Page 6 of Hollyhocks

Wet earth hangs in the air instead. Along with the hint of smoke from a bonfire somewhere in the distance. There’s also rushing water to my left that sounds like a river. I cross my arms over my chest, a chill hanging in the air as I begin walking. I don’t know where I’m headed but staying here in the middle of the woods will kill me.

And I’ve come too fucking far to die now.

It isn’t long before the river becomes louder. My feet squelch in the damp ground with every step, the mud pushing between my toes.

Since I’m alone, I’m left with my own thoughts. There’s a small amount of guilt eating away at me for leaving Purgatory Pins without saying goodbye to the friends I made there. I wouldn’t have survived that place if it weren’t for Lorcan and Trovian showing me the ropes.

It was home but there was a need pushing me to escape. Even now, my heart is being pulled in a direction I don’t understand. This feeling is all-encompassing, though. The powerful emotionoverwhelmed me to leave. I don’t know why and I’m not sure where it will lead me.

This is my chance to start over and own my life. If anyone gets in my way of that, I will kill them and Iwillenjoy it.

I step out of the tree line and stop at the edge of the riverbank. The wind is cool causing goosebumps to arise on my skin. A light mist from the water crashing against the rocks manages to leave a light cold cast over my skin. I stand there for a moment, at peace, dragging my eyes from right to left to enjoy the view.

I’m so used to darkness and death that I had forgotten what it was like to breathe in beauty and life.

The sun isn’t shining. It’s cloudy with the promise of more rain. It’s comforting. I used to love thunderstorms but after being in a room for months by myself, trapped with no windows, the thunder and lightning morphed into a villain for me.

“Where will you take me, River?” I ask the water as I follow it downstream.

I shiver, wishing I would have escaped Purgatory with clothes on, but I would have been unable to use my chameleon abilities to escape. The clothes do not change when I try to adapt to my environment. Only my skin does. It’s inconvenient. It could be worse. I could still be in Purgatory feeding off the desire of random unmated creatures.

I inhale a deep breath and whatever I smell has every new instinct I have on high alert. I spread my wings, groaning as they stretch, and I shake them to release the built-up dirt. I haven’t gotten used to the wings yet. Sometimes, I forget they are there. It was hard to accept so many changes all at once.

I haven’t mastered the art of flying just yet.

The aroma of smoke and fire becomes stronger, but it isn’t what has my beasts growling in my chest. The wave of need is so strong I have to rub the ache in my chest. Whatever the need is, I’ll figure it out to calm the raging monsters living within me.

For now, I’m going to follow the scent of smoke because where there is fire, there is usually a person. That means food, clothes, money, and whatever else I can find.

My morals fucking died the day I did. I don’t care what I have to do to survive. Even if it means killing someone, I will. I’ve endured too much. I can’t live in a world where I look like a damn cosplay character. In order to get ahead, I need money.

I crouch and give myself a small pep talk, “You can do this. You’re in control now.” Taking a deep, shaky breath, I launch myself into the air.

The strong gusts of wind sweep under me, rocking me from side to side. “Oh, shit!” I drop a few feet, the ground too close for comfort, and at the last second, I straighten out my wings.

I miss the rocks beneath me by inches as I curve up into the clouded sky. I smile feeling the wind on my face. Flying brings so much freedom and a sense of peace that not many could ever feel.

I’m soaring over the tall trees, getting a view of the vast mountain ranges. The world seems never-ending from up here. Endless miles of sky that the harpy inside me wants to explore.

I flip to my back, taking a quick glance at the feathers of my wings swaying from the wind. I spread my arms and allow myself to freefall again. I close my eyes, not wanting to see how fast I fall but wanting to feel how fast gravity sucks me into its trap.

As I descend through the sky, the ends of my hair sting my cheeks, and the strands dance in all directions. Most likely becoming a tangled mess, but I don’t care. Nothing is better than this. There isn’t a feeling in the world that could ever compare to the freedom of being in control of my own body and my destiny.

I’m about to spread my wings to fly when images of a man smiling and laughing slam into my mind.

A man I have never seen before.

A complete stranger.

A handsome stranger.

I remember Glasses saying something about being able to see the future due to my harpy DNA. I thought he was speculating or curious, just drawing assumptions about what I could and could not do like he always did.

Another image of this man I’ve never seen before barrels into me and the force of him jolts my eyes open. My heart punches into my sternum from how much I find myself wanting him.

I gasp when another picture of him floods my mind, and this time, he is shirtless. He wipes his forehead with his arm, his body shining in sweat. He is wearing an old stained, backward baseball cap. His muscles flex as he reaches above to tighten a bolt under a car. Those defined, hard-working muscles tighten with every motion, showing off every defined line.

I want him.

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