Chapter 29

29

H adley | Sacramento, California | Early 2000s

Being surrounded by a magical family that wanted to take her home seemed like a cruel joke.

The possession of the chemical bond from her forced blood donation seemed to be taking a stronger hold on her every time she was fed. The mention of leaving the monster that stood proudly beside her made her skin crawl and made her feel even more in danger than staying.

That little voice in her brain did everything it could to make its presence known to her, clawing through the addiction her body now craved, caused by Sheng's pointy, white fangs.

There was an odd comfort in him, she had to admit, she now knew what she would get from him. He was very true to his word.

Hadley stared ahead of her, taking in the site of the larger-than-life blond man, her supposed father. He seemed so cold, so disinterested in her. It wasn't a shock. She felt no sadness over it .

Next to him stood Reign, now a child, after being brutally murdered in front of her. She had grieved for this person who had shown her kindness, who tried to help her during this point in her life where she felt no other option to sell her body.

Hadley's fingers curled into fists, thinking about it more. This kind soul had been a part of her family in some way, yet she stood by, letting things escalate. Sure, she returned to save her, but she shouldn't have let her go after their day together at the mall.

Then there was this other guy she had never seen—dark, muscular, and obviously deadly. No one bothered to introduce him, though she noticed his fingers, the dark shadowy ash that seemed to cling in the air around him.

Her options were to go with this group, this group that had abandoned her when she was the most alone and afraid, or to stay and have demon babies. She oddly felt safer with Sheng at this moment, but after Reign hugged her, she noticed movement behind the newcomers.

It was her shadow self.

The feminine figure seemed to dance, carefree, behind the newcomers, trying to get her attention. A playful smile hinted at her cheeks while her hair flowed behind her as she twirled and skipped.

Hadley did her best not to pull attention to the figure, not letting her eyes settle on her. It was difficult to act like no one was there, especially since Hadley seemed to know what her shadow self was doing. She was asking for permission and waiting for a command.

Hadley stared at the family before her and glanced at Sheng beside her. Everyone here needed something from her, but she finally realized she didn't need anything. She didn't need anyone. She had herself.

"My name is Hadley," she said to her father, who didn't bother to care or ask while she gave her approval, a slight nod to her shadow self.

Do what we must.

Her brain pushed and carved to escape from the chemical hypnotism. She was strong, and she was ready for whatever happened. This was the day she learned she could take care of herself.

Her shadow self glided with utter delight as it plunged into the unfamiliar man, disappearing inside of him. He moved as if standing in the middle of an earthquake, trembling and trying to keep his balance. Hadley saw his eyes change, and, just for a second, he saw a look of despair.

As quickly as it jumped into him, her shadow jumped out and slammed into Reign, then Hadley's father. Each of them had a similar reaction, with Reign the most dramatic, pulling her legs into her chest and rocking back and forth on the floor.

"What is happening?" Sheng looked at Hadley expectantly, which she ignored. She was too busy watching the shadow—her shadow, her protector—who plunged into Sheng next.

A minute later, Hadley watched as every living creature in the room was somehow disarmed. Her newly discovered family, Sheng, Amis, and the hooded Vrae that stood behind her, were all caving to some type of emotional breakdown.

She raised her eyebrows at her shadow, both staring at one another with the same question in their eyes.

What now?

The shadow danced over to Amis, plunging itself back into him as he gasped and looked at Hadley with shame.

"I'm . . . I'm so sorry," he stammered, getting to his feet and rushing towards her. "Please . . . please forgive me." Amis fumbled in his pockets and removed a small key before unlocking the shackle around her ankle.

Hadley paused, a trembling Amis backing up from her with unmistakable fear hanging heavily over him. She was the only one in the room standing tall.

She stepped towards the door, looking around to see if there was a reaction. No one seemed to notice; they were all wrapped up in their tears, cries, and movements of self-comfort. She took a deep breath and took another step, then another, until she walked right out of the front door .

Hadley was outside and unguarded. She was free. Sheng's hold on her gone.

Her shadow self followed alongside her and brushed towards her wings.

"No, I can't do anything with these," she said. "I wouldn't know how."

The shadow danced in front of her, sprouting out wings that matched hers, and effortlessly jumped into the air, the wings barely moving but somehow able to support her. Hadley realized that this was her lesson. This shadow, this part of herself, was showing her a new path.

