Page 80 of What Lies Beyond the Realms

Now's my chance. I kick Aidan in the groin, and he doubles over in pain. I try to make a run for the door, but he grabs me by the hair and pulls me back onto the hay-covered ground. I feel a sharp pain in my scalp and a wave of dizziness washes over me. I'm helpless under his weight, pinned to the ground as he climbs on top of me.

“On second thought, it looks like you need to be reminded who's in charge,” he growls, his hands holding mine down. “What are you going to do? There was no one to stop me last time, and there's no one to stop me this time.”

I struggle, but he's too strong. My mind races as I try to think of a way out of this, but nothing comes to mind. I'm trapped, helpless, at his mercy.

“Besides, Cheeks,” he sneers, “even if your boyfriend wasn't drugged, do you really think he'd risk killing me? You think he really loves you that much that he'd start a war with the Lycans over you?”

“Fuck you, Aidan. You’re not in charge. No one will ever respect you. Not even the Lycans respect you. Your own kind can’t stand you. Haven’t you noticed this village you rule over is deserted? The packs would rather be out fighting horrible creatures in the forest than inhabiting this place with you. I bet most of the Lycans would celebrate your death.”

I spit in his face, and for a moment I feel a flicker of satisfaction. But it's short-lived. Aidan wipes the spit away and lifts his hand like he's going to strike me. I close my eyes and brace myself, waiting for the blow to fall. But nothing happens.

We both startle when the barn door blows open, falling to the ground with a loud crash. Its hinges are broken off, and its wood splinters into the air.

“What the fuck?” Aidan says, trying to get to his feet, but he doesn't get far. Nyx is there, and he doesn't move. He just looks at Aidan, who collapses to his knees, his hands flying behind his back like they've been bound. Chepi flies over to me, and I sit up, grabbing him and pulling him to my chest, covering us both in the blanket. I don't get up though. I'm too frozen to my spot, staring at Nyx. I've never seen him like this. His giant wyvern wings are out, and his ears are slightly pointed. His gray eyes glow bright, but they're somehow darker than normal. His jaw is set in a hard line.

“I thought we were old friends, Aidan? Then you think you have the right to touch what's mine.” Nyx's voice comes out full and rich.

Aidan turns his head toward me, but his eyes don't reach me before Nyx forces his head to face him again. He never physically touches him, just uses his magic, treating Aidan like a puppet.

“Don't look at her.” It's an order, and I can see the fury in Aidan's face at

“Fuck you, Onyx. I don’t need to look at her. I’ve already seen everything there is to see. Did Lyra tell you how she practically begged me to fuck her last time she was here?” I recoil at his words, and I clench my jaw with anger and embarrassment.

“You drugged me! You drugged me and raped me. You’re pathetic!” I yell, my voice trembling as I struggle to keep my emotions in check. I cling to Chepi and the blanket, trying to find comfort in their warmth. For the first time since entering the barn, Nyx’s eyes flicker toward me, and I feel exposed under his gaze. In that moment, I see a flicker of understanding in his eyes, a recognition of the pain I’m trying to hide. I drop my gaze, my cheeks burn with shame as I struggle to keep my composure. The distraction is all Aidan needs. He’s old, and he’s fast. Nyx must’ve loosened the grip on his magic for a brief moment when he looked at me in shock after what I revealed, and Aidan seizes the opportunity to shift.

He stands before Nyx as a giant white wolf. His hollow eyes focus on Nyx, and his maw froths. Nyx doesn’t look afraid though, and I have no idea why because I’m terrified out of my mind. I cover Chepi’s face with the blanket to protect him, and I freeze. I can’t bring myself to move. The two men stare at each other. Aidan in his wolf form, and Nyx in his full Fae form. I hold my breath and wait for one of them to strike. Aidan makes the first move. He leans his head back as an ear-piercing howl echoes through the barn. Nyx waves his hand, and the howl is cut off when Aidan’s jaw breaks. I stare in stunned silence as the upper part of his muzzle cracks open, peeling back over his head. His head breaks clean in half, and his skin—gods, his skin—peels back from his body. Aidan is now reduced to two bloody piles in front of me. One is a pile of inside-out fur and skin, and the other pile is a twisted mess of flesh and bones. My throat spasms, and I think I might throw up. The bloody piles ignite in blue flames. In a matter of seconds, all that’s left of Aidan is a pile of ash. Aidan’s—dead.

