He stepped in front of me, whispering over his shoulder. “Go. Take the coin and go and never come back. I’ll hold her off while you get out of town.”
I just stared at him for a moment as Aemilia drew even closer. It was now or never, and I’d be damned if I allowed her to electrocute Nella or me. “Fadric, I… Thank you. And I’m sorry.”
“No apologies, just go now. I’ll miss you, Naci. Take care of Nella. And seriously, don’t come back.” He smiled.
Somewhere deep down, I prayed it wouldn’t be the last time I ever saw that smile.
“You can’t shield them from me forever, pretty boy. I’m not above frying Naci’s little boyfriend,” Aemilia sneered. She was going to attack Fadric just for being my boyfriend.
“Now!” Fadric yelled as he darted straight at Aemilia.
I saw the shock on her face before I grabbed Nella’s hand and ran in the opposite direction.
As we rounded the corner to hit the main road, I heard Aemilia’s scream of anger meet Fadric’s yell of pain. Gods, I hoped he was okay.
We ran past Nella’s bakery where I chanced a look back, and my heart sank as I saw Aemilia giving chase.
I hoped desperately Fadric was only incapacitated and not…
The few people on the streets parted to make way for us, and, noticing Aemilia, they ducked into the nearest shops and restaurants.
Nobody got in her way. I pulled Nella to the left to tear down a side street.
If we could get to the edge of town, we could lose her in the dense forest that stretched for miles.
“Come on, Nella. Faster! If we can get to the forest, we’ll be okay,” I panted, sweat trickling down my brow and into my eyes.
Behind us, Aemilia shrieked with delighted laughter. It sounded like she was gaining on us, but I didn’t dare look back and break my stride.
“I can already smell your burning flesh, Naci! My lightning will catch you. You can’t outrun me,” Aemilia yelled from not far behind. Damn her half-fae blood. She was much faster than we were.
Just as I could see the sign that marked the edge of Briarstead, a ball of lightning soared past my head, and I smelled burning hair. It had come too close.
“Shit, Nella, go!” Pure panic set in, and I shoved her in front of me. I had to protect Nella, but how could I face a bloodthirsty half-fae with lightning in her hands and pure hatred for me in her heart? “Keep running, Nella, I’ll catch up. Don’t look back, go!”
I felt her hesitation as she realized what I was about to do. “Naci, no!”
But then another ball of lightning was barreling straight at Nella. I shoved her to the ground just moments before it could collide with her.
I knew what to do. If I could keep Aemilia’s attention just long enough, Nella could get to the woods.
I’d have to find a way to get free of her once I knew Nella was far enough away.
So I pushed Nella to her feet and toward the woods as I turned to face Aemilia.
Nella protested, but I pushed her back. She had to listen to me; there was no other way.
“Fine, Aemilia,” I panted. I was so out of breath. “I’m right here. Come and get me! Nella, go now, please. I’ll be okay.” The last part I said quietly, only for Nella’s ears.
I saw the fear in her eyes as she turned and ran toward the woods. I let a small smile come to my lips once I knew she would be safe.
But it didn’t last long as Aemilia started hurling lightning at me again. I turned and ran in the opposite direction Nella had gone, toward the small town park, drawing Aemilia away. I couldn’t outrun her, so I’d have to outsmart her and be strategic.
There was a small stream on the other side of the park, and an idea formed in my head. If I could get her in the water, we might just see if she’d light up her own bones when she wielded her lightning. I just had to make it that far before she caught me.
I turned my head to check her distance from me, and lightning connected with the side of my face and neck.
The scalding heat was like a thousand white-hot knives cutting me open.
The pain was blinding as it spread down the left side of my face, starting at my hairline above my ear and shooting down the side of my neck before it stopped its path near my collarbone.
I screamed and stumbled, feeling like I was on fire. The smell of burning flesh met my nose. I’d never experienced agony like this before, and I knew it was only pure adrenaline that kept me on my feet.
Through the tears and burning, I kept running. The stream was so close now, I just needed to make sure I wasn’t in it when she threw her next bolt of lightning. I ducked, as the next one soared over my head. A yell of anger reached me from Aemilia—she was so close now too.
As the static raking through my skin spread, I realized I could only see out of one eye.
Nothing but empty blackness covered the left side of my world, and I prayed it was a temporary side effect of the lightning I had taken to that side of my face.
But as the electric whips continued to crack over my skin there, doubt and fear crept in, and panic clawed up my throat.
The stream was just ahead. I leapt over the shallow water, careful not to get myself wet. The crackle of her power was at my back right before I heard the splash of her steps in the water.
Throw it at me now, bitch.
She shrieked as her lightning found the drops of water rising around her from the splash and snaked back to her wet skin.
It wasn’t the full-on electrocution I’d hoped for, but it was enough of a distraction that she slowed, waiting for her cocoon of lightning to subside.
She wielded the power, so it probably didn’t even hurt her much. Pity.
I pelted toward the second entrance to the woods from the park and darted behind a tree to catch my breath and breathe through the pain still radiating through my neck and face. I didn’t dare move until I knew Aemilia was off my trail.
As I waited in the silence, fear coupled with my pain as I dwelled on my half-blind state. I held onto the hope that I would get my vision back, but I assumed there would be very permanent scars where the lightning had hit my skin.
As my breathing slowed, I heard the rustling of leaves and the breaking of twigs ahead of me, deeper in the woods. I prayed it was Nella.
“Naci? Where are you?” Nella whispered.
I chanced a look around the tree and saw no sign of Aemilia, so I crept toward Nella’s voice.
“Nella, I’m here.” I found her hand in the near-dark as she stumbled toward me. I pulled her into a tight hug and my heart lifted at her safety. “Quietly, let’s go deeper into the woods. Did you see which way Aemilia went?” I asked, nothing more than a whisper.
It was as if Aemilia heard me. “Pathetic little mortals, the woods will claim you in the middle of the night! I’ll come back tomorrow to pick up your remains. If you’re not dead, I’ll kill you both myself!”
With that, her footsteps faded. Apparently, Aemilia had had her fun and was content to let us get lost in the seemingly never-ending forest.
And to leave me scarred, half-blind, and in immense pain. Nella hadn’t yet reacted to my injury—for now it was dark enough to conceal it. I wasn’t prepared for her fear once she did notice.
Nella and I stood there in silence without moving for several minutes before I breathed a sigh of relief.
As my eye adjusted to the pressing darkness, I noticed the trees formed a canopy so dense that the moonlight didn’t reach the forest floor, save for a few small spots.
The air smelled different from home, cleaner.
Here, we were rid of Cassius, Aemilia, and Briarstead, as if the air had cleansed us of the worst life had given us until now.
“We’ll be okay, little lamb,” I said. A stifled sniffle escaped her.
“Guess what? We’re free. We escaped. It’s all going to be okay now.
” I pulled her into another hug and just held her, letting those words wash over us both as I gritted my teeth against the burning pain.
This was the moment everything changed. I just had to survive a gruesome, magical injury.