Mother's Hand

Chapter Eight

Amy took a moment for the command to register. Then she carefully took off her high heels.

She raised one fist and her right foot stepped forward into a wide karate-style stance.

"Oh gosh, no, no," the prince said. "Sorry gents – all my servants come with martial arts installed. No Amy, not like that dear, attack him the nasty little beast I know you are."

A low guttural growl came from Amy's throat. The tendons in her neck lifted like taut cords as she began to drop into a hunch. The transformation was so surreal I almost expected her to sprout fangs and fur.

"Your highness," I meant it to sound like a warning, but my words came out pleading and pathetic. "Please don't do this."

"You see," The prince said as the growling she-beast stepped closer.

I stumbled backwards out my chair, dropping my scotch, the tumbler bouncing and the 571-year-old tan liquid meet the rich red carpet. I was quickly behind my chair putting it between me and Amy.

There was something deeply disturbing in the way she stared at me, like she wanted to tear my throat out with her teeth.

"People have forgotten what real power is Kal. It isn't how fast you can cross the galaxy."

Amy snarled at me again, her mouth snapping. I picked up the chair, like we were playing a pantomime of a lion and its tamer. The focus in her eyes spoke of one thing – she meant to kill me.

"Now Kal... don't you see?" The prince continued. "Because is not about what fancy weapons you have."

With a snarl Amy pounced forward and I held the chair between us. It caught the side of her head leaving a nasty graze. She backed away with a hiss and began to circle me again.

"I'm sorry," I cried out to her. "Please, just stop!"

But in her mind, she was still an animal and I her prey. She ran at me again and leapt forward– I fell backwards still holding the chair which caught her in the mouth as she fell. We struggled on the ground. I managed to shove her off and get up and away.

Amy slowly stood. But her mouth had been torn open. It was a mess, a broken tooth stuck out jagged from her gum.

Red baubles of blood hit the carpet with a quick drip-drip-drip.

It was clear she couldn't feel a thing. She continued to circle and growl.

The prince smiled at the chaos. "What real power truly is Kal. Is being able to attack a man in his home."

Amy flung herself forward again. This time, I hesitated and before I knew it she had knocked me off my feet and was on top of me. Her snapping jaws were an inch from my neck, trying to dig in and rip my artery open. Somehow, I got my hands to her shoulders and pushed her off. She rolled on the carpet towards the fire. On my back I kicked away. But the Amy quickly spun on her hands and knees towards me. Then the prince snatched the back of her dress. She continued to scramble on all fours snarling like a rabid dog on a leash. The prince kept her just out of reach. He tugged her backwards and squatted over her and placed his huge hands around her neck.

"Real power is strangling his wife while he watches on, Kal."

He squeezed and Amy's face went red, veins popped out from her forehead and her eye's bugged, but they never left mine, still filled with primal rage.

Red drool swung from the gaping wound in her mouth.

"Real power is snapping her neck while he watches." The prince said with a sickening smile.