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Reborn by Jenna Greene – Excerpt: (Chapter #12)

She eased her arms forward and pressed her palms into the dirt. As soon as she lifted her back, she emitted a sound that was half-scream and half-gasp. It took a long time before she rose to her knees, and even then her body was shaking. Fresh tears rolling down her cheeks, she lifted her trembling chin and gazed at the fading stars.

              What did I do to deserve this punishment?

              Nothing. They’d found an excuse. She was a slave, destined to be used and abused at the whim of others, all because she’d lived a previous life. Or so they said. Finn didn’t believe it, though it was a bit unclear whether he didn’t think doing so merited servitude. For her own part, Lexil wondered how great her former life had been. Had she been rich? Happy? Had it been such that she now deserved this fate to balance the scales.

              Wobbly legs struggled to support her as she rose to a standing position using the fence for balance. Lacking food, her stomach expelled bile. Wiping it from her chin, she drew in slow breaths and blinked moisture from her eyes.

              Then she saw them. The glowing orbs that stalked her each time she was alone in the dark. Like beacons, they cut through the blackness around her. Though her breathing stalled, her heartbeat remained steady. Holding still, as much for prudence as a necessity, she stared back at the shining eyes.

              A paw edged forward, just reaching the sphere of her vision, large and tinged with silver, but mostly dark. The other foot appeared a second later, accompanied by a low growl.

              “Lexil!”

              She jerked and instinctively shut her eyes. By the time she recovered, the creature was gone. As if it stole her energy with its departure, her knees buckled, and she slumped forward.

              Arms slid around her. “I’ve gotcha, girlie.”

              Miller’s voice. Why was he here?

              Fear and relief collided. From her core to her exterior, she shook. The beating, the creature… all too much. As she was lifted, her lids slipped closed again, and her mind faded into blankness.