One moment I am being pulled along the floor by Roland, the next I am being lifted in the air by two strong arms.

“Cia,” Rhain says, his voice cracking.

I throw myself into his arms, gripping on to him as though my life depends on it. The relief I feel is overwhelming. “You’re here,” I sob, burying my head into his shoulder.

Rhain holds me just for a moment before checking my injuries. His finger is gentle against my broken cheekbone, his thumb soft against my neck. “What has he done to you?” His words are laced with barely contained anger, yet he is exceedingly gentle with me. I don’t answer, distracted by the sound of bones cracking and the yells of Roland behind me.

“Please, no, I wasn’t going to hurt her,” Roland says, the lie as pathetic as he now looks.

“We know exactly what you were going to do to Accacia and now you’re going to pay for it,” Devin says, throwing another punch. Roland’s head snaps back at the force and I see blood spilling from his nose.

“Accacia, tell them to stop,” he says, pleading with me.

I look into the room that I escaped from, at the hospital bed and the straps, the needle and vial of medicine. Lastly my eyes fall on the sadistic paraphernalia tucked away in the corner of the room. There is no doubt what he meant to do to me. Who knew how many other victims there have been.

“Take me home,” I say to Rhain.

“It would be my pleasure,” Rhain says, guiding me out of the room.

Half an hour later we enter my house just as the sun is beginning to rise. I am beyond exhausted; my face is swollen and painful, my windpipe feels as though it has been crushed. Mr Tickle comes running towards me as I enter the kitchen, immediately sensing my distress. I pick him up and press my face into his soft, white fur. Then the tears that I’ve been holding back pour from me in great wracking sobs as I hold on to him.

“Cia,” Rhain says, taking Mr Tickle from me and placing him on the floor, “come here.” He opens his arms to me and I don’t think about it, I walk into them. It seems beyond ridiculous that I have just escaped one monster but am blindly walking into the arms of another, and yet Rhain doesn’t seem like a monster to me. He should, I know he should, but he doesn’t.

“I blame myself. For whatever reason, my persuasive gifts had no effect on him. I should have listened to my gut and killed him the moment he laid hands on you.” Rhain crushes me to his chest and I let out a small whimper at the pain it causes me.

“Cia, I’m so sorry,” he says, and I know his apology is for more than squeezing me too tight.

I breathe in the smell of him, steadying myself, then pull away slightly.

“Why didn’t it work?” I ask, and my question comes out as an accusation, even though I don’t mean it to.

Rhain scrapes a hand across his face. “I don’t know. Back in Ever Vale I can make the common folk forget if I choose, or I can make them believe something different happened. It makes it easier for them, and for me, when I take their blood. This didn’t happen with Roland. Perhaps my skills do not work in the same way here?” His eyes trace over my face and they are mixed with a multitude of emotions, varying from guilt to anger to desire and something else I can’t quite understand.

“What about the girl you drank from? If she remembers, I’m not sure what will happen.” I can’t help but feel jealous at the intimacy they had shared and scared for Rhain all at the same time. My head is so messed up right now.

Rhain sighs. “When I finished, she didn’t appear to be afraid or upset. In fact, I think the opposite was true. She very much wanted me to stay.” His voice trails off at the look I give him.

“I see,” I say abruptly, untangling myself from Rhain’s arms. I’m angry suddenly at Rhain, at Devin and Ezra, at the girls who got their attention, at this curse that hangs over us, but most of all at Roland for what he tried to do to me. “I need to get some painkillers. My face hurts.” Rhain follows as I walk into the kitchen in search of some.

“I would help but…” Rhain says, his eyes igniting with desire once again.

“I know, the Claiming, right?” He shrugs his shoulders helplessly, and sits on the sofa whilst I hunt in the cupboard for my medical supplies.

“Was that girl’s blood not enough?” I ask. I don’t know why I want the answer to be no, but I do.

“It has taken the edge away. I can fight my desire for you better now. Though I will need to feed again tonight, otherwise that could change.”

“What would happen if I took your blood?” My cheeks heat at the thought. I have a pretty good idea, going on how I behaved with Ezra, but I want to hear Rhain say it.

“If I gave you my blood now, I would lose all control, Cia. I can’t, I won’t do that to you,” he says, gripping the edge of the sofa.

I look at him for a long moment, at his barely held control, and despite all that I’ve gone through this past couple of hours I feel my own desire building. It’s unsettling, like I’m a stranger in my own body.

Noticing my unease, Rhain says, “No matter how much it pains me to sit here and not hold you in my arms, no matter the desire I have for you and the desperate need for your touch, I will never force you to do something you do not wish to do. I am nothing like Roland.”

“I hope I can trust you to keep your word,” I say.

“On my honour and on all that is Light, you can trust me, Cia.”

“Sure,” I say, turning away from the heat of his gaze. Opening the kitchen drawer, I find what I am looking for and pop a couple of painkillers, swallowing them with some water. There’s a small mirror there too, and I pull it out to look at the damage. The right side of my face is a swollen, purple mess. It hurts, but the adrenaline my body is producing is doing a good job at keeping the pain levels at a manageable level.

“As soon as Ezra is back, you must take his blood, Accacia. You will heal quickly and you won’t be in any pain.”

“That’s going to be a long while off, so I’m going to go and get some sleep. It’s daylight, will Ezra and Devin be okay?”

“They are warriors, they will be fine.”

“And Roland?”

“He will never touch you, or anyone else, again,” Rhain says, his voice a low growl.

“You mean to say…”

Rhain strides over to me and places his hands on my shoulders. “Look at me, Cia,” he demands. I raise my tear-filled eyes to meet his.

“His intentions were clear, he was going to torture, rape and murder you. Do not take his death on yourself. None of this is your fault.”

Despite all that Roland had done, had wanted to do, I would never feel comfortable with his murder. A wave of nausea washes over me and I turn from Rhain, throwing up in the sink. Tears pour from my eyes as I dry heave.

Rhain soothes my back. “I think you should rest. I will wait down here for Ezra and Devin’s return.”

“Thank you,” I murmur. Turning to face him, I raise my hand, placing my palm against the stubble of his cheek. He closes his eyes and leans into my touch. A strange feeling blooms in my chest. I pull my hand away from him quickly but the feeling remains, takes hold.

His eyes snap open, sensing the difference in me.

“Cia,” he says, taking a step closer.

“I need to lie down,” I say, dodging his touch and practically running from the room.