Drake Sisters 07 - Hidden Currents

screaming and crying, hitting out with her fists and drumming at the floor with her bare heels. Her fist struck Sarah’s arm, skidded off and nearly caught Kate in the face.
    El e’s body lifted a second time, this time by the top of her head, as if the unseen hand grasped her long hair and yanked her up. She stumbled back, coughing, kicking, tears pouring down her face. Jackson could see the marks on her skin now. Fingers sinking into her flesh. Bomber continued to bark, wanting to attack, acting as if he could sense the entity.

    El e fel again and tried to crawl across the room, away from her family, away from the dog, toward the door. The floor of the house undulated, a long rol that added to the chaos. Tea spil ed. El e flipped over on her back, kicking and fighting, sheer concentration mixed with terror on her pale face.
    â€œJoin with us, El e,†Sarah demanded. “You’re shutting us out. We can fight him off with you.†She approached her sister again, this time more cautiously, Kate, Libby and Abigail behind her while Ilya kept Joley across the room.
    The four sisters touched hands, and Sarah laid her palm on El e’s forehead. El e rol ed away from her, knocking into an end table. A lamp crashed to the floor. Kate burst into tears and began sobbing. Joley buried her face against Ilya’s chest.
    â€œEl e, please,†Sarah pleaded. “Come on, honey, you have to let us in. We can help you.â€
    El e shook her head, her body shuddering as she was half lifted up and slammed back to the floor, the breath driven from her lungs. The attack was brutal and vicious, a punishment, an act of ownership, clear to everyone in the room.
    Jackson stood then. Everything had happened in moments, and during that time he’d studied his enemy. He was certain he knew what to do. He flexed his fingers, his heart beating hard in his chest, too hard, the sound like thunder in his ears. His gut hurt, it was knotted so tight. He could see bruises forming on El e’s delicate skin, around her throat, the fingers pressing hard into the swel of her breasts beneath the thin material of her shirt. There would be bruises there as wel , he knew. He pushed through the circle of women and signaled to the dog to cease barking.
    El e looked at him, shaking her head, pushing backward with her heels in an effort to keep away from him.
    â€œYou’re scaring her more, Jackson,†Sarah said. “Can’t you see she’s terrified?â€
    He ignored Sarah’s restraining hand and straddled El e’s smal body, catching her flailing fists and pinning them above her head, settling his weight on her to pin her to the floor. She bucked wildly, trying to throw him off.
    â€œJackson!†Even Libby, the quiet one without a mean bone in her body, tried to pul him off El e.
    He could feel, as if from a distance, hands pul ing at him, fists pounding on his back, but his entire being was centered on El e.
    â€œEl e.†Jackson said her name calmly, his voice soft, very low. He remained straddling her, pinning her wrists to the floor ignoring her sisters who continued to try to shove him off her. “El e, open your eyes and look at me.†He waited a heartbeat. Two. Certain she heard him. She thrashed underneath, fighting, crying, begging, shredding his heart, but he refused to give into his own fears.
    He was her one refuge. He focused on that, not on what was happening to her. “El e. Look at me.†This time he put more command in his voice, although he kept his tone low and soft.
    Her lashes fluttered. Long. Wet. Heartbreaking. Her emerald gaze met his. Recognized him with a jolt of terror.
    â€œGive yourself to me.â€
    She shook her head violently.
    He leaned closer. Sarah tried to pry him off by grabbing his hair. Ilya caught her around the waist and pul ed her physical y off him just as Bomber rumbled a warning.
    â€œGive yourself to me, El e.†He said it again. Calm. Implacable. A relentless demand. Ignoring everything else around them. There was only the two of them. El e and Jackson. No one else. Nothing else.
    Her eyes pleaded with him. He knew what she was afraid of. She believed if he joined with her mind that Gratsos would be able to harm him. She feared the same for her sisters. El e, his El e, courageous as always, was protecting everyone she loved.
    He slowly shook his head, holding her gaze. “Give yourself