The Awakening

Chapter 25

"When the phoenix resurrects from the flames, she is even more beautiful than before."

                               -Danielle LaPorte.

Before I can recover from the pain, before I can crawl away or stand up, another foot connects with my back flattening me to the ground.

The sound of my spine breaking echoes through the silent dock. I scream as immense pain flows through me. I throw my hands out and the water surrounding the yacht rises up, into the boat, and straight towards my attackers. It flows around them.

I move to launch another water attack at them, fog emanates from my palm as I turn liquid to ice. A booted foot steps on my left wrist, crushing it. My wrist bends under the pressure, throbbing in protest. I groan, my eyes watering.

"You shouldn't have done that" an angry voice snarls into my ear. He grips my hair sharply and uses it to raise me up.

Immediately, a thousand tiny stabbing prickles come alive on my back, radiating to my neck, my head.

I let out a screech as I flail around trying to escape his grip on my hair, needing to take pressure off my throbbing back.

The second creature sifts in front of me.

"Such a pretty face" he smiles menacingly "Such a pity we have to do this."

He grabs my right hand in both hands and with a smirk he twists it. A loud scream escapes my lips at the excruciating pain. Hot tears sting my eyes and I try so hard to hold them in but they spill down my cheeks. My body is aflame with pain. My back, my wrist, my scalp.

Milo sifts to the guy who broke my wrist and shoves him away "Let's just kill her James. This isn't necessary. Cavanuagh's scent is all over her. He's going to be here any minute and I don't want him to meet us here"

James slowly stands up with a snarl "I'm in charge here

Milo, not you. If I want to torture the pretty doll before I kill her, that's what I'll do. I don't care whose scent is all over her.

Try to stop me again and it will be your death."

The guy behind me releases his hold on my hair and I crumble to the floor in a heap of limbs.

He moves in front of me and kicks me hard in my chest. I curl forward into myself as I cough up blood, my ribs in agony. He kicks me again and again, alternating between my face and ribs until my vision fizzles out, followed by blissful numbness.

"Not so pretty now are you?" He snarls.

A deep vibration starts low, shaking the boat. The attack stops.

"What was that?" One of them asks but his voice is drowned out by a loud roar that's so deep, it rattles my battered bones.

When it stops, there's a deafening silence. Then the screams start.

High pitched, pain filled sounds.

"How dare you touch her. How dare you hurt my mate. Mine!" A menacing voice growls over the screams chilling my bones, "You'll never hurt anyone else in your life again."

"Robin. You need to get her out of here" A voice suggests tentatively "She's in bad shape. We'll handle them."

The screaming stops.

Soft hands caress my face "Schatzi?"

Robin.

I try to open my eyes, to see him, I try to move, but my limbs don't cooperate.