Page 85 of Glass Wings
Amis sighed in obvious annoyance and walked out of the closet right as Sheng pressed his body to Hadley’s, her nose to his neck. She inhaled, incredibly scared, yet a need filled her body. She was not hypnotized or drugged, whatever it was that his bite did to her. She had been, for all intents and purposes, kidnapped. She was not here because she wanted to be.
Run. Run. Your shackle is off.
Sheng ran his fingers down the side of her other wing, and the river inside her found its twin. She put her hands against him, one laying flat on his chest with the other on the back of his neck. Their lips were inches apart, and she could feel his cool breath against her cheek. His body pushed up against her, hard and solid with every inhale, leaving her feeling exposed and naked when he released his breath.
What is wrong with you? He is a monster. He is a monster.
Sheng’s hand moved to her jaw, his thumb pulling down her lip.
“Good girl. Very good girl,” he said, letting his thumb slide down until her lip bounced back into place.
Fuck it.
Hadley pushed against him, reaching up on her toes to draw her lips on his. He pulled back, her heart dropping at the rejection. She looked into his eyes, the hurt evident in hers, and he smiled emphatically.
“You need some time to heal, my bride. We need to take care of that mind of yours after the trauma you just went through.” He picked up her hand and kissed it, leaving Hadley feeling out of control as a strange anxiety began to pool.
“What trauma?” she asked, confused.
This is a trick. Get out of here. Get away from him.
“I just want you,” she continued, ignoring her inner voice and raising her lips towards him.
Sheng stepped back, his face apologetic.
“Hadley, I need you to listen. You come from a bloodline known as Kinnari. You are not human. I come from a bloodline known as Vrae. Our bloodlines are enemies, with the Vrae’s only purpose being to consume Kinnari blood, balancing the magic and power they bring to this realm.”
Hadley stared at Sheng, blinking slowly and shaking her head in disbelief.
“Am I in danger here?” she asked.
Sheng did not answer. He did not shake his head. He simply closed the distance between the two of them faster than Hadley could process and bit into her neck, his teeth extending into thick needles before digging into her flesh.
The only sound was that of Sheng’s slow patient gulps while the weight of her new wings pulled her down into a backbend. She was aware of so much, and felt the emotional pain from Sheng pooling into her. The pain started to subside after several minutes as Hadley’s body numbed and heated.
Don’t let this fool you. What you are feeling isn’t real.
Hadley relaxed, feeling safe and held and loved. She felt like she was home, like she had a family. She felt once more like she was in love.
With her eyes closing, Hadley drifted off to sleep, putting the madness of the past few days behind her while she lay in Sheng’s arms.
The sound of organized chanting awoke her. She kept her eyes closed, not ready for the world and certainly not ready for more chaos moving forward. This was all too much. How much more pain and torture could she take in her life?
“I’m not strong enough,” Hadley told herself.
You must fight.
Her inner voice answered her. Hadley pushed it away, holding her eyes shut with even more intent. The chanting of those surrounding her started to get audibly louder, giving her something else to focus on.
“Emeshu anšar. Sha-ush bar
Emeshu anšar. Sha-ush bar
Emeshu anšar. Sha-ush bar
Emeshu anšar. Sha-ush bar.”
Wake up.
