Page 26 of Glass Wings
Allienna reached her hand out, took a step toward Tristan, and tried to grab his shoulder. She stumbled, her hand falling through the air.
“I said I was real, not that I had a physical body,” Tristan scoffed.
“You know, maybe you’re kind of brat,” Allienna said, picking herself up off the floor, her wings engulfing her like a blanket.
“Maybe I’m a saint,” he said, studying his nails. “Or maybe I’m the devil.”
He looked up at Allienna, baring his teeth in a sadistic smile.
“What, what are you? What is this?”
“Oh, little girl,” Tristan pushed forward. “I’ve told you already. I’ve got a warning for you. You will birth a child and no matter how much you love or protect that child, it will share the same fate as me. It will be claimed by Vrae.”
The image of his mangled, bloodied body appeared on the floor between the both of them.
Allienna screamed, almost stepping on it.
“Allienna?” A deep voice echoed behind her and a burning pulsed through her veins. “Allienna, what’s wrong? Allienna, wake up!”
Allienna woke up, and Arryn stood over her, shaking her shoulders.
“What, what are you doing?” she asked deliriously. “Where’s Tristan?”
“Tristan?” Arryn asked, confused, stepping back from her. “I think you were having a nightmare. You were screaming in your sleep.”
“Oh.” she blinked, taking in the serenity of the temple, the coziness of her large bed.
“It felt so real,” she said, sitting up. “How long have you been gone?”
“Four days,” he said, still looking at her distressed. “What do you need? Can I get you something?”
Allienna kicked her feet to the side of the bed and stood up, her white silk robe hugging her hips and the shape of her breasts. Arryn bit his lip, his eyes pleading, asking.
He caressed her face with his hands, his breath hot against her forehead. She felt the light familiar fire pulsing under her skin. Every time she wanted his pleasure, there was always that unavoidable pain. She had grown to accept it, to crave it, not knowing what receiving truly selfless pleasure felt like.
“I need to leave,” she said, moving her hands and tugging on his earlobe. “Just for a few days. I need to visit Reign.”
Arryn towered over the petite female in front of him while her hands slid down to his chest. He leaned in to kiss her, drinking in her essence. She could feel the life, the happiness her physical touch brought to him, and she did love it at times; she loved taking care of her family.
“I will be here, waiting for you,” he promised, placing his hands on her hips to steer her towards the door. Allienna nodded and turned her back to him, moving towards the backside of the bed where a large chest stood. She grabbed a backless thermal olive dress, gloves, a parka that opened through the back, and earmuffs for comfort.
While changing, she noted that the ripped sheet in her underwear contained no new blood. The ten-day countdown had begun.
Allienna walked to the hallway leading towards the exit into the Earth realm. Arryn met her there, kissing her once more, pressing his hard body against her. She found comfort in bearing his weight, like a heavy blanket that would always keep her safe despite how painful their relationship was for her.
Moments later, her black boots crunched in the snow outside as Arryn closed the latch behind her. She let the fresh air hit her nose and her skin, stinging from the negative temperature. The sun washigh overhead and bright, with the same beautiful blue skies that would appear after the passing of a storm.
Allienna spread out her wings and began to run down the incline of the peak until she gathered so much speed that she began to trip over her feet. Before her body hit the ground, her wings easily caught her in a glide. It had been a while since she went outside, since she flew, and her smile grew wider as she pushed her wings back, propelling her higher into the air until she soared out of sight.
Allienna spent the next forty-five hours soaring sixty miles above land, and while grueling at times, she reveled in this unexpected freedom. She yelped as she spun, slightly deprived of oxygen from the height. She squealed in delight when she dove a mile down so that the jolt would help keep her awake.
The sun and moon circled her. She resisted every urge to continue flying further up to see if she could reach her hands out to them. They were only illusions, representations of the Kinnari creators. This world, all worlds, bowed down to these items that anchored this planet here.
When her eyelids turned dark from the cold and even the forced adrenaline couldn’t keep her going, she knew she was getting close. She began to lower herself, seeing the mass of land that passed beneath her, and focused in on the west coast city that Reign had an odd fondness for.
Allienna landed forty miles outside of downtown Sacramento, on agricultural land hosting hundreds of cows grazing on lifeless grass surrounded by a barbed wire fence. On the other side of that fence was a dark blue luxury SUV, parked on the side of the road. Leaning up against the passenger side door was the petite yet fierce ivory-skinned beauty that she was so grateful to see.
Reign wore large black sunglasses that covered half of her face and matched a short pleather skirt and black tank top. Her hair was styled into two buns, placed a few inches up from her ears.
