2. Adelaide

2

ADELAIDE

The world explodes into chaos as Randall slams the knife into my chest, straight into my heart. For a moment, time stands still. I can feel the cold metal of the blade inside me, an alien presence where it doesn't belong. The pain is excruciating, and I cry out, waiting for my life to flash before my eyes.

But then, something strange happens.

I don't die.

Instead, the world around me erupts into a kaleidoscope of red. Light crimson and deep, dark burgundy swirl together in a dizzying scene. It's beautiful and terrifying all at once, like watching a supernova explode in slow motion. The colours pulse and throb, matching the frantic beating of my heart—the heart that should have stopped, but somehow keeps going.

My stomach lurches as the ground beneath me starts to shake. The stone I'm chained to groans and creaks, the sound reverberating through my bones. Cracks appear on its surface, spreading like a spider's web. The standing stones around me begin to split, great fissures opening up as if the earth is trying to swallow them.

Thick, acrid smoke fills the air, choking me. I cough and splutter, desperately trying to draw breath. My eyes water, and the swirling reds blur into a nauseating mess. The smoke has a strange, metallic taste—like blood, but rotten. It coats my tongue and throat, making me gag.

Terror grips me. What's happening to me? Why aren't I dead? The questions whirl through my mind, each one more frantic than the last. I've never been so scared in my life. Even when the Strix took me, even when I first discovered what I was, nothing compares to this moment of pure, unadulterated fear.

I try to move, to get away from the knife still protruding from my chest, but the chains hold me fast. They rattle against the stone, the sound almost lost in the din of the earth splitting around me. I'm trapped, helpless, at the mercy of whatever dark force Randall has unleashed.

I want to ask, to find out what he is doing, why he tried to kill me, but I can't speak. In fact, I'm completely frozen.

Through the haze of red and smoke, I can barely make out his figure. He's standing back, watching the stones, his face an unreadable mask. How can he just stand there while the world falls apart around us?

Another violent tremor shakes the earth. The stone beneath me shifts, and for a heart-stopping moment, I think it might roll over, crushing me. But it holds, even as more cracks spider across its surface under my back, digging into me, bruising me.

The knife in my chest pulses, sending waves of heat through my body.

I let out a strangled gasp as a surge of energy courses through me. Power, raw and untamed, floods my veins. My skin tingles with it, every nerve ending alive and firing. The world around me comes into sharp focus, the reds somehow more vibrant, the sounds clearer.

I don't understand what's happening, but I know one thing for certain: I'm not dying. If anything, I feel more alive than I ever have before.

Through the swirling mists of red, I catch a glimpse of Randall. He's moving away, his form blurring at the edges. Is he leaving? Panic surges through me. As much as I fear him right now, the thought of being left alone in this chaos is even more terrifying.

"Wait!" I try to call out, but my voice is lost in the roar of the earth splitting around me.

I squint, trying to see through the haze. There's something there. A shimmer in the air, like heat rising from the tarmac on a hot day. But this shimmer is vertical, a tear in the fabric of reality.

A portal?

Before I can be sure, Randall steps through. The shimmer engulfs him, and then he's gone. Just like that. I blink, wondering if I imagined it all. But no, he's really gone. He's left me here, alone, with a knife in my chest and the world falling apart around me.

"No," I croak. "No, no, no. Wait! Come back!"

The red mist swirls faster, obscuring my vision. I can barely see the standing stones now, their massive forms reduced to vague, looming shapes in the crimson fog. The smoke is thicker, too, making each breath a struggle.

I pull against the chains, ignoring the way they bite into my skin. But it's useless. They're as strong as ever, holding me firmly in place. I'm pinned here, unable to move, unable to escape. The knife in my chest pulses in time with my racing heart, hurting like fuck again, a constant reminder of the impossible situation I'm in.

What's going to happen to me? Will I die here, alone in this red hell? Or will whatever magick Randall unleashed, keep me alive indefinitely, trapped in this moment of terror and pain? Was he supposed to kill me? Was I supposed to die?

The ground shakes again, more violently than before. Rocks and debris rain down around me. I close my eyes, bracing for impact, but nothing hits me. There's a bubble of protection around me, keeping me safe even as the world crumbles.

Just when I think I can't take anymore, when I'm sure I'll lose my mind to the endless red and the constant pain, I hear something. A sound that doesn't belong in this hellish landscape.

The fluttering of wings.

At first, I think I must be hallucinating. But then I hear it again, closer this time. My heart leaps in my chest, a surge of hope cutting through the fog of despair.

I strain my eyes, trying to see through the swirling red. A dark shape, small but fast, darting through the mist. As it gets closer, I can make out more details. Leathery wings, a small, furry body.

A bat.

"Corvus?" I whisper, hardly daring to believe it.

The bat circles once, twice, then dives towards me. Just before it reaches the stone I'm chained to, it begins to change. The small, winged form stretches and grows, reshaping itself in the blink of an eye.

Corvus crouches beside me, his face a blank mask as he stares down at me. "Adelaide." His hand reaches out to touch my face. "What happened? Who did this to you?"

I try to speak, but all that comes out is a choked sob. The relief of seeing a familiar face, of not being alone anymore, is overwhelming. Tears stream down my face, cutting trails through the grime and blood.

Corvus's eyes dart to the knife in my chest, his face paling. "Fuck," he mutters. "It's okay, okay? We need to get you out of here."

He reaches for the chains, tugging at them experimentally. He hisses as they burn his palms, the stench of scorched flesh adding to the nausea that swills around my stomach. "Dammit," he growls. Then he closes his eyes, and he breathes in deeply. "Zephyr, Ignatius, Zaiah. Come to me."

For a moment, nothing happens. Then, there is a ripple in the air, like a wave of energy passing through the clearing.

"The others are coming," he says, opening his eyes.

I nod, unable to form words. The knife in my chest seems to pulse harder at the mention of the others, as if it knows its time is limited. Each breath is a struggle now, the acrid smoke burning my lungs.

Corvus's gaze is drawn back to the knife. I can see the conflict in his eyes. He knows it needs to come out, but he's afraid of what might happen when it does.

"Adelaide," he says softly, his hand hovering over the hilt. "I need to take it out."

I close my eyes, bracing myself for death. The thought of more pain is almost unbearable, but I know it's necessary. I give a small nod, granting permission.

Corvus takes a deep breath. I feel his hand wrap around the hilt of the knife, the slight pressure sending a fresh wave of pain through my body. I grit my teeth, preparing for the inevitable.

"I love you!" I blurt out.

"Fuck, Addy. I love you too," he murmurs, and we lock gazes, his hand still gripping the handle of the knife but not moving.