my chest as panic flares awake like a surging volcano. Scrambling to my feet, the room tilts around me, reality punching me in the gut. I’m not at home in bed. I’m not even in the prince’s bed. I'm inside a barn. I swing my gaze left and right, finding no animals. Light streams in from between the slits of the log walls. Shadows move outside the building, flitting about, while footfalls crunch through snow.
That prick prince did this, I know he did.
Anger cuts into me, and I dart to the door. I shove against the wooden handle, but something is blocking the door. Dread moves deep inside me, and I slam a hand to the door over and over. "Who's out there? Let me out. This isn't funny."
No one responds, but someone's walking around out there. Maybe they don't know I’m stuck in here, which begs the question, how the fuck did I end up here?
Looking down, I find I'm still in my clothes from last night. I have no shoes or coat, like I sleep-walked or someone carried me here... Yeah, I bet my life that that someone was Eryk. That bastard.
The longer I hit my fists into the door and no one hears me, the more anger passes within me, the urgency deepening with the fear that no one will find me here. I don't want to be stuck.
I glance around for another way out when a shadow rises from the corner across the barn.
A cry escapes my lips as dread sinks its fangs into my flesh and rips me to pieces.
My back hits the door and I swing around, smashing my fists into the wood, screaming. "Let me out! Someone, please."
A guttural growl echoes behind me. I jerk around, my back once again plastered to the door.
Eyes as dark as onyx stones glance at me as the figure stumbles out of the shadows, groaning, a hand raised to his huge bald head to rub it as though he’s been knocked out.
That's when I clearly see who is in the barn with me, and my knees wobble as I slide as far away as possible.
A huge hobgoblin glares directly at me, fingers curling into fists and upper lip pinched tight. He has healed scars over his face and neck, some looking infected, oozing with pus.
"I'm starved," his deep guttural voice steals the silence while his gaze rakes over my body. He reaches down and gropes his groin through his pants.
I feel sick at what he's implying. I try not to panic and dig deep inside, drawing at my power that lingers like threads.
"B-break the d-door down, and you'll have all the food you want." I hate how much my voice shakes.
He barks out a laugh and lunges at me.
Then it all happens so fast.
I jut out my hands and scream as he collides into me. I'm thrown off my feet, the huge monster on top of me, hands ripping at my clothes. I fist a handful of hay and shove it into his face, right in his eyes, then scramble away. He snatches my ankle, but I twist and kick him in the chin. I buy myself just enough time to push upright onto my ass and throw my arms out, the word 'freeze' tumbling past my lips.
Power shudders over my flesh with such ferocity that I'm thrown onto my back, my head cracking against the ground.
I groan as a ringing sound booms in my ears, stars dancing behind my eyes. Agony crashes over me, coupled with a tremendous chill like I've fallen into icy water. Every inch of me aches, and trying to move hurts. Using my power has never zapped me this much before. Sore muscles and being out of breath, sure, but this is something different.
Straining to get up, I whine and touch the back of my head, expecting blood on my hand, but it’s clean.
Then the state of the barn clutches my attention, and I forget about the pain.
Half of the building is completely covered in ice, the walls and ceilings giving the impression I'm inside an ice cube. In the middle of the display is the hobgoblin plastered to the back wall with ice, in a strange pose of twisted arms and legs. His eyes are huge, caught in a perfect moment of terror.
The door wrenches open so abruptly, I scream from the surprise.
Eryk steps inside, all wide-eyed like he can't believe what he's looking at when he studies the hobgoblin. Then