Nerina [eShort Series]

Vol. 5 - Revenge P.1 | i

1694

"Well look at you," Eve purred. "A fighter. Better than the last time we met." She wiped the side of her mouth with her thumb before sucking the blood off her finger. She smiled.

"If I do recall the last time we met I killed you." Nerina stood holding her arm that hung loosely at her side. It was dislocated, the pain causing white dots to dance before her eyes. She tried to blink them away. Eve was matching each step she took, both of them going in a circle as they watched each other. Two predators now. Nerina had taken all her hurt and wrapped them around herself like a shawl. Her initial frozen instant of fear had melted away almost immediately after she had heard the familiar voice.

A familiar voice in death.

Nerina knew Eve had been dead. She wanted to know how it was possible somewhere in the back of her mind but in the front of her mind, she wanted to hurt. She wanted to hurt Eve for starting the domino effect that had led her here. If Nerina had not seen her that night across the lake. If Eve had not changed her, Nerina would have lived a full life. She would have had more children. She would have grown old and held her grandchildren. She would have lived a long, happy human life. Nerina would still exist. Instead, the years had chipped away bits and chunks until her old until who she was started to become a distant memory.

It aggrieved her to lose her old self but she knew she had to let it go. For her sanity, she had to let go of many things. Things Eve a hand in tainting—directly or indirectly. Nerina had so much hurt she had no idea what to do with it. Shutting off her emotions would have been easy but that would have led her down a road she had long promised herself she would never travel again. The easy way out was not an option.

Then there was Fionn. The lying two-faced adulterer. He was promised to another woman. How could he know that and still lead her, Nerina, a future was possible for them? A happy one. A long one. He had coaxed open parts of her heart she had never opened before. Parts she never knew she had. She had thought Dmitri had been it. She was wrong. There was more to feel. Love had an endless depth that swallowed you whole. The sensation of drowning had frightened her but she placed her trust in him. Her mistake. A foolish mistake. Hope was a noose. Life without it was bad. Living with it, opening yourself to it, believing it then having it ripped away was worse. She had been better off alone.

"This time, I'll make sure you stay dead." She would. Nerina was going to make sure that no stretch of the imagination could ever bring this woman back again.

"I've died twice now. Some would say I am mildly overt to dying." There was a smirk on her lips. Nerina had not turned off her emotions but Eve could feel a darkness growing inside her. She felt as if she was going to win. She was going to break Nerina—once and for all. Then she was going to make her into something better. "He must really have hurt you."

Nerina gritted her teeth. To keep the sudden torrent of emotions that started to swell up at bay, she slammed her shoulder back in place. The pain numbed everything. Only her anger remained on the surface. And she had a lot of anger.

Eve smiled.

Nerina moved fast faking one direction before going into another. Eve had only a second to react and the second it took cost her. Blood sprayed from the side of her neck where Nerina slashed her. Eve had not seen the knife. Had not known the other woman had one. She clamped her hand over the wound to stem the bleeding. The wound was not healing. It was deep. Blood seeped through her fingers and it burned.

"Would you like to die swiftly or with a bit of pain?"

Eve looked at the object in Nerina's hand; it was a dagger made of wood. Nerina wanted to give her a bit of pain. More than a bit of pain. Killing Eve so easily was not her intent. She wanted the woman to know the taste of true fear. She wanted the woman to beg for her end on her knees.

When Eve ran off Nerina went after her. Stopped. "Look who's running now. I'll find you...soon."