37. Corvus

37

CORVUS

Adelaide's decision to join Zephyr and me on our quest for the phoenix ash, and then for us to accompany her to the Whispering Woods, has left me relieved but anxious. On the one hand, I'm glad to keep her close, to protect her. On the other hand, I worry that we're wasting time when we need to be moving as fast as possible.

As we approach the rare bird sanctuary, I can feel the magick in the air. It's old, nature magick, wild and untamed, spiking my blood and causing my fangs to drop. The sanctuary is hidden from mortal eyes, protected by powerful wards that ripple and shimmer in the moonlight.

"Right," I mutter, eyeing the wards warily. "Any ideas on how we get past those without setting off every alarm in the place?"

"They weren't there before," Adelaide says, going up to them and peering at the bluey haze.

"They were probably lowered for the hunt," Zephyr murmurs, looking around, his shadows writhing around him, responding to the potent magick in the air. "I might be able to create a shadow passage," he says, his voice low. "But it'll be tricky. The wards are designed to keep out dark magick."

I nod. "Do it. It's our best shot."

Zephyr closes his eyes, concentrating. His shadows grow darker, more substantial, coalescing around us like a thick fog. I feel a chill run through my soul as the darkness envelops us. It's not an unpleasant sensation, but it's unsettling.

Adelaide shivers beside me, and I instinctively wrap an arm around her. She leans into me, and I kiss the top of her head.

"Ready?" Zephyr asks after a moment.

We nod, and suddenly, we're moving. It's a strange sensation, like being pulled through a narrow tube. The world around us blurs, the sanctuary's wards flickering past us in a haze of blue light.

Then, as quickly as it began, it's over. We stumble as we materialise inside the sanctuary, Zephyr dropping to one knee, panting heavily.

"Fuck," he gasps. "That was harder than I thought it'd be."

I help him to his feet, impressed by the display of power, not that I'd ever say that to his face.

Adelaide looks around, her eyes wide. "We're in," she whispers. "Let's hurry."

I scan our surroundings. The sanctuary is eerily quiet, the usual nighttime sounds of birds conspicuously absent. We're in a lush, hidden garden. The air is warm and humid, filled with the soft rustling of feathers and the occasional musical trill. Exotic plants bloom all around us, their colours vibrant even in the moonlight.

I close my eyes, reaching out with my vampiric senses. The sanctuary is alive with the heartbeats of countless birds, but one rhythm stands out - faster, hotter, almost like a flickering flame.

"This way," I say, pointing towards a grove of trees with silvery leaves.

As we make our way through the sanctuary, even here, in this protected haven, I can feel the underlying current of unease.

We reach a grove, and there, perched on a branch of burnished gold, is the phoenix. Its feathers are a brilliant array of reds and golds, shimmering with an inner fire. As we approach, it turns its head to regard us with eyes that burn like embers.

The phoenix trills softly, a sound like distant bells. It hops down from its perch, landing gracefully on a lower branch, closer to us. Its gaze is fixed on Adelaide, curiosity evident in its fiery eyes.

"I think it likes you," Zephyr murmurs, his shadows coiling protectively around us.

"Or it knows I nicked its feather last time," she whispers but takes a step forward, her hand outstretched. "We need your help," she says softly to the phoenix. "We need the ash from one of your feathers to complete a ritual that will return MistHallow to the sanctuary it once was. Will you help us?"

To my amazement, the phoenix bows its head. With a soft whoosh, one of its tail feathers bursts into flame, turning to ash that floats gently to the ground.

"Well, fuck me," I mutter, quickly scooping up the still-warm ash and dropping it into a small pouch that Zephyr conjures up from nowhere. "That was almost too easy."

As soon as the words leave my mouth, I regret them. A piercing shriek fills the air, and suddenly, we're surrounded by a flock of various birds, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light.

"You just had to say it, didn't you?" Zephyr growls, his shadows expanding to form a protective barrier around us.

The birds attack in a flurry of beaks and talons. I pull Adelaide close, shielding her with my body as I lash out at our assailants. Zephyr's shadows whip through the air, knocking birds aside.

"We need to get out of here," I shout over the racket of screeching birds.

Adelaide nods, her face set. She closes her eyes and murmurs, "Come to me, my pets."

In an instant, five shadow creatures descend from above like dark angels, scattering the birds to the corners of the aviary.

"Now!" Zephyr yells, grabbing Adelaide's hand.

We run, dodging and weaving through the sanctuary. The birds dive at us from all directions, but the shadow pets keep them at bay. We burst through the wards, the magickal barrier shattering like glass behind us as it lets off a wail of epic proportions.

"Ah!" I grit out, my sensitive vampire hearing assaulted by the screech behind us.

We don't stop running until we're well away from the sanctuary, the noise now a distant wail. As we slow to a stop, I turn to Adelaide, panting slightly, not from the exertion but from the violation of my senses.

She is bleeding from her eyes and ears. "Are you alright, Dollie?" I ask, cupping her face in my hands, and wiping away the blood from her face.

She nods. "Better now. That hurt."

"No, shit," I smirk and let her go before I lick her face.

"At least we got what we came for. One ingredient down, one to go," Zephyr says, unruffled and not bothered by the howl of the wards. "Let's bounce."

As we make our way towards the Whispering Woods, the shadow pets follow us at a distance, protecting their mistress from whatever lies out there, watching us, waiting for us to fuck up.

"I don't like this," Zephyr murmurs, his shadows writhing uneasily around him. "It feels like the forest is waiting for something."

Adelaide nods, her eyes scanning the treeline. "I feel it, too. Like we're walking into a trap."

