Bittersweet (Book #1 Evening Wings Trilogy)

Chapter 10

10

When I reached the bordering line of the forest, I stopped flying, exhausted from using my large wings to propel me into the sky. I landed on my feet, Madeleine’s jeans adorning my bottom half, and boots still on my feet.

Brambles and broken twigs had caught in my curls, which were damp from a bit of fallen snow, but other than that, I was fine. Just tired.

I paused at the break between the forest and the moonlight washed road, panting heavily, I stopped to catch my breath.

I was preparing for flight again when a car, an Audi, roared off the road and onto the snowy side of the road. Its cat lights flashed red in the darkness and mist swirled around in the scarlet light cast by the backlights, and I backed into the forest shadows, fearing discovery.

I was surprised when Lorelei got out of the car, followed my Madeleine and Francoise. I cringed as the rage fueled through me. I wanted them to leave me alone.

Lorelei carefully walked up to me, cautious steps, as if she was trying to not to frighten me. This was okay, if she considered that I was already afraid.

“Elizabeth,” she called. “Don’t run, alright?”

I didn’t utter a response. I didn’t move a muscle.

Go away, I thought in my head.

Lorelei came forward anyway and tossed me something. A shirt.

“Put that on.” She ordered. Madeleine shot her a look and gripped Francoise’s hand tightly in hers.

I considered it, and then I did as she asked and put on the shirt. Another one of Madeleine’s relics. It was teeming with her intoxicating scent.

Lorelei wasted no time now. She threw her arms around my shoulders and dragged me to the car where she climbed in first. I wondered why she did that, but as I slid into the expensive leather seats, I realized why. And then I got out of the car, and backed up into the road, in the direct wash of the milky moonlight.

Xander was sitting on the opposite side of Lorelei, and even though she was a partial obstruction, it didn’t eliminate the minor fact that he was in the car.

I heard Lorelei sigh and I saw her fold her arms over her lap through the open door. Xander was out of the car in less than a second, and he strode up to me. I broke into a sprint. He had done his deed and Zaria’s dream had predicted correctly. I was dead.

I jumped over fallen tree trunks, took shortcuts through the branches of the night darkened trees, darted under leafless shrubs and over snow and crunchy dead leaves. But he was too fast for me. Xander landed in front of me, and I almost smacked into him.

I tried his sides but he blocked my path, and held my shoulders tightly in his hands. I leaned away from him in fear as he glared at me, his face—the one I had sketched so many times without flaw—wrought with anger.

Then it softened and he looked at me as he had done on the night of the comet dance. It almost made me want to run into his arms, but I was too smart for that.

“Let me go,” I hissed angrily.

“No, let me—” but I was already struggling to get out of his grasp, with no visible success.

I glared at him and red fury tinted my gaze. Shimmers sparkled in the atmosphere and I began to feel light headed. I fought my incoherency as I felt the nature around me. It was nothing but winter-ridden shrubs with no leaves. The trees appeared to be in dormancy and the squirrels were fast asleep in their burrows, hugging their acorns as they dreamed of more acorns and the scent of spring.