Bound At Heart

Family

What seemed like a second to Ilyana, she never expected to rebound in the way she did. There was no numbness, but continued pain in the place she had been stabbed. Her lungs and insides were on fire and yet they seemed to be drowning in a substance that needs to be cleared out of them but her body doesn't know how – except, the magic within her did.

Ilyana woke up in a daze, her vision grey and the dizziness never seemed to go away. A deafening pounding in her ears translated to the place she woke up in. When her eyes focused, she found herself in the same position she collapsed in. Rags of a skirt knelt in front of her as murmurs and unintelligible yet distressed speech was what she could hear. It was right then that she came to the conclusion that her faint was nothing more than a mere shut-eye to allow her body to calm down. But, at the same time, she distinctly remembered while trying to inject the healing crystal into her wound, she contacted skin instead.

'That's impossible,' Ilyana thought, 'As far as I was aware, I nearly died three months ago and didn't have the ability to self-heal.' That was when her mind presented a possibility, 'Then again, three months ago you weren't using your magic.'

The Fae groaned, trying to lift herself up as the scene pieced itself in front of her as she tried to find the source of the commotion. Hands contacted her as they aided in her attempt to stand. What literally felt like a large slit inside of her own body, screamed at her as she sucked in through her teeth, trying her best to not release a scream, but instead released a strained whimper. The figure beside her, she later deduced was Marienna, deemed it safe to hold onto and accepted her help. After pulling up one knee and then the other, she wobbled in her step as the scene grayed once more.

A punch and a pain-filled grunt were heard behind her as the figures' speeches became distinguishable.

"No, it can't end like this..." A weakened male's voice to which Ilyana pieced as Clifton Bennett's voice protest at the situation.

"You've hunted and haunted this family for far too long!" A younger voice that belonged to René practically shouted at the madman. "Ever since I could remember, you've done nothing but watch us like a hawk because of my aunt. I am tired of being followed by the likes of you. Freedom was all we ever wanted and now... Oh... I am going to enjoy revenge so much."

A hand fell upon René's shoulder before he could do anything to the beaten man. He flinched and turned to see a sickeningly pale Ilyana. It shocked him to even see her standing, let alone, alive.

"René, that's enough," she said calmly.

René didn't bother to protest as he felt her pull him away and take hold of the handle that was Bennett's sword that ended up in his hand. Ilyana turned to face the man that had caused the family so much pain. Even though she was physically weak to the extent that it was hell to stand, it didn't stop her as she stood tall before Bennett. She pointed the tip of the sword in between the eyes of the man. For a second, she forgot her rage as it all boiled into her soul and it led to having a white-knuckled grip on the sword's handle.

Bennett held himself up by his elbows as he looked at the Fae in disgust, he spat out in her direction but it didn't reach her. Sharply inhaling through his teeth, he challenged, "Go on, Fae, end it. I know you have what it takes to kill a man such as myself."

'Do it,' an unknown voice beckoned in Ilyana's thoughts.

'End him.'

'Kill. Him.'

Ilyana's nose twitched as the rage within her became uncontrollable. It was being supplied at levels that she didn't know where it came from. It was foreign and she didn't like it. It practically took an immense level of internal strength to resist the urge to kill. With a shaky hand, she lowered her arm that held the sword.