I take a deep breath. "Well, trap or not, we need that water from the sacred spring. Let's just be on our guard."

As we enter the Whispering Woods part of the MistHallow forest, the atmosphere changes dramatically. The air is filled with whispers just on the edge of hearing. Mist curls around our feet, and the trees lean in, their branches reaching for us like grasping fingers.

"Stay close," I mutter, taking Adelaide's hand. Zephyr flanks her other side, his shadows spreading out around us protectively again. The shadow pets move in closer, forming a circle around us.

We push deeper into the woods, following Adelaide. She seems to know exactly where she is going. But then I realise, it's not her. We're following the shadow pet in the lead. The whispers grow louder, sometimes forming words that send chills into my soul. Promises of power, hints of forgotten secrets, warnings of impending doom - all swirl around us in a maddening mishmash.

Suddenly, we stop.

"There," Addy whispers, pointing to a faint silvery glow in the distance. "The sacred spring."

As we approach, the mist parts, revealing a small clearing. In the centre, a spring bubbles up from the ground, its waters shimmering with an eerie light.

"Okay," Zephyr says, eyeing the spring warily. "How do we do this?"

Adelaide steps forward, taking the vial Zephyr pulled out of his pocket. "Not with death threats like last time. I'll get the water. You two keep watch."

Zephyr snorts but does as he's told, his gaze snapping one way, mine going the other.

As Addy kneels by the spring, a sense of foreboding settles around us. It's too quiet, too easy. After our experience at the bird sanctuary, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.

And drop it does.

Just as Adelaide fills the vial, the water in the spring ripples.

A figure bursts from under the surface, hissing and snarling, their fingers hooked into claws.

"Blue Water lady!" Adelaide shrieks as the very pissed-off water nymph launches at us, grabbing at the vial.

I react on instinct, lunging forward to grab Adelaide and yank her back just as the water nymph's claws slash through the air where she had been. The vial flies from Adelaide's hand, arcing through the air.

"Fuck!" Zephyr shouts, diving to catch it before it can shatter on the ground. He rolls, coming up with the vial clutched safely in his fist.

The water nymph shrieks, a sound like ice cracking, and launches herself at Zephyr. Her form is fluid, shifting between woman and water in a way that makes my eyes hurt to look at.

"Zeph, watch out!" I yell, pushing Adelaide behind me as I move to intercept the nymph.

But Zephyr is already moving. The nymph's claws rake across the darkness of the magick surrounding him, sending up sparks of blue light but leaving Zephyr unharmed.

"We need to get out of here," Adelaide says, her voice tight with tension. "Now."

I nod, backing up slowly, keeping myself between Adelaide and the enraged nymph. "Zephyr, time to go."

The nymph lets out another ear-piercing shriek. She's not giving up that easily. As we back up, she lunges at us again, her watery form stretching impossibly as she reaches for the vial. I snarl, my fangs dropping fully, ready to tear into her.

But before I can move, Adelaide steps forward. The shadow pets swarm around her, their dark forms merging into a swirling vortex of shadows. The nymph hesitates, her liquid eyes widening in surprise.

"You remember me? Adelaide Black? From the first day?"

The nymph hisses but doesn't strike.

Adelaide takes a deep breath. "We mean no harm to your spring or your woods. We need this water to save MistHallow - to save all of us. Please, let us go."

For a moment, everything is still. The nymph hovers, her form rippling as she considers Adelaide's words. Then, slowly, she nods. With a sound like a gentle wave, she sinks back into the spring, disappearing beneath the silvery surface.

"Fuck," Zephyr mutters, still clutching the vial tightly.

But while the water nymph has given us leave, the rest of Whispering Woods isn't in quite so forgiving a mood. A tree uproots itself and marches towards us.

"Holy shit," Adelaide gasps, staring at it. "Run!"

Grabbing her hand, we dash through the woods, branches whipping at our faces, roots trying to trip us. The entire forest has come alive, determined to keep us from escaping with the sacred water.

Zephyr's magick lashes out, clearing a path ahead of us. I can hear his laboured breathing. He is feeling the strain from using such power.

But just when I think we can't go on much longer, we burst out of the treeline, stumbling onto the grounds of MistHallow. Behind us, the Whispering Woods roils and writhes, a dark mass of angry vegetation.

We collapse onto the grass, panting heavily.

Zephyr, looking paler than usual, holds up the vial, the sacred water inside glowing faintly.

"We did it," Addy pants, a triumphant smile on her face despite her exhaustion.

I nod, pulling her close and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Is anyone else thinking that if this was fucking difficult, how is the ritual going to go down?"

"Yep," Zephyr says. "I need a fucking minute."

"Take it, mate. You did good."

He raises an eyebrow at my rare compliment and smirks but doesn't say anything.

As we catch our breath, I look at Adelaide, seeing the power that now radiates from her, and I'm reminded of the enormity of what we're trying to do. Getting that creature out of her is paramount now. She needs to shine under her own steam and not as some vessel for evil.

"Come on," Zephyr says after a few minutes, pushing himself to his feet. "We should get to the circle."

We rise and head away from MistHallow again, back into the forest on the opposite side.

As we approach the stone circle, I see Ignatius and Zaiah waiting for us. They look as battered and exhausted as we feel.

"You guys look like hell," Adelaide says as we draw closer.

Ignatius snorts, a small flame dancing between his fingers. "You should see the other guys."

We exchange glances, a silent understanding passing between us. We've all been through the wringer, but we've succeeded. We have what we need for the ritual, and now it's time.