ESCAPE

Marked

The door opened and a blond haired woman came running in. I was still in the bathroom facing the mirror. The brand was changing from red to black and I watched it feeling sick. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes but pride held them back. The woman stopped at the door staring at me. I regognized her as the girl from the car, Tess.

"Oh Gods." She said

She ran up to me and reached dour to touch the brand, but I struck her. She slammed against the wall and slid down. I felt like a trapped animal. I needed out.

"No!" She said, grabbing my arm, "Listen I can help ease the burning if you'll let me. But if you run now hell have no choice but to kill you and we need you. I need you!"

I froze and looked at her. She looked back at me and smiled. Her eyes were shining and she held her hand out to me. I grabbed it and helped pull her back onto her feet.

"What do you mean we?" I asked

She hesitantly reached out to touch the brand and I flinched away she waited with her hand suspended in air for several seconds before I sighed and let her touch the brand. I felt energy coursing through her fingers into the mark. The burning sensation lessened and I sighed in relief. My body relaxed and only a slight invasive feeling remained. The mark still stood out black against my skin, but it was no longer raised and painful. She let go and smiled shyly at me.

"Every since the first time I shared energy with you I knew who you were. You're energy felt like freedom and something in me took that as a promise. You're an Amazon, Asteria and therefore you are my Queen. The women in this world have been waiting for you and I will be the first to pledge my loyalty. Sorin trust me and that can be an advantage to you. I offer that as well as anything you might require. Many others will join as well." She said

"What do you expect of me?" I asked

She looked at me and glowed with excitement. She grasped my forearm and something in me made me do the same to her. Icy cool power flowed through my fingers to where I touched her and I could feel it where she was touching my arm. I let go and we both had matching crescent moons in our arms. They glowed bright blue and then disappeared. She smiled at me and raised her fist above her heart.

"Freedom." She said

I hadn't expected this. I had only wanted to escape. Now I had another person maybe more to take with me. This was impossible. But I looked at Tess and something inside me revolted against my own doubts. I was an Amazon we embraced fear and fought to the death. My very being was loyal to the women of this world and I would fight to the death to save them. I smiled back at Tess feeling stronger than ever.

"Well in that case we need a plan." I said

Tess straightened and her face was serious. All traces of earlier excitement gone. I could feel the energy connecting her to me. The song of battle rang in my viens. It was time to start acting like what I was. A Queen.

"First we need Sorin to trust you. He has a weak spot for women and I can tell he wants you." She said

"I have a plan." I said

Adrenaline thrummed through my viens. If Sorin wanted to own me I'd give him a chance to try, but in the end he would be the King of nothing. A silent war cry rang through my soul and I felt answering cries from the women around me. Each woman's mark glowed on her skin and a matching one glowed on mine. A secret pact between warriors as ancient as the moon.