Forbidden: an Adult Paranormal Witch Romance: Othala Witch Collection (Sector 12)

by Shannon Eckrich

“Sorry, princess. I can’t let you leave.”

  Seth wasn’t telling me to run. He was warning me this asshole was behind me. I stumbled back a step as the middle of my body numbed. The man brought his sword up, and all I could hear was Seth screaming my name somewhere behind me. Anger and adrenaline rose up from deep inside of me, and I jumped forward, pushing the guy away from me. He flew backward and smacked into the ground, dust flying up around him. Without another thought, I raced toward the boundary line. I placed my hand on the force field, causing the energy to separate, creating a gap big enough for me to slip through.

  Stepping into it, I paused and glanced at Seth. He was over the top of the guy who had stabbed me. He had the man’s head locked in his arms. There was no doubt he was only seconds from breaking his neck. The other remaining guy jumped him from behind, knocking him off the other guard.

  He rolled over the dusty ground and shot me a quick glare. “Get out of here!”

  “I can’t leave you!” I stood on the other side of the force field, my stomach still numb and blood flowing madly. I placed my hand to the wound, attempting to heal it, but using my magic had drained me. The only thing I could do was lessen the flow of blood.

  The man was now on top of him, attempting to place his hands around Seth’s neck. “I’ll be right behind you. I promise.”

  The other guard was slowly picking himself up off the ground, his attention focused on me. There was no way I could protect myself while in this condition. I had no choice but to turn and race into the darkness.

  Seth sure as hell better keep his promise.

  Chapter 10

  Get to the oasis! Get to the oasis! Get to the oasis!

  I pushed my legs as hard as I could over the rough terrain. But keeping my hand over my wound was slowing me down. The only thing that kept me going through the darkness was Seth’s promise. He had better not get himself killed. If that happened, I’d be stranded out here all alone. He was trained to survive in the wild. I wasn’t.

  I didn’t even know which way the oasis was. This was the first time I’d been out of the boundary. I just continued to run in a straight line, hoping I was going in the right direction. Luckily, I had the dim light of the moon shining down on me. Hopefully, it would continue to light my way until I reached my destination. Either way, I had to keep moving, no matter what.

  As if my day couldn’t get any worse, the ground beneath my feet began shifting and moving. Oh, shit! Ravagers! The blood-sucking beasts were waking from their sleep.

  During the day, they buried themselves under the sand or gathered in mountains and caves to get away from the light. They didn’t emerge until sunset. Seth and I were too late, and I happened to be a target. My blood was dripping everywhere. There would be no way to hide from them out here in the open. I had to reach the oasis fast.

  I lifted my hand away from my stomach and picked up my speed. The loss of blood had made me weak, but if I didn’t keep going, I’d be dead. Movement in my peripheral vision caught my eye. I glanced over as I continued to run, and all feeling drained from my body. A ravager scrounging in the sand. It picked its head up like it was sniffing the air. Suddenly, it twisted in my direction.

  The chase was on.

  The ravager growled behind me as panic took over. With it, came the heat tearing through my wound. It burned with such intensity that it took everything I had to keep going instead of crumbling to the ground. Tears welled up in my eyes, causing my vision to blur.

  My heart pounded in my chest so fast I thought it was going to explode. As much as I wanted to glance back and see how close it was, I couldn’t. I had to keep my gaze locked in front of me. Trying to make out the terrain in the dim light and my blurry vision was hard enough.

  Focus. You have to stay focused. You can do this. If not for you, then for Seth.

  Not only did my body now feel as if it were on fire, but my legs started cramping up on me. The snarls got louder and louder behind me, but I no longer had the ability to move faster. I was going as fast as my body could take me.

  Through the blurriness I noticed the outline of trees not too far ahead of me. I was almost there. I was going to make it. My heart and mind were set on those trees. I would survive this.

