Page 12 of DaR (Darverius, House of DaR #1)

Chapter Twelve

KIRA

I don’t know why I ran. All I could think of when I got out of that glass coffin was escaping.

My poor, scared brain apparently hasn’t really gotten it yet.

Even after all the torture and everything I saw and went through, I’ve still been in complete denial.

That is, until just a few minutes ago. I really have crossed over the rainbow and into the great beyond.

I fear everything I’ve ever known is gone from me for good.

The moment I heard his voice behind me, I ran faster than I ever have in my entire life.

It seemed like the smart thing to do at the time.

I almost ran face-first into a wall because I was looking behind me to see if he was going to come out the door.

I turned quickly when I saw no end to the wall and ran the other way, almost missing the small path through the oddest-looking forest I’ve ever seen.

And I could have sworn I saw something running right next to me as I cleared the darkness.

I have no more than stepped into the light when I came upon what looks like a marketplace, or some type of gathering spot.

Entering the busy market, I’m overwhelmed by what I see.

There are beings of every color, size, and shape all around me.

I can hear their voices, but most of their words make no sense to me.

I stop in the middle of the street and just look around.

A few make eye contact, but most of them just shy away when I try to speak to them.

“ Excuse me!” I try to get the attention of a few of the smaller beings, but to be honest, I’m not sure what to ask for if they do stop and talk to me. ‘ Hey , you guys have a lost and found department for humans?’

A shadow settles over me, and I look up.

A large vessel flies over me toward what looks like a black floating city in the sky.

I know right then and there that I will truly never be safe again.

Because the odds of me finding one creature on this planet willing to fly me home is a far-off dream that will never come true.

I should keep moving, but instead I stand here gawking like a tourist. I’m completely out of my element and it shows as everyone pushes past me.

I get bumped so hard from behind that I almost fall down. A large, red hand reaches out and catches me right before I hit the ground. “ Thank you,” starts out of my mouth, but it quickly turns into a scream. I jerk my arm back and turn to run when I realize there’s more than one.

Three of the biggest men I’ve ever laid eyes on surround me.

Blood -red skin stretches across their massive bodies, and if that isn’t strange enough, the black horns on top of their heads truly terrify me.

They look like the devil in the movie Legend .

Their leader pulls me right up to his chest, sniffing me like I’m some kind of pastry.

I struggle and beat my hands against his chest trying to get loose, but he just laughs.

“ Look what a treat we have found, men, and what is this here?” He pulls my arm out, turning it one way then the other.

“ This little delicacy is not marked.” He looks down at me.

“ I think you should come with us, female. Your master apparently does not appreciate you, especially if you are out here all alone.”

He looks away from me to talk to the others with him. “ Men , she may have escaped her owner— after we have our fun with her, we will put out a bulletin asking for a reward for her safe return. I think we may have found ourselves an easy meal ticket here.”

I fight them with everything I have, screaming every obscene name in the book.

I beg for help when someone passes us, but they all turn away ignoring my screams. I realize now that running away from one place to try and go to another on a strange planet is one of the worst decisions of my life.

Except for getting on that damn plane, that is. I’ll never be able to top that mistake.

I hear a roar and the men holding me stop and turn toward the sound.

Making his way through the crowd is my yellow-eyed savior.

His gray and black skin seems to displace the light around him as his shadow hovers above his body, making him look larger than he is.

I watch in awe as his body becomes covered in small spikes and what looks like armor wraps around his body.

He throws bodies and things out of his way as he runs toward me.