“Get him now!” A Knight I knew as Silas snarled.
“Halo,whatare you doing?” Kassius demanded again, lurching closer. For a split second, his expression wasn’t the one of the Captain, the man forcing me into apprehension. Instead, it was the face of my mate who would have done anything to protect me.
But he’d thrown that all away.
I glanced at him one last time, unable to return the emotion. “Goodbye, Kass.”
I shut my eyes. The protective flames engulfed me in a tight sphere, allowing me to concentrate on my magic.
“Halo!?” Kassius yelled.
Sweat dripped down my brow from the intense concentration. For a moment, time flickered. The flames burned hotter and tighter. I was untouchable now.
Nobody could stop what I was about to do.
There.In my mind I traced the edge of time and space, and focused every cell of my being until…
“HALO!”
* * *
The forceof the flashback knocked me into consciousness with a gasp. My nails dug into the ground and I whipped my head, searching for any enemies. When only the dark emptiness of the cavern greeted me, I realized it was just a dream.
I sighed heavily and placed a hand to my chest, trying to soothe my rapidly beating heart. Beside me, in a makeshift nest of bird feathers and wolf fur, lay my daughter. Thankfully, I seemed to be the only one having nightmares. She was still sound asleep.
My heart clenched in both despair and relief. I’d done all this to protect her, and that was exactly what I did - but were we really safe now?
As the lingering remnants of the nightmare jostled in my mind, I stood to try and clear my head. The bad memories clung to me and were difficult to shake. It felt too real, too fresh, like it was just yesterday that my ex-mate tried to capture me…
I gasped as the truth hit me like a slap to the face.
Itwasyesterday.
Staggering backwards, I braced myself on the cavern wall and breathed frantically. The Knights, the fire, Kass screaming my name… All of it happened the day before. But if my magic worked, then -
The air vanished from my lungs. I bolted to the mouth of the cavern, seeking daylight. The early morning sun rose between the mountain peaks, turning the sky bright pink and orange. I turned my attention to the other end of the sky, searching for a glimpse of the fading moon that would disappear as the sun rose fully.
There, in the partial darkened blue, was the moon hanging in a slight crescent.
My eyes widened. When I’d used my magic, the moon was full - and if only a single night had passed, that meant my spell worked.
I stared at the sky in disbelief. I had really done it.
I had travelled through time four hundred years into the future.
Legs shaking, I returned back to the cavern and slumped beside my daughter. I trailed a hand through her soft blonde hair as she slept. I smiled down at her.
“We did it, Angel,” I murmured. “We’re in the future.”
Everything I’d done, I did to keep her safe. Now she was far from the hands of the Knights, and the man who sold us out to them - her own father.
I frowned at the horrible memory.
As I stroked Angel’s hair, I recalled something. Everyone always said that our daughter resembled me the most, since she shared my golden hair and bright eyes. But her nose, her cheeks, the set of her mouth… the rest of her features were all Kass. Looking at my daughter was like looking into a perfected version of him. She was the best of both of us.
My heart ached, but this time it was laced with anger and betrayal. No, Kass could hardly be considered her father anymore. Not after the wretched stunt he pulled. No father could abandon his mate and child at the hands of their enemies and be considered part of the family any longer.
I forced thoughts of Kass out of my mind as Angel began to stir. She mumbled and fussed with her tiny hands. She seemed confused by the fur-and-feather nest underneath her, since she was used to sleeping in a normal bed with Kass and I.