  The oasis was getting closer and closer. Almost in reach. I could feel the breeze on my face, smell the moisture from the lake. Then sharp pains, like needles, penetrated my hips. A heavy weight dragged me down. I lost my footing and fell forward, sliding across the sand on my already injured stomach. The ravager stood on top of me, shredding my back with his claws. I screamed out and flipped over, knocking it off. The burning was so intense this time my vision was fading in and out. No, I had to stay conscious. I had to stay awake.

  The grotesque creature scrambled over the ground and then leaped toward me. I held my hands up, protecting my face. It smacked into my palms and burst into flames. The ravager fell back, squealing, as it hit the ground.

  I forced myself up off the sand to realize there were ten more racing toward me to take its place. Oh, fuck! I sucked in a deep breath and tightened my jaw to fight the pain that was turning my body into mush. Then I ran toward the oasis. I managed to escape one, but I wouldn’t be able to get rid of the other ones.

  Either they were quicker than the other one, or my injuries had slowed me down drastically. They were gaining fast, like a pack of wild dogs hunting their prey. I could hear them fighting each other behind me. Apparently, none of them wanted to share.

  The ground under my feet shifted from sand to grass. Part of me felt a sense of relief to be in the oasis, but I was far from safe. They were still right behind me.

  I ran through the trees, pushing branches out of my way as I went, hoping I could somehow lose them. But the scent of my dripping blood still trailed behind me. I had to get rid of the trail. The lake. Maybe, if I could make it into the water, the trail would disappear. They didn’t have eyes, so they wouldn’t be able to see me.

  I kept moving, zigzagging in and out between the trees. Their growls and snarls made me aware there wasn’t much distance between us. Up ahead, there was a clearing. That was when I noticed the moon reflecting off the ground. But it wasn’t the ground. It had to be the lake.

  More ravagers emerged from my left. Then some from my right. They were closing in on me. The pain, the exhaustion, loss of blood, it all came to me at once. My breath, quick and shallow, came faster and faster. My insides were no longer consumed by fire. It was something much worse. Something I couldn’t even begin to explain. The world around me began to spin, and I had no idea which way I was actually running.

  The trees were no longer around me, just an open sky full of stars. Stars that were growling and snarling and snapping. I stumbled forward, falling onto my knees. I placed my hands on the ground, the tips of my fingers coming in contact with something cool and wet. I crawled forward until my knees were in the water. Just a little farther. My body collapsed in the water, and I dragged myself further and further until I managed to turn my body over. Then the darkness completely took over.

  Chapter 11

  “Why don’t you bring them out here?”

  “Remember what your mother told you, Layna.” My father tightened his grip on my hand. “Nobody can know you’re out here or what you can do. That includes your brother and sister. It’s a secret.”

  I stopped and looked up at him as he gazed down at me. He was the most handsome man ever. “Why does it have to be a secret?”

  “You know, you ask too many questions.” He smiled and tousled my hair. “You’re just like your mother.”

  My father continued forward, pulling me along through the trees. When we reached the water, familiar faces greeted me with smiles. Kali, Darius, and Re.

  I pulled my hand out of my father’s grasp and raced up to Kali, throwing myself in her arms, giggling. She was my favorite out of all of them, besides my father.

  “My, Layna, you’ve really grown since I last saw you.” She embraced
me tightly in her arms. “What’s it been, two months?” She let go of me and placed her hands on my head, and then gently slid them down the length of my dark hair. She glanced up at my father, and they seemed to be having a conversation without saying a word. They did that a lot when I came out here.

  He nodded at her.

  Kali took my hand and gazed down with a smile. It seemed weaker this time. I may have only been eight years old, but I knew Kali enough to know when something was bothering her. But I was never allowed to question her. I only had to listen to her and learn. “Are you ready to go explore?”

  Excitement exploded inside of me and I jumped up and down, unable to control it. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

  She laughed and led me toward the trees. “We should probably start off small today since it’s been awhile since your last visit. Have you been practicing?”

