Emergence

Book 2 of The HellFire Series

“You’re certainly more like me than humans. You have the Sight, you have abilities. And I would even venture to hypothesize that you’ll age very similarly to the fair folk bloodline.”

“Why would you think that?”

“It’s only a theory. I haven’t had as many blood or tissue samples as I would like so unfortunately I don’t know as much as I should.”

“Samples,” I echoed moronically, my idiot brain taking far too long to compute what he said. Making me sound more like a specimen than a person when I knew from the beginning that was all I really was to him.

“I did want to speak to you about something else,” he went on as if I hadn’t just skipped a heartbeat. “This is going to sound drastic, but I assure you that’ll be quite safe. I would like to study a piece of your brain.”

He let that sink in, but my world was beginning to spin so quickly it wouldn’t have mattered if he had gone on or not because I wouldn’t have heard it. Because he couldn’t have just asked for what I feared he did. No one would ask for that. No human being would subject another to that request.

But of course, he wasn’t human.

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Sneak Peak at Emergence

“The mark is gone…”

“….glamoured it?”

I was floating through a sea of emptiness. My bones had been replaced with lead and my muscles were so drained I couldn’t open my eyes to see the danger. My mind was too confused to keep me conscious long enough to actually fear the danger anyway.

“Something is wrong. He did something.”

“…there. Take this next left, we’ll lose them in the slums.”

“They weren’t supposed to arrive until morning. What the hell are they doing here?”

I knew I should fear the world outside the emptiness that had settled around me but I couldn’t find the strength to. I felt it reaching for me again just as I was beginning to follow their words more coherently. Just as I was beginning to understand I was being pulled under again.

“…upstairs. We’ll board up the windows. It’s our only option.”

“…think I would have those lying around. You’ll have to go and get some.”

Boarded up windows. Like a cage. A terrible cage with iron bars. Panic gave me the adrenaline I needed to make my muscles move and I wanted to shout with excitement because it meant the emptiness was receding and I despised the nothingness.

“…. twitching like that?”

“The drugs are wearing off too quickly. Damnit! Get my bag!”

“Why is she doing that?”

“I don’t know! It shouldn’t be filtered through her system for hours…”

My fingers. I could feel something soft beneath me. It felt like silk. A blanket?

“…. back. I don’t know how long this will keep her out and I don’t have much left.”

“I’ll make sure to grab a stake while I’m out.”

Something brushed my bare foot and I could faintly sense a presence on my left side though I still didn’t have the strength to open my eyes. Fingertips traced my skin. My marked skin.

“You don’t need a stake. She’s not a vampyre.”

The presence snapped, sounding exasperated. “Now hurry and go.”

There was a pause. I felt the silk move beneath me as I was successful in making my foot move, however slight it was.

“She’s definitely not human.” Another voice growled as something sharp jabbed into my arm.

Warmth blossomed in my elbow and began to spread like molten lava through my veins. I was slipping back into the emptiness again…Moving through the emptiness was like moving through syrup. It was void of all light so I couldn’t see myself drowning. Claw like fingers reached for me from beneath the waves and a strong undertow clawed at my ankles as I treaded the darkness. A part of me knew this wasn’t real but I also couldn’t find the surface which made this my reality none the less.

“… did experiments on her? The military does it all the time.”

“… would have killed her instead of toyed with her. Or at least kept her in a prison cell.”

“There is nothing else then. No reasoning behind this.”

“I suppose not.”

Damn the emptiness. Damn the void that was trying to pull me deeper into it. I could catch glimpses of the surface but just as I was getting close to it I was dragged down again. I was beginning to lose my will power and soon I wouldn’t want to struggle anymore. I’d give in and just let the undertow take me where it willed.

And I’d die….But I’m too stubborn to die.

A Peek at Emergence

  • “We failed.”

    Tove said, “We meant to save an innocent soul but instead found a monster.

  • “I will not give in, I will fight you.”

    I tried to say but the blood was crashing into my head too loud to hear and it was barely a muffled sound. But by Tove’s grin he must have heard my defiant words and the thought of breaking me gave him pleasure.

  • “You definitely left a scar.”

    He chuckled mirthlessly, “You definitely left a scar.” He looked to his arm then back to me. “I will always remember you after you’re gone.”

  • I swear I could see the ghosts...

    …I knew there was nothing at all inside. It was empty of my family and everything that I used to be. It might as well be burned to the ground for all the good it did…

  • “It’s a serum of my own design,”

    He answered, sounding rather pleased and sad at the same time. “It temporarily blocks the energy flow of chi. It blocks your fire dancing. It allows you to be controlled.”

  • “I was trying to save this empire.”

    He growled, “I was trying to save us all.”

  • “The elf contracted you and tricked you."

    “But I won’t do that. The mark allows me heal and care for you but I’m not able to tamper with your emotions like he did. You’ll always know my intentions.”

  • “I own you."

    “I can do whatever I want with you.” His voice strengthened making me pause. “I claimed your soul, mind and body when I marked you.” He nodded to the cruel reminder on my arm.

  • “But you had to come from somewhere,” I argued softly.

    “I am older than names, and I’m older than even the trees on this earth. Trust me Sovay, I came from nowhere.” He said cryptically.

  • “You’re such a fiery little thing.”

    He seemed to praise. “I’m delighted that you didn’t try to call out of help. Things didn’t turn out how I had planned but this is fun in its own way.

  • “You were born a monster

    “…and you will die like one. Just like the trash beside you. It’s amazing you passed as human for so long.”

  • "Fey are dangerous..."

    “…and though faeries cannot tell lies they can leave out the truth and trick you. Just like every other fey. Always be on your guard my love, always assume the worst.”