Forged by Fate (37 page)

One leap got her onto a rock, and she yelled, “
Claudo
.” Out shot her wings. “Fly. Fly. Fly.” She’d never tried before, but she hoped instinct would take over. It had when Dasha was in danger.

Please, Great One.

The wings flapped, her body dropped, then lifted. Her stomach clenched as the new appendages went to work. She was gaining altitude.

Above the treetops she soared, clutching the two scrolls to her chest, gulping air to fuel her lungs. Each pull of the wings stretched the limits of her stomach muscles.

Good thing she healed fast.

Take me home. Please. To Theo.
Could she rely on her wings? Instinct?

The warm wind streamed through her hair. She scanned the area. Northern Arizona, by the looks of all the pine trees. No huge mountains like she’d seen in Colorado.

Theo. Hear me.
Hold on.

If she’d oriented herself correctly, she veered south and spotted a winding road. Two lanes each way. Yes. She’d follow that. It’d lead her down this foothill. It had to.

She ordered her wings to flap, and while her stomach groaned in objection, they obeyed. Fluid, natural strokes. Such freedom up here.

All she wanted was Theo, though.

She dove down, thinking it might not be safe if she flew too high. After ten minutes her stomach roared with hunger. She had no clue when was the last time she’d eaten, but by the sound of the noise coming from her it’d been ages.

Halena. Theo. Justin.
Why wasn’t anyone answering? Too far away. Maybe she wasn’t in Arizona after all.

She dipped farther, her energy waning quickly. “Just keep going. Come on,” she ordered her wings. “Go.”

They didn’t listen. They slowed their cadence, and she began descending, but not before she caught sight of a roof. A few of them came into view up ahead. It might be a town, and if her wings were pooping out on her, she needed a phone to reach Theo.

Too bad she didn’t know how to land.

She sucked in a breath and focused on everything she’d read over the years about birds. It couldn’t be much different, right?

She neared the ground and bent her knees ready to land. She flapped hard two times, then dropped.

Too much momentum. She ran forward and ordered her wings to straighten to catch wind. They flapped a few times, slowing her, and she skidded to a stop on the gravel shoulder.

Not exactly graceful, but not bad for her first time.

A flash of light burst from behind her, and she hustled into the brush. “
Abeo
.”

The wings vanished, and she stumbled at the lack of weight. She took inventory of her surroundings. Pine trees behind her, a two-lane road ahead of her, and a car zooming down the road.

She took off running, hugging the shadows of the trees. Soon, a break in the foliage revealed buildings.

“Yes.” It had been a small town she’d seen. She shoved the scrolls down the back of her jeans and pulled her shirt over it. A gust of wind filtered through a gap in the fabric where her wings had shot out. She’d need to work on some wardrobe alterations.

But first a phone.

A revving engine demanded her attention. A red sports car swerved into the parking lot ahead. She skidded to a stop, hackles raised, fangs ready to drop. She dove to the side of a building and pressed her back against it.

“Sadie!” someone yelled. “Damn it. I saw her land here.”

Two car doors slammed. “Batya.”

Wait. That was Justin and Halena’s voices. Besides demons—and she couldn’t sense any nearby at the moment—only they’d know that word.

“I know I saw her,” Justin said.

Sadie peeked around the corner. Sure as shit, there stood Halena and Justin.

Were her eyes betraying her? She glanced around and got no sense of ill will, so she stepped out. “Justin.”

He stopped, then turned around. His eyes widened, and in a blur he was before her. “Sadie.” He grabbed her and held so tight she couldn’t breathe, but she didn’t care. It was Justin. Halena.

But no Theo. A sob choked her. “Where’s Theo?”

“Shhh,” he said. “Come on.”

“How are you here?” Halena said, sidling up to her. “We just annihilated a slew of demons atop this hill. Then thought we saw you flying away.”

She nodded. “Theo?” she asked again, her heart aching for him.

“He’s okay.” Justin coughed deep and hard as he led her toward the car. “Hurry. We need to get you to him.”

“Dasha?”

“She’s fine, too,” Halena said. “Back on campus. She calls daily asking about any change.”

Dasha.
Tears pricked at Sadie’s eyes. Her best friend was safe, but she didn’t like that unsettled feeling deep in her stomach when she thought of Theo.

