40. Adelaide

40

ADELAIDE

My skin still tingles from our encounter as I step out of the forest with Zephyr. The connection between us feels more substantial, more intense than ever before. His possessive words are wild at the same time as thrilling. My future wife . Is that really how he sees me? What about my say in this?

I glance at him as we walk, remembering the way his hands felt on my skin, the heat of his breath on my neck. The forest around us seems different now, charged with an energy I can't quite explain. It's leaning into us, following our path in a protective and approving way. It's weird, but that is precisely what it is. I can sense it all around me.

But as we approach the campus, a chill runs through my blood that has nothing to do with desire and everything to do with the fight with Christos. Those words echo in my mind now, cutting through everything else with a laser-like quality.

Vesper.

He called me a Vesper.

The secret I've been trying so hard to keep is out now. What does this mean for me? For my future at MistHallow?

I open my mouth to ask Zephyr about it, to seek some reassurance or explanation, but before I can form the words, chaos erupts around us. Students are running towards us, shouting, their faces contorted with fear and urgency. At first, I think it's some kind of practical class, but then I see the looks on their faces, the raw panic in their eyes. This is real. Terrifyingly real.

"Zephyr," I murmur, my voice trembling slightly, but he's already moving, pushing me behind him protectively. His body tenses, ready for a fight, and I can sense his power building, ready to be unleashed.

The students' faces are twisted with aggression I've never seen before. It's like they've been transformed into something else entirely.

"What's going on?" I shout over the growing chaos. The sounds of screams and running feet fill the air, creating a chaos of screams and panic.

Zephyr doesn't answer. His body is coiled tight, a panther ready to strike. "Stay close to me," he says, his voice low and urgent. There's a fierceness in his eyes that reassures but frightens me. This is a side to him that I've merely glimpsed, but now I'm about to see a whole lot more.

But before we can move, before we can even think about finding safety, the sky darkens. At first, I think it's a storm rolling in - the weather at MistHallow can be unpredictable at best. Then I see them, and my blood runs icy cold.

Strix.

Dozens of them, maybe more. Their massive wings block out the daylight as they descend upon us, turning day into an eerie twilight. Their talons gleam wickedly, their eyes fixed on me with an aggressive intensity that makes my skin crawl. I've never seen anything like it before, and I hope I never will again.

My breath catches in my throat, fear gripping my chest like a frozen hand. The supernatural assassins, deadly and relentless, are coming for me again, and I know this time they will get to me. They're terrifying in a way that goes beyond simple fear. It's primal, instinctive.

Zephyr springs into action, his movements a blur of speed, grace, and power. His face is set in a mask of pure ferociousness as he takes on the first wave of attackers. His power is breathtaking, awe-inspiring even now, when I should be running, instead I'm standing rooted to the spot like an idiot.

Shadows bend to Zephyr's will, lashing out at the Strix like solid weapons. It's like watching the beast of nature unleashed and on a rampage. For every Strix he takes down, two more seem to take its place. The air is filled with the sound of beating wings and inhuman screeches, a noise that sets my teeth on edge and makes my hair stand on end.

I want to help, to do something, anything. But what can I do? I have no powers, no way to defend myself or assist Zephyr. I feel useless, helpless, a liability in this fight that's all about me.

The first Strix dives, its wings cutting through the air like a blade. I duck instinctively, feeling the rush of air as it passes over me, so close I can feel the wind from its wings. For a moment, I think I'm done for. But then Zephyr is there in an instant, a dark blur of motion.

His hands, tipped with black claws, lash out, catching the Strix mid-flight, suspended with magick. With a brutal twist of his hands, he tears the creature in two, its screech of pain cut short as its body hits the ground with a wet thud.

But there's no time to take in the horror of the gruesome sight. More Strix are coming, always more. They're all around us like a plague, their cries filling the air like a chorus of the damned.

Zephyr moves like a dancer, his body a lethal weapon. He tears through the Strix, trying to get to me with a savagery that is beautiful and horrifying. Blood rains down, painting the ground in dark, glistening patterns. Feathers and flesh fly in all directions, the air thick with the coppery scent of blood and the acrid tang of fear.

Then, a flash of fire.

Ignatius has joined the fight.

"Get her inside!"

Zephyr's yell falls on deaf ears. There is too much action, violence and screeching for anyone to hear.

Get inside.

The voice resonates in my mind.

Move, princess, before there is nothing left of you for me to claim.

"Zephyr?"

Distracted, a sharp pain tears through my shoulder as a Strix sinks its talons into my flesh. I cry out, stumbling back, my vision swimming with pain. The Strix presses its advantage, its beak snapping mere inches from my face. I can see the hunger in its eyes, the promise of death.

Zephyr dives in my direction, his roar of fury shaking the ground underneath us. His eyes are fully silver now, black veins running under his pale skin. He tears the Strix away from me, his claws sinking deep into its flesh. With a brutal wrench, he rips the creature apart with magick, its body nothing but a bloody heap when he's done. In shock, I place my hand on my shoulder, but the wound has healed already.

