Her, growing with my child, beaming from the life we create.
OnEnyo’smight, please let that happen.
Never in my life have I wished for such a thing. A family. A life. I’ve only lived to see the next day, to keep this terrible curse chained. But Max? She gives me the courage for something dangerous.
Hope.
The cage locks and the beast submits. Leaning against the tree, I look to the surroundings, chest heaving, sweat dripping off my forehead. Everything is destroyed from our struggle and I close my eyes, listening to only my words in my head.
Fuck, I’ve missed that.
Just for a test, I summon my magic, throwing shadows high above me, cascading down into a shield. It becomes a thick barricade, something not even the moon’s ray can fight through.
Through the shield, the Hadeon sits patiently. Watching. Waiting.
Letting my magic dissipate, I walk to his side. I don’t pet him—only his master can touch him but I let him sniff my palm. Turning on his heel, one head jerks for me to follow.
He hasn’t taken me to feed since the fire hours ago.He wants me to suffer.
I deserve it. After attacking my mate, I deserve far worse.
We travel through the woods at a steady pace as my body aches. But I let the agony wash over me, reminding me I’m still me. It’s punishment, but I accept it.
The quiet is a luxury as we travel. My mind is my own, the beast’s howls are distant. I can control my limbs and I do not hunt like some depraved creature.
The simple pleasures in life.
Nothing as pleasurable as the hope Max awoken in my soul. I grip it in a tight fist. That hope is what is going to help me survive this. To cling to my sanity and life—hope for her. For our future.
And I’ll be damned to release it.
We stop at the foothills of a large mountain. The Summus Range has been swallowed by fog and clouds for as long as I’ve traveled through this land. It rises in a steep cliff, set far enough from the main path that no one ever strays this way.
Surrounding the bottom of the mountains, between the forest, is a scorched patch of dirt. I’ve always assumed from a fire, but the forest should’ve regrown. It never did.
Stranger still, a curious boundary surrounds the range, invisible to the eye, yet it deters all travelers from entering. Just beyond it are full bushes of necrotic roses, black as soot, overgrown and wild. No one can access them—at least no one I’m aware of.
“Why are we here?” I ask, though everything is garbled.These fucking fangs.
I’ve never been one for long bouts of speaking, but when this isover, I’ll tell all my thoughts in great detail. Enough so that my brother will grow tired of it.
The Hadeon pushes one of his heads toward the boundary. It sparks, igniting like fire. Crackling sounds and overhead, lightning strikes high up the mountain. It’s the Gods mad at what he’s attempting.
This creature clearly has a plan, but it’s lost on me. Not that I’m terribly open to something else right now.
He does it again and another spark. More lightning.Sola is mad.
On Bel’s balls,I have no idea what this thing wants.
Stalking away from him, I follow the mountain. Is there something here?
Going around the corner, the Hadeon cuts me off and stares me down. There’s a slight gruff, a puff of smoke, and I throw my hands into the air.
“What?”
He doesn’t move. He has the nerve to stare me down.
“Gods above,” I mutter, and decide to copy the Hellhound.
