Page 9 of Urn My Love

As my magic reinforced the thread, clarity hit my gut with the force of a physical punch. This was the pull of a mate.

I’d been so caught up in ignoring what was, or wasn’t, going on between August and me that I hadn’t recognized the pull of a second mate.

A second truth followed on the heels of the first.

My unknown mate was in danger.

For the first time since arriving on earth, I knew exactly what to do.

My wings snapped open, and I dropped from the balcony, catching a strong updraft that sent me soaring over the treetops as I rushed to my mate’s side.

One hour turned to two, then three. Judging by the position of the moon, it was nearing two in the morning when I spotted fire glinting in the woods ahead of me.

Flapping hard, I rose in the sky, higher and higher until I had a bird’s-eye view of the campsite far below. I studied the positions of every man moving around the camp, not wanting to risk my mate’s life by rushing in, only to have him hurt in the crossfire.

There was another reason for my need to observe before acting. I had no plans for mercy. When I dropped from the sky, it would be to destroy anyone who was part of the horrors I’d witnessed in my vision. If there were any other captives, I needed to know before I turned them to ash.

Circling the camp, I searched for my mate, but the confusion of the camp made it difficult to find him. A fence was down, and horses stampeded through the camp, sending men leaping out of the way of their thundering hooves. The men cursed, brandishing weapons and calling out orders.

A group of them leaped onto the backs of the horses tied to posts near the tents and tore off into the woods. I searched the camp but saw no other signs of life, so I glided over the forest in the direction the men were galloping.

It didn’t take me long to catch up. My eyes searched for what they were chasing, but other than glimpses of shadows and smoke, I couldn’t make out the form of a man or beast.

That was until the woods came to an abrupt end.

The horses neighed in terror, sending up a shower of small rocks and pebbles flying around their hooves as they came to a hard stop on a flat, stone overlook. It looked like a great place for a picnic, or for plunging to your certain death.

Undeterred, the men yanked on their mounts’ reins, quickly forming a semi-circle around their prey. They closed in until they were only fifteen feet from the gorgeous black horse?—

No, not a horse.

The beast was so much more. His coat was black as the velvet night sky and seemed to glimmer as though it possessed stars of its own.

Eyes as blue as my hair glowed in the darkness, making it clear this creature was paranormal. Although I think anyone who saw the wide wings that hung from his back and dragged the ground would have already suspected that.

The thread in my mind glowed brighter as I studied the magnificent pegasus. He flashed his teeth at the men, slamming his powerful front hooves into the ground with enough force to leave deep impressions in the stone.

“Thought you were smart, didn’t you?” One man grinned, dismounting, and walking slowly toward the trapped beast.

“I thought he was supposed to be some type of shifter, but I think our intel was wrong. He’s as dumb as the rest of the animals I work with day in and day out.” A second man chuckled, slipping from his saddle.

“I told you that no matter how many times you run, we will hunt you down. Dead or alive, I will drag your carcass back to camp.” The first man taunted my trapped mate.

The pegasus reared, the feathers adorning his hooves moving gracefully, even as he warned the men to back off.

Mesmerized by the beauty of the beast, I forgot to watch the rest of the men.

CRACK!

The whistle of a whip rang through the air, slicing into the pegasus’ side, leaving a long gash in his flank. My eyes widened as I noticed the countless other marks. Some were almost healed, but others oozed fresh blood.

He reacted by spinning around and kicking his powerful back legs at the man’s head, sending the man diving out of the way.

“Shoot to maim, not to kill, boys!” the second man shouted.

Rage like I’d never felt boiled inside me, and tucking my wings tight against my back, I dove toward the earth.

Five thousand feet, a thousand feet, eight hundred feet, five hundred feet, two hundred feet.

---