Page 49 of Vayn

“I can do this, Vayn. Trust me,” she whispered.

I did trust her. With my life. But she was new to this. And their wards were powerful. So were their weapons. My mate coughed up blood. A drone that was getting closer to us exploded. Had my mate done that?

All of the drones began exploding, their fiery parts falling from the sky like a destructive rain. Then, the side of the facility caved in, seeming to implode on itself, the concrete wall moving in instead of out.

“Destiny, that’s enough,” I told her as tears of blood fell from her eyes and streaked down her cheeks.

“I can get us to safety. And I can keep them... away from you,” she whispered.

Tears fell from my eyes as I watched my mate struggle to help me. With my wings no longer working, I had no choice but to call my shadows out again so their clouds could cushion our fall.

“Shadows,” I whispered. “Cushion the fall, so she and Beastie don’t get hurt. Then Charm, take her to safety. The rest of us will buy her time to get away. And Charm...”

Before I could get those last words out, my mate’s body grew warm. A glow emanated from her and surrounded me, cocooning us all in a golden hue. And then the world went black around us. I blinked. By the time my eyes opened, we’d landed on the front lawn of Shadow General Hospital. We were safe in purgatory.

“You did it, mate,” I said, looking down at her.

Beastie whimpered and licked her cheek. My mate was once again unconscious. Blood still dripped from her ears and nose. Though each step hurt something fierce, I rushed toward the front door of the hospital. I had to get there quickly.

I could feel large chunks of feathers falling from my wings. My body wasn’t healing fast. My vision was swimming. Soon, I’d pass out. Before I did that, I had to get my mate medical attention. I burst through the double doors of the hospital. The moment I stepped over the threshold, I dropped to my knees, unable to take another step.

“Where’s Dr. Felyx Shadow-Fallen?” I yelled, getting the attention of the nurses at the front desk. And those were the last words I uttered.

Still clutching my mate to me, I passed out.

Chapter Fourteen

Destiny

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One week later...

I was on medical leave from classes.

Though I felt fine, the dean insisted I stay on leave for two full weeks. For the past week, I’d only left Vayn’s apartment once. And that was to attend a memorial for the descendants who’d been killed by the monsters at that research facility. I’d gone to mourn them all, but especially Tia. I still felt guilty for not realizing the Tia at my side hadn’t been the real Tia.

I felt guilty for thinking she’d changed. When in reality, she’d been kidnapped. According to my professors, death wasn’t the end for our kind. Tia and the others had merely transitioned to another stage in their existence. There was a chance Tia had become a permanent citizen in purgatory.

Meaning, she could now never leave there or contact anyone outside of purgatory. But my mate lived in purgatory. So, I should be able to contact her. She may not remember me, but I wanted her to know that she wasn’t alone. And if possible, I wanted her to get to know me again. I’d promised her we’d be friends forever and I planned to keep that promise.

Searching for Tia was the first thing I was going to try to do once I was given the all-clear. Some of our kind who’d died would end up in Hell. It all depended on how they’d lived their life. Tia would not end up there.

She was too good for that. She’d had a heart of gold. I would find her in purgatory soon. Until then, I would get stronger because that facility I’d dream traveled into had been just one of many. The hunters would never leave us alone. They’d continue coming after us. I had to be ready.

And since I wasn’t a fighter at heart and preferred non-violent ways, I needed to get back to classes and training so that I could learn to be a fighter. Because the hunters didn’t care whether I believed in violence or not. It wouldn’t stop them from hurting me and other descendants. I was eager to return to school and my normal life.

Instead, I was stuck in Vayn’s apartment, being watched by Beastie. And where was Vayn? Out with the other guardians and shadow military, destroying the facility he’d found me in and hunting down the beings who’d worked at the facility but escaped through a secret passage.

I hadn’t seen my mate since he’d dropped me off here after we’d been treated at Shadow General for two days. He’d been treated for the poison in the bullets that had struck him. And since he had his wings back, he’d been examined to make sure all was fine with them. It was only yesterday that I learned his spine had been struck.

Dr. Felyx assured me that a Fallen’s spine was not like a human’s spine. When struck, it made it impossible for them to fly until the wound healed. It also made it harder for them to walk. But it didn’t paralyze them. Despite knowing that, I still wished Vayn would’ve taken more time off to heal and rest.

Plus, he hadn’t used his wings in centuries. Shouldn’t he practice flying before going off on a mission? I was worried about him and his shadows. Sure, they were more powerful than me, yet, they still needed to rest and recover properly.

As for me, I’d been treated for the poison the scientist had pumped into me at the facility, which included a drug that suppressed my vampire urges. My fangs hadn’t dropped once since I’d returned from the facility. The Shadow doctors said they’d drop again soon. I just had to be patient. Patience was not one of my virtues.

But I was trying. I’d been given an order not to dream travel until I’d received a clean bill of health. After I was released from the hospital, Vayn brought me to his place and tucked me into his bed. He’d instructed me to remain here until he returned. He’d left me with a fully stocked fridge and with Beastie as my guard.