Page 99 of Glass Wings
“Oh, that’s an easy one,” Sheng chuckled. “Twenty or so years ago, a Kinnari went intoMrilyosis,begging to make a deal with the Sun. Ayurveda must have agreed, must have given her the ability to get pregnant, and ended in some kind of exchange for her immortality. A Kinnari truly dead, for the first time . . . who could have believed it?” Sheng paced back and forth, rhythmically beating his hands together.
“What motivation would the Goddess have for such an exchange?” he continued, “To alter another god’s creation in such a dramatic way? She’s declaring war against us, the gods, the Life Gifter, the universe.”
Djoser’s eyes fell on the girl, who shifted uncomfortably and blinked back tears.
Reign also noticed and walked right up to her, flinging her arms around the girl’s middle.
“Is this true?” Arryn asked, his eyes on his daughter.
“Allienna, your mother, won’t ever come back?”
The girl gently pushed Reign off of her and looked up at Arryn, meeting his eyes. She contemplated her next move, her answer to him before giving it, but not before her eyes turned angry and dark.
Djoser noticed her eyes flicker around the room, as if she was following someone he couldn’t see. It was just a small moment, almost unnoticeable, but her chin bobbed down before meeting Arryn’s eyes again.
“My name is Hadley,” she spoke so quietly, scornfully.
Suddenly, Djoser felt like he’d been hit by a tank, slipping out of consciousness as he toppled down to the floor..
29
Hadley | Sacramento, California | Early 2000s
Being surroundedby a magical family that wanted to take her home seemed like a cruel joke.
The possession of the chemical bond from her forced blood donation seemed to be taking a stronger hold on her every time she was fed. The mention of leaving the monster that stood proudly beside her made her skin crawl and made her feel even more in danger than staying.
That little voice in her brain did everything it could to make its presence known to her, clawing through the addiction her body now craved, caused by Sheng’s pointy, white fangs.
There was an odd comfort in him, she had to admit, she now knew what she would get from him. He was very true to his word.
Hadley stared ahead of her, taking in the site of the larger-than-life blond man, her supposed father. He seemed so cold, so disinterested in her. It wasn’t a shock. She felt no sadness over it.
Next to him stood Reign, now a child, after being brutally murdered in front of her. She had grieved for this person who had shown her kindness, who tried to help her during this point in her life where she felt no other option to sell her body.
Hadley’s fingers curled into fists, thinking about it more. This kind soul had been a part of her family in some way, yet she stood by, letting things escalate. Sure, she returned to save her, but she shouldn’t have let her go after their day together at the mall.
Then there was this other guy she had never seen—dark, muscular, and obviously deadly. No one bothered to introduce him, though she noticed his fingers, the dark shadowy ash that seemed to cling in the air around him.
Her options were to go with this group, this group that had abandoned her when she was the most alone and afraid, or to stay and have demon babies. She oddly felt safer with Sheng at this moment, but after Reign hugged her, she noticed movement behind the newcomers.
It was her shadow self.
The feminine figure seemed to dance, carefree, behind the newcomers, trying to get her attention. A playful smile hinted at her cheeks while her hair flowed behind her as she twirled and skipped.
Hadley did her best not to pull attention to the figure, not letting her eyes settle on her. It was difficult to act like no one was there, especially since Hadley seemed to know what her shadow self was doing. She was asking for permission and waiting for a command.
Hadley stared at the family before her and glanced at Sheng beside her. Everyone here needed something from her, but she finally realized she didn’t need anything. She didn’t need anyone. She had herself.
“My name is Hadley,” she said to her father, who didn’t bother to care or ask while she gave her approval, a slight nod to her shadow self.
Do what we must.
Her brain pushed and carved to escape from the chemical hypnotism.She was strong, and she was ready for whatever happened. This was the day she learned she could take care of herself.
Her shadow self glided with utter delight as it plunged into the unfamiliar man, disappearing inside of him. He moved as if standing in the middle of an earthquake, trembling and trying to keep his balance. Hadley saw his eyes change, and, just for a second, he saw a look of despair.
As quickly as it jumped into him, her shadow jumped out and slammed into Reign, then Hadley’s father. Each of them had a similar reaction, with Reign the most dramatic, pulling her legs into her chest and rocking back and forth on the floor.
