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The words thrummed, the magic emanating from me and spreading towards my mother, who cowered now beneath her wings. I heard one last word, a sorrowful no before there was silence.
We were all frozen for a few moments, and then Brody came to stand beside me, his hand slipping into mine and gripping it. "Are you okay?" he asked, his eyes grazing over my body, the wound in my wing.
"No," I said, my heart full of grief for what I'd had to do to my mother, and for what she had done to me. The old ways had to die, and I could only hope that she would break her own curse, to return to a full life and move on, because if she did not, it would kill her.
I had not specified a timeframe for this, but the magic would know. It would find a way. It would do its bidding now that it was free in the world.
"Your wing," Brody said, his fingers hovering above the wound.
But my wing hurt less than my heart, which was heavy with what I had done. "It will heal," I said, "hopefully one day I will fly again, but for now…" I turned to face him, looking into his deep brown eyes, saw the love there and felt some of the ache in my heart lift. "For now, this will be enough."
His fingers slid along my chin, cupped my cheek, and he kissed me softly before drawing me closer into his embrace, that warm, safe space I had yearned for.
Mother stood, her legs wobbling slightly. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Pain and anger were written all over her face, but she didn't come for me now. Instead, she turned and ran, throwing herself into the night sky.
She could have the sky for now. When I healed, I would return to it. Maybe with some baby harpies of my own.
Brody
By the timethat morning sunlight was reaching fingers across the sky, I was utterly exhausted.
Selene slept, clean and bandaged, dressed in a gown that we'd cut in strategic places to allow it to go over her wings. The bed was stark white, and it was surreal to see her in this place - inside a building - and not in the hollow, or even the forest.
She seemed less real, but also hyper real, if that made any sense. The powerful muscles in her body, the fine feathers around her face, speckled through hair which I could see now, was blacker than night. She looked younger in repose, the lines of pain that had been etched on her face when we'd arrived at this place all but gone.
There was a gentle knock on the door, and then Nico stepped inside.
He had been yet another surprise; a gargoyle who looked like a man most of the time. I'd seen him around the retreat; had no idea that he was anything more than the wealthy owner of The Nest. Yet he was here, hiding and protecting a whole range of monsters on this land by the sound of it.
I'd had no idea.
And now that I knew, it seemed a little dangerous to have them so close to humans. But then, if he didn't provide this haven, I would never have met Selene, and I couldn't imagine my life without her now.
"Come," he said, his voice soft. He nodded to the door, and I followed. I didn't want to leave Selene, but he was the boss here, and I didn't want to get on his bad side. He'd been nothing but resourceful when I had come to him for help; it was me who had been surprised at what I'd found.
He led me through the house and out to a garden where there was a tray of food and two mugs of steaming coffee. I sat and poured milk into mine, waiting for him to say whatever he wanted me alone for. Nico didn't take a seat, though. Rather, he leaned against the back of it, watching as I sipped my coffee.
"This is good," I said, needing to break the silence. "Thank you. For this, and well, everything." I gestured to the woods with my free hand.
Nico nodded, his jaw tight, as though he were turning to stone before me. But apparently, that wasn't what this gargoyle did in the light.
"You know you cannot utter a word of this to anyone," he said.
"Of course. I never would. Selene… I…" I let out a breath, sagging into my chair, the events of the night really settling in now. "I would do anything to keep her safe."
"Good." He nodded, but I could tell there was more. "We have ways of ensuring that our… privacy is retained."
I didn't like the sound of that, but I wasn't sure what I could do or say that would convince him I'd keep his secret. And really, who the hell would believe me, anyway?
"I get it," I said. "I do. It's important to me too."
Nico didn't look like he believed me, but he dropped into the seat opposite and drew the other mug of coffee toward him.
"We have… A process," Nico said after he had taken a sip. "You can't stay here."
"But-"
"No." Nico held a hand up, his eyes flashing red. "Don't interrupt. My land, my time." His grip tightened on the mug and for a moment, I thought he was going to crush it. "I'm not trying to keep you apart. I just need you to go back to your life for a bit until we can work this out."
