Page 96 of Crimson Shadows
The first Strix dives, its wings cutting through the air like a blade. I duck instinctively, feeling the rush of air as it passes over me, so close I can feel the wind from its wings. For a moment, I think I’m done for. But then Zephyr is there in an instant, a dark blur of motion.
His hands, tipped with black claws, lash out, catching the Strix mid-flight, suspended with magick. With a brutal twist of his hands, he tears the creature in two, its screech of pain cut short as its body hits the ground with a wet thud.
But there’s no time to take in the horror of the gruesome sight. More Strix are coming, always more. They’re all around us like a plague, their cries filling the air like a chorus of the damned.
Zephyr moves like a dancer, his body a lethal weapon. He tears through the Strix, trying to get to me with a savagery that is beautiful and horrifying. Blood rains down, painting the ground in dark, glistening patterns. Feathers and flesh fly in all directions, the air thick with the coppery scent of blood and the acrid tang of fear.
Then, a flash of fire.
Ignatius has joined the fight.
“Get her inside!”
Zephyr’s yell falls on deaf ears. There is too much action, violence and screeching for anyone to hear.
Get inside.
The voice resonates in my mind.
Move, princess, before there is nothing left of you for me to claim.
“Zephyr?”
Distracted, a sharp pain tears through my shoulder as a Strix sinks its talons into my flesh. I cry out, stumbling back, my vision swimming with pain. The Strix presses its advantage, its beak snapping mere inches from my face. I can see the hunger in its eyes, the promise of death.
Zephyr dives in my direction, his roar of fury shaking the ground underneath us. His eyes are fully silver now, black veins running under his pale skin. He tears the Strix away from me, his claws sinking deep into its flesh. With a brutal wrench, he rips the creature apart with magick, its body nothing but a bloody heap when he’s done. In shock, I place my hand on my shoulder, but the wound has healed already.
He turns back to the oncoming horde. He is a force of nature, a god of war. He tears through the Strix like a whirlwind, his magick rending flesh and bone with ease. Blood sprays in all directions, the ground is soaked.
“Run!” Zephyr shouts at me. “Get inside, for fuck’s sake!”
I hesitate for a split second, not wanting to leave him. The thought of abandoning him to face this horde alone tears at me. But I know I’m only a distraction, a liability in this fight. As much as I hate it, the best thing I can do for everyone right now is to get out of the way.
I turn and run, my feet pounding against the ground. The campus has become a battleground. Students and staff are fleeing in all directions, some fighting back against the Strix with whatever weapons or powers they have at hand.
But it’s chaos, pure and simple.
I don’t get far. A shadow passes over me, more significant and darker than the others. Before I can react, before I can even think to dodge, I’m lifted off my feet. Talons dig into my arms, enough to break my skin, making me bleed. The pain is sharp, immediate, and I cry out.
I scream, kicking and thrashing with all my might, but it’s no use. The Strix is too strong, its grip unbreakable. It’s carrying me away, higher and higher, into the sky. The ground falls away beneath me at a terrifying rate.
I crane my neck, trying desperately to see Zephyr and Ignatius. They’re still fighting with Zaiah and other creatures I don’t know. They’re getting smaller, more distant with each beat of the Strix’s wings. The distance between us grows with every second, and with it, my hope of rescue.
“Zephyr!” I scream his name, pouring all my fear and desperation into that one word. But my voice is lost in the wind, swallowed up by the vast expanse of sky around me.
The ground below becomes a patchwork of green and grey as we soar over the forest. My stomach lurches at the height, a dizzying vertigo that makes me squeeze my eyes shut. I’ve never been afraid of heights before, but this is something else entirely.
This can’t be happening.It feels like a nightmare, but the pain in my arms, the wind whipping through my hair - it’s alltoo real. What do they want with me? Where are they taking me? The questions swirl in my mind, each more terrifying than the last.
I try to think, to come up with some plan of escape. But what can I do? I’m powerless, defenceless, suspended hundreds of feet in the air, with no way down except a fatal fall. I’m a Vesper, this supposed wonder of the supernatural world, but I have nothing defensive in my arsenal. Everything I have is passive.
That you know of.
“Not helping,” I grit out loud, trying to find courage instead of fear. But it’s not easy.
The wind whips through my hair, the growing fog hitting my face, chilling me to the bone. I shiver, from cold and fear. The Strix’s grip on my arms is relentless. They’ve gone numb from the talons digging into my flesh deep enough to reach bone.
The reality of my situation hits me like a punch to the gut. I’m alone. Truly alone. Just like always.
