Page 375 of Once Upon a Fable
He threw himself at me, his speed inhuman in the shadows. Pinning me onto my back with my legs splayed in front of me, he looped his fingers around my neck.
“Don’t!” Terror shot through my blood as he wedged his hips into mine, grinding me into the earth.
“You’ve taken them all. You’ve taken me, but you’ll never have her. I’ll kill you all over again if I have to.” He nuzzled his nose against mine, full of threats and warnings. “I’ll killallof you.”
I bucked up with my hips, making him rock above me. “Stop!”
But it wasn’t any use.
His hands latched tighter around my neck, his thumbs wedging againstmy voice box. “There’s no way out of this. No way you don’t die tonight for trying to hurt her. You. Can’t. Have. Her.”
I fought.
I kicked and scratched.
I tried to speak, but his hands cut off my oxygen.
Black spots appeared in my vision.
Blinding panic drenched me.
I fought harder.
I gasped.
I thrashed.
My lungs burned for air.
Kas, please!
I was choking.
Dying.
All his promises about not hurting me again. All the newness of togetherness and hope.
It meant nothing.
We were back to repeating the past.
A shape collided into Kas, knocking him sideways, unlocking his hands from around my throat.
I rolled onto my side, gulping forest-thick air.
A grunt sounded beside me as the two men grappled. Two furious blurs pouring toxic pain and lethal hatred into the grave they fought upon.
With black spots still dancing in my vision, I scooted backward until I sat on the edge where grass dared to grow. An obvious ring around the monsters Kas had buried here. I gulped and rubbed my bruised neck, never looking away from the savage fight.
The second one in a few short hours.
A fight where Jareth seemed to be winning.
I cried out as his fist swung true, striking Kas’s temple with a sickening crunch.
“No!” I fell forward onto my hands and knees, doing my best to command heavy limbs to crawl to them. “His c-concussion—” I coughed around the swelling Kas had given me. “Don’t hit h-his...head!”
Too late.
