Pretty Spelled by K.A Knight
Lilith
Atlas is sleeping, but I can’t. My body is still humming with pleasure, and his hands grip me possessively, but they feel so far away, as if I’m fading. It starts at my toes—I’m unable to wiggle them—and then moves up my legs, to my hips and stomach. It spreads until I can’t even swallow, as if I’m being trapped in my own body. But that’s not what has me trying to scream, my eyes wide open and terrified.
It’s the laughter echoing in my head.
Her laughter.
You didn’t really think they had gotten rid of me, did you?
No, it’s impossible, you’re gone!My voice sounds in my own head, and then she’s there. Alongside me. Looking out through one of my eyes. She’s the one controlling my body, and I realise… I realise this was always her. She didn’t get banished, she left of her own accord. Because it was fun, because she knew she could take over at any time, any moment, when it would hurt the most. She was here, watching, listening, and letting me have a glimpse of everything I have always wanted, only to take it away from me.
You’re not as dumb as you look, little human. It’s so sweet tasting your fear…but it was even sweeter tasting your joy, your love and happiness. You thought you were free, thought you were going to have a future, and now I get to snatch it away from you and kill all that you hold dear while you are helpless. Look how easily they trusted you again. How easily they let you in. How easily you fell back into the same routine. It’s you, little human, it’s always been you who will be the destruction of the gods.
No!I scream, struggling in my body. Atlas murmurs and pulls me closer, yet I can’t scream, can’t even open my mouth to warn him.
Oh yes, little human, you were never in control, and now it’s time.
Please, I’ll give you anything, anything!I beg. Please, please don’t kill my family. What do you want?
Your submission, your pain, your soul. She laughs. And I will have it, but you won’t have to give it to me, I’m going to take it. There isn’t anything you can offer me to save them. But if you want, I will make it quick. I will rip out their hearts.
No, I won’t let you!
You can’t stop me, little human.She laughs, and then I feel her sweeping through my body. I’m pushed further and further back, trapped, as she stands and looks down at Atlas, who reaches for me in his sleep with a furrowed brow.You would have thought you would have learned by now.
Stepping out of the cage, I view from inside myself as she stretches, her magic pouring through me once again, stronger than ever. Because you’re whole now, little human, just like I needed. The black veins crawl across us, beads and lace appearing over our nude body as our eyes turn black once again. She turns, looking at Atlas. Because of him, your soul and heart are whole…all the better to use.
Then you can’t kill him! I argue desperately.
I got what I needed, or did you forget your mate bond is still closed, little human?She grins, stepping closer to him. It means when I kill him, you—I won’t have the backlash. All the power, none of the pain…well, apart from you. It will be agony.
No!I can’t let her hurt Atlas, not now, not ever. Panic like I’ve never felt before winds through me, fuelling me. Fear and anger saturate me until, with a scream, I rise to the front.
I’m unable to hold her back, but I need to protect my love from her, so I gather the last of my energy and slam the cage door shut. Locking it and Atlas inside, saving him from her. She snarls in anger, knowing she can’t get to him now. I fall back into that black abyss.
I go deeper than ever before, fading away. I know I protected him as much as I could. I just hope it was enough.
I just wish we had more time.
I pray my family is strong enough to stop her.
To kill us.
* * *
