Defect of Servitude [Book #1]

?Ten: Memory Lane

A metallic glimmer caught my eye, and my heart plummeted. The end of this twisted game was near. She held a small-caliber handgun aimed right at my forehead, her smile wide and predatory.

"Now, I know, I know. Killing you won't change anything. He'll still be a laughing stock," she began, her tone mockingly casual. "I'll probably dump him; I never really loved him. He was just stable and pretty damn rich. Yet, watching the light bleed out of your eyes will make me feel much better!"

The gun clicked into place, and my entire body ignited with a searing fire. I was not ready to die. I was worth more than this! For the first time in over a year, that truth resonated within me: I wouldn't be a victim of this woman, not for denying her fiancé a chance to assault me. Every muscle tensed, and my breaths slowed to shallow gasps as I focused sharply on her finger curling around the trigger.

Without knowing how it happened, my body jerked of its own accord. The bullet whizzed past my head, and a new hole branded the bricks behind me.

Her sharp intake of breath snapped my attention back to her. "Sneaky little bitch. I don't know how you moved that fast, but your luck won't last forever. I have five more shots."

With rapid speed, she fired three more bullets, each one cutting through the air like a whisper. Coiled and ready, my body propelled me into a roll against the opposite wall. A grazing shot nicked my cheek, warm blood trailing down my face. I was panting, each puff short and frantic, as a fire raged within me.

In seconds, she was on me, ripping my hair back, the gun pressing against my throat. Instead of succumbing to panic, something inside me ignited, driving my muscles. The flames of anger and desperation surged, and without thinking, I spat in her face.

Her eyes turned into a pool of black, alive with fury, as my reflection glinted back at her. I looked like a monster. My mind recoiled from the image, yet my body reveled in it.

The gun clicked again, the sound echoing ominously in the dim light. As her finger crept along the trigger, my body vibrated with an energy I didn't know I possessed. Summoning a strength I couldn't comprehend, I kicked her off me narrowly as the gun fired its last two shots into the ceiling. Her snarl filled the room, but I couldn't help but laugh—a cold, chilling cackle that sent shivers down my spine, mixed with the blaze of madness igniting within me.

"Who are you!? How are you doing this!? You're just a pathetic HUMAN!" Her anger made her reckless, and I seized the opportunity. I lunged when she unsheathed the two daggers, climbing on her and wrestling the weapons from her grasp. I hurled one across the room, far out of reach, keeping the other tightly clutched.

Pinning her arms beneath my legs, I leaned close, sneering into her face. Fear flashed in her eyes, and it thrilled me. The flame within surged, propelling my arm upward as I slammed the dagger into her left eye.

Her scream pierced the air as she thrashed beneath me, but it was futile. I was in control now. I pulled the dagger free, the warm gush of blood soaking my pants, drenching her face and chest. I flipped around, kneeling on her arms, relishing my victory even as fury burned through me. With a guttural growl, I raised the dagger high and plunged it into her abdomen, carving a path from her belly button up to her chest.

As her body finally stilled beneath me, my world erupted in a sticky film of red. The metallic scent of blood overwhelmed my senses, forever branding itself in my memory. I sat there, on her lifeless form, lost in the chaos of the moment, until the flame flickered out, and I regained control of my thoughts.

The dagger clattered to the floor, and I looked down, horrified by what I had done. A sob escaped my lips, raw and wounded, like an animal in pain. I rolled off her body, scrambling to the far corner of the room, where I broke down completely, the weight of my actions crashing down around me.

I sobbed until I had no tears left, my body wracked with dry howls of despair. Suddenly, a pair of feet crashed into the room and halted abruptly at the small entrance. A snarl vibrated through the air, but I was too lost in the horror I had created to respond. The unnecessary violence and the sickening joy I reveled in while committing it replayed in my mind like a twisted film. At that moment, I hoped the intruder would end me.

Instead, I was lifted into strong arms, the familiar scent of his pheromones enveloping me. My muscles instinctively relaxed against the warmth of his body. "Maddie, it's okay. You're okay now. I have you, and I'm going to bring you home."

Home. The word resonated in me, a beacon amidst my turmoil. As I opened my eyes, recognition flooded me; my body knew him before my mind did. Prince Jaxon, now smeared with the blood that clung to me, bore witness to the horrific things I had done. In a moment of overwhelming vulnerability, I slammed my head against his chest, my sobs escaping like a torrent. His whispered attempts at comfort filled my ear, a soothing melody in a world gone mad.

As he walked, each step felt like a promise of safety and refuge from the bedlam. But as I clung to him, my heart raced with conflicting emotions. How could I reconcile the monster I had become with the sanctuary he represented? I was broken, yet he held me together, reminding me I could still find my way home.

This is a huge turning point for Maddie! Please enjoy the next chapter as I'll be posting it after this one!