“Is Theo really okay?” Her voice cracked. “It’s been so long.”

“Shhh. You’re here now. Come on.” Halena stepped in for Justin and guided her by the elbow to the car. “It’s going to be fine. He’ll be fine.”

The tightness in Halena’s voice did little to reassure Sadie of Theo’s well-being. They settled her into the car and Justin peeled out of the lot.

“Where are we?”

“Highland Mountain. Only forty minutes from home.” Justin swerved around the bend much too fast. He gripped the wheel until his knuckles blanched.

Halena grabbed his shoulder. “Hang on, Justin.”

A nod followed by another lung-rattling cough triggered a blast of worry through Sadie. “What’s—”

“Where have you been?” Halena turned and looked at her over the front seat.

Sadie shared a shortened version of the story.

“Three months with no food? How are you even upright?” Halena asked.

“Not sure.” Actually, she’d woken up feeling even stronger.

“Maybe your angel half doesn’t need food at all to keep up strength.”

“I don’t know.”

“How’d you know how to fly?” Halena asked.

“I just jumped and hoped.” She tapped Justin’s shoulder. “Go faster.” Dread closed in around her stomach when her thoughts lingered on Theo. She barely felt him despite calling out to him several times.

“So, these scrolls.” Halena held them up. “A demon told you they held the answer?”

She nodded, looking out the window. “It’s a long story. Just start going through them. The words are in there. I know it.”

“Since when did we start trusting demons?” Halena faced forward.

Three months hadn’t changed her. She was still a bitch. Halena and Justin talked, but Sadie pushed out their voices and focused on Theo. His smile. His laugh. His skin. She looked at her ring and slid her finger over the precious metal.

“So. You know Hebrew?” Halena’s voice pierced Sadie’s thoughts.

“What?”

“These scrolls are written in Hebrew.”

“No, they’re not. I looked at them. It’s English.” Sadie reached for one. “See.” She rolled it down and started reading. “At the dawn of time, evil worked to spread darkness…”

“That’s not English. I can’t read that.” Halena shook her head. “But maybe it’s because your eyes are glowing that you can.”

Justin glanced in the rearview mirror. “Yep. Red. Theo mentioned something about that.”

Sadie glanced down. Her vision was tinted red now that she thought about it. Thoughts streamed into her mind.
She’s broken. Fragile. Theo needs her. What if it’s too late? What do the red eyes mean?

“I’m not broken. What do you mean too late?” Sadie asked.

“You hear our thoughts?” Halena turned in her seat.

She nodded, more worried about Justin’s sluggish thoughts. “Justin. What’s wrong with you?”

“So, the red eyes allow you to read foreign languages you don’t know and hear thoughts?” he asked. “What about Theo, can you feel him? We’re only about ten miles out.”

She settled against the leather seat and closed her eyes, focusing on Theo. Nothing. Only static, and a gray, heavy feeling.
Theo. Hold on. Hold on.

I’ll see you soon, love.

“Wait. I just heard him. I heard Theo!” she shouted.

“What’d he say?” Halena looked at Justin and crooked an eyebrow.

“What?” Sadie grabbed the back of Halena’s seat. “What is it?”

“It’s just that, well, he was unconscious when we left. He didn’t even stir at the splice opening.” She bowed her head. “We figured he was going to meet The Great One.”

“What’d he say to you?” Justin asked.

“I’ll see you soon, love.” Her throat closed. “That means he knows I’m here. He just can’t get to me. He knows I’m coming. I’ll heal him. It’ll be fine.”

Justin coughed. “He’s been saying that for a week now. That he’ll see you soon.”

“Good,” Sadie said. Her heart overflowed with hope.

“He thought you were dead, Sadie. He’d finally accepted his end. So he meant Heaven, hon. That he’d see you in Heaven.”

“No!” The scream burned her throat as it rushed out. Her fangs dropped. Her hands fisted. “Stop the car.”

The tires squealed, and the back end fishtailed.

“What are you doing?” Halena yelled at Justin.

“Can’t. Help. It.”

“Stop!” Sadie yelled again. The car screeched to a stop, and she kicked out the door. It clanged against the road, leaving a trail of sparks. She crawled to the open space and leaped as she yelled, “
Claudo
!”

