Page 83 of Cursed Dawn

I wanted to give him the middle finger and sayI told you so,but darkness swallowed me before I could even twitch my fingertip.

It wasn't a cold, biting darkness like Cronus's. Wasn't cruel and bloodthirsty like Locke's. Wasn't even cool and velvety like Wane's. This was soft and careful. The darkness embraced me like a mother holding their newborn child, promising only comfort, only safety.

Only peace.

CHAPTER34

EMLYN

Where the fuck was I supposed to leave Verena? There was nowhere safe on this mountain for a thirteen year old, and the responsibility of her safety weighed on my chest until my breaths thinned. My mate bond was going insane, panic and pain and endless fear coming from Haley. I needed to be with her right fuckingnow,but I couldn't leave Verena alone.

I certainly couldn't lead her back to Olympus, where Cronus would either trample her or devour her. But the only shelter on this side of the mountain was a forest, the trees thick and tall and endless. No structures, no buildings. I couldn't leave a child alone in the forest.

"I'll be fine," she bit out for the ninth time, her hands curled into fists at her sides and her face pink behind her freckles, her nostrils flared. "Just leave me here, I can find my own way."

"No," I argued, each of my replies growing sharper, deeper. "I'm not leaving you alone when there are maniac gods and titans running around." When she opened her mouth again, arms crossed over her ashen band shirt, I snapped, "I saidno,Verena. Stop asking me to leave you to your death. It's not happening."

She began to argue again, but I shot her a sharp look, my next step so forceful that I snapped a twig in half.

"I don't need your help," she muttered under her breath, aiming a sideways glare at me. "I'm fine on my own."

"Verena—" I began, but when she spun suddenly to her right, a gleam of light flickering at her fingertips, I cut off the lecture and immediately followed her. I didn't have a knife, but I sank deep inside myself to the place my shifting magic lived, one touch away from taking my bird form.

I nudged Verena behind me, scanning the dense tree trunks and the canopy high above. Whatever wildlife lived in this forest had been silent long before we entered, but it felt even more still now, like even the leaves on the trees had frozen.

There were no sounds to suggest something was out of place, but I opened up all my senses and—fuck, there were demons all around us. Alphas judging by the size and power of them. I straightened to my full height, my pulse thrumming fast and so forceful I felt it even in the tips of my fingers. I'd fought alphas for a hundred years, had killed many of them, but I’d almost been killed myself too many times. Did Wynvail make sure I survived? Were the fights ever really fair?

How long would I last against fifty alphas? Especially when I had a clear weakness to exploit—Verena. I needed to keep her safe. I’d promised my mate I would, and I didn't break promises.

"What is it?" she whispered behind me.

"Alphas," I replied quietly, scanning the trees for movement. "A lot of them."

"I can fight," she insisted, not for the first time. It pissed me off that she mighthaveto fight. She was a kid; the only thing she should have been fighting was acne.

"How well? Where did you train?"

"Uh. In the yard of my second foster home?"

Shit. No training then.

"I don't have a knife for you," I murmured, keeping my eyes on the tree trunks, knowing we were surrounded. Cold trickled down my arms, warning death was near.

"I'll be fine," she bit out, but her breathing accelerated and she edged closer to me.

"I know you will," I agreed with full confidence, not letting her hear even a flicker of my panic. "Because I'll make sure of it."

Leaves rustled and I spun, a deep growl of warning vibrating my throat when my stare latched onto the massive, dark-haired man that stormed out of the trees. I didn't recognise him from the Alphaven fighting pit, but that didn't stop me charging forward with a roar, yanking hard on my shifting magic until feathers tore through my skin, my bones shifted, and my wings became blood red, tipped with black.

Now, I had talons and a deadly beak, and I dove right for the big alpha, ripping open a vicious wound on his chest. He came at me with a snarl, and relief crushed my chest.

Good, focus on me. Don't even look at the kid.

He was faster than I’d accounted for. Shit. My screech rent the air when claws raked across my underbelly, blood soaking through my wings until hot pain pulsed. But Haley’s fear was still cutting off my air, and I needed to get Verena to safety and return to my mate.

I angled my wings to carry me back to the alpha, scanning the forest as more alphas poured out of the darkness of tree trunks.

Climb,I tried to yell at Verena, but all that emerged was a throaty screech.

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