He turns back to the oncoming horde. He is a force of nature, a god of war. He tears through the Strix like a whirlwind, his magick rending flesh and bone with ease. Blood sprays in all directions, the ground is soaked.

"Run!" Zephyr shouts at me. "Get inside, for fuck's sake!"

I hesitate for a split second, not wanting to leave him. The thought of abandoning him to face this horde alone tears at me. But I know I'm only a distraction, a liability in this fight. As much as I hate it, the best thing I can do for everyone right now is to get out of the way.

I turn and run, my feet pounding against the ground. The campus has become a battleground. Students and staff are fleeing in all directions, some fighting back against the Strix with whatever weapons or powers they have at hand.

But it's chaos, pure and simple.

I don't get far. A shadow passes over me, more significant and darker than the others. Before I can react, before I can even think to dodge, I'm lifted off my feet. Talons dig into my arms, enough to break my skin, making me bleed. The pain is sharp, immediate, and I cry out.

I scream, kicking and thrashing with all my might, but it's no use. The Strix is too strong, its grip unbreakable. It's carrying me away, higher and higher, into the sky. The ground falls away beneath me at a terrifying rate.

I crane my neck, trying desperately to see Zephyr and Ignatius. They're still fighting with Zaiah and other creatures I don't know. They're getting smaller, more distant with each beat of the Strix's wings. The distance between us grows with every second, and with it, my hope of rescue.

"Zephyr!" I scream his name, pouring all my fear and desperation into that one word. But my voice is lost in the wind, swallowed up by the vast expanse of sky around me.

The ground below becomes a patchwork of green and grey as we soar over the forest. My stomach lurches at the height, a dizzying vertigo that makes me squeeze my eyes shut. I've never been afraid of heights before, but this is something else entirely.

This can't be happening. It feels like a nightmare, but the pain in my arms, the wind whipping through my hair - it's all too real. What do they want with me? Where are they taking me? The questions swirl in my mind, each more terrifying than the last.

I try to think, to come up with some plan of escape. But what can I do? I'm powerless, defenceless, suspended hundreds of feet in the air, with no way down except a fatal fall. I'm a Vesper, this supposed wonder of the supernatural world, but I have nothing defensive in my arsenal. Everything I have is passive.

That you know of .

"Not helping," I grit out loud, trying to find courage instead of fear. But it's not easy.

The wind whips through my hair, the growing fog hitting my face, chilling me to the bone. I shiver, from cold and fear. The Strix's grip on my arms is relentless. They've gone numb from the talons digging into my flesh deep enough to reach bone.

The reality of my situation hits me like a punch to the gut. I'm alone. Truly alone. Just like always.

No Zephyr, no Corvus, no Ignatius or Zaiah. No one to swoop in and save me at the last moment like in the stories. This is real life, and in real life, sometimes there are no heroes coming to the rescue.

You are all you've got.

I've never felt so vulnerable, so utterly helpless, but I feel the surge of useless anger rising. Whatever is happening, whatever these Strix want with me—or better yet, their master—I have no way of fighting back. I have no powers to call on, no tricks up my sleeve. I'm at their mercy.

The Strix carrying me, suddenly banks sharply to the left, and my stomach lurches violently. I can feel bile rising in my throat, but I swallow it down with difficulty. Getting sick now would only make things worse, if that's even possible.

We're flying over a part of the forest that is thicker, more dense, visible in the thinning fog. The trees here are older, darker, their branches twisting in ways that are unnatural. There's something ominous about them, as if they're watching us pass overhead with ancient, evil eyes. An endless sea of green, stretching out to the horizon in every direction.

I try to shift, to relieve some of the pressure on my arms, but its talons only tighten in response. I let out a whimper, but it's lost in the rush of wind.

"Where are you taking me?" I shout, my voice hoarse with fear and the effort of trying to be heard over the wind. But my words are whipped away the moment they leave my mouth, lost in the vast emptiness of the sky.

The Strix doesn't respond. Of course, it doesn't. If they even can speak at all, it's not their job to tell me jackshit. Right now, they're simply instruments of my abduction, silent and implacable.

I close my eyes again, trying to think past the fear and pain. There has to be a way out of this. There has to be something I can do. I refuse to believe that this is how my story ends—just as I feel it's getting started—carried off by mythical creatures to who knows where, helpless and alone.

But before I can come up with anything, before I can even begin to formulate a plan, pain explodes in my head. One of the other Strix, forming a circle around us, has struck me with its wing, hard. The blow comes out of nowhere, sudden and vicious.

My vision blurs instantly, the world around me becoming a swirl of colours and shapes. Darkness creeps in at the edges of my sight. I fight against the encroaching unconsciousness with everything I have. I have to stay awake. I have to.

But it's no use. The darkness is too strong, the pain too intense. I feel myself slipping away, my grip on consciousness weakening with each passing second.

The world fades to black, and I'm falling, falling into an abyss of uncertainty and fear.

As consciousness slips away entirely, I feel a strange sense of peace wash over me. Maybe it's just my mind's way of coping with the trauma, but for a brief moment, I feel... safe. Protected. Something deep inside me has stirred, awakened.

"Crimson…"