“Let me go,” she whimpered. “Please.”
The whir of bullets firing from the gun shook her entire body. Gritting her teeth, she closed her eyes and prayed the attackers had some way to defend themselves. There had been enough fighting over the past couple of days.
She opened her eyes to see a pouch explode right in front of them. Glittering dust coated her face. A tingling sensation began spreading across her body. She couldn’t feel her cheeks. She ran her tongue across her lips but they were completely numb.
“What is that stuff?” she murmured; her speech slurred. She attempted to swallow, but her throat was so numb the liquid can gushing back up. She squeezed her hands into fists. She could see her fingers pressed into her palms but didn’t feel her nails digging into her skin or the pressure of her grip.
“Try to breath as little as possible,” Kaden commanded. “It’ll help slow the effects.”
He dragged her towards the door, which was now hanging from the frame by the scraps of splintered hinges. With the group of assailants actively trying to keep themselves safe from the onslaught of bullets, they didn’t seem to notice that Kaden was making an escape.
“Fight him!” Penny shrieked. “Do something!”
Layla attempted to lift her foot to stomp on him, but she could no longer feel her legs. Kaden stumbled, slamming Layla against the wall as he braced himself. She didn’t feel anything but pressure as he forced her head into the wall as he attempted to right himself. His breathing was ragged against her hair.
“Step away from the girl,” a deep voice said from behind them. There was a pause for several seconds before the man said, “I won’t warn you again.”
The pressure on her back lessoned and she slumped to the floor, unable to support herself. Her legs splayed out.
“You have to go!” Penny screeched. “You can do it, Layla. You just have to try!”
She struggled to roll over, but her body refused to cooperate. It was as if every nerve in her body had decided to stop responding to her brain. From her spot on the floor, she saw Kaden and another man fighting. The assailant wore a black mask and lightweight, cloth body armor as they grappled one another. The longer they fought, the more clumsy and disconnected Kaden’s attacks became. Whatever was in the powder was clearly taking a toll on him.
The masked assailant threw a punch, striking Kaden on the jaw and sending him careening against the wall with a loud crunch. His head snapped forward as he slumped to the ground. Layla’s eyes darted towards him. She didn’t know him very well and he had abducted her, but she didn’t want him to be killed. In the dim light, she couldn’t tell if his chest was rising or not.
The assailant strode towards her. His eyes were shrouded in shadow as he stared down at her for several seconds. She wondered what he was thinking. An uncomfortable squirming sensation in the pit of her stomach grew the longer he stared down at her without saying a word. He glanced around the room. The rest of the assailants were fighting against the robotic weaponry in the apartment. He nodded once and bent down. He lifted her as if she weighed nothing more than a feather.
“It’s alright,” he said as he clutched her to his chest. “You’ll be safe now.”
Chapter Eight
He tossed a handful of dust in front of them. A rift in the air formed a line of brilliant white light that rippled as it stretched open. Layla had never seen an elvish portal before, but this fit the description. She marveled at the image she saw on the other side. A night sky dusted with vibrant pinks and purples and a smattering of stars blossomed before her.
Her breath caught in her chest as he stepped through the opening.
Complete darkness enveloped them. Her body went cold. The sound of rushing wind created a cacophony all around her. She wanted to cup her ears to block out the sound, but her arms still weren’t working. Her eyes watered, the tears freezing against her cheeks. Although it was all over in a matter of seconds, Layla felt like it had been months.
The assailant fell to his knees as he stepped through the portal and onto a sandy beach. The sound of waves crashing against sand and stone washed over Layla. The night sky she’d seen through the portal’s opening stretched across the horizon. Multicolored stars and the sister moons cast silvery light all around them. Although the pit of her stomach rotated, sending a wave of nausea through her, the sound of the ocean sent a tendril of calm through her. Her heartbeat slowed from its galloping pace to a slow, steady rhythm.
“You’re safe,” the masked man cooed as he nestled her into the sand. He wore a belt around his waist that was laden with different pouches and vials. He selected one and pulled it from his belt. Liquid swirled in the vial as he leaned over her and parted her lips. Using the dropper cap, he dispensed several drops of the liquid onto her tongue. Where they landed, fire flamed.
She closed her eyes to fight back the tears. As the liquid absorbed into her body, it felt as if hot coals were being raked across her. Her veins heated and she cringed. A cry of pain escaped her lips.
“It’ll all be over soon,” the man said. He wiped his fingertips across her brow as he spoke. His voice was soft and melodic, as if he were singing a lullaby to her just by speaking. Panting, he pushed back his hood and tore off his mask. Sweat dampened his hair, making it cling to him. He sat back and stared up at the sky.
Layla shifted her gaze upwards. The city created so much pollution that she was only ever able to see the brightest of stars. But here, on this beach, the sky was illuminated by thousands of tiny pinpricks. They twinkled in hues of silver, blue, pink, and yellow. The sister moons hung heavy in the sky, their silver light reflecting off the ocean waves. She tasted the salt in the air as she breathed in deeply, feeling her lungs expand and press against her chest. Warm water lapped at her feet and she felt the sand give way beneath her as the tide came in. Sensation had returned to her.
“Do you think you can stand?” the man asked.
Although her limbs felt heavier than usual and sharp needles of pain pricked her, she pushed herself into a sitting position and turned to look at him. Even sitting down, she could tell he was tall. Although he was slender, hard muscles rippled beneath his shirt. Braids hung around his shoulders; small silver beads woven within them.
“Quit gawking at him and demand he tell you who he is,” Penny hissed.
Layla smirked. Clearly, her PEA had had enough of the drama for one night.
“Who are you?” she asked. Her voice came out raspy and her words were still slurred, but at least she could speak again.
“Maximus Beauregard, uh, Max,” he replied quickly. He placed a warm, firm hand on her shoulder, “I’m a friend.”
She noticed his pointed ears curving upwards, not unlike her own. “Fae or elf?” she asked.
He smiled at her warmly. “Elf.”
Biting her bottom lip, she stared down at her hands. Why would an elf be helping her?
“What did you do to me, back in the apartment?” her words tumbled out of her. She wondered if he would even be able to tell what she was saying. “And what was in that dropper you gave me?”
“We used a paralyzing powder to stop Kaden from harming you further,” he said. “What I gave you here was the antidote.”