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“Thorne will suspect. He’s smarter than the others. He’ll try to hurt Haven.”
“You think I don’t know that? I know Thorne better than you ever could. Now, go.” She shoved him so the sunlight tickled his skin. It was so minimal, almost non-existent. But still, it felt good.
He sighed, turning back. “Why would he do this?”
“Hasn’t he answered that question already?”
“I can’t see him hurt for this. I’m not worth the risk.”
“I agree. But clearly, Haven doesn’t. And you’ve seen he makes his own decisions. Once he’s made up his mind, there’s no convincing him otherwise.”
Cy smirked. “You know, I think this is the most I’ve ever heard you speak.”
She grumbled, muttering under her breath and looking away.
“You love him. Don’t you?” he asked.
“Haven is impossible not to love.”
Cy’s stomach fluttered. It was the truth. From the beginning, despite his callousness and his attempts to keep Cy at bay, Haven had reeled Cy in, beckoning him ever closer. It was inevitable, like the crashing of waves upon the shore.
“Please protect him. Even from himself.”
Sirene regarded him without expression, brow pulled stern. “Go. Your time is running out.”
He stepped outside, and before he could turn back to say another word, the door was shut behind him. He heard the wooden bar sliding back in place on the other side.
Again, he was alone.
It wasn’t the time to dwell, to think about what he’d lost. Scanning the greenery, Cy recognized the forests of New Avalon, the uncharted territory wherein the Veritas dwelled in secret. They’d be several miles deep, hidden from sight and difficult to track. But Cy knew how to find them.
Pulling Sirene’s cloak tight around his face, he dove forward, hoping the trees would hide him from danger, usher him toward his allies and away from his enemies. With his new weapons and Haven’s blood, if it came to a fight, he would be ready for it.
As he set into the forest, his surroundings melded into themselves. Trees became his companions, obscuring his quick-moving form as he darted among them. Well-armed, he became as he once was: feral, independent, capable. He was a slayer once again, unafraid and sure of himself. If he came across an enemy, he would end them without remorse. Thanks to Haven, he was free once again.
He pushed onward, and daylight began to wane. It had been hours, and the sun was setting on the horizon. Soon, night would fall, and the vampyres would be looking for him. Hell, they probably already were. He was thankful for Sirene’s cloak; it may well have been the only reason vampyres hadn’t descended down upon him.
They would find him if he didn’t find the Veritas first. Some strange magic existed in the forests that kept them hidden. He’d felt it before. Vampyres often attempted to attack but were always beaten back, never able to force them into subjugation.
Hadn’t Dahlia said the HU had provided some assistance? Perhaps it was their involvement that kept the Veritas safe. They’d obviously discovered more about vampyres than the Veritas itself had. They’d learned how to beat them back, how to end their rule completely. On an island now once again ruled by humans, they were almost untouchable. Could they help change the tides of the war completely?
His breath was coming fast now, the remnants of Haven’s blood from the night before dwindling. True, he still had the small vial in his pocket, but using it now would be foolish. He’d likely need it later. Exhaustion was slowly creeping upon him as evening swathed him in darkness. He’d need to rest eventually, but could he risk it?
He recognized the tall evergreen trees marked with small T’s along their bases. It seemed obvious, but somehow, it worked. It had kept them safe thus far, but this path wouldn’t be one they could use much longer. Even still, Cy followed the trail like a predator tracking its prey. He’d always been able to find his way home.
Darkness was fully upon him now, deep inside the trees’ shadowy protections. Undoubtedly, he would stumble into a vampyre horde at some point. Though the farther and farther he traveled, the less likely it became. It was deadly quiet with no sign of vampyres anywhere. Were they really letting him go? Had the murder not been discovered? Or did they just not care?
Perhaps their absence meant something more sinister. Some foul play? He opened his senses, attempting to suss out any dangerous presence. But there was nothing. As if the Dominion had decided not to pursue him. The night was dead silent. No red eyes in the darkness. Nothing watching, nothing stalking. Only trees and the wind, breathing in and out.
Night trailed into deeper blackness that eventually unraveled into the tendrils of early morning, the sun beckoning. No vampyre attacks. How was that possible?
Just as the sun began to rise, Cy detected a soft shuffling, crunching of brush behind him. He whirled around, sword abreast, to see human forms surging into his line of sight. Humans, not vampyres, and as their eyes connected, Cy breathed in a heavy sigh of relief and joy. Tears brimmed at his eyes, and he fell to his knees, the exhaustion of the past few months settling in.
“Jax,” he breathed out.
He was home.
CHApTER TwEnTy-OnE
