Page 72 of Shiny Things

I gasped. He was ready to walk away from his family for me? I wasn’t sure I could let that happen. I knew how much family meant to him. It was one thing we had in common.

“I’m going to just step outside and let you guys talk,” I said, but inside I was cold and empty. I knew what I was going to have to do because there was no way I could allow him to destroy his family for me.

“No, we’ll both go,” he stubbornly said.

I shook my head and turned to him. “She’s your mother. You need to talk to her. I’m just a distraction right now.”

“Kim . . .”

I shook my head once more. And then I squeezed his arm for encouragement. “Talk to her.”

As I turned, a single tear slid down my cheek. He didn’t move to stop me this time.

The second the door shut behind me, I stripped, leaving my clothes in a pile on the front porch, and then I shifted and flew away.

The wind in my feathers usually brought me peace, but all I felt was sorrow. I was glad we hadn’t sealed our bond because then there would be no turning back. Since we hadn’t, I could do what needed to be done to protect my mate. Because I knew in my heart that he would give up his family and everything else that mattered to him just for me. I wasn’t deserving of that, and I could never let it happen. He would only grow resentful of me in the future.

It was best to cut ties now.

Who was I kidding? I’d known it would come to this all along. I’d been living a fairytale and nothing more. The world we lived in would never allow us to be together, no matter how much we wished for it.

I flew over my house and noticed two strange vehicles parked in my driveway. I landed on my roof, but they’d seen me.

Joe stepped out of one and pointed up to where I was perched.

The other car door opened, and someone got out.

“That’s her. It has to be. She’s the one you want,” he told the stranger.

“It’s Kim, right?” the man asked. “I won’t harm you. I just want to talk.”

Who the hell was this guy?

I started to fly away, but Joe distracted me.

“Don’t do it, Kim. Don’t run away from this. Because they will find you.”

“She’s definitely the water witch?” the man asked.

I nearly toppled over in shock.

What the hell was Joe doing?

When the back door of the mysterious car opened, my blood turned cold. It was him, the Collector. Just like the picture my father painted of him to warn me and Andrew. This was thebogeyman of all raven witches and Joe was leading him straight for me.

I knew I had to get away.

Lifting off, I took to the air as fast as my wings could flap, afraid my little raven heart was going to explode in my chest as my heartbeat raced.

The Collector was real. I’d seen him with my own eyes.

I was only about fifty yards out when I heard the crack of a gun.

Swerving to the right, I didn’t dare look back.

I felt and heard the bullet soar past me. It was close, too close.

The crack cut through the air once more. This time I dove to the left thinking he’d go to the right. But I was wrong. The impact of the bullet to my wing sent searing pain through me.

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