Cienna's Amulet, A Christmas Romance (Raymara Barwil Romance) Read Online Free
Author: Raymara Barwil
Looking further up, all she could see was a hood at the top of the cloak, the material was covering the face but there was definitely something, human-shaped but taller underneath.
“Who are you? What do you want? I don’t have any money...please...”
Cienna heard the gravel behind her shifting; the second figure must be coming to her. She lay rigid, then suddenly jerked into a sitting position as she felt a sharp, burning sensation on her right hand as if someone had jabbed her with a red hot poker. Her right hand began to shake uncontrollably and she saw that the ring was glowing. This time there was no mistaking it.
Her head was roughly yanked backwards; something was pulling her hair. Cienna began to struggle frantically. She had to fight; she couldn’t just let this happen to her. In her peripheral vision, she saw that the first figure was leaning forward, getting closer and closer to her. She felt the hold on her hair tighten behind her and she began to feel heat in her body, like earlier in the day, but stronger. As if she was in a sauna, turned up to a dangerous temperature.
The first figure’s hood was now directly in front of her face. A putrid smell emitted from its folds as it reached out a hand that looked the same as that of the creature that was holding Cienna’s hair in a death grip. This hand, which was topped with long curling black nails reached around her neck, massaging it slowly, and then beginning to squeeze harder and harder as it rubbed.
Cienna had stopped fighting; all her senses were focused on the heat that enveloped her from the inside out. Her hand with the ring spasmed and her ring finger now glowed as one with the ring. She reached with that hand and hit the hooded figure’s hand that was throttling her; then quickly reached behind her head and did the same to the hand that gripped her hair.
There was an orange burst of light as the strangling figure burst into flame in front of Cienna’s eyes. The hand around her neck fell away and she felt the grip on her hair release. She sprang up, heat burning the air around her and saw two hooded balls of flame that hovered before her for an instant -- lighting up the whole car park -- before suddenly disappearing, plunging her into darkness once more.
Looking down, she saw the sleeves of her jacket and the red top underneath had been completely burned away to her shoulders but her skin was intact, with no burns to be seen. The ring still glowed faintly but the heat had gone. Only the sound of her jagged breathing penetrated the stillness. She reached a hand to her face and felt the wetness of what must have been blood from her fall.
Oh my goodness....did that just happen? Did I just burn those things? I’m going crazy. I’ve lost my mind.... All thoughts of her car completely gone, Cienna turned and began to run back down the alleyway, tears streaming down her bloodied face.
###
Miguel quickly pulled on a pair of shorts and tee shirt. He couldn’t answer the door naked. It was eleven o’clock at night and he had been lying on his bed, meditating and practising his power mantras. When he heard a loud, insistent knocking coming from downstairs, he was not surprised in the slightest.
She’s called the police on me. I’ll have to use a spell to get them off my back and it had better work this time. Maybe I shouldn’t have entered her house without permission. He pulled the door open and was horrified to see Cienna standing on the doorstep, her hands crossed in front of her, shivering, her black curls dishevelled, small cuts on her forehead and cheeks. The sleeves of her blouse appeared to have been ripped off.
“Damn, Cienna -- what happened?” he exclaimed, putting a muscular arm around her and ushering her into the house. He could now see clearly that her face was tear-streaked and blackened with what looked like soot.
“I was attacked... by... creatures...Miguel...” she
“Who are you? What do you want? I don’t have any money...please...”
Cienna heard the gravel behind her shifting; the second figure must be coming to her. She lay rigid, then suddenly jerked into a sitting position as she felt a sharp, burning sensation on her right hand as if someone had jabbed her with a red hot poker. Her right hand began to shake uncontrollably and she saw that the ring was glowing. This time there was no mistaking it.
Her head was roughly yanked backwards; something was pulling her hair. Cienna began to struggle frantically. She had to fight; she couldn’t just let this happen to her. In her peripheral vision, she saw that the first figure was leaning forward, getting closer and closer to her. She felt the hold on her hair tighten behind her and she began to feel heat in her body, like earlier in the day, but stronger. As if she was in a sauna, turned up to a dangerous temperature.
The first figure’s hood was now directly in front of her face. A putrid smell emitted from its folds as it reached out a hand that looked the same as that of the creature that was holding Cienna’s hair in a death grip. This hand, which was topped with long curling black nails reached around her neck, massaging it slowly, and then beginning to squeeze harder and harder as it rubbed.
Cienna had stopped fighting; all her senses were focused on the heat that enveloped her from the inside out. Her hand with the ring spasmed and her ring finger now glowed as one with the ring. She reached with that hand and hit the hooded figure’s hand that was throttling her; then quickly reached behind her head and did the same to the hand that gripped her hair.
There was an orange burst of light as the strangling figure burst into flame in front of Cienna’s eyes. The hand around her neck fell away and she felt the grip on her hair release. She sprang up, heat burning the air around her and saw two hooded balls of flame that hovered before her for an instant -- lighting up the whole car park -- before suddenly disappearing, plunging her into darkness once more.
Looking down, she saw the sleeves of her jacket and the red top underneath had been completely burned away to her shoulders but her skin was intact, with no burns to be seen. The ring still glowed faintly but the heat had gone. Only the sound of her jagged breathing penetrated the stillness. She reached a hand to her face and felt the wetness of what must have been blood from her fall.
Oh my goodness....did that just happen? Did I just burn those things? I’m going crazy. I’ve lost my mind.... All thoughts of her car completely gone, Cienna turned and began to run back down the alleyway, tears streaming down her bloodied face.
###
Miguel quickly pulled on a pair of shorts and tee shirt. He couldn’t answer the door naked. It was eleven o’clock at night and he had been lying on his bed, meditating and practising his power mantras. When he heard a loud, insistent knocking coming from downstairs, he was not surprised in the slightest.
She’s called the police on me. I’ll have to use a spell to get them off my back and it had better work this time. Maybe I shouldn’t have entered her house without permission. He pulled the door open and was horrified to see Cienna standing on the doorstep, her hands crossed in front of her, shivering, her black curls dishevelled, small cuts on her forehead and cheeks. The sleeves of her blouse appeared to have been ripped off.
“Damn, Cienna -- what happened?” he exclaimed, putting a muscular arm around her and ushering her into the house. He could now see clearly that her face was tear-streaked and blackened with what looked like soot.
“I was attacked... by... creatures...Miguel...” she
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