Bittersweet (Book #1 Evening Wings Trilogy)

Chapter 18

18

The road winded on and on.

Due to the thick coverings of snow and ice, the trees screamed out to me even more than usual, but I ignored them; focusing on getting home in the awful weather.

It was quite foolish of me to come out here alone, especially with Naida on the prowl. But right now I didn’t care. Everything in my life was wrong. Broken, twisted, wrong types of things. It couldn’t hurt to do things that were even more life threatening and dangerous.

I wrapped my arms around myself to keep warm.

A sudden gale whipped around the corner, shaking a tree who cried out at the frigidness and I looked up at the black sky. Hints of fluffy clouds dotted the expanse and no stars were visible.

It was going to snow.

I walked faster, and the heels of my shoes protested. Still I kept on. I wasn’t going to be caught in this when the snow began to fall.

My insides felt like tatters. I compared myself to a young seedling being ripped from the tree where it first started to grow. That’s what I called the situation between Xander and me. I felt raw and violated, like a piece of me had been stolen. I missed that piece of me, but I knew I couldn’t retrieve it now. I remembered the bitter things I’d said to him, and I regretted it now. But nothing could be changed. Not even the fact that I was a horrible person.

The moon, milky white popped out from beneath the shadow of a black cloud. I bit my lips and walked along.

A moment later, I felt eyes on my back.

I glanced around but all I saw were sleet and snow. A tree, blackened with the winter and water bowed in another gale, its old boughs creaking and then snapping back again.

I ignored it and kept walking. I couldn’t let mundane things distract me.

Wind whipped around me, blowing back my hair and stinging my skin.

 I heard something race past in the underbrush of the forest.

I peered into the dark blackness but could see no one.

Then the unnatural wind of something racing behind me.

I spun around half a second too late, only glimpsing a piece of glorious red tendrils.

Naida was here. She was going to finish what she had begun.

My hair stood on end and I glanced around, completely solitary—looking for her. Even so, she was looking for me, so it was an equal battle. I quickly regretted my decision to walk out here alone. I was unprotected here, and she was going to take that opportunity to kill me; I knew it. So I felt for the trees to help me.

My breaths came quicker and quicker, and it puffed in the air.

“Hello?” I asked cautiously. “Who’s there?”

A low, wicked chuckle responded through the darkness, getting progressively louder, scaring me terribly.

Then headlights swept over me and I rejoiced.

“Help me!” I screamed, arms flailing, knowing how crazy I sounded.

The car stopped with its headlights still on and someone jumped out. I didn’t stop screaming until their arms wrapped around me and I smelled that familiar scent that made my head spin.

It was Xander.

“Are you alright?” he asked, smoothing my hair as another gale rippled through the forest, and the creaking boughs of ancient trees responded to its forceful strength.