  “No, not really.” I kicked a pebble on the ground. “Mommy and Daddy said I have to keep everything a secret. That I can’t do any magic around the Capitol. I wanted to put a shield in front of my room so my brother and sister couldn’t come in and be mean to me, but when I tried, Mommy found out and yelled at me. This is the only place I can practice.”

  Once we reached the cover of the trees, Kali spun me around to face her and let go of my hand. “You said you tried to manifest a shield. Did you accomplish it before your mother found out?”

  I shook my head.

  Kali reached down and cupped my chin in her hand, lifting it up so my eyes met hers. “Don’t fret, my child. Creating magic takes lots of practice. You have to focus on what you want.”

  “I still don’t know why I have to keep it a secret. Why can’t I practice in the Capitol?”

  “Layna, my dear, there are people out there who would hurt you if they knew what you could do.”

  “But why?”

  “Because you’re a Natural. You can create magic by using the energy around you. That frightens others, and some people are jealous by what you can do. We have big things planned for you, which is why nobody can know. If we lost you, the entire sector would cease to exist one day. You will do great things, but first we need to find your one true gift.”

  “My one true gift?” I didn’t understand what she was saying. I had more than one gift?

  “Yes, all Naturals have one gift they excel at. And we need to keep practicing until we find yours.”

  “I can create fire.” I grinned. Then I bent down and grabbed a stick off the ground. “Ignite!”

  The tip of the stick erupted into flames.

  “Yes, yes!” Kali’s smile beamed as she clapped her hands. She took the stick from me and blew out the flame. She tossed it onto the ground and looked at me. “Let’s practice something else. We can make a game out of it. How about you hide, and I try to find you. Would you like to try the shield again, or go for something harder, like invisibility?”

  “I could never do indivisibility.” I shook my head.

  Kali laughed. “Okay, then, try the shield. Off with you now!” She pushed me away from her. “Go hide while I count.”

  She didn’t have to tell me twice. I twirled around and raced through the trees, knowing I had to find someplace good to hide. A place where she’d never think to look for me.

  I went deeper and deeper into the trees, making sure I kept my distance from the area where my father was. I was never allowed near him when Kali took me away. I stumbled over a spot where a few trees had fallen. The pile created an opening I could squeeze into.

  I started to crawl in, but the sticks around me began cracking, like someone was walking around nearby. Kali couldn’t have caught up with me that fast. It had to be someone else, but who? Curious, I followed the sound, but made sure I stayed in the cover of the trees. Before long, I saw him.

  There was a boy around my age walking through the woods. He was slightly taller than me, and his hair was dark, like mine. I’d never seen him before.

  The boy glanced through the trees, like he was searching for something. I stepped out from behind the trunk.

  “Hello.”

  The boy swung his head around. His blue eyes were the first thing to grab me. They were the color of the lake. He stood there, staring at me with his blue eyes, not saying a word.

  “I didn’t scare you, did I?”

  He remained silent.

  “My name is—”

  “Child!” Kali grabbed me from behind, causing me to jump. She spun me around until my face was even with her stomach. “Away! Away!” She directed her words to the boy.

  She knelt down in front of me. “Listen to me, you must never talk to him, do you understand? You need to keep as far away from the boy as you can. I will not explain myself, so do not question me about this.” Her tone was serious. It frightened me.

  I nodded.

  “Now, go hide.” She pushed me off again.

  I ran back in the direction where I’d seen the fallen trees, tears streaming down my eyes. I crawled through the small gap and pushed my body as far back as I could. Through my tears, I wished and wished for a shield to cover the entrance so nobody would ever be able to find me. I was tired of keeping secrets. I couldn’t do it anymore. It wasn’t fair. A prickly sensation flowed up my body, and I lifted my face. Sparkles floated over the entrance I crawled through. A small smile spread across my face. I did it! I created the shield that would keep me hidden from the world.

  A big boom sounded not far from where I was. More booms, one after another. My body went numb as I glanced around, listening. I’d never heard the sound before.

