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“My god… I’m surprised he survived it.” I say, climbing the lifted edge and carefully peering down into the cavern below. “What does this have to do with my wings?”
“Well, this is where my father brought me. He tried for years, every potion and attempt failed until he had this idea. Low and behold, it worked,” he says, shrugging his shoulders.
Large wings spring free from his back, stretching out to each of his sides before relaxing. The magnificent black feathers shine like an oil slick in the light of the hell flame as he comes to a stop next to me. My fingers reach before I can stop them, and even though I’ve seen his gorgeous wings dozens of times, I still find myself in awe.
It’s like I’m back at the party, fawning over… I don’t think I remember the guy’s name. Kai sat next to me on that wretched old couch, watching me drink my weight in beer. He kept his promise that night… He did turn my world upside down, but I’m glad he did.
“Do you trust me?” Kai says quietly, lifting my chin to bring my gaze back to his.
“I suppose.” His lips slant into a smirk as his hand collides with my chest.
***
KAI
Alice screams as she falls into the hole.
“You… fucking…asshole!”Her words echo, yet hold the same punch as if she said them from inches away. When her wings spring free and she flies out of there like the goddess she is, she’ll forgive me.
My father tried absolutely everything to get my wings, and they were as stubborn as Hell itself. Fear was the only thing that worked, and it had to be convincing. Falling to your death is just about as real as it gets.
“You don’t mean that,” I yell down the hole. “I think.”
Her screams grow quieter as I tap my foot against the dark sand, knocking grains into the hole.Any moment now…Pursing my lips, I peer down again, seeing nothing but darkness and itty bitty splotch of crimson in the deepest parts… Her hair can literally be seen from a mile away.
“Fuck,” I breathe, pushing my wings back. I jump headfirst, flattening them to my body so I can catch up to her. The wind rushes against my face, pulling awkwardly at my lips. Her voice grows louder the farther I drop and horse as it may be, it’s blood curdling and rattles my eardrums.
The blip of her hair grows until I’m close enough to snatch her up, wrapping her close to my chest in my arms. My wings stretch out as far as they can, and the sharp talons near the webbing and the arch of the tops scratch and spark down the obsidian stone until we come to a halt. Below us is a faint orange light. I’ve never been that deep and I’m not sure I ever want to be.
Her chest heaves, and her hair is wrapped around her face in every which way. Breaths rage in and out of her chest as she cranes her head to look at me with wide eyes, the shock still coursing through her veins.
“So… no wings.” I say, offering up my best ‘don’t-hurt-me’ smile.
Her mouth opens and her hair ignites. Before she can speak a word, my wings let go of the sides of the hole and flap, shooting us up. Alice screams, burying her face into my chest as we ascend and it’s impossible to restrain the chuckle I let pass through my lips. In moments, we shoot out of the hole and I gently set her on her feet.
I barely have time to catch my own balance before her fist slams into my chest, sending me stumbling backward. “How dare you!” My butt skids across the glass sand as my wings fold up.
“I deserve that.” I hold up a hand, metaphorically waving a white flag as magic swarms around her. Peeks of jet-black eyes lock on me through her wayward curls, seeking blood. Climbing to my feet, I dust the dark sand from my pants. “Are you okay?”
“What the fuck do you think?” she snaps. “I’m not sure of all the ways to kill an immortal, but falling tocertain deathis likely one of them! What if you had misjudged the distance to the bottom, huh? It’d be really hard to marry me if I’msquished like a fucking bug on a windshield.”Her voice crackles as the magic dissipates and Alice spins and storms off, stomping through the sand dunes like she’s fully capable of walking home.
“I’m sorry! I only did it because it worked for me. It could’ve been worse. It could’ve been a rabbit hole again,” I raise my voice so she can hear me over the distance she’s progressively putting between us.
“A rabbit hole would’ve been safer than shoving me intoa fucking volcano.”
“Alice… Wait! I wouldn’t have let you die. Trust me, I was shoved over that edge dozens of times before my wings came out. It’s practically endless. My father let me fall for ten minutes one time–Hey!” she doesn’t stop, instead I can make out the faint outline of her hand lifting and her middle finger being flaunted at me over her shoulder. “Alice! Where are you going to go? You can’t walk all the way home. It’ll take days. So unless my brother taught you to teleport–”
“It’s better than spending another moment with the cumstain I’m hitching my wagon to.”
Cumstain?I teleport in front of her, raising my brows. “That’s a new one. Never been called that before. I see your insults have expanded in variety during your travels.”
“Get used to it.” She shoves past me and I close my eyes, taking a deep breath. Before she can get far, I snatch her up and throw her over my shoulder.
“Okay. No wings. Question answered, but I still have an entire day planned of fun things–things couples do when they’re happily in lovethings–and you’re going to fucking enjoy them.” She kicks me in the chest, trying to wrestle out of my grip. “Enough!” Power surges through me, filtering through every consonant and vowel of the command, even though I don’t intend it to, and Alice stills.
“Did you just command me?” she says, a hitch in her voice as the attitude clings thickly to her sassy tone.
Setting her down, I do little to hide the fury burning in my eyes. I understand pushing her off the edge was a bit over the line, but it was with good reason. It wasn’t because I simply wanted to be an asshole. I was trying to help her get her wings.
