The Heretics

23: Complete

My mother never shouted or raised her voice. Instead, it was always a cold snare that sliced through whoever was unfortunate to speak with her. Her tone and her choice in words were enough to make someone's skin crawl. Her menace was degrading and had always primarily been directed at me. I saw tears sting in the girl's eyes.

"Don't you dare shed a tear for yourself. Self-pity is a sin, and you'll be banished for it if you give in to such weakness." And though the mental torture was enough to break me, she didn't deem it enough punishment. My mother didn't physically touch me a lot, but when she did, it became a memory that I locked away in my mind and refused to ever think about again. She grabbed the girl's collar and pulled her to her feet. Iliria slapped her clean across her small, soft face, a red handprint shadowing her rose coloured cheeks instantly. She fought hard to choke back her tears. And then my mother completely detached herself from reality and lost herself in her madness. Frantically walking to her nightstand, she grabbed her dark, wooden hairbrush. The brush was beautiful, and I remembered wanting to use it to brush my hair once. She'd reacted the same way she did now, towering in front of the little girl with that brush squeezed tightly in her palm.

"Hold out your hands," she commanded, her voice now not cold but manic. It was even more terrifying. Watching her, I felt a sense of anger and resentment. When I stepped in to stand between her and the girl, her crazed eyes stared down, right through me. As she held up her arm, I screamed. Multiple cracks sounded in the room as the brush shattered the girls' slim fingers, unable to withstand the force of my mother's hit that went right through me. "No! Stop hurting me!" I screamed.

I continued to scream even when I wasn't lost in a memory that pushed itself forward, making me relive one of the worst days in my life.

"Leiirin, you're safe here. Breathe."

My heart stood still at Reagan's voice. "She's not here. You're okay. You'll never be hurt like that again," he promised, his arms holding me tight against his chest.

I hadn't even noticed his presence. Where'd he come from? Had he been here long? How did he know that I'd seen my mother?

"I'm taking her to my room. Kendra, thank you for being her friend. I'll keep you informed."

Kendra muttered something I couldn't understand.

I felt Reagan's arms hold me up as he rose to his feet, my body pressing into his. Though I was aware of his proximity and my body reacted to it right away, I was too overcome with exhaustion to act on any of the impulses surging through me. His strong arms held me tight, as if he were afraid that I would leave his embrace. He carried me for quite a while until his muscles tensed again, moving to let me roll onto a bed. Soft sheets were pulled over me and I felt a pillow be placed beneath my head. Reagan's scent engulfed me, and I instinctively inhaled deeply. He smelled like a deep, lush forest.

The loss of Reagan's heat his embrace had brought to life made me shiver. My stomach flipped, however, and the warmth returned as the bed moved and I felt his front connect with my back. He buried his head in my hair, breathing onto my neck. Wrapping his arms around me, tangling his legs with mine, I bit down on my teeth. A sensational heat pooled in my stomach.

Though I appreciated his proximity, it made my muscles tense with a desire that awakened. I tore my eyes open when I felt his lips touch my neck, right below my ear. An electrifying need showered down my back, making my hairs stand up and my gut tighten. My chest felt like it was being pulled together. What was he doing?

The tenderness of his lips nearly made me moan. He continued to kiss my neck, his arms drawing back, so his fingers could touch the length of my arm. His fingertips lightly trailed down my skin, leaving behind a prickling sensation that excited me. The exhaustion I'd felt before was completely obliterated and my mind was highly alert, taking every single movement, touch and feeling into account. It was like my mind was clearer than ever.