Free Snowscape Trilogy by Jessie Lyn Pizanias Page B

of me, he did not seem
out of breath. In fact, he had the relaxed cocky stance of a man
who just won a bet. Clearly this was not the first of these fights
he had partaken in. I looked between him and the thrown pixie girl,
now lying in a heap against a nearby tree. I could see a clear
crack across the old wooden truck and knew my suspicions were
correct. I stood up to brush off the leaves and debris that had
covered me during my flight and subsequent thrashing about on the
forest floor.
    Sam didn’t move to come closer to me. He
stood as far as the small clearing would allow and gave me the
moments I needed to compose myself. After standing up and brushing
myself off I looked to him and took in his appearance. He was not
disheveled in the least, and he hardly looked like a man that had
just lifted a girl and thrown her clear across with such force as
to break her spine. His manner held a quiet confidence and he
looked as sexy as a heartthrob though stepping fresh off of a page
of a magazine. His blonde curls were perfect and he wore a deep
green, freshly pressed button down under a black suit jacket. He
had a tie that had been loosen slightly around his neck and I could
see that the top two buttons of his shirt had come undone. He still
wore his glasses and I could feel his bright blue eyes trying to
bore into me. Despite his appearance and the confidence he always
coated himself in I could feel an uncertainty and fear radiate off
of his soul. It was almost palpable.
    We stood there, sizing each other up for a
few moments before I hesitantly asked, “How did you do that?”
    He stepped closer to me, tentative, giving me
time to stop him if I wanted him to. I didn’t. I knew that much. He
scared me. Terrified me, more than Nathaniel had ever had, but I
could feel the electrical charge that drew us together.
    “Are you alright?” he asked ignoring my
question.
    I nodded and a shiver ran down my spine. Sam
took off his jacket and handed it to me. I wrapped myself in its
warmth and breathed in the scent of his coat. It was deep, musky
and dark. I could smell a small hint of marjoram and something
else? Something sinister and burnt. Like sulphur, but not. I walked
over to the pixie girl and the smell of ashes grew stronger. Sam
joined me at my side.
    “She was a demon?”
    He looked at me a moment considering. “Yes. A
young one, too emotional. She must have been working for someone
else.”
    I nodded and kneeled down next to her. She
looked peaceful like this. Almost asleep. It was the first time I
had ever seen a dead body and I thought for a brief moment that I
should be more upset about this fact than I was. “Should we bury
her or something?” and suddenly tears overtook me without warning
or grace. They came crashing down without thought or reason and
although I tried to stop them I could not.
    The emotion of the past hour, the past few
days had finally overtaken me and I starred down at the delicate
creature that had just tried to kill me. As the fear came pouring
out of me I didn’t notice that Samandiriel had knelt down besides
me. I felt the electrical current rush between us as the tears came
flowing across my cheeks. Starring down at the dead body of a demon
that had just tried to kill me I felt my soul totally and
completely empty out through my cries. Sam’s presence was warm and
strong besides me without his touching me. Minutes passed into what
seemed like hours, but as I looked up into the night sky I realized
only a short time had passed. My tears subsided, but I stayed
kneeling, willing the chill of the ground to overtake the chill I
now felt in my heart. My life had been turned upside down the past
few days and I didn’t know how to feel anymore. “I’m ready to go,
“I said suddenly.
    Sam took my hand and helped me to stand. It
was strong and warm against the chill of the night and I held on
tightly as he helped me steady myself facing him. Inches apart, he
gently reached his hand up and wiped