Page 121 of Unraveled
“You can’t kill me,” she hisses, and blood sprays from her shaking lips.
“You were always so bright and cunning, Skye. And you’re right, but while I can’t kill you, I can punish you.” Ash stops right beside her, and the room falls silent as the wolf spirit stalks over to them, her aura filling the space with indigos and purples. A growl shakes the glass of the dome ceiling.
“Naheli, is another story, and I’m afraid you’ve made herfurious.”
I want to look away as Naheli’s power engulfs Morla. But I force myself to be present, to watch what happens when one lets darkness take over. She screams and her face shifts into the faces of many people. Old and young. A shape-shifter like I’ve never seen before, and likely, never will see again.
Her breaths slow as Naheli becomes the sky inside the machine room. Wind blows my hair over my face, and the glass cracks above us. Only when the screaming stops do I open my eyes again and focus on Nera, who stirs at my feet.
I press a hand to her feverish cheek, and notice for the first time, my skin is no longer black. I inspect my hand, my arm, mychest, and find there’s only a small black dot in the center of my palm. A big part of my curse disappeared when Morla died.
When I look inside myself, and at the power that makes me, I find a trace of that darkness, what I wove into my core so I could use its power.
And that black slimy monster will forever be a part of me, like the memories of this night.
“Mia?” Nera’s voice is soft, and it pulls me out of my thoughts.
“You’re safe,” I say.
“No, I’m not.” Nera swallows, her eyes wide in panic as she stares at the dome above us. “He’s coming for me.”
“He’s dead. Skylar is dead.” I comb her hair back in a soothing motion that used to calm Irene when we were young.
Thinking of my sister makes the knot in my throat reappear, and I know I can’t speak again. Not for a while.
Ash rushes through thick plumes of smoke, and Naheli remains behind, near Morla’s body where she’s pinned to the metal wall with ropes of gold.
I sprint to meet him, and his arms wrap around me in a tight embrace. His heart thunders under my ear.
“Mia.” He pulls back, reaching for my hand as his eyes search every inch of my bruised skin. From the top of my head, down my arms, and pausing to inspect every finger.
He visibly relaxes, some of the tension in his face and shoulders melting away. “I thought the curse had taken most of your skin.”
“I pulled it apart, and I used it to wield a stronger kind of magic.” I look down at my palm and the black dot that remains. “I’m afraid I’ve accidentally woven it into myself. The good news is, Naheli told me it doesn’t want to kill me.”
“That ungrateful wolf.” Ash wraps his hand around the back of my neck and brings me close again. “Of course she told you that and not me, the fae she’s bound to.”
“What now?” I meet Ash’s gaze, ignoring the surrounding destruction. I wonder if he expects more trouble, though I doubt it, not with him and Naheli on the loose.
“We go home...” He hesitates, and his expression sours. “That is, if you don’t want to remain here, in Penumbra.”
I blink. “Why would I want to do that?”
“Well you were keen before, and we made a deal. You’re free. If you stay, I won’t come back for you.” He lifts my hand and brushes his lips over my knuckles. “But I beg you to come with me.”
I smile and know what Morla said back in the cave is true. He loves me. Against all odds, the king who was forced to hate the hybrids fell for one, as I did for him. And so, when our prejudices about and anger at each other grew into pure, genuine feelings, his curse was broken.
“This isn’t my home. You are.”
Ash pulls me to him, and his soft lips devour mine with an all-consuming kiss. He presses his forehead to mine, interlacing our fingers.
I don’t know what we’ll find in the castle. Whether Finley will be there, or Irene. Whether the lunargyres are now fae, who will want to try to return to Eponde to resume their lives in a broken city.
Ash looks over his shoulder at the spirit who takes up most of the space with waves of darkness and starlight. “We have to make one last stop at the library to collect my possessions, then we can go home.”
Chapter 41
Sunrays kissthe top of the forest as we glide closer to Aphelion. The rain clouds and heavy mist have parted somewhat, leaving the castle visible where it stands tall behind the conifer trees. The light gray stone and dark wood accents hazed by the distance are beautiful in the morning light.
