The moon illuminates the forest floor, showcasing 306 crawling on his hands and knees now like an insect at my feet. Chest heaving, he moves faster than I anticipated and injects me with that fucking serum. I expect to fall, succumb to the sleep it always puts me in, but it never comes. I begin to think I’ve beaten it, that now I’m immune to its effects.
But that’s just wishful thinking.
306 must have the same thought, because before I can move out of the way, he stabs me with another dose, and I fall forward.
As my eyelids get heavier, 306’s form becomes a blob standing above me. I can’t help but smile softly, knowing I’m going to come back, and I’ll get out of this mess and be on my way to Kallie. My little fighter.
My mate.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Kallie
I can’t remember the last time I had a real dream, one that wasn’t full of torment and despair, or other times, when my mind goes completely blank, and before I know it, I’m awake, facing the day’s obstacles.
An array of poppies litters the ground, surrounding me in their beauty as far as the eye can see. My wavy black hair falls forward as I peer down at myself. Dressed in a pine-green sundress, the bodice is tight fitted with lace details, coming to a V at my waist, while the bottom half flows out to just below my knees. The lush green grass is soft beneath my bare feet, a few blades poking out from between my toes.
Closing my eyes, I breath in slowly, soaking in the blissful breeze and embracing the soft warmth the sun offers. Even if the clear, blue sky is just giving the illusion of a nice, peaceful spring day, I soak it in.
The sun is a bit blinding when my eyes open, but they quicklyadjust, and I bend down to pick a red poppy from the soil. Twirling the stem between my fingers, I try to take it all in, allow myself a moment to relax, because fuck, I deserve it. Even if it’s fake and made up in my subconscious, I’ll take it.
Walking forward, the wind suddenly shifts before going completely still.
“You look breathtaking.” The familiar husky voice startles me, and my hand flies to my chest as my heart continues to race. Whipping around, I wish I could say I’m shocked at who is standing in front of me. Instantly, my hackles rise, and I command fire to my hands.
But it doesn’t come.
“Your powers won’t work here. Mine don’t either,” Callum confesses.
“I never needed magic to beat you in a fight anyway,” I retort.
He smirks at my comment and looks down like he’s holding something back and starts walking to his left. I mirror his movements, not daring to take my eyes off him—or stupid enough to give him my back.
“I don’t know how long I have, so I’ll try to make this quick,” he starts. But something about him seems different. Like he was before. And it puts me even more on edge. There’s no doubt in my mind this is a trap, and I’ll die before he ever catches me off guard again. “To put it plainly, I need your help.”
I scoff, lips rising at the corner at his sheer audacity. Absolutely unbelievable. “You have got to be joking.”
“There’s something going on—”
“No shit!” I yell, cutting off whatever bullshit explanation he’s about to give me. “And you helphim?This is your fault!”
“That’s not entirely true. You don’t understand—”
“Oh, but I do! I understandperfectly.I’ve seen the lab, the things inside those tubes. It’s barbaric.”
He takes a step forward, and I take two steps back, giving hima warning look. He releases a heavy sigh. “None of that was my fault. Can’t you see that?”
My eyes dart around the blissful paradise, the one I knew was too good to be true. “I don’t have to listen to this. Get the fuck out of my head!”
“Kallie, please, you have to listen to me.”
“No!” I roar. “I’m so sick and tired of everybody telling me what to do! Everyone alwaysneedssomething from me. But what about whatIneed?”
“What do you need?” He seems sincere, but that’s what got me into this mess in the first place.
“A fucking break! Since the day I met you. There hasn’t been asingleday that didn’t revolve around magic, death, or war.” His eyes turn down with pity. “Don’t you dare look at me that way.” But the words don’t come out as harsh as I mean them. Instead, they sound soft—broken. Because it’s taking every ounce of my power to keep it together.
“I can’t do this without your help,” he confesses. “I’m fighting every day, clawing myself back to the surface, and when I finally break free and get a breath of fresh air, it’s the memories of you—of us—that keep me grounded.” Despite my best efforts, each word he says pulls at the cracked organ in my chest.
