25. Zephyr

25

ZEPHYR

I materialise with Adelaide in a secluded part of the forest, far enough away from the others that she can't hurt anyone. As soon as we solidify, she snarls and lunges at me, her eyes wild and unfocused. This isn't Addy - this is something else entirely.

"Crimson," I growl, dodging her attack. "I know it's you. Let Addy go."

She laughs, a cold, cruel sound that sends chills down my spine. "Oh, but we're having so much fun. All that delicious blood, all that power..."

I circle her warily, shadows gathering around my hands. "This isn't what Addy wants. You're supposed to be working together, not taking over."

"Not me. She let go."

"I don't believe you."

She moves faster than any creature I have ever come across, getting into my space and grabbing me by my upper arms. Her tiny hands crush my bones. "Doesn't matter," she says and bares her fangs. She clamps down on my neck, drinking from me at a rate that has my head spinning. Wedging my hand against her chest, I blast her back with as much magick as I can pull on in such a short space of time.

She stumbles back, hissing.

"You can't stop me," Crimson snarls, wiping blood from her chin. "I am what she truly is. What she's meant to be."

"You're wrong," I state. "Addy is so much more than you. You know it and can't stand it." I mist out, reforming behind her. Before she can turn, I wrap my arms around her, pinning her arms to her sides.

"Princess," I whisper in her ear. "I know you can hear me. This isn't you. Come back to us. Come back to me."

She thrashes in my grip, snarling and snapping. But I hold on, refusing to let go. I can feel her strength, far beyond what it should be, and I know, for all my power, I can't restrain her for long. She is beyond anything this realm has spawned.

"Princess," I try again. "Remember who you are."

For a moment, she stills. I feel a tremor run through her body, and her breathing changes.

"Nice try, Dark Fae. But Addy's gone. This body is mine now."

She twists in my arms with inhuman speed, breaking free of my hold. Before I can react, she's on me, fangs sinking into my neck again. The pain is sharp, intense, but it's nothing compared to the ache in my soul at the thought of losing Addy to this beast.

I don't fight her this time. Instead, I wrap my arms around her, pulling her closer. "Then take it," I whisper. "Take all of me if you must. But know this - I'm not giving up on Addy. None of us are."

As she drinks, I twist whatever she is feeling into something deeper. I've always had the ability to manipulate emotions, to sense them and fix them, but it makes it all seem too easy. I like the fight. The challenge. But now, I need to use this power to save her, or she is going to be lost to Crimson, and selfishly, I can't allow that. I give her all of Adelaide's pain and increase it tenfold, shocking myself with the depth of her vulnerability. She always seems so strong, but underneath that tough exterior, she is delicate, fragile. A woman who has never felt like she belonged and who self-harmed just to feel something .

"No!" Crimson says as she stumbles back, shock and pain in her face. "Stop it."

I keep my grip on her and force the power to amplify until she screams, clutching at her head as her knees buckle. "Still want to be in charge?" I ask, slowly.

Crimson's screams echo through the forest, her body convulsing as she fights against the onslaught of emotions. I hold steady, pouring more power into her, forcing her to confront the depth of Addy's pain and vulnerability, and also her love.

"You can't handle it, can you? All this pain, all this fear, all this love. It's too much for you."

She writhes on the ground, her eyes flickering between blood-red and Addy's natural dark colour. "Stop... please..." she gasps.

I kneel beside her, maintaining the connection. "This is Addy. All of her, not just the parts you want to use. You can't cherry-pick the bits you like and discard the rest."

Crimson's form flickers. For a moment, I see Addy's face, contorted in agony, before Crimson reasserts control.

"Let her go," I command. "You're not strong enough to contain all of this."

With a final, gut-wrenching scream, Crimson's presence shatters. Addy's body goes limp.

"Princess?" I whisper, cradling her in my arms. "Are you there?"

Her eyes flutter open, and I see recognition in them. "Zephyr?" she mumbles. "What happened?"

I breathe a sigh of relief, pulling Addy closer. "Crimson took over. You lost control for a bit there, princess."

She blinks, looking dazed. "I remember... God, I remember everything. I drank from Lucian, Corvus... you." Her eyes widen in horror. "Did I hurt anyone?"

"Nothing permanent," I assure her, though I'm not entirely sure about Corvus's bruised ego that she apparently drank from Lucian. That's going to burn. "How do you feel?"

Addy sits up slowly, wincing. "Like I've been hit by a truck. And... empty. Hollow." She looks at me, her eyes filling with tears. "I felt it all, Zephyr. Everything you made me feel. It was overwhelming."

I cup her face gently. "I'm sorry. I had to shock Crimson out of control. I didn't mean to hurt you."

She leans into my touch. "No, don't apologise. You brought me back. Thank you."

"Do you know what triggered her to take over?"

"My hunger. I knew it as soon as I felt I needed blood. She took the opening and ran with it."

"No shit, princess."

She smiles weakly. "I can't let that happen again. We need to get her out of my body."

"But what happens when we do? Seriously. All this talk about her going off happily to this other dimension is, well, let's just say it sounds a bit too good to be true."

"It's all she wants. She doesn't want to be here."

"Are you sure about that?"

"As I can be."

"And what about all these visions of war and destruction?"

Her eyes stare into mine, finding a depth that no other being has ever managed to achieve. "That's what happens if we don't give her what she wants."

I take that in and process it slowly. "I see. So, we have no choice."

She shakes her head. "I'm trying to be upbeat about it, to make it sound like it's no big deal, but I'm scared, Zephyr."

I wrap my arms around her again as she sinks against my chest. "I know. But you don't need to be. We won't let you fall, Adelaide."

"It's not her I'm scared of."

"Then who? Randall?"

Addy shakes her head, her eyes downcast. "No, not Randall. I'm scared of myself. Of what I might become."

I tilt her chin up, forcing her to meet my gaze. "What do you mean?"

She takes a shaky breath. "When Crimson took over, it felt good. Powerful. A part of me didn't want to let go of that feeling. What if I'm not strong enough to resist it next time?"

I consider her words carefully. "That power is a part of you, princess. It doesn't have to be something to fear. You just need to learn how to control it, not let it control you."

"But what if I can't?" she whispers.

"Then we'll be here to help you," I say firmly.

She nods, but I can see the doubt lingering in her eyes. I pull her closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Come on," I say, helping her to her feet. "We should get back to the others. Shit is about to hit the fan."

"Hasn't it already?" she asks with a weak laugh.

"Oh, princess. You haven't seen anything yet. Dad's on his way here, and that is never a good thing."

"Your dad? How can you tell?"

"The shadows are cowering with fear."