Read Online Atone: A Fairytale (Fairytale Trilogy) by Jessica Grey - Free Book Online
Authors: Jessica Grey
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the mirror. She reached out and grasped the frame firmly, one hand on each side. She ignored the electric tingle that shot through her skin as her hands came in contact with the metal as she swiveled the frame so that the mirror faced forward and not toward the sky.
The glass face of the mirror was even larger than she’d previously thought. It was several feet wide and at least twice that tall. She could see the room behind her and her own face, as well as most of the upper half of her body, reflected back at her. Becca squinted at the image. She could make out a violet-gold haze, almost like an aura, surrounding her.
“That’s interesting,” she whispered. It was the same softly focused color that her magic appeared to be when she used it. “I wonder...” she slowly lifted her hand, reaching out as if to touch the image reflected in the glass.
“Don’t touch that!” Nicholas’s roar was even more startling because she hadn’t heard him enter the room. Which wasn’t all that surprising, she knew he could move extremely stealthily. She refused to give Nicholas the satisfaction of seeing her jump in surprise, even though it was all she could do to not to start out of her skin. The power in her chest was burning brighter. She’d thought it was because of her proximity to the mirror, but know she wondered uncomfortably if it was in response to Nicholas entering the room.
“Seriously?” she asked without looking away from the mirror, once she was sure she had her voice under control. It may have come out a bit more high pitched than normal, but overall she was proud of the steadiness she’d managed. “Why’re you sneaking up on me?”
“Don’t touch that thing. It’s full of magic.”
Becca could feel Nicholas moving; he was several feet behind her, but to her left, staying out of the line of sight of the mirror.
“Yes, I can see that,” she answered.
“Turn it back,” he growled.
“No. I’m investigating it.”
“Turn it back or I’ll make you.”
“What are you going to do? Turn it back yourself? I doubt that.” Becca flicked her dark hair over her shoulder, and extended her hand back toward the glass surface.
He moved so fast that she barely had time to blink in surprise before she felt his large paw-like hand encircling her slender wrist, effectively stopping her hand in midair, inches from the mirror.
“Don’t touch it,” his voice, harsh and raspy, sent a shock down her spine. His warm breath blew her hair forward. Anger, desperation, and what sounded like fear, warred for dominance in his tone, but Becca wasn’t paying attention to his voice. Her eyes were riveted to the mirror.
“Nicholas,” she whispered. “Oh my god, Nicholas, what do you see when you look in this mirror?”
“I don’t need to look in the damned thing, I already know what I'll see.”
“Do you?” she breathed. Becca couldn’t wrench her eyes away from the mirror. There was her own reflection of course, the air around her still tinged by the soft haze of the magic aura. She could see her hand extending out toward the mirror…and Nicholas’s hand wrapped around her wrist.
His hand. Not the paw-like hand of Nicholas the beast, but the strong, human hand of Nicholas the man. She turned her wrist experimentally, watching his fingers tighten against her slim wrist. They were long, but almost blunt at the end. At the same time she could feel his grip grow stronger, the soft pads on the underside of his paw pressing against the tender flesh of her wrist. Her pulse was fluctuating wildly, and she wondered if he could feel it against his palm. He was so strong, he could snap her wrist in a second if he wanted to. And she would be powerless to stop it.
“Step in front of the mirror,” Becca said softly. She pulled her wrist closer to the glass, counting on him not to resist, not to hurt her, but to follow the gentle lead. There was a moment of hesitation, and then he stepped fully behind her and she
The glass face of the mirror was even larger than she’d previously thought. It was several feet wide and at least twice that tall. She could see the room behind her and her own face, as well as most of the upper half of her body, reflected back at her. Becca squinted at the image. She could make out a violet-gold haze, almost like an aura, surrounding her.
“That’s interesting,” she whispered. It was the same softly focused color that her magic appeared to be when she used it. “I wonder...” she slowly lifted her hand, reaching out as if to touch the image reflected in the glass.
“Don’t touch that!” Nicholas’s roar was even more startling because she hadn’t heard him enter the room. Which wasn’t all that surprising, she knew he could move extremely stealthily. She refused to give Nicholas the satisfaction of seeing her jump in surprise, even though it was all she could do to not to start out of her skin. The power in her chest was burning brighter. She’d thought it was because of her proximity to the mirror, but know she wondered uncomfortably if it was in response to Nicholas entering the room.
“Seriously?” she asked without looking away from the mirror, once she was sure she had her voice under control. It may have come out a bit more high pitched than normal, but overall she was proud of the steadiness she’d managed. “Why’re you sneaking up on me?”
“Don’t touch that thing. It’s full of magic.”
Becca could feel Nicholas moving; he was several feet behind her, but to her left, staying out of the line of sight of the mirror.
“Yes, I can see that,” she answered.
“Turn it back,” he growled.
“No. I’m investigating it.”
“Turn it back or I’ll make you.”
“What are you going to do? Turn it back yourself? I doubt that.” Becca flicked her dark hair over her shoulder, and extended her hand back toward the glass surface.
He moved so fast that she barely had time to blink in surprise before she felt his large paw-like hand encircling her slender wrist, effectively stopping her hand in midair, inches from the mirror.
“Don’t touch it,” his voice, harsh and raspy, sent a shock down her spine. His warm breath blew her hair forward. Anger, desperation, and what sounded like fear, warred for dominance in his tone, but Becca wasn’t paying attention to his voice. Her eyes were riveted to the mirror.
“Nicholas,” she whispered. “Oh my god, Nicholas, what do you see when you look in this mirror?”
“I don’t need to look in the damned thing, I already know what I'll see.”
“Do you?” she breathed. Becca couldn’t wrench her eyes away from the mirror. There was her own reflection of course, the air around her still tinged by the soft haze of the magic aura. She could see her hand extending out toward the mirror…and Nicholas’s hand wrapped around her wrist.
His hand. Not the paw-like hand of Nicholas the beast, but the strong, human hand of Nicholas the man. She turned her wrist experimentally, watching his fingers tighten against her slim wrist. They were long, but almost blunt at the end. At the same time she could feel his grip grow stronger, the soft pads on the underside of his paw pressing against the tender flesh of her wrist. Her pulse was fluctuating wildly, and she wondered if he could feel it against his palm. He was so strong, he could snap her wrist in a second if he wanted to. And she would be powerless to stop it.
“Step in front of the mirror,” Becca said softly. She pulled her wrist closer to the glass, counting on him not to resist, not to hurt her, but to follow the gentle lead. There was a moment of hesitation, and then he stepped fully behind her and she
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