He bobs his head and squawks before banking to the left, making me squeal. Burying my head into his neck, I feel his body shuddering and that’s when it dawns on me. That feathery fucker is laughing at me. Before I can reply back or decide which feather he would be okay losing, he lets out a loud squawk and suddenly turns right. A girly scream rips out of me as my thighs and fingers clamp down with all their might.
What the fuck?
Looking up, black lightning bolts come out of nowhere, flying past us as Baron weaves back and forth through the air like a fighter pilot on speed. I get a glimpse of the trees below and see another black lightning bolt zipping up towards us.
Holy Shit. I’m gonna die.
Tucking his wings closer to me, I can feel him pressing my legs further into his coat as we barrel roll towards the forest. Keeping my head down, I watch as we zip and weave between the trees until a black-robed figure—which could only be a Rebel—appears in front of us with black smoke in his hands. With a burst of speed, Baron flips us so my body is parallel with the ground. Baron angles his front talons and stretches his head for the figure—blocking my view—and the only sound I hear is a scream and crunch of bones as they break.Holy shit did he just tear right through that guy?Blood splatters across the low lying branches and tree roots as we sweep back up into the tree boughs, and I fight back the urge to vomit.
The enclosure can be made out in the far off distance as Baron turns us to head in its direction. I don’t know what all that was about, but I release a breath of relief and lessen my grip, when suddenly, Baron’s body jerks and he cries out as we start to fall. The world starts spinning and everything is a whirlwind of colors.
“Ahhh!” My breath leaves me as we go into a tailspin.
I can’t see anything in the blur of motion, but I feel myself being ripped away from Baron’s back. As my body straightens out while I free fall, I go back to wishing everything was a blurry mess. The ground is fast approaching, and last I checked, I don’t have magical powers that allow me to fly. Filled with the fear that a miracle is my only chance of survival at this point, something slams into my back, but instead of falling faster, I’m wrenched into a hard structure behind me. Raking my gaze over my body in a panic, I see talons wrapped around my stomach.
Baron! Knox! BK!
Unexpectedly, I’m back to seeing the sky again as he turns me around and pulls me tightly to his underbelly. With the relief that I’m safe in his arms, I send up a silent prayer that we don’t die plummeting to the ground.
ChapterTwenty-Five
A JOB WELL DONE
???
Why do I work with idiots? They don’t make followers like they used to. Back in the day of the first revolt, I had creatures that shook the worlds to the core. People on Earth write horror stories about us to this day; they still believe. The unquenchable thirst of vampires, demons, orcs, and so much more. It was the time of power and chaos. A time that I could just sit back and let my peons do all the work. Instead, now I had to find competent ones even if they aren’t 100% dedicated to the cause. Or even willing, it turns out.
“I told you. You might as well kill me,” her voice, once meek, rings out with defiance as a follower rushes out of the room, closing the door. Keeping my presence unknown, I slip in through an unknown entrance.
I can feel the vile anger from here as I walk up to her, and I smile at my latest trophy. She looks so beautiful with her mass of brunette curls framing her face. The fire in her gray-green eyes speaks of the power she’s capable of wielding.If only I could harness it in a willing subject.She pulls at the manacles around her wrists and ankles, but it’s no use. They are made with Iridium and can not be broken. Pushing back her mess of curls with my hand, I run my fingers along her silky smooth jawline.
“Who’s here? Show yourself, coward.”
Gorgeous.
Stepping back, I drop my cloak but she doesn’t gasp in shock as I expected, but narrows her eyes in suspicion instead.
“Who are you?”
“I am Adalyn. I'm a Fate,” I inform her, and she laughs in my face.
“Don’t mistake me for one of your dim-witted followers,” she chuckles as she looks into my eyes. I know for a fact my appearance is flawless. “You are not Anwen, Seren, or Liliwen. So who are you?” she asks again as she straightens her stance against the cold rock wall.
“Ah! I forgot you must have been gone when Liliwen passed away. I am sorry you didn’t get to say your goodbyes. But I am the new Fate of past transgressions.”
Her eyes narrow as she assesses me once again. As her gaze travels along my robes, I discreetly pull more power from my reserves.
“You are no Fate that I follow,” she says, spitting in my face.
Wiping her saliva from my skin, I let my power wash over me, allowing my true form to appear before her. “Aww. Jillian. Such fire. Too bad you waste your efforts so freely. But I will rectify that shortly,” I chuckle and take in her set jaw and fiery glare. “Let me ask you this. Do you know where your precious daughter is?” I watch as her eyes slightly widen in fear before she juts her jaw out further in defiance. “Because I do. She’s currently at Purgatory Prep, where I have eyes on her. And her Familiar? He’s currently in my possession. You could never escape me, Jillian, and neither will she. I already have a sample of her blood,” I purr, smiling as the last of her defenses break and she finally starts to beg.
ChapterTwenty-Six
HARPIES ASSEMBLE
Ryker
Why do I come to these things again?
