Prison Princess (Paranormal Prison) - CoraLee June Page 0,10

I still didn’t know what happened during that time, nor did I want to. Sometimes ignorance was bliss. Other times, like now, it was a weakness.

This felt different, though. My body was sore, and I couldn’t process my surroundings, but I didn’t feel unsafe. In fact, I felt the opposite.

“I bet you have a headache,” Cypress whispered. I flinched at the volume of his voice. He might as well have been shouting in my ear. I took a moment to stare at my captor as my thoughts echoed against my skull. He was shirtless, and his hair was wet, as if he’d just bathed in a nearby stream. Smoke from the fire billowed around him and made him look mysterious.

I nodded. “I do. But...why? Why did you knock me out? What’s happening?” I tried to lift my head and then gave up on that, putting it back down on the ground. It was like I’d overexerted myself just by demanding answers. Maybe I’d just stay right there and never move again. I buried my fingers in the dirt, grounding myself against the hard forest floor while trying to settle the ache in my skull. It was something I used to do back at Nightmare Penitentiary. With my ear to the floor, it was like the pulse of the universe provided a soothing heartbeat that could chase away the demons.

Cypress rose and walked over to me before sitting down at my side so that he could put a hand on my shoulder. His skin was rough and hot. The feel of him was surprisingly comforting, and the tender act of kindness jarred me. Why was he being so gentle? “I’m sorry I knocked you out like that,” he said softly. I didn’t know his low voice was capable of so much compassion. “I had to give you a good dose of sleep power. The neck chakra is the perfect place to deliver it. I needed you to pass out before you did something irreversible.”

I processed his words for a brief moment. Okay. He’d grabbed my neck to shove power at me. A flash of a memory skipped across my mind. I could almost feel his hands gripping me again. I understood what he had done, but I couldn’t make sense of why. I rubbed at my throat, hoping that the movement would conjure up memories and understanding. It didn’t hurt. Had he used a healing charm, too? “I’m really confused, Cypress. Why stop me at all? I was saving you.”

“I know that you’re brand new to Druid magic, and I’m not the best teacher,” he began while gnawing on his lip. It was like he was contemplating what to say. “All of my knowledge comes from rumors, but there is one universally known truth: When you draw from the earth and the moon, it’s the purest form of magic. It’s not meant to kill. Protect, yes. But never kill. If you twist your magic and use it for that, bad things happen. It’s why I was trained in hellfire magic. The source is more forgiving if used to take a life.”

I scrunched up my nose. There was so much that he’d just said that I couldn’t understand. What kind of bad things? I was still coming to terms with the fact that I even had magic to use. Before, I never knew who or what I was. I just existed without powers or any miraculous purpose. I was human, almost. Now it seemed like the world was at my fingertips.

“Hellfire magic?” I asked. That sounded ominous. At Nightmare, I’d heard whispers of evil men and women dabbling in it, but I’d never met someone as skilled as Cypress, wielding it with such ease. His display of power was awe inspiring. Not only had he gotten me out of the prison, but he’d defended us, too. Only someone incredibly strong could handle such temperamental magic. And most who used it ended up in the darkest corners of our prison.

“I didn’t stutter,” he replied.

I nodded my head, feigning understanding even though there was still so much to process. We stared at one another as I pulled at the tether deep in my chest. More and more memories surfaced. Earlier, I had somehow awakened an ability within myself I didn’t know existed. And the longer I was out of Nightmare Penitentiary, the more my power seemed to bloom to life in my soul. I closed my eyes and searched for that spark of power,