Her wings shot out, and she flew faster than sound because she heard nothing but static.
Theo. Theo. Theo.
No way was he dead.

Chapter Sixty

“
Abeo
,” Sadie ordered her wings inside as she burst through the front door of the compound. The doors crackled off the hinges, but she didn’t care. “Theo!”

She took the stairs by twos. “Theo.”

Her heart hammered. Tears stung. She couldn’t feel him. Nothing. A chill had settled over this house. A gray, dirty feeling.

Lifelessness.

Not my Theo.
He was so strong. No, he
is
strong. “Theo!”

She pushed the doors to their room open, but one side didn’t budge. She eased in and found him slumped against the door, Mavet dagger beside his open hand. “Theo.” She fell to her knees and cupped his face.

Ice cold.

No spark of color on contact.

“Theo. No. Theo.” She slid her hands down his bare neck and gripped his Mark. “I’m here. Please. I’m here.”

Nothing.

His lips were gray and pasty. Skin pale, ash gray. His hand lay palm-up, dagger resting in it. Her dagger. His other one was strapped to his thigh.

“Theo.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek, his eyes, his lips. Too cold. Too still. Tears streamed.
Please.
“
Claudo
.” Her wings eased out as if they knew not to rush and disturb her Mate. Her Theo. They closed around him, drawing him even closer to her.

A door slammed in the distance. Muffled voices followed. Her fangs dropped. She knew it to be Halena and Justin, but she didn’t care. No one would touch her Mate. No one would come near. She had to protect him. Save him.

She tightened her hold on Theo and stared at the door. Her sight darkened red. Her wings tightened around them as well, and she sat up more, holding him farther away from the door so the wings could completely surround him.

Heal. Stay with me.

Justin stepped in through the open door and put his hand back to slow Halena.

Sadie hissed at them, showing fang. Justin looked down and showed his palms. “How can we help?”

She clutched her lifeless Mate to her and rested her cheek against his. Tears streamed as she started to rock.

“Let’s get him to the bed,” Justin said, slowly reaching for her. “I’ll help.”

Sadie didn’t move. She didn’t want to disconnect in case he still had a chance.

“Come on.” Justin nodded. “Let’s get you closer to him.”

Halena stepped in farther, and Sadie hissed. “Get out.” No other female would see Theo stripped down.

“Back off, Halena. Go prepare food. Lots of it.”

“But you’re weak, Justin. Let me—”

A growl ripped through Sadie’s throat and streamed out her mouth. “Mine.”

Halena shifted her focus to the floor and backed away. She must have sensed the fury rolling off Sadie and knew not to test it. Sadie wasn’t sure if she could control her anger at the moment. It bled into everything.

Except Justin. Yes. He could help. Justin was safe.

Sadie couldn’t lose Theo. The Great One wouldn’t take the one thing in her life that meant something. Finally, she had love. Had somewhere to belong and someone she belonged with.

“Stand up. Keep touching him.” Justin reached through a space in the feathers and lifted Theo to his feet. “Just pull them in a little so I can hold him up.”

She did but kept her hands on his face and her body close.

“There you go. Small steps back. Come on.”

“If he dies, you die,” she whispered.

“I’m fine. Keep going.”

She finally took a good look at Justin. His lips were gray. His skin blanched. And his always flirty, vibrant blue eyes were dim. Clouded.

“He’s dead. Isn’t he?”

“Almost to the bed. Strip down and lie with him, Sadie. Open yourself to him in every way possible.”

She’d do anything. She swallowed back the tears and turned slightly so they could back Theo onto the bed.

“Let go and I’ll pull him up there.”

She let go, calling in her wings, then hurried to the side of the bed and hopped on. Justin settled Theo against the plush covering and backed away.

“Hurry, Sadie.” He coughed as he stumbled out the door, closing it behind him.

Sadie made haste shedding Theo’s clothing, and even faster work of her own. She called out her wings and her fangs. “Everything, Theo. I give you everything,” she whispered as she lay over him, connecting with his skin in every place she could.

She dropped kisses along his neck, tracing the ink to his shoulder.

Still no brightness where she touched him like usual. No trails of light or movement at all. “Theo, I love you. I love you. I’m here. Please.”

She repeated that until she could no longer speak her throat was so dry. Then she simply thought it, willing him all her energy.