Page 11 of Unraveled
He stumbles back with a flutter of wings that gets lost in the night, barely catching himself before he spirals down. He shifts his attention from the veil to me, breathing with difficulty, though what the spell did to him is... unclear. All I know is what I felt from the magic itself.
It was meant to consume all his energy. To drown him in a deep sleep. But the beast is awake. And angry.
“Run!” Irene shouts in the distance. And I want to, but I’m paralyzed, like I’m under a strange enchantment.
The beast charges at me. His golden power trailing him like fairy dust. Lead weighs my arms as I slowly lift them to grasp my necklace. A burst of furious energy rushes through me when I wrap my fingers around the red stone, vanishing whatever spell nearly froze me. I regain the function of my limbs little by little until I’m able to sprint toward the stairs.
A shot rings out, but I don’t turn back. The air burns in my throat as I push my body to move faster and try to recall any other spells from the book. None come to mind as another shot echoes off the stone walls around me. The beating of his wingssends debris flying across the floor, and the warm air from his body sinks through the layers of my clothes. Tendrils of magic raise the hair on the back of my neck like static. I scream when the fingerlike threads grip my shoulders, extending down my back, slowing me.
More shots, desperate now, but the beast is still behind me. He growls, and my blood turns to ice.
He doesn’t sound like a normal beast—at least not any I’ve heard before.
I’ve never excelled at wielding fire, but it’s the only spell that comes to mind. Ready to attack as the smoke dissipates, I turn around. He’s close enough I can see his eyes, gleaming like they’re made of liquid gold.
Every thought I had vanishes, and I’m left balancing on a precipice of emotions I can’t place.
His face resembles a human, with pale skin framed by black hair that turns into feathers trailing down his neck, and growing longer over his broad shoulders and the expanse of his massive wings.
He reaches toward me, and the dim light catches the tips of his pointed claws.
Bang, bang.
When has a beast looked so human before? My subconscious mind knows the answer even before I can fully accept it. For I know deep within myself.
Something inside my chest tears free, leaving behind a hollow sensation that spreads like a disease, and magic freezes my movements.
Another shot booms, and this time, the bullet grazes his arm.
The beast flinches, glaring across the distance to where Irene is running toward us. I can’t warn her off. He moves so fast it doesn’t matter. A spell of his own bursts out of his hand as he points at my sister. So fast, I don’t know if she can escape it.
I yell so loud it tears at my vocal cords until they give out. The beast is six feet away from me, like no bullet hurt him. He shows no pain, no remorse. Just red, unabashed anger.
His teeth are long and sharp as he snarls at me, his arms outstretched.
My energy is depleted and I can’t cast another spell to defend myself. And I know one thing for certain.
He is going to kill me.
Chapter 5
The beast’smagic wraps me in a cocoon. Like a bird of prey, he cuts through the air, reaching for me with the sharp talons that must serve for his hands. His arms coil around my body, and he plucks me from the rooftop as if I’m weightless.
“L-let me go!” My tongue feels thick from his magic, the words coming out slow and slurred.
Bullets cut through the sky, and the beast swoops over the edge of the building, his wings tucked close. We plummet through the air, hugging the outside wall.
I can barely breathe.
The cold bites my skin, leaving it numb, as the cobblestone gets closer and closer. I can’t hold on to anything, but my muscles tense as I prepare for impact.
Fuck. I’m going to die on the same street my father did.
The beast spreads his wings, and my body jolts as we level out to soar through the air, only ten feet away from the road below.
“Stop screaming,” he says sharply.
My heart lurches to my ears, and I stare at him, unblinking. Since when can beasts speak?
