It's too late ...
Reese’s lids fluttered.
tap tap tap
Wakefulness from the depths of sleep had never come easily to Reese and her mind struggled to make sense of the faint noise that had woken her in the first place.
tap tap tap
The blankets pooled at her waist as she slowly rose. Mussed hair was pushed out of her face and Reese peered around her room. The moonlight showed all was still and silent and a tiny frown pulled between her brow.
tap tap tap
An owl.
Relief settled her nerves and she pushed the duvet back and crawled from her bed to go open the window. “It’s late, you know,” she told the feathered creature as it flew in the room. It circled around her head before landing on the sill and holding out its leg.
“Messages can wait til the sun comes up,” she said around a big yawn even as she retrieved the letter. Her movements were sluggish, but she finally managed to break the seal and unfold the vellum. Reese had to tilt it to catch the light of the moon.
He’s coming. Run.
It was only three words, but it was enough to tilt her world on its axis and chill her to the bone. Suddenly shaking hands could no longer grasp the warning note and it fluttered to the floor.
The wards buzzed across her skin and owl flew back out the window even as Reese raced to the front of the cottage. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no.”
A peek through the curtains confirmed her very worst fears - her nightmare. Two men were pointing wands at the cottage and even as she watched, the spell next thrown made the wards flash, weaken. This was only a temporary home - a tiny little seaside cottage she had let. Only very basic wards guarded the place; they would fall on the next hit.
“LIVVY!”
Tears blurred her vision as she raced through the house looking for her wand. Unlike most witches and wizards, she was not obsessive about keeping it on her person or near at hand, but just that moment Reese cursed her own nature.
“Missy needs Livvy?” The elf pulled at her ears anxiously as she watched Reese. The boom outside made her jump and not a moment later Kiss’ cries filled the little cottage.
“Take Kiss away!” She could hear their booted steps coming for the door now and panic had Reese raising her hands as if to stop it from opening - and it did. Whatever magic that slipped from her held the door against their pushes. It would not hold for long. “He’s coming, Livvy. Him,” she breathed, terrified. “You have to take Kiss away right now. He can’t have her. He can’t.” He would kill Kiss. He would make Reese watch him do it as punishment for running away.
“But Missy, you can needs to come too.”
Reese’s arms were trembling. Whatever wild magic that was keeping them at bay would fail her soon. “Go, Livvy,” she whispered. “Go to Miles. Tell him what happened. He’ll fix it.” The door splintered and the living room window shattered. “GO!”
Livvy went, and even as the door exploded, Kiss’ cries disappeared. She was gone.
Reese would have cried with relief, but it was not over. It had only just begun. Two dark shadows pointed wands through the dusty hole that had once been the cottage’s front door.
She lowered her hands, now bleeding from the splinters that had cut into her skin from the explosion. She was utterly defenseless without her wand, not that she knew any offensive magic. Tears welled in her eyes and her arms wrapped around herself as the men advanced on her.
A rough glove grasped her chin and forced her face up. A lit wandtip made her blink and cringe away. “This is her?”
German was a harsh language. The memories it brought with it made her cry in earnest and struggle to get away.
“Oh yes, this is the one. Still a pretty little thing.” He scowled when her struggles resulted in a heel to his shin. “And much easier to transport unconscious.”
It was the last thing she heard before pain exploded in her temple and blackness overtook her.
SUMMARY: Reese’s past comes to find her.
tap tap tap
Wakefulness from the depths of sleep had never come easily to Reese and her mind struggled to make sense of the faint noise that had woken her in the first place.
tap tap tap
The blankets pooled at her waist as she slowly rose. Mussed hair was pushed out of her face and Reese peered around her room. The moonlight showed all was still and silent and a tiny frown pulled between her brow.
tap tap tap
An owl.
Relief settled her nerves and she pushed the duvet back and crawled from her bed to go open the window. “It’s late, you know,” she told the feathered creature as it flew in the room. It circled around her head before landing on the sill and holding out its leg.
“Messages can wait til the sun comes up,” she said around a big yawn even as she retrieved the letter. Her movements were sluggish, but she finally managed to break the seal and unfold the vellum. Reese had to tilt it to catch the light of the moon.
He’s coming. Run.
It was only three words, but it was enough to tilt her world on its axis and chill her to the bone. Suddenly shaking hands could no longer grasp the warning note and it fluttered to the floor.
The wards buzzed across her skin and owl flew back out the window even as Reese raced to the front of the cottage. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no.”
A peek through the curtains confirmed her very worst fears - her nightmare. Two men were pointing wands at the cottage and even as she watched, the spell next thrown made the wards flash, weaken. This was only a temporary home - a tiny little seaside cottage she had let. Only very basic wards guarded the place; they would fall on the next hit.
“LIVVY!”
Tears blurred her vision as she raced through the house looking for her wand. Unlike most witches and wizards, she was not obsessive about keeping it on her person or near at hand, but just that moment Reese cursed her own nature.
“Missy needs Livvy?” The elf pulled at her ears anxiously as she watched Reese. The boom outside made her jump and not a moment later Kiss’ cries filled the little cottage.
“Take Kiss away!” She could hear their booted steps coming for the door now and panic had Reese raising her hands as if to stop it from opening - and it did. Whatever magic that slipped from her held the door against their pushes. It would not hold for long. “He’s coming, Livvy. Him,” she breathed, terrified. “You have to take Kiss away right now. He can’t have her. He can’t.” He would kill Kiss. He would make Reese watch him do it as punishment for running away.
“But Missy, you can needs to come too.”
Reese’s arms were trembling. Whatever wild magic that was keeping them at bay would fail her soon. “Go, Livvy,” she whispered. “Go to Miles. Tell him what happened. He’ll fix it.” The door splintered and the living room window shattered. “GO!”
Livvy went, and even as the door exploded, Kiss’ cries disappeared. She was gone.
Reese would have cried with relief, but it was not over. It had only just begun. Two dark shadows pointed wands through the dusty hole that had once been the cottage’s front door.
She lowered her hands, now bleeding from the splinters that had cut into her skin from the explosion. She was utterly defenseless without her wand, not that she knew any offensive magic. Tears welled in her eyes and her arms wrapped around herself as the men advanced on her.
A rough glove grasped her chin and forced her face up. A lit wandtip made her blink and cringe away. “This is her?”
German was a harsh language. The memories it brought with it made her cry in earnest and struggle to get away.
“Oh yes, this is the one. Still a pretty little thing.” He scowled when her struggles resulted in a heel to his shin. “And much easier to transport unconscious.”
It was the last thing she heard before pain exploded in her temple and blackness overtook her.
SUMMARY: Reese’s past comes to find her.