Mellcom’s nod throws my mind right into our past.
As he shuts the door, I’m plunged into darkness.
Thayla
23
“Open the door, you piece of shit!”
My fists bash against the cold, solid surface where I believe the door is. Each bang endlessly echoes around me. The haunting symphony has my bellows growing louder.
More deranged and desperate to drown out the empty sound.
“I will end you for this, you moth—”
A soft hum vibrates in my mind, halting my next round of attacks. I back away from the wall and force my heavy pants to slow so I can hear.
That tender buzz intensifies as I wander back blindly to the center of the room.
“V…is that you?”
The only response that comes is more of that hum.
“V, please. If it’s you—”
My knees crash onto the floor and a guttural scream rips from my throat as I grip my head. No matter how hard I pull my roots or block my ears, the now screeching hum doesn’t stop.
It doesn’t relent.
It gets louder and louder and…
A hoot and a flash of light break through the madness, and I breathe a sigh of relief as I stumble to my feet. The glow of white and shining teal eyes leads me straight to my Vedarya.
“V. Oh, thank the Valories, that was fast. Are the guys here?”
“No. They aren’t coming. You need to follow me.”
I jerk back and blink repeatedly as he spreads his wings wide. The radiance surrounding him intensifies and his power brushes across my skin.
The feathers closest to his body are pure, moonlight white, and they flash before me like a warning as he beats them a few times. They’re so blindingly beautiful.
Just like the first night I saw him at the sacred hot spring.
“Follow him, Thayla.”
“Seismet. Where are you?”
I peer over my shoulder and darkness greets me. No matter how much I try to force my sight to adapt, all I see is a veil of black.
“Go, Thayla. Now!”
The urgency in his tone has me jumping to my feet and sprinting to catch up with V as he spins in the air, flying off into the dark distance.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough to solidify our connection, my companion.”
Seismet’s tone fades in and out, and I frantically spin while trying to keep V in my sights.
“Don’t say that. Where are you?”