I freeze, staring in disbelief at the pile of ash where Aidan had stood only moments before. My mind is racing, trying to make sense of what just happened. Nyx turns to me, his face softening with concern. He takes a step forward, but I flinch away from him, pressing myself against the wall.

“Lyra, are you okay?”

I don’t know what to say. I don’t know if I’m okay. The memory of what Aidan did to me floods my mind, and my throat tightens. I try to push it down, to keep it from overwhelming me, but it’s no use. I start to shake, and tears spill down my cheeks.

Nyx takes another step closer, and I flinch again. He stops, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Lyra, I’m not going to hurt you. I promise.”

I look up at him, searching his face I think I’m in shock at what just happened. I thought Aidan would’ve been more of a threat. I thought there was going to be a fight. I actually feared for Nyx for a moment, but Aidan never even touched him. I look into Nyx’s eyes now, which are no longer glowing. His wings are gone, and he kneels in front of me, looking the same way he did when I left him in bed. I open my mouth to say something, but howls break out in the distance. Dozens of them. Bone-chilling howls echo across the lands, and a chill so strong creeps up my spine that I start to shiver. Nyx waves a hand, my blanket is gone, and my clothes are back on.

“We need to leave. Now.” His voice is stern, and it snaps me back to the here and now.

I get to my feet, and Chepi’s wings materialize as he hovers next to me. Nyx saddles up Geri and grips my hips, lifting me onto the horse, then he climbs on behind me. I grab Chepi and hold him close to my chest with one arm and grab the pommel with the other to steady myself. Nyx brings one hand around my waist and takes the reins with his other hand, then we take off into the night.

* * *

We’ve been riding for over an hour without saying anything. I don’t even know where we’re going, but Geri has been galloping this entire time, making it too hard to have a conversation or focus on anything other than holding on. The howls that broke out back in the barn went on for only a couple of minutes before silence settled over the Lycan Realm. It’s been silent ever since. We haven’t come across so much as another creature, and the only sound around us is that of Geri’s hooves hitting the ground. It’s eerily quiet, and I can’t shake the anxiety in my chest.

I can’t believe Aidan is dead. I don’t have one ounce of empathy for him. The thought of Aidan being gone feels like the dark claw that dug its way into my heart has been eradicated. A part of me does worry I might see Aidan in Zomea like I see Luke. What if he’s able to hurt me there in my dreams? I don’t know enough about Zomea or midnight mind to know what is even possible. I try to bury the thought for now and think about the present.

Nyx used a lot of magic back there. Samael must be aware of it. Gods, I always knew Nyx was powerful, but he never even touched Aidan. He never touched him and was somehow able to peel his skin from his flesh and reduce him to ash. Geri’s steps slow and his gallop turns into a slow trot.

“What’s happening?” I ask in the first words spoken in over an hour.

“We are getting close to the Shifting Forest. We will proceed with caution. I don’t want either of us getting bucked off by Geri here. Horses refuse to enter the Shifting Forest, so once we reach the outskirts we’ll be forced to walk,” Nyx says.

“How did you do that back there? How did you kill Aidan so easily? Are the other Lycans going to come after us?”

“I told you. I’m the most powerful Faery alive today. Aidan was no match for me, and the coward knew it too. That’s why he howled like that. He was calling the others to him. Remember when we were in the tub in the Fate Fields? I told you Aidan had pure brute strength but not magic like you or I have? It never would have been a fair fight between us. The only reason he carried any power was because he had the strength of all the packs behind him. But you saw his village. There’s unrest amongst the Lycans since he killed the three innocents in the ceremony. Normally I’d have stayed out of the Lycan politics and let nature runs its course, but hearing him…hearing he touched you—forced himself on you. Lyra, I may have lost control a little, but I had to end him. I’m sorry you had to witness that.”

“Don’t be sorry. I’m glad you did it. I just worry about what repercussions you’ll have to face now. What will the Lycans do?”