“I’m not having this conversation with you guys again. I’ve already made my decision.”
“I’m sorry, Tasha, but I’m afraid they are right.” Isis took my hand in hers. “The last thing you can do is put yourself exactly where they want you so they can get your blood. We cannot lose you. Please don’t go…”
Her plea made my heart squeeze, but this wasn’t about her or even me for that matter. It was bigger than us, but they still didn’t understand how.
Squeezing her hand, I offered her a tender smile. “I know your fear comes from the love you have given me all my life, and I love you just as strongly, Isis. You are my mom too and you will always be. Still, in your desperate need to protect me, there is something none of you have stopped to consider.”
My gaze swept the room, connecting with each of their eyes as I took a deep breath.
“Anastasia already had this vision,” I repeated. “When I say that it doesn’t just mean that she saw me going there with you by my side. It means that whatever hell hole they have her trapped in, she’s not afraid because she knows we are coming. It means that whatever horrors they are putting her through right now, she’s enduring it because she trusts that I will be there, empowered by three of the most powerful beings she could find to help me and protect me.”
Letting go of Isis I took a step away from her and turned so I could face them all, not bothering to contain the thundering beating of my heart.
“My mom already had this vision!” I reaffirmed with all the strength pounding through my being and all the power my voice could carry. “Whether or not destiny is set in stone, she is holding on through their torture because she saw me coming to save her life… She’s counting on me, and I would rather die at Françoys’s hands than break her heart to save myself. Even if the world burns after.”
Blades of pain sliced their expressions with my words as they remained silent.
Holding their gazes one last time, I whirled around and headed for the balcony.
“Natalia,” André called after me, but I didn’t stop.
“I need to be alone right now,” I yelled back, jumping off the balcony and into the sky.
29
My body soared across the sky, effortlessly shifting before I landed on four legs over the clearing below. Without hesitation, my swift stride took over, and I rushed into theOrigin Forest.
I wasn’t going to lie, part of me thought my wings would lift me toward the sun-setting horizon. Yet, as the breeze rustled the white fur along my form each time my paws stroked the damp earth, it felt right.
Welcome back, Starlight…
No response came from her like it once had, but a content emotion filled my chest, and I knew she was there with me.
The trees blurred at either side of me while I headed for the lower hill, remembering the path of my first run with Hannes. A moment later, the ethereal, crystallized lake came into view, and my pace slowed until I strutted to a stop along its shore.
I loved the way the snow-peaked mountains and sky-reaching trees reflected onto its surface. The innate magic of this place engulfed me in a sweet caress, making my entire being hum with power. Even the winter snowdrops exuded loving peace. Nature itself seemed to be in perfect harmony here,something I had never felt, and its energy mixed with mine, bringing instant relief to my aching soul.
A long, releasing breath filled my lungs when I sat on the shoreline and glanced at my reflection for what felt like forever, taking in the peace this place freely offered.
I knew without a shadow of a doubt what I needed to do. My entire life I’d never been this certain of anything... I had to do this, regardless of everyone’s fears, or the repercussions my decision might have.
This wasn’t about my ego.
Not that I wasn’t the most remarkable, extraordinary, and unique being ever born. Let’s be honest.
A chuckle rumbled through my chest, and I allowed myself to enjoy it.
“You can come out now,” I announced after shifting back into a woman, instantly hearing the Beast grunt from behind the nearby trees.
I crossed my arms over my chest, my eyebrow threateningly arching when he stomped his way out of the forest, mumbling something unintelligible.
“How could you even sense me?” Hannes asked, walking toward me. “I’m a master of stealth.”
Okay, so maybe the ego didn’t just come from my Vampiress side. It turned out Wolf Shifters weren’t that humble either.
“Oh, yeah,” I snorted. “A seven-foot-tall werewolf, who scares the fauna shitless, and pretty much makes the forest itself stop breathing with his presence, it’s definitely the personification of stealth.”
His muzzle twitched in amusement as he walked closer.
