“Get off,” I snapped, pushing him. He jumped up.
Ava wasn’t with him.
Ava. wasn’t. with. him.
I jumped off the ground and surged towards him, pushing his chest until he was thrown against the wall.
“Where the fuck is she?” I hissed in his face as my body shivered back into its true form. He pushed me off him and then started to move his hands around frantically. I made a frustrated sound and jerked my head away, looking at Brandon. He was staring at Mothman with huge eyes of disbelief, watching his hands as if it meant something to him.
“You understand him?” I asked. Brandon ignored me but Mothman heard and turned towards him, signing more.
“There’s a ghost chasing Ava. She ran into a spot he can’t fit into. He thinks we can move a rock that’s in the way,” Brandon said. I took off running, careening through the tunnel she’d gone down. I’d trusted that winged fucker to be able to keep her safe. Ineededhim to be able to keep her safe.
He slammed into me, pushing me aside as he half flew, half ran down the tunnel. I was thrust against the side of the wall, my cheek pushing against the rock. I growled out and chased after him. Mothman looked over his shoulder and I snapped my teeth at him, running as hard as I could. His big red eyes seemed to expand in concern and then he took off faster.
Brandon was trying to catch up, the lantern swinging in his hand as he ran.
“What else did he say?” I bit out at Brandon running behind me.
“Nothing.”
“Why do you know sign language?”
“My little sister is hard of hearing,” he said, breathing hard as he ran.
“You have a little sister?” I asked. He didn’t respond and I didn’t ask any more questions. Every screaming emotion and instinct was being shoved in a box right now so I could concentrate on the task at hand. We chased after Mothman until he led us to a larger room. A big round rock was rolled half in front of an opening. I peered in through the crack and looked around. It was a tunnel. I couldn’t see Ava though.
“Ava!” I called through the crack but there was nothing. There was also no way I could fit through the opening. I turned around and grabbed Brandon. He was the smallest out of us three, though still a lot bigger than Ava.
“Hey!” He complained as I shoved him towards the opening. “What the hell are you doing? I can’t fit in there,” he growled as I attempted to shove him in. My hand settled on the back of his head as I pressed his face into the crack. He was right though, there was no way he was fitting. I let go of him with a huff of annoyance.
Mothman pressed his hands against the round rock, looking like he wanted to try and push it out of the way. It was huge and looked man-made, like a giant stone wheel. I got in position next to Mothman and we both started to push.
“She’s in there?” Brandon asked and Mothman nodded. Brandon set the lantern down and tentatively squished in with us, grimacing. I was surprised he was willing to get up close, he seemed extremely wary of Mothman. We all pushed and it started to budge a little. My talon-tipped toes scratched into the rock floor as I put as much effort as I could into it.
Ava was in there. A ghost was after her. She must be so scared.Iwas scared. She’d been sick. She could be hurt. We had to move this or I’d start ripping off pieces of Brandon to make him fit through the damn opening.
When it came to protecting Ava, I was willing to do anything. Kill, maim… even encourage her to keep Mothman close because he actually stood a chance of keeping my fucked up instincts in check. I wouldn’t let myself be her downfall. My mate wouldn’t suffer the same tragic fate that so often befell other nokken's mates. I wouldn’t drown her with my consuming love.
The rock started to roll. We pushed until it moved entirely out of the way. I hurried past the other two, running into the tunnel. Mothman’s hat was on the ground next to a puddle of blood. A pathetic noise came from my mouth and then I ran as fast as I could down the curving tunnel until it opened into a huge cavern.
My eyes flicked around, seeing skeletons strewn around the floor. The other two had fallen behind so I threaded around rock formations without them. The lantern’s light was nearly impossible to see, as well as Mothman’s glowing eyes. In the near-total darkness, blue bioluminescent freckles glowed all over me. My own eyes glowed too, big round and blue.
In the distance ahead I saw a raised area, a large wooden box placed upon it. Brandon and Mothman came closer with the light and my bioluminescence dimmed then vanished as they approached. On the raised rock Ava was sprawled on the ground near the edge. She was a prone, bloodied figure. My chest felt like it was ripping in two, right down the center. I found it hard to breathe as I rushed forward, hyperventilating.
“Ava!” I gasped out, leaping up on the rock. She still wasn’t moving. I grabbed her and went to my knees, pulling her into my lap. I tried to stay calm but I was already making strained noises when I breathed. My body was shaking and my focus grew fuzzy as tears collected in my eyes.
Mothman was in front of me in a flash, leaning over Ava. Blood covered her forehead but I couldn’t make out a wound as I swept my fingers over her skin.
“Ava,” I croaked, dread setting in. She was so cold. How could this happen? A deep whimper came from me as I gripped her arms. I think I was saying her name over and over, willing her awake.
Her eyes suddenly popped open, big pools of black with no sclera. I stilled in shock. She blinked and suddenly her eyes were normal. She turned her head to me, her face breaking into relief when she saw me.
“Caspian,” she sighed, her hand coming up and cupping my face. Mothman pulled back a little in what seemed like apprehension. I gripped her harder, leaning closer. A relieved breath stuttered out of me as I wiped at my eyes.
“Are you okay?” I asked, needing to know. My fingers hovered over her bloody head.
“I’m okay,” she said with a laugh of disbelief. I leaned into her hand that was cradling my face and she chuckled. “I’m alive. I’m better,” she commented. Her pleased expression swiftly changed to one of worry that I didn’t understand. Her eyebrows furrowed and she touched her fingers to her lips.
