Daughter of Dusevni

Prologue

My arm nearly rips out of its socket as a strong hand grasps my wrist, fingers digging into my skin. My feet are left dangling over an abyss of open air. I let out a soft gasp as I gawk at the ground below. The beast's immense wings generate roaring winds that whip strands of hair around my face. It's feathers billow in the breeze with each heave. I reach up to the body, trying to grab hold of a bundle of pearly white feathers, but the beast lurches forward. It lets out a deafening roar that shatters my eardrums. 

Another hand reaches down. I stretch up to grab it, but the person twists my wrist to reveal a lustrous crystal clenched in my grip. I don't know how it got there or what it is; I just know I need to protect it. My hand locks it in place as the person above me pries my fingers away. There's nothing I can do but watch it leave my possession. I let out a growl of anger as the figure pockets the crystal.

Time slows as my wrist slips from the villain's hands, and I let out a shriek as I tumble to the ground. The person's face above me is blurred, but the glowing streaks/rays of red are clear. My eyes drift shut, and when I open them I'm diving headfirst towards the vibrant green grass. In the last millisecond I can see all the detail in the greenery: the sharp edges of the blades, the grains of dirt, even a tiny insect. It's beautiful.

I wake up in a fiery sweat, shrieking at the top of my lungs as I my body jolts to a sitting position. My breath comes in pants as beads of sweat drip from my face, arms, and body, soaking my bed sheets.

Safety.

But when I close my eyes again, the blurred face gleaming down at me is all that I see.