Abandonment is one word to describe Evelyn Ward's childhood.
Known as an orphan freak and paranoid schizophrenic, she was dragged through years of therapy after admitting to hearing whispering voices and seeing creatures and living shadows.
...
I tried to remain calm through the accusation in his voice, through the waves of guilt eating through me. You knew this would happen, whispered a voice in my head. The voice of the girl who had been trapped too long in unrelenting darkness to see reason. My voice. You knew he would give up, no one cares about you enough to stay. All your lies, your deceit, it makes you unlovable, a monster who deserves nothing.
"Jorden." My voice shook, unstable under the pain that threatened to crush me. "It's just a jacket, it's nothing. Calm down, please, I've never seen you this upset before."
"Oh, this isn't upset." His voice was low, deadly even, as he stalked toward me, backing me into the corner. "Why is this in your house?" He towered over me, his body flush against mine with absolute rage glowing in his eyes.
"Because when you weren't there to walk me home, someone else did, and I haven't had the chance to give it back. Now please Jorden, back up, you're scaring me!" Every fiber of my being shook in terror. My mind flashed back to the times when as a child I was trapped against a wall just the same way, my fuming foster father blocking me from escape while he beat me for something I had no control over.
"Why are you lying to me, Evelyn?" His fist collided with the wall half an inch from my face, the books on the shelf above me tumbling to the floor around my feet. I flinched, squeezing my eyes shut while his hot breath washed over my face. "You've seen him since then, spent time with him and lied to me about it. I should've realized it sooner -- I can smell his scent all over you."
"What the hell are you talking about?" My voice came out in a frightened whisper.
"How long have you been cavorting with that faerie bastard?" He hissed out the words as if they were poison in his mouth.
I froze, horror slicing me open. He knew. He knew about faeries. "Who the hell are you?"
"I'm Jorden, baby, can't you see?" Red flashed in his eyes as a malicious grin split across his face. "But you've learned too much, and I can't let you live."
A shriek escaped my lips and I pushed against him with all my strength as he lunged for my throat. Silver light surged from my hands, sending him crashing backward, tumbling over the couch as I collapsed to my knees.
Jorden lept back to his feet with an inhuman growl and paced toward me with fire in his eyes.
My shuddering body wouldn't respond to my orders to crawl away, to save myself, so I lay in a heap while death approached me.
My unfocused gaze sharpened as a tall figure hurtled through the open door, stopping in a defensive crouch between me and Jorden.
Zev.
His wings flared out, forming a protective shield around me. "Lay a hand on her, Demon, and I assure you, it will be the last time you have hands." Pure, raw power emanated from Zev, crackling around us, leaving a tangible taste in the air.
Jorden hissed in response, lunging forward before splintering into a hundred inky shadows that tore through the room in a whirlwind of destruction as they shot through the closed window and disappeared into the night.
Zev knelt next to me, gathering my limp form into his strong arms, cocooning me within his soft feathers. "Are you hurt?" His fingertips brushed along my jaw, brushing my hair back from my face.
Demon. That word rode through my head on the back of the image of Jorden's glowing red eyes. Demon. Yes, I was hurt. More than I could've ever imagined being capable of. While physically, I had escaped unscathed, my insides were shredded. A raw, bleeding chasm had been rent through me, and at that moment, there was nothing in the world capable of sewing me back together.
"Get me out of here," I rasped. One single second more in that apartment would've been enough to kill me.
He stood, cradling my body in his arms as he stepped out my apartment door, and straight into the living room of his home in the faerie realm.
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Who can Evelyn trust? Is there anyone who isn't hiding something from her? Let me know in the comments what you think. I love hearing your opinions!
