The Ruin and Restoration of Harrison Fredrick | ONC 2021 |

Chapter Eight

Adeline lunged. Lissa raised her hand, and when the sword struck the red light the room blurred and wobbled. I stumbled to the side. "What are you doing?" I shouted.

My magic was in a panic. Specks of white light floated in my vision. There was a magnetic pull, an urge to defend Lissa, but it was entirely overwhelmed by the rest of my instincts and my magic screaming at me to stay away.

Adeline attacked Lissa mercilessly, but each strike of the sword was batted away with ease. Finally Lissa twisted and caught the blade in her bare hands. Blood streamed over her arms and to the floor, but she didn't so much as wince. She kicked Adeline in the stomach, making her release the sword, then hit her over the head with the hilt. Adeline gasped and fell to the floor.

"Stop!" I yelled. But it was as if I wasn't there at all. Lissa tossed the sword in the air, grabbed it by the hilt with bloody hands, and swung at Adeline's prone form.

Brilliant white light burst from Adeline's outstretched hands. The sword lurched and embedded itself in the wood floor. Lissa let out a sound that was all too much like those I'd heard of wounded coyotes or mountain lions full of furious vengeance.

Pure instinct propelled me forward. I planted my feet between the girls and stretched my arms to either side as if I could hold them apart by sheer will. My magic burst from my palms and dropped sizzling white sparks to the floor, singeing the carpet. "What the HELL is going on?" I demanded.

Adeline had gotten to her feet. Her dress was torn and her hair was in complete disarray. Her eyes burned, and light swirled around her hands and wrists. She looked at the magic in my hands, then to her own, and met my gaze. "Harrison," she panted. "Whoever you think she is, she isn't."

"Oh, aren't I?" Lissa's voice dripped with derision. "I'm the girl he loves. He swore to marry me. You're not even betrothed yet. His claim is mine."

"This isn't about marriage!" Adeline reached for my hand but didn't touch it. "She's evil, Harrison. Once she's close enough to you she steals your magic and uses it to increase her own power. She tried to rob my entire family years ago, but Father expelled her from the county. I don't know how she returned."

"Your father was a fool for thinking he can get rid of me forever." Lissa stalked forward. She pressed her open palm to mine, soft and gentle. She met my eyes and my limbs relaxed. "My love," she whispered. "Lady Adeline is nothing but a lie. I only want to be with you, forever."

The room, the sword stuck in the floor, the magic surging around all three of us, Adeline; all of it melted away. All there was in the world was Lissa. I pulled her to me and kissed her hard, achingly, longingly, wishing for her to fill up all the holes in my being. Her arms wrapped around my shoulders and her fingers kneaded my back tenderly. The tenseness of my muscles relaxed and drained away. This was her, the one I was meant to be with, the woman I would love and serve for all eternity.

Something reached through the haze of blurry thoughts and pricked my mind like a fire poker. No. No, this was wrong, it was all wrong. Who was this girl? Why was I kissing her? Didn't she love me? Didn't she want to run away with me?

I pulled away with a ragged gasp for air. Several sharp objects were digging into my back so hard I felt trickles of blood, and as I looked into Lissa's surprised expression I realized they were her fingernails. Suddenly they were ripped away by something and some of my strength returned, which was a blessing because otherwise I would have collapsed.

Hands jerked my face around until I was looking into Adeline's dark eyes. She was muttering something under her breath that I couldn't understand. I was aware of Lissa yelling "Get away from him!" but she may as well have been at the bottom of the ocean. Soft white light enveloped Adeline, like an angel from Heaven, mesmerizing. On her final word a familiar warmth came over me so strongly I teared up in relief. When Adeline dropped her hands from my face I saw that we were standing in a dome of white light. Lissa pounded on the shield with red-lit fists, shouting words that didn't reach my ears. The love and infatuation I'd felt for her was gone as if it'd never existed. As if it'd never been real at all.