“Come on you two lovebirds,” Nox shouted as he shot past, a pair of bat-like wings wrapping around him as he spun, no doubt trying to show off. “We need to catch up with the others.”

“What about Rook and Korbin?” I asked. They hadn’t been with us on the launch pad… flight deck… ledge of death…. whatever it was called.

“They portalled.” Nox then turned and shot like an arrow toward the sun, disappearing into its rays and vanishing from sight.

“Let’s go,” I said, and stretched my wings, before following in Nox’s direction.

Hawk vanished into his cloud of shadows and stayed by my side as I flew towards the sun. The glare was bright, but as I got closer something began to appear. A mirage of something. I could see buildings and start to hear the sound of horns and traffic and then, all of a sudden, I was in a city.

And not just any city. I was in Midnight.

The vampire territory.

Chapter Eighteen

Raevyn

Ilanded next to the others on a rooftop overlooking the Witches Quarter. I say landed… more like landed on my feet, stumbled forward a few paces and nearly fell on my face.

Strong hands gripped my arms to stop me from pitching forwards and falling off the roof.

“Thanks,” I said with a shaky laugh that died as soon as I saw the face of the man who had saved me.

Casimir’s pale fingers wrapped tightly around my upper arms, his grip tight enough to bruise. His mouth was twisted in a grim smile, and I wasn’t sure if he wanted to hug me or chuck me off the roof.

He grunted and then pushed me away from him, causing me to stagger a couple of paces backwards. I didn’t get this guy. He was so hot and cold. Sometimes fine and then others where he was like this. Just a complete asshat. I got that he had some kind of darkness or whatever, but that was no excuse to take it out on me. I didn’t ask for this, and I didn’t ask to be here.

“There’s no need to be a wanker.” I brushed myself off, hoping that he wouldn’t see how much his actions affected me.

“Wanker?” Rook said with a smirk.

“Yes.” It was a great word and entirely fitting Casimir’s shitty persona.

“I think it suits him,” Nox said as he landed next to me, snapping his wings and then making them completely disappear.

“How do I, you know…” I pointed to my own wings.

Nox adjusted his weapons belts and straightened his long black coat. “Just envisage them not there, and poof. Gone.”

“You know, just because you say it like that, doesn’t automatically make it easy.”

The maniac snorted and came to stand in front of me. “You need to stop overthinking. Magic is instinctual, so use your instincts.”

He flicked my forehead, and I slapped his hand away. “Don’t be an ass.”

I tried to do as he said. I pictured them gone, but I couldn’t make them vanish. They stayed there, heavy and dropping.

My shoulders slumped. “I can’t do it.”

Casimir mumbled something under his breath, probably some swear words, and stomped over to me. He pushed Nox out the way and looked deep into my eyes. His power brushed against me, dark and ancient. Powerful and threatening and I had the urge to look away, unable to withstand the oppressiveness of his power. But I didn’t. I wouldn’t let him have the fucking satisfaction.

“Do you tell you lungs to breathe? your eyes to blink? No, they just do.” He gripped my chin and leant closer. “Your wings are a part of you, an extension of you. Don’t think. Just do.”

Electricity zinged across my skin where his fingers touched my skin and heat pulsed in my core. How could I be so turned on by someone who was a complete dick?

“See,” he said smugly.

What...? I looked over my shoulder and—ah, shit. My wings were gone, and Casimir wasn’t going to let me live it down that he’d been the one to help me, I could tell.