  “Where are the children?” Kali’s piercing scream was only a few feet away.

  “I don’t know!” My father this time. “What did you do with Layna? Where is she?” Terror rang through his voice.

  I quickly got up and crawled out of my hiding space, only to be scooped up off the ground.

  “I have Layna!” my father yelled out. He hugged my body tightly to his. “Don’t worry, baby. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  Re appeared out of nowhere. “We need to get the children out of here! The council has sent the army. They were informed Naturals were here. Aziza tried to stop them, but she was too late.”

  “Where’s the boy!” my father yelled in Kali’s direction.

  “I don’t know!”

  “I’ve got him.” Darius ran out from the trees holding the boy from earlier in his hands. “Give me her, and I’ll get them to safety!”

  The boy looked at me, his face pale and eyes wide, as he tried to struggle out of Darius’s grip. He reached out to me, and something inside tugged at me, a desire to go with him, to be with him. I snaked my arm out of the tight hold my father had on me and stuck my hand out, wanting nothing more than to connect with him.

  “No, they can’t be near each other yet!” Kali jumped in between my father and Darius. “It isn’t time! Give him to Re!”

  Darius shoved the boy into Re’s hands, and Re immediately turned and disappeared into the trees with the boy. Part of me went with him.

  Heavy smoke flowed through the woods, causing me to cough. Why were they attacking? What did they want? Trees were falling down everywhere, and booms continued to shake the ground.

  “I’ll see if I can fend them off!” Darius raced away before anyone else could say a word.

  My father ran through the trees with me still in his arms, Kali trailing behind us. “Why didn’t you go with Re?” my father panted.

  “Re will get our boy out of here. It’s her I’m worried about now. You may be the Regent’s husband, but that doesn’t mean the army won’t kill you. The council made this decision, and it is their orders the army has to carry out.”

  A loud boom shook the ground again, and a tree in front of us came falling down. Kali glanced up, but she was too late. The tree smashed on top of her.

  “No!” my father yelled out. His chest erupted in spasms. He dropped me on the ground and made his way over to the tree. After moving a few bran
ches, he had found her. The trunk had smashed her skull into the ground.

  My father fell to his knees and placed his hands over his face, sobbing.

  I couldn’t remove my gaze from the pool of blood. Kali. My heart shattered into a million pieces as hot tears rained down my eyes. Another boom shook the ground. My father yelled out to me, but he was too late, and everything went dark.

  Chapter 12

  The sound of ripping brought back the fire. The scorching heat completely consumed me. I opened my eyes, and Seth was on top of me, straddling my body between his legs. His eyebrows were drawn together, heavy concentration indenting his features, as he tore my shirt off and tossed it aside.

  I was no longer near the water. Heavy brush, or something soft pressed against my back. And a dome of light surrounded us completely, protecting us from the darkness. He had to be using a shield, one unlike any of the ones I had been able to create.

  “I know you.” The words came out low. Speaking them hurt my throat. The blue-eyed boy invaded my mind; the screaming, the confusion, him getting pushed into Re’s arms, him disappearing, and part of myself going with him. I’d thought he was familiar because of the stories. But that wasn’t it. I’d actually encountered him before, but somehow I had forgotten. I didn’t understand how I could forget someone who I had an intense yearning to be with. Why didn’t the memory of him come to me when I found him in the oasis yesterday? The emotions, warmth and recognition. Were they his emotions or did they belong to me?

  “Yes, Layna, you fucking know me!” Anger ripped through his voice. “We’ve spent the entire day together and you almost got yourself killed more times than I can count.”

  “No.” I swallowed, concentrating hard to form my words through the agonizing pain.

  “No, what? I haven’t had to save you multiple times?” He glared at me before returning his attention to my stomach.

  The metallic taste of blood covered my tongue. I wanted to shake my head, but I was afraid to move. “I’ve…seen…you before. We were children.”