Emory shivered at the idea of Belladonna finding her. She whispered reassurances to herself in the silence, checking every lock and ward as she turned off all the lights. The magical defenses planted around her home were potent but similar enough to ones utilized by every other magic user that they shouldn't draw attention. Hiding in plain sight was something she had learned to be very good at. But in the end, she couldn’t ignore the feeling that everything she'd done wouldn't be enough to stand against what was coming. She had to be ready. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, her eyes focused on the darkness above, wondering if her lonely bedroom was the only thing waiting for her at the end of that climb.
The words Belladonna said to her at their last meeting echoed in her head. “You've been bought and paid for. Never forget that. You belong to me.” Emory pushed aside the pain those words dredged up and chose to remember instead her escape, the cruel smile she'd wiped from that beautiful face with her own magic, power amplified by love and loss in those terrible final moments. She replaced the hated voice she was hearing with her own, the steely promise of it ringing out in the absolute quiet of this home she'd made for herself. “Never again. You will never own me again.” She continued up the stairs, her spirit rising with every step she took, a tangible thing, filling the space with determination and resolve. Never again.
The End
About the Author
K.A. Fox is a proud military brat who has lived all over the world but now calls the Midwest home. She uses her psychological training to facilitate successful negotiations at work and to convince her husband and three sons that she’s always right. When not writing, she can usually be found hiding somewhere with a book and a bit of chocolate, or chasing after her own adorable Hell Hound.
www.imkafox.com
