Epicenter
Vasilisa Dragomir was seated at the center of a large stone table, in the center of a large stone ballroom, which was in the center of a large stone palace. Her platinum blonde hair looked even more vibrant in the dimly lit room, and her emerald eyes danced as she watched the members of her court twirl around in their extravagant gowns and smart tuxedos. The moonlight flooded through a floor-to-ceiling window, illuminating her form, at the same time that her red lips curved up into a smile. To every man there, she was the epitome of beauty. Except for Adrian Ivashkov, that is.
He only had eyes for Rose Hathaway, the girl sitting next to her. Then, his gaze centered on Dimitri Belikov, whose arm was intertwined with Rose's. Dimitri leaned down to whisper something in Roses ear, and she laughed- a soft, beautiful noise. She used to do that for him.
God, he hated her. She waved at him and he made no attempt at friendliness. His forest green eyes burned with loathing, even as he tried not to notice the way her turquoise gown contrasted with her russet hair. Or how, when she laughed, her dark eyes sparkled and her ivory teeth stood out on her tan skin. Yep, she sure did revolt him.
A cool hand on the center of his arm jolted him out of his trance. He looked up to find Jill's emerald eyes looking at him with concern.
"Adrian?" Her young brow was furrowed with worry.
He unclenched his fists and looked at her guiltily. He hated upsetting her. For what reason? He wasn't quite sure. She was just one of those people.
"I'm fine." He said reassuringly.
"No, you're not. No one is." She added the last part softly.
It was true, he realized. As he looked around, he saw straight through the charades. Empty laughs. Smiles that lit up faces, but didn't touch eyes. Tense swaying and pirouetting. Even the lively music sounded hollow to his ears. Everything had a deep undercurrent of fear, or rather dread. Trepidation. Anxiety.
He had to get out.
Adrian excused himself politely and made his way to the huge oak doors. Then it happened.
The doors slammed open and the resounding thud vibrated the hall. There was a flurry of movement and he saw Rose and the other body guards move to stand by Lisa. The rebels had come.
He rushed back towards Jill's general direction, stunned that no one had thought to shield the queen's sister. But, someone else got to her first.
He didn't know who, but if he ever found out, he was going to annihilate him.
The man had seemingly materialized from the shadows and raised clasped hands. Adrian saw the glint of a knife and cried out as the man stabbed Jill. Right in the center of her chest.
Not Jill, not Jill, not Jill. He thought numbly over and over again. She was just a kid, barely fifteen. He remembered how she always had a smile for everybody, how she squealed happily whenever she was near water, and how she always tried to see the bright side of every situation.
Light burst on the back of his eyes.
Power he didn't even know he had surged within him. It scrambled through his veins and filled his nostrils. It blinded him, but his body ran to Jill of its own volition. As he knelt down next to her, it was as if he was in two planes of existence.
In the physical realm, he merely reached for her. In the realm of Spirit, however, it was like he was adrift in a fast-paced river.
He could see Jill, just a little further than arm's length away from him. The problem was that the current kept on pulling him in the opposite direction.
A root hung tantalizingly close to the edge of the water, but whenever he extended his fingers for it, it danced out of his reach. Then, it lowered itself back into its original position. He made a wild grab for it, but it eluded him. Adrian could've sworn he heard something giggle. He tried to root himself in the soil, but the river made itself bottomless. As soon as he righted himself though, he could feel the bottom of the river under his feet. Adrian sighed and gripped the river bank. It looked deceivingly unstable, but when he touched it, it was like stone.
When he tried to pull himself out, however, it sharpened. The jagged edges sliced and punctured his fingers, but he persevered. He hauled himself out of the river and crawled over to where Jill was. She extended her fingers for him and he grasped her hand firmly. The moment their skin made contact a shimmering rope wrapped around their hands.
There was a moment of utter silence. Then, the ground started to tremor. An earthquake. Adrian was its epicenter.
He spasmed and shuddered as the trees rattled and the river churned. The place around them convulsed. The earth split in two and the chasm swallowed them whole. The Spirit Realm disappeared.
Sweat dripped from Adrian's brow and he panted heavily. He dragged his eyes open, and sagged in relief when they met emerald ones set in a sweet, innocent face.