Page 12 of I Am the Night

No.

It can't be.

Pain grips me as Liam continues to hold me, his body hot against mine.

I realize I'm crying and swipe at my eyes, only to find crimson staining my hand. Was I crying blood?

"Eve!" Liam's voice finally penetrates my haze and I feel power from all four brothers pour into me, relieving the pain in my head and in my gut.

I struggle to sit up and find that the world is spinning just a little bit less. "I'm okay," I say.

I look around for the unicorn and find her standing to the side, her face unreadable. "What was that?" I ask her.

"I am still connected to my horn," she says. "And you just saw a vision of where it is right now."

I stand and Liam offers support, but I feel stronger and stronger by the moment. "I have to go," I say.

"We're going home," Liam insists.

"No, you all get the kids home. I have a lead on a possible murder weapon. I'll explain later but I don't have time now."

I look too Callia for guidance. "How do I get there?" I ask her.

She shrugs. "You could always try flying."

My eyes widen in stunned amazement. "Fly? I can fly?"

"Well, you have hovered before,” Elijah says. "That's not how air magic is supposed to work but…"

"That's not howhisair magic works," Callia says. "But you're different. Don't let them limit you. Try it. It's the only way you'll make it there before the suspect gets away."

I nod and focus, calling on my air and light magic. And just like that, I am airborne. I look down at the Night brothers. "I'll meet you back at the castle. Trust me."

I know they'll just argue with me, so I don't wait for their response. I take off flying high and fast, manipulating the winds around my body to give me speed without discomfort. I use my fire magic to warm me and earth magic to stabilize me. For a moment I forget what I saw in the vision. I forget about Lyx dying. About the orphaned children we are bringing home. And I am completely absorbed in the present moment, relishing the freedom and intoxicating wonder of doing something that previously I'd only done in dreams.

I truly can't believe I'm actually flying. Racing through the air like a bird, wind and freedom all around me.

But the flight ends too soon, as I reach the edge of the world, the grove where Kaya's tree lives, and the place where the rider was headed.

I see him now. He's moments from reaching the portal.

I drop down from the sky and land right in front of him. He swerves his horse to avoid knocking me over, and then topples off gracelessly.

He storms over to me, his face a confusing play of emotions when he sees me.

"Eve?"

"Hello, Cole."

There's a lump in my throat as I say his name. The last time we saw each other, I found out he'd been lying to me about everything, and he discovered I was the Fate who ordered his torture. Being this close to him now is almost painful. All the hurt and anger are there, but so is the love, the desire, the passion he ignited in me. He feels achingly familiar and like a stranger all at once. I want to reach out and touch him, to pull him into me, to feel his lips on mine, but he's standing here, trying to flee the Otherworld, with a weapon that could kill a dragon hanging from his hip.

"What are you doing here?" he asks.

"I was just going to ask the same of you."

He shakes his head, clearly confused. "I'm riding a horse."

"Obviously. I mean where are you going?"

---