Between Shadows (Shadows Saga bk2)

Chapter 12- Broken

Mara squinted her eyes as the hard, shiny floor started to come into focus. She could feel the cool slabs under her palms; these were the first things to come back to her in the real world. 

She swayed slightly and through the haze in her mind, realized she was kneeling on the floor. She didn't remember falling, she didn't remember much at all except for the excruciating pain in her head. That was when everything had faded away and he had taken over. Zander had pulled her inside her head. 

She could hear the people around her now, all the hands pressing on her back, her sides, and her shoulders. Muffled voices were talking all around, calling her name, and shouting commands at each other. No one knew what had happened. As the fog wrapped around Mara's body cleared fully, she looked around her. She saw almost everyone kneeling closely around her, only two people were missing from the immediate area. 

She then looked further up and saw them. Makortax was standing just behind the ring of people, and Marx standing directly behind him reluctantly. She could tell he wanted to move closer. 

Mara looked back down at the ground as everyone probed her, trying to figure out what was wrong. A voice, barely audible, whispered across her mind. 

Are you okay?

Mara cringed, thinking it had been Zander again. She could almost feel Marx flinch at her response, at the thought of having hurt her. 

Mara wondered how that could have been possible; Marx had just spoken to her mind. He had not said anything aloud; he wouldn't have risked it - not in front of his father. 

She looked back up through her lashes, meeting his eyes once more. Her aunt had asked if she were able to stand, Mara nodded, silently answering both of their questions. 

Mara had spent the following half hour reassuring everyone that she was indeed fine and that it had only been a migraine. Natalie had insisted she check Mara over to make sure it wasn't anything serious. 

It was something serious, just nothing you will be able to see. Mara thought to herself as her aunt probed her head, checked her pulse and did all of the regular tests one would do in a doctor’s office. When Natalie was finally satisfied Mara asked to talk to Trixle and Emmett in the hall. 

"What the heck happened?" Trixle hissed, turning on her heels to face Mara. 

Emmett stopped next to Trixle, his arms crossed, and staring at Mara intently waiting for her reply. 

"Not to sound like a broken record or anything." Mara began, looking between the two of them. "But it was Zander."

Emmett's stare intensified, even if he wouldn't admit it out loud, he was curious as to how Zander had managed to do anything. 

"Somehow he pulled me inside. It felt the same as the dreams he creates, somehow he managed to do it while I was awake." She said answering both of their questioning faces. 

Trixle was stunned into silence. She was never sure what to say when it came to these situations ever since her first dream of him. 

"What happened?" Emmett asked getting down to business. She knew he wanted to know full details to gather as much information as he could. Mara assumed that even though neither Marx nor Emmett were on the Council, they were still working the situation. She had no problem with that, as long as they were both far away when everything finally happened. 

"There wasn't really much." She said avoiding his eyes. "Mainly taunting. He wanted me to know that no matter what we did, we wouldn't be able to stop him. And no matter what, he will always be able to get to me." At that, she rubbed her arms, trying to wipe away the chill that came over her.