You do remember, another voice said. The winged male.It’s there. Listen to her voice. Let her pull you out.
My beast liked the thought of that. He liked the way she held him. But he didn’t like the tears filling her eyes or the tremble in her voice. He didn’t like how sad she sounded at the thought of us not healing.
And I…I didn’t like it, either.
I’d been seeking the gentle hands of death for so long, I never wondered what else might be possible. There was never a future beyond the cage. It was cage or death. Torture or blood. There would always be pain.
Not anymore, I thought. I didn’t even feel the pain anymore. It turned into an ache the longer I stared into her dark eyes.
I wished I could speak to her. They called her Ivy.Ivy. So beautiful, so tempting.
“Please,” she whispered again, desperate and sad. “Just shift. Don’t let go.”
Suddenly the ache became a fierce kind of fire that rushed through my veins. It coursed down my spine, coiling around my legs, my arms. I couldn’t stop the roar of pain from leaving my lips as I felt my entire body tensed.
Then the first crack happened, echoing in my ears. It was more than just painful. It felt like death.
The next had me going silent, the agony too much.
In the distance, I heard her voice. Heard her shout at someone. Her hands disappeared. I missed her comforting touch immediately as my entire body locked up before being broken apart.
My bones fractured and reshaped against my will as fur disappeared from flesh. The pain in my chest lessened as the invading pieces of metal inside me were pushed out.
Soon, there was nothing. Nothing but my pounding heart, a heart that felt different. Rough dirt beneath my paws—no, something else.Hands.Where there had once been claws were now fingers, fingers that couldn’t break through the stone and earth beneath me.
Cold air rushed over my skin, skin no longer protected by fur. There were pieces of me now that were different than before.
But most of all, there was one thing within me that felt almost the same. Only it grew when the female appeared in front of me, so vivid and real.
Mate.
45
Rowan
My hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Either it was from exhaustion, too much coconut flavoured coffee, or stress.
Likely a mix of everything.
We were no less closer to finding Ivy than we were two days ago. Even with that update about the scout entering the mountains, we had nothing else to go on.
All my research? Useless.
I drummed my fingers against the large table as I sorted through what I did know about Emris. None of it helped with the rune situation, but then again, if we could getintothe Luna Court, then maybe…
Three sharp knocks sounded at the door to the war room, almost making me jump. I looked up, taking in Elias and Rhadamanthus, who were pouring over the map we had of Luna.
“Expecting someone?” I asked, frowning.
Wolfy looked towards the door with a growl. “Enter.”
Even the demon king straightened, pushing his shirt sleeves up to reveal the crawling, intricate tattoos circling his flesh. His eyes were on the door, so I followed his line of sight, stiffening as one of the Wrath generals entered.
Not their messenger, but one of them.
“What?” I asked, straightening. “Is there an update?”
It had to mean something that he came himself instead of sending a letter.
