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The tightness across my scalp eased, and around me, my hair loosened. But now it coiled around my body as if hugging me, sensing the rawness swallowing me. I pushed against it, my pulse thumping in my veins. I didn’t need it, not fucking now. But it kept hugging me, swathing me like a baby.What the hell? Get off me!
Fighting the tresses was impossible, and I faced my men. “Run! Get out of here.”
Reed and Kahlo understood and already retreated toward the woods, sprinting away unseen, but Gage. My heart bled.
Just then, claws dug into my arms, the air of wings beating behind me. I cried out and glanced up at the gargoyle’s stone underbelly.
It lifted me off into the air, and with my rushed breaths, I fought for release.Hair, let go. Do it!But it refused to budge.
We soared away from the chaos below, leaving my men at the mercy of madness.
* * *
“Don’t!”I staggered to my feet, rushing toward the window inside my tower as a large plank of wood shifted over the covering. I slammed into it, banging my fists. “You can’t do this. Please!” I cried out, aching everywhere, tears rolling down my cheeks.
Blackness encased me, and only tiny threads of sunlight pierced through. Hammering sounds echoed around me. They must have been nailing the covering in place.
“Don’t worry, child,” Faye called out from outside. “This is temporary, as you’re moving locations. Should have done it long ago. But I felt pity for you. My mistake.” She cackled.
Bitch. You should have stabbed her when you had the chance.
I dropped to my knees, wracked with tears, unable to stop the sorrow burrowing through me. I’d failed myself, the men, everyone. The universe had dangled freedom in front of me, given me a taste, then ripped it away. It reminded me I wasn’t worthy of anything but being locked up. I was forbidden from having a life.
Had Reed and Kahlo escaped? What about Gage? Would he become their slave?
Terror clawed at my heart, and a darkness slithered through me. What would happen once I was completely closed in? I’d go insane because I couldn’t do this. Not again. And not after I’d experienced joy, only to have it stolen away. The tears fell and I felt barren. Useless. Shaking with rage.
I didn’t remember how long I’d stayed there crying, but my eyes and throat had dried. There was nothing but silence outside. For years, I’d cried, been terrified of the gargoyle, and dreamed of freedom. But I couldn’t sit back, knowing freedom was just there for the taking. I had nothing left to lose. There were no more options if I failed because Faye would ensure I was buried away for eternity, and she’d kill my three men. I had to stand up and fight to the bitter end because if I failed, I’d rather die than remain closed up. Fire coursed through me and I curled my hands into balls, ready to battle. I’d finally found three men who adored me despite my faults.
Climbing to my feet, I straightened my posture and gawked at the wooden plank covering the window. I pushed my palms against the panels, but the bite on my arm stung, and I winced.
Voices floated from outside, and I lifted myself on tiptoes, staring through a tiny gap. There were trees in the distance, but I couldn’t see lower, as I was too short. I grabbed a chair and got up in slow motion, as my injured leg still hurt like hell.
Down below in the field, Reed and Kahlo hid amid the trees’ shadows. I burst with joy, bouncing on my toes at seeing them. They must have run the whole way to get here in time, or maybe caught a carriage. But who cared… they had come to rescue me.
I climbed down and staggered into the kitchen, rummaging in the drawer, but I only found knives, so I grabbed one and slid a blade into the hole in the wooden barrier. Wriggling it didn’t split the timber, but instead the damn knife snapped free from the handle and vanished outside somewhere.
Backing up, I picked up a chair and tossed it at the entrance. A tiny chip fell away from the gap where I’d stuck the knife earlier. If I could make that bigger, maybe I could pry my fingers in there and break it off in pieces. But what could I use? I spun around the dark room, my hair coiling at my feet.
My strands still had shampoo stuck to the hair because I never had a chance to fully rinse it off! I hobbled into the bathroom and filled a bucket to start drenching my hair.
Yes, hurry up.
Without hesitation, I tossed the contents over my head. I yelped and trembled form the iciness digging into my flesh. “Hell, that was insane.” I wet the rest of the hair, and already movement wriggled near my feet. “Okay, my pretties. Time for you to show me what you can do.”
Back at the barricade, I said, “Break through this barrier.” I repeated the words in my head and my locks curled into separate limbs. They twisted in on each other into the shape of a fist and slammed into the plaque, over and over. Creaking sounded, and I bounced on my toes just as the next punch punctured through.
Shards of wood exploded outward, and sunlight poured into the tower. Best sight in the world. I darted to the window and glanced down at the two men still in the shadows, but they stared my way. I waved at them, but at this stage, I had zero ideas on the next move, but me going down the tower shouldn’t draw the gargoyle’s attention, as long as it didn’t see Kahlo and Reed. Regardless of the risk, I needed to talk to them, find out about Gage.
I climbed out of the gaping hole and scaled down the granite wall, pushing past the sharpness digging into my bitten leg and arm, my heart in my throat. We had to find a way to stop Faye and White Venom. And if I could hold down the gargoyle with my wet hair once, dammit, I’d do it again and drag it around with me if that meant saving everyone.
Once I reached the bottom, stumbling in the bushes surrounding the tower, someone tsked behind me, and my veins turned to ice. That wasn’t a sound either of my men would make.
I turned in slow motion and called out in my head to my hair,Get ready to attack them and defend me.
Faye stood there, hands on her hips, Eagle-Man tossing Gage to the ground, bloodied and bruised. White Venom stood near in human form, still naked and disgusting. Both glared my way, and instead of fear, rage fueled through me. I’d been afraid for so long that it now numbed me. And staring at the two who’d destroyed my life, I pictured them dead. My hair formed into multiple sharp blades facing the enemies, sitting as a halo around me.
“Gage!” My heart bled at seeing him slumped on the ground, gasping for air. He wasn’t wearing a magical ring around his neck, but he was spent and too injured to endanger anyone. One eye had puffed, his lip split open, multiple cuts on his face and chest bleeding everywhere. He grumbled but didn’t look toward me.
