Page 6 of Mirror of Vanity

Damian’s gaze softened slightly. “Thanks for the endorsement, fang. Maci’s damn right to be scared because she’s not dealing with any old group of hunters. She’s up against people who’ve got nothing left to lose and everything to fight for. That’s us. So let’s use that. Let’s turn her fear against her.”

His exuberant confidence failed to boost mine. He hadn’t seen the hatred and determination in her dark eyes. They were almost black.

Lisa gave me a sympathetic look, but she didn’t say a word.

The captain turned on the seatbelt sign, and the stewardess headed over to us as if she were the playground monitor, ready to scold us again. As Damon and Lisa took their seats, the stewardess slowed and checked the other passengers.

I settled into my seat again, trying not to worry like a nervous, expectant mother, but the dream gripped me like a second skin.

Justice patted my thigh. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I managed, my voice sounding unconvincing even to my own ears.

Lightning flashed outside the window, bathing the plane’s wings in an eerie white glow, followed by a low rumble of thunder that seemed to vibrate through the cabin. The plane jostled again, and I gasped, my heart leaping into my throat.

Around me, a few passengers murmured nervously, their eyes wide with concern. I couldn’t shake the feeling that Maci had something to do with the sudden storm, a manifestation of her dark power reaching out to torment me again.

“You’re safe,” Justice murmured.

I frowned and glanced at him. “What?”

His eyes were intense. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Thunder crashed outside, and I jumped.

He glanced out my window and clutched my shaking hand as rain pelted against the window. “Or even a little lightning.” He draped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close.

I should have pulled back, but he was warm and strong and smelled so damn good. My heart raced at his proximity, and I leaned into his touch, craving the comfort and security he offered.

For the rest of the trip, I didn’t have any more bad dreams, nor did anything happen on the plane. Justice had become a shield against the dark forces threatening to tear me and the people I loved apart.

The captain announced we were approaching Edinburgh International Airport, and a sense of relief settled over me, my tense muscles slowly unwinding. We were here, and Maci hadn’t cut open the plane like a can opener or had her demons rip us to shreds. Yet, as I allowed myself this brief moment of respite, I knew our journey was far from over.

The real battle was only beginning, and I couldn’t shake the feeling Maci’s nightmare realm was closer than ever, waiting for us in the misty streets of Edinburgh.

Justice removed his arm from around my shoulders, and I immediately missed his warmth, the sense of safety and comfort his touch provided.

“Are you ready for what lies ahead?” His eyes searched mine for any sign of hesitation or fear.

I drew a deep breath, squaring my shoulders and meeting his gaze with a determined nod. “As ready as I’ll ever be. We’ve come too far to turn back now.”

“You won’t be alone, and I won’t let anything happen to you.” Justice’s quiet conviction made me want to believe him.

I turned away and stared out the window to get my first glimpse of Scotland, my heart racing with anticipation and trepidation.

As the plane descended through the early morning mist, the rugged Scottish Highlands emerged from the swirling clouds, a vast expanse of untamed wilderness stretching out before us. The landscape was a patchwork of deep valleys, craggy peaks, and sprawling moors, each feature sculpted by centuries of wind, rain, and ice.

The mist clung to the hillsides like a ghostly shroud, obscuring ancient ruins and hidden glens beneath its veil. It was a land steeped in history and legend, where every stone seemed to whisper tales of brave warriors, tragic love stories, and supernatural beings that roamed the wild, untamed reaches.

As we drew closer to the earth, I noticed the glint of lochs nestled among the hills, their still, dark water mirroring the leaden sky above. Thick forests of pine and oak hugged the shorelines, their branches reaching out like gnarled fingers as if trying to grasp the secrets of the past.

“Every time I come here, Scotland is shrouded with mystery and danger. Just once, I’d like to come here without the weight of the world on my shoulders,” Justice murmured, his gaze distant and shoulders slumping as if bearing an invisible burden.

I wanted to place my hand on his arm, offering a silent gesture of support and understanding, but I wasn’t ready to share the secrets of my heart. Not yet. I promised myself that if we got through this together, we would return and pretend hunters, demons, dragons, and even vampires didn’t exist. I’d make him forget his troubles any way I could.

I shifted my thoughts to the landscape spread out before me. Its haunting, almost otherworldly beauty took my breath away, but beneath its serene exterior, I sensed an undercurrent of danger and mystery. In the Scottish Highlands, the boundary between the natural and the supernatural seemed to blur.

As the plane banked to the left, something red and black caught my eye, a fleeting shape that vanished into the mist as quickly as it had appeared. Right on schedule, my rose tattoo started to burn as if to warn me. Danger, danger. I blinked, my heart racing as I pressed my face closer to the window, trying to catch another glimpse of the phantom figure. I wasn’t sure if it was real or a trick of my imagination, but I swore it had been a dragon, its leathery wings spread wide as it soared through the clouds.

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