Page 75 of Memories Like Fangs
“How fucking pathetic!” Lilah rolled her eyes. “You want your Byrdie-pie that badly? Well, you can have her. I was getting bored with her anyway since she doesn’t have much blood left for me to steal.”
“What did you just say?” I shouted. She already knew where we were. There was no reason to stay hidden any longer.
I jumped down from the tree where Everett and I were hiding. He and the others followed behind me as they emerged. “What the fuck do you mean?”
“Oh, I know you heard me, Princess Huntress. You’ll just have to see for yourself, I guess.” She smiled wider, her teeth dazzling. I wanted to knock every single one out and make her swallow them.
I snarled. “Where’s Cooper?”
“Oh, I’m not done with Coopie just yet. He’s still mine. But, I do have something youcanhave. I suppose itisyours, but I wanted to return it properly.”
Amy lifted out of her hand of her own accord. Before I could react, my own dagger flew through the air and straight into my shoulder. Normally, a hunter’s weapon, even their own, was more annoying than painful when it hit us. It was like a bug bite or a paper cut. I wouldn’t have even reacted to it outside of a small stagger backward, usually. But, with Lilah’s magic, I couldn’t help but hiss at the burning sting. It was like salt and lemon juice directly in a knife’s cut. Ithurtlike a fucking bitch.
Which only pissed me off more.
“Karma’s a bitch, ain’t it? Anyway, ta-ta for now! Give Byrdie my loveifshe survives.”
Lilah was swallowed by a column of maroon smoke. And then, she was gone.
I can’t wait to kill that fucking bitch, I thought as I took Amy’s hilt and pulled her out. As my wound healed, a bit slower than usual, my touch seemed to work to purify my dagger. The blood magic evaporated, and Amy was back to normal again. I put the replacement dagger in one of my sheaths, so I could have my girls with me in perfect balance.
“Could this be a trap?” Cody spoke first after the Blood Bitch vanished. “I mean, what should we do? Just believe her?”
“I don’t think she would just give up the whole thing. But something is definitely up. It has to be,” Maisie noted.
“Do you think she just went to Chicago? What should we—Quinn! Wait! It could be dangerous!” Teddy called out after me, but he was far too late. I was already blurring to the barn.
I was tired of talking.
I didn’t give a fuck about what-ifs.
I could feel her inside.
That was all I needed to know.
The bond was fully returning again now that Lilah’s influence was gone, and I felt my girl again. But it was just barely. Her presence on the other side of our connection was weakening. I was losing her even as I felt myself getting closer to her.
And nothing had ever scared me more.
I reached the barn doors and found they were locked. I knew Cody had a key behind me, but I could feel that Byrd didn’t have the seconds it would take him to get here. So, I shouldered my way inside, busting the door open with just two hits.
And there she was.
Byrd was suspended by a hook, but it looked to be the only thing keeping her standing. Her wrists and ankles were bound together with rope, with her wrists being attached to the hook above her. She was still half-shifted, but her wings were limp behind her, her tail draped lifeless on the ground beneath her. Fuck, her skin and scales were so pale and devoid of their usual sparkle that my heart plummeted and I wasn’t sure it would return. Her lips were chapped and a sickly gray-blue. There were dark bags under her eyes, and it was horrifyingly clear that she had lost some weight from this whole ordeal. Her body was littered with wounds, including ones on her stomach and shoulder that refused to heal and were still bleeding. The opalescent sheen of her blood seemed so dull now, almost too human for comfort. The air was heavy with the stinging odor of blood, illness, and magic. Her eyes were closed, like she was resting. Yet, I could hear her breathing beginning to rattle from her slightly parted lips.
Fucking shit, no.
As soon as I entered, I didn’t hesitate or wait for the others. I used Amy to cut her down, and I caught her in my arms. As I leaned her down onto the floor with her head leaning against my shoulder and back against my chest, she started to stir.
“My hero…” She rasped, her voice barely a whisper.
“Shh, it’s okay, Sweetness. I’m here now. Save your strength. You’re safe.” I got to work cutting her wrist and ankle restraints.
“Mhmm,” Byrd said, her eyes fluttering. “I… I didn’t want you… to see me… tied up exactly like this…”
I chuckled. “Don’t worry, I have more fun ways to tie you up, baby girl.”
“Always the flirt.” She smiled weakly.
