Page 47 of Vayn

“Idiot,” the guard shouted. “Blast his ass with angel fire.”

Charm continued smiling, baring his fangs. I looked at Beastie and nodded to Destiny. He hopped up, landing on her thighs before scooting down to her stomach and burying himself between her and myself.

“Fire!” A guard shouted.

After that, everything happened fast, yet it felt like time was moving in slow motion. The ground shook as the cannon was fired. Charm disappeared in a dark cloud, returning to me as I faced the wall, shielding Destiny from the falling debris. I felt the air from outside entering the room. I turned and sprinted toward the hole in the wall, leaping over debris. Destiny chose that moment to wake up.

“Vayn? Beastie? What’s happening?” she whispered.

“Hold on,” I told her as I ran. The guards shouted, saying that it was a fake-out.

“Fire again,” a guard yelled. “Hurry. Fire.”

It was too late. I jumped from the building. Once the fresh air hit me, I tried to teleport away from the facility. Nothing happened. Fuck. Falling, I squeezed my mate tighter to my chest, muffling her screams, but I couldn’t risk dropping her. Or Beastie. The little guy was bundled up against me, claws digging into my chest.

I stared around me as we fell. White buildings surrounded us. The alarm that was blaring echoed through my skull. The entire facility had been put on high alert. Even if we survived this fall, it was going to be hell fighting our way out of here.

“Surround her,” I yelled.

My shadows knew exactly what to do. They emerged from me as I maneuvered myself in the air. When we crashed, I would bear the brunt of the fall. My shadows would normally protect me. Not this time.

I wanted them to shield our mate as much as possible. With my back facing the ground, I stared up at the night sky. This was not the shadow realm. This was the human realm. Stars sparkled above me. It had been a long time since I’d seen stars.

“Are we going to die?” my mate yelled.

“No,” I assured her.

The truth was, I could survive such a fall. She could not. If I could send her away with my shadows, I would. Like me, the wards surrounding this facility were hindering their ability to escape. All we could do was protect our little one and Beastie from the brunt of the crash. And then we’d absorb her wounds as fast as we could.

Though that would further weaken us, perhaps it would give her a chance to escape by dream traveling out of the facility. Would she even be able to do that with the wards in place? If not, she’d end up right back where she’d started, hooked to machines while these monsters studied and dissected her.

“This can’t end well,” my mate screamed. “I have to tell you something before I die.”

“You won’t die,” I yelled as we fell, rushing toward the ground. Soon, we would crash. I could tell by the difference in the air. With the distance we’d fallen, this wasn’t going to be good.

“I have to tell you this before it’s too late. I might not get another chance,” Destiny yelled. “I love you, Vayn. You and your shadows.”

Tears sprang to my eyes again, and warmth flushed over me. My mate loved me. I was loved. I hadn’t thought I needed love. I now knew I did. I needed her love. The love of my little half-human.

“I love you too, mate,” I confessed. “More than you’ll ever know. And you’ll survive this,” I shouted. “You must survive.”

To my shadows, I spoke privately. Work together to absorb her pain and wounds. Put it all on me. I’ll bear it. We can be captured or even die here today. But we must give her a chance to flee and live.

My shadows were in agreement with what I’d said. I closed my eyes as the ground rushed toward my back.

“I love you, Destiny Porter,” I whispered, knowing the wind was too strong, too loud for her to hear me. “I wish I’d protected you better and had a chance to love you longer. During our short time together, I was happier than I’d ever been in all the centuries I’ve lived without you. Thank you for coming into my life. Thank you for loving me. Goodbye, love,” I whispered right before my entire body jerked forward, jolting both Destiny and Beastie.

My mate screamed as she wrapped her arms around my neck. Beastie was smashed between us, claws digging into my chest as he held on for dear life. But we hadn’t hit the ground. Instead, we were hovering above it. A familiar tingle raced along my shoulders and down my back. My body lifted higher.

Wings! I had my wings back. I flapped them. They scraped the ground before propelling me higher. Smiling, I continued flapping them and rose higher and higher. I was flying. Instead of dying, I was flying. I’d been given my wings back. For the first time ever, I wanted to thank the Fates. Because of them, I was able to save my mate. I flapped faster and rose higher. Destiny opened one eye and stared up at me.

“Are we dead?” she asked as I hovered in the air.

“No, love. We will not die here today.”

My shadows unwrapped their clouds from around her and Beastie. But they remained close to her, their dark clouds fluttering across her skin, protecting her. Destiny stared from my shadows to me.

“We’re flying. You have wings!” she exclaimed. “How?”