Royal Affliction (The Anti-Princess Saga) Read Online Free PDF Page A

calling out to me as I ran by.  There wasn’t time and I had no lie ready to tell them.
    As soon as I made it to the curb, I tripped, dropping the knife in the process which slid under a vehicle and out of reach.  I scraped myself off the ground and approached the car, opened salt canister in hand, to see if he was still in it.  He wasn’t.  My focus became all around me as I spun, praying that he’d retreated while I was inside.  I doubted I was that lucky.
    A blur swept past my peripheral vision.  I flung the salt at the moving target but the unexpected blow to the back of my head caused me to miss.  Down I went, and then, he was on top of me.  The knife was to my right but he flicked it away before I could inch my hand to grab it.   My eyes darted to his face, surveying my captor as if knowing who he was would somehow help me.
    His eyes were a cool shade of green surrounding diamond-shaped, blood-red pupils.  His hair was just a shade lighter than his eyes and it was thin and velvet soft, falling around my face as he leaned over me.  His long, forked tongue flicked in and out of his mouth, smelling me.  His entire face and body were covered in shiny, glowing green scales that were cold where they touched my bare skin.  There was an air of familiarity about him, but my brain failed to place him.
    I thought hard on what to do, but the only thing that seemed promising I wasn’t sure I could do again.  I closed my eyes, focusing on revving up that electric charge which had saved me earlier.  Sure enough, I felt a spark, and it spread through my arms.  I felt cold metal on my ankle and it pinched my skin as something clicked into place.  The charge within me died at the sound.  My mind and body grew weak, unable to focus on fighting back.  I felt almost human, like everything that made me Zolera had vanished to be replaced by nothingness.  I felt empty, hollow, wrong.
    He stared into my eyes and smiled at the look of horror on my face.  “Much better, I think you will cooperate now.”
    “What did you put on me?” I barked, unable to keep the desperation out of my voice as tears welled up in my eyes.
    “Never you mind.”  He released my arms and sat higher above me, giving me some wiggle room which I took to my advantage.
    I brought my knee up to his weakest point.  The green was almost wiped from his face as he toppled to the right, grunting what could only be curse words.  I flipped to my hands and knees, crawling while trying to get to my feet.  He grabbed my ankle but my foot made contact with his face and he lost his grip.  I scrambled to my feet but he got to his faster.  My forehead cracked against my car window before he spun me around to face him, making sure I was subdued this time.  My mind was in and out of conscious as my body swayed.  I’d have fallen over if he wasn’t pressed so hard against me.
    He slid one of his long, scaly fingers along the curves of my breast, causing me to shudder worse than I already was.  My fear seemed to please him.  He then ripped my shirt, slicing through it effortlessly with his sharp, pointed nails.  I tried to fight, but my strength was gone.  He grabbed my breast hard, puncturing the skin with all five of his nails.  My screams were muffled by the quickness of his other hand.
    The screech of tires and blinding headlights told both of us we would not be alone much longer.  I feared I would be kidnapped.  Collapse was drawing nearer and I could not hold it off.  But when I thought I’d be grabbed, he just backed up and let me fall to the asphalt below.
    ********************
    When my eyes opened again, I was staring up at Marietta, another waitress here at Logan’s.  I rarely ever saw her as she often worked the shift opposite mine.
    “Why are you lying in the parking lot, I nearly ran you over?” she asked, sounding half-concerned.
    I eased myself to a sitting position, using my arms to prop up my upper body.  “I must have