“Imogen, I wouldn’t do that, you could hurt yourself, there are wards all around the place, you are human it could have a negative impact on you,” he tries to warn me.
I don’t care, just wanting out, I push on the doors with both hands and to my shock, and the shock of everyone else watching, the doors fly open, banging loudly on the sandstone of the building. I look at my hands, shocked with how hard I must have been pushing them for them to fly open like that.
“How, I don’t understand, how did you do that?”
“Beats me, but I’m out of here,” I say, walking out the doors and heading towards the car I can see on the other side of the shiny veil. How didn’t I notice it before? I can see it glimmering slightly.
“Imogen, you must wait,” I hear Percy call out to me.
I ignore the strange elf and walk through, feeling the weird suction sensation and the loud ringing in my ears, as I’m sucked out through the strange portal into the real world. My world. I walk to the edge of the road, looking in both directions. I have no idea how to get home, I didn’t even pay attention on the drive here. I’m unfamiliar with the area. I only know the direction in which we pulled up. I walk over to the car, pulling on the handle, I’m shocked to find it unlocked.
I jump in the driver’s seat and smile when I see the keys dangling from the ignition. I start Tobias’ car. I put the car in reverse before stomping on the gas, reversing out and hitting the tree next to the gate, not used to the speed. I fall forward only just catching myself before my face smacks on the steering wheel. I quickly clip my seat belt in. My heart is hammering in my chest, then I laugh. Tobias and Theo both love their cars. Whoops, my bad.
I turn the car around and pull out, hitting the gas, and the car jerks forward at speeds that would normally petrify me, going over a dip in the road, the car bottoming out, as I head for what I hope is the city. I can’t help the sadistic laugh when I hear the front bar of the car come off from the force of the front hitting the cattle grid I run over, leaving the bumper and ripping the grill off. They are going to kill me, and I put my foot down just as soon as the thought hits me. After driving for a few minutes, I see a sign saying the city is twenty miles away. I slow for the bend before jamming the brakes on as Theo stands in the middle of the road, an enraged look on his face.
I’m not fast enough, and I plow into him. I close my eyes, so I don’t watch as the car is about to run over the top of him, both my feet on the break, trying to get the car to stop in time. I jerk forward, smacking into the steering wheel; my hands instantly go to my head. I can feel blood trickling down the side of my face. Touching my head, I pull my fingers back, I have cut my forehead open on the steering wheel.
Looking up, I see Theo with both hands on the hood, leaving a full impression of his hands. He stopped the car. By the look on his face, I can tell he is furious.
I start pulling at my seat belt, trying to get it off, managing to get out and climb halfway over to the back seat just as the driver side door is ripped completely off by Tobias. He grabs my ankle, pulling me back into the driver’s seat. I kick and slap at his hands. Tobias rips me from the car, my feet dangling in the air. He slams me back into the rear driver’s side. I flinch at the impact of being roughly slammed into the door, my back aching from the force, knocking the air out my lungs leaving me winded.
“What the fuck are you doing?” He screams.
I do the only thing I can think of, seeing as my arms are pinned in his hands against the car. I throw my head forward, head-butting him, though I’m fairly sure it hurts me more than him.
He drops me and I fall on my knees, clutching my head. Man, he has a hard head. I can feel a lump already forming above my eyebrow. Looking up, Tobias breaks his nose back in place before growling lowly, making my hairs stand on end. I crawl to the back tire, pulling myself to my feet. My surroundings spin as I stand up.
I scream when cold hands grab me, pulling me against them. I know it is Theo, he puts me on the trunk of the car, holding me in place with one arm while I struggle and kick him.
“Stop!” He screams, punching the trunk right next to my head, leaving a huge dent.
I freeze, fear consumes me as his eyes turn red. He leans in closer, and I fear he is going to attack me. His arm around my waist is getting tighter, his hand on my shoulder forces me down. I slap him, the sound echoing and my hand stinging from the force. He growls lowly before ripping me off the trunk and yanking me forward, when suddenly, I hear her voice.
“Let her go now, Theo. I will not watch you treat your mate that way!” Caroline screams, furious at her son.
He lets go and I stumble back, leaning against the trunk. Tobias grabs my handbag out of the car. He is livid and his shirt has blood on it from his already healed nose. He glares at me before shoving my bag back in my hands. I flinch under the look he gives me. I feel their anger running through me from the bond.
“That’s enough, both of you. Can’t you tell you’re scaring her. Come here, Imogen,” she says.
I look towards her and can see Josiah waiting in the car a little up the road, shaking his head clearly, annoyed. I run toward Caroline, preferring to be in her presence than her sons.