Page 18 of Shadow Fall: Part Two

No.

"We'll take her with us," Emlyn said firmly. I knew he was falling apart, knew he was heartbroken. Knew they all were, even if they showed it in different ways. "She's our daughter; of course we won't leave her here."

"But how do we get out?" Wynvail asked, pulling at the roots of his hair, his stare returning to Kaida every other second. "Haley?"

"Erebus said I could shatter the timeline," I said in a dead voice, processing too much, too fast. My ears began to ring. Instincts tore me in two different directions. I needed to stay with my baby. She was so new, she needed me to keep her safe, to feed her and care for her and love her. But … if I was unconscious on the island where Cronus's prison sent us, and I was—and Verena was right … that tiny spark of life was so, so vulnerable.

Tears burned my eyes; I blinked, and they rushed free. I found myself wrenched into a bruising hug, wiry arms shaking around me.

"I can't do this," Kai confessed in a rasp. "My rose, I can't."

"I know," I whispered, curling my fingers around his shirt, my chest ripping in two. "I know, Kai, I know."

"She's coming with us," Em repeated, like he could make it happen just by speaking it. "But we're all vulnerable here. We need to go back."

Wane shook his head, clutching Kaida closer. "No."

"Your—your wings," Harvey breathed, the blood draining from his face.

I spun, and the bottom crashed out of my stomach when I looked closer at my mate. He was my Wane, down to the scars and the blood and the shattered horns. Oh, god, the timeline was falling apart.

"I didn't do anything," I cried, leaning into Kai when he gripped me harder. "I don't want this. I want to stay."

"Don't leave me here," Verena gasped, her eyes blown wide with panic. She grabbed my arm desperately. "Please don't leave me."

"Never," Wyn swore.

He seized Verena’s shoulder, pulling her close where she couldn't be ripped from us.

"This place is coming down around us." Harvey spun to look at our home, ghosts filling his silver eyes as he laughed bitterly. "We're losing another home."

"What happens if this timeline collapses with us inside it?" Kai demanded, a tremor moving through him into me. I gripped him tightly, every bond spiking with pain that cut deeper than I could bear. They were hurt, every one of them, and I didn't know how to fix it.

"Haley," Em said gently, snaring my gaze with love and calm. "It's okay. We'll be okay."

I shook my head, refusing to hear what he told me. We'll be okay no matter what happens. Even if we—if she didn't come with us.

"No," I growled.

But Verena shrieked when the roof ripped off the house, taking the second floor with it. Above the staircase there was only emptiness. Like the timeline had already unwound and was clinging on by its fingernails.

"Erebus did this," I spat, my whole body cold. "He intervened, gave me a dream. He's the reason this is happening."

But Harvey and Wyn glanced at each other, and Wynvail murmured, "We felt something … off yesterday."

"I did, too," Emlyn admitted.

Kai nodded.

I didn't want to admit I had, too. I wanted to stay here and be happy for the rest of our lives. But the fireplace crashed down in the living room next, and I sucked in a breath as its brick shattered into dust. We'd survived so fucking much; we couldn't be killed here. Erebus was right, that cruel bastard. We needed to get out of here, find somewhere to hide, and stay away from Cronus until he was dead.

"I don't want to leave," I confessed in a small voice.

But one glance at the fear on Verena's face, and I knew I had to. Not just because of what she suspected, but because she was mine as much as Kaida was, and she'd been through enough. She'd been tested and imprisoned and traumatised by Olympus.

"Please," Wane said suddenly, shaking his head at me at whatever he felt through the bond. He blinked and tears gathered in his eyes. He shook his head again, pleading. Begging.

My heart broke all over again, a wailing cry in the back of my throat. But it didn't stop me dropping into a crouch and digging my fingers into the wound around my ankle. It took worryingly little effort to grasp the vein of power. I gritted my teeth against the pain, ignoring the blood covering my fingers, and ripped the blue thread away.

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