She should reach out and take it.

Hadley followed in the shadow's footsteps, her heart beating so loudly that she was sure the entire neighborhood could hear it. She half expected the group of Vrae to snap back to attention and attack her for the blood pumping so heavily in her veins.

No one chased her.

She was in the air as if she pulled her arms out wide and pulled herself up invisible steps. Her muscles protested under her weight. There was no feeling of floating like a feather; instead, she felt like she was swimming in tar.

It was awful, but she was doing it.

Hadley pulled her shoulder blades together and apart, using muscles she had never used before and clawing at the air above her like she was working to break through a surface. Her shadow fluttered around her, even mocked her by laying on its side like it was lounging mid-air.

"I know I'm slow," Hadley puffed out, never one to learn how to breathe through exercise.

It took a few minutes, but the feeling and movement had started to get familiar, and she began to access it more rapidly. She looked down and had to consciously choose not to panic, seeing that she was a hundred feet above the ground.

She moved her arms like she was in a pool doing a butterfly stroke, until her body leveled out horizontally. She moved her shoulder blades again, her wings pushing the air behind her, and for the first time, she felt like she was flying.

The wind was rushing through her hair, and the chill of the high altitude seeped deep into her bones. For the first time in a long time, a genuine smile spread across her face, her cheeks hurting. She welcomed it, grateful to feel and be on her own.

Her shadow self stayed with her, flying loops and circles around her while Hadley giggled. She didn't have a direction or know where she was going, but she wanted to put distance between herself and that mansion.

I should find Hector.

But the thought of landing overwhelmed her. How was she supposed to get down without falling out of the sky? She wasn't sure where to start.

She decided to keep going, getting in as much practice as possible.

A sunrise hit the horizon, revealing a snow-capped mountain range ahead. Hadley sighed in relief, seeing that if she continued straight, her feet could touch the ground without descent.

She would have to learn to fall out of the sky again.

As soon as she felt safe, her bare feet touching the cold earth, covered in pine needles and bits of snow, she let herself flop down, utterly exhausted. She rolled over, her face stretching towards the sky and her wings aching underneath her.

She was alive, and yet, the anger returned and pooled through her body, simmering.

Where had that family been when her mother was dying? Why were they on their own? None of it made sense. They were not tissues to be discarded. They were strong and loving.

A deep groan rumbled near Hadley, making her sit up, eyes wide with panic. She looked around, needing the support of her shadow, but it was nowhere in sight.

The ground began to jolt as something very large took steps from the other side of the tall pine trees near her. She scrambled back to her feet, stepping on a sharp rock and doing her best not to whimper at the cold, punctured skin on the bottom of her toes.

She should hide. No, she should fly away.

Hadley took a deep breath, swimming her arms and wings again to move through the heavy tar-like air, fighting gravity with every movement.

She was too late.

A dragon, twenty feet tall, jumped out at her and cried. Hadley was under its jaws, its large, muscular legs surrounding her.

"Down," she heard a female voice say. Hadley's body lifted off the ground for half a second as the dragon sat with its bottom half. If she had raised her arms over her head, she might have been able to scratch the dragon's chest. She wondered if it would like it the way a puppy might. She also wondered if it might eat her.

Women's boots hit the ground beside the dragon. Hadley peered around the dragon's leg to get a better look, but the woman was upon her.

"I've been waiting for you," she said, her face inches from hers. An intense heat emanated from her, and Hadley soaked it in, grateful for the warmth.

"Your hair is on fire," Hadley replied, noticing that the ends of the woman's hair were violent blue flames.

"Would you like to destroy this world with me?" she asked Hadley, holding her hand out to her.

"Is it a choice?" Hadley asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It is, child," the fire woman said.

Hadley thought about her family, back at the mansion, and the Vrae that had kidnapped her. She thought about the lack of community that left a teenager alone, forced to live on the streets if it were not for a few close friends. She thought of her mother, taken from her so painfully soon.

Then, she realized that she wasn't the victim. She was the victor who would rise from the ashes after dragonflame burned down everything. Her glass wings would scorch her path with the sun magnifying heat through them.

She took the fiery woman's hand. "Absolutely, I would."

End.