Page 35 of Unraveled
With bated breath, I do my best to track Ash’s maneuvers. A blur of flowing, intricate movements as he avoids the marble beast’s attacks with impressive precision.
He weaves around her lunges, his own strikes aimed to slow her down but not kill. I press my lips together and edge along the wall toward the door. My heart drums in my ears.
What if I leave and he dies while saving me? It’s his fault I’m here—and I hate him. I shift toward the door with more purpose, but my muscles clamp down, refusing to move.
I don’t care. But the words don’t sound true, even in my head.
“Stop.” His breathy voice echoes in the room, breaking through the loud growling of the white beast. My feet obey, even though I’m not sure if he’s talking to me or her. What did he call her? Nera?
Each time Ash’s fists connect with the marble beast’s body, a harsh clack reverberates in the chamber, mixing with the rasp of his labored breathing. I look through the rubbish on the ground around me, trying to find something to use as a weapon to help him. Ash isn’t using his magic like he did with the other beasts. He seems slower. Like he isn’t giving this fight his all. Like... he doesn’t want to hurt her.
Ash tackles her to the ground, drawing my eyes even as I crouch and pull at one of the desk’s legs. The wood groans as I yank and twist to remove it from the fragments of the old desk. It’s heavy, and just what I need.
Ash hisses in pain and grips the beast by the shoulders, pushing her away from his body as she continues to struggle inside the cage of his arms.
“Fuck, Nera. Come back to me.” His voice holds an edge of panic as the lunargyre snarls at him. She’s rabid. Whatever he’s trying to see in her face is gone.
The white beast pushes him back, tearing one of her hands from him, and her sculpted wings unfurl, even crushed under both her weight and his. She lets out a bone chilling screech before her already-sharp claws elongate slowly.
Even in the dim light, her red irises burn bright with hate. She pushes him off, and leaps onto him with the same speed as before, but now golden magic trails her movements, so similar to Ash’s that I’m taken aback.
A guttural roar tears from Ash’s throat when her pointed nails dig into his chest, piercing past black feathers and coming out bright gold.
Blood?
A scream shakes the room, louder than theirs combined. It takes me a moment to realize it’s me. I’m the one who’s screaming. I don’t pause to analyze why my skin feels cold and clammy. Why my mind detaches from my body as I jump over the fallen desk, carrying the desk’s leg like it weighs nothing. Why I swing it at the white beast, power singing through my veins. Why I can’t see anything in the moment before it makes contact with her face, before she even looks at me.
Crack.
My weapon hits her chin, hard, and her eyes roll to the back of her head. The stone in my necklace shines brightly against her skin. Glowing faster and faster, matching her heartbeats—or my own. I can’t be sure.
Swirls of my power wrap around her like ropes right before she hits the ground.
My vision sharpens on Ash as he clutches his chest and gasps for air.
I let the shattered wooden leg fall to the ground. He’s staring up at me from the floor with those beautiful pools of gold he has for eyes.
I kneel by him, pressing my hand tightly over his, staving off the flow of blood that stains his pale fingers. Pale, because right now they aren’t covered by feathers or claws.
I don’t know why I’m so scared. “Tell me what to do.”
He swallows and slowly sits up, groaning in pain. His lips have turned a pale shade of mauve, and he looks sickly, unlike the days before. He stares over my shoulder, where the white beast lies, still struggling with the magical bindings that I put around her.
“Go to my—room. Mia.” He points to the door with gold-stained fingers. I never knew the fae bleed gold. “It’s not safe here.”
I open my lips to tell him I won’t be leaving him here to get carved up by that beast. His words register in my mind, and the whys become heavier.
Too many questions, and too few answers.
I clear my throat but keep my distance from him. “She has my amulet,” I say, glancing at the white beast pointedly.
Ash stills. “Ah—you tied her down?”
I shrug, because frankly I don’t know what the fuck I did, but I won’t let him know that. “You need help. Perhaps Finley can?—”
“He’s not here.” His throat bobs and he moves to stand.
I knew Finley isn’t here, and was wondering where he keeps his medical supplies, but I couldn’t tell Ash how I learned that without getting Morgana in trouble.
