Page 41 of Awakened Gifts

But chills spread over me when her cries of misery turn into fits of ominous laughter. She rises slowly, and the violent storm around us only grows more powerful as the skies darken as if under her command. I’ve never seen anything like it, and the coldness in her eyes has completely overtaken the warmth I once felt.

“Aria,” I whisper, knowing she’s lost. Her eyes are black, fully dilated like a stage three savage. How did this happen?

“Pretty hybrid,” she says in a singsong voice that only mocks me, as though she’s about to toy with me.

The wall that was holding me back seems to dissipate, and the savage version of my girl slowly struts toward me, her steps crossing over each other with prowess of a huntress. It’s mesmerizing and terrifying in the same breath.

I wasn’t scared last time, because I could still see a trace of Aria. This time…

“Don’t fret, pretty hybrid,” she says, though her menacing smile contradicts her words.

The sound knocked me to my knees earlier, but I stay down as a show of respect, giving her the high ground. Looking up, I see the challenge in her eyes, but I don’t actually feel the fear I did. Responding to her right now would be so damn stupid, though.

“You’ll get her back,” she says, forcing me to tilt my head in confusion. She’s talking to me, seeing through me, but she’s acting as though she’s… separate from herself. This is… different.

Unsure of whether or not it’s safe to speak, I maintain my silence. This elicits a grin from the savage girl who stirs the clouds above us harder with just a small flick of her wrist.

“You don’t get to put me back so easily this time,” she taunts, still sounding as though she’s not Aria instead of an extension of her. She’s not mindlessly destroying things like last time, there’s familiarity in her eyes this time, but… This is bad. Really, really bad.

“Strong silent type, I see. As lovely as this, I have people to shred.”

Risking it, I stand up, rising slowly until I’m towering over her, and I look down into her eyes that greedily rake over my body. Maybe I can still talk her down.

“Or you can stay with me,” I say softly.

I’m on uncharted ground with a savage I’ve never seen before. I’ve never even heard of anything like this.

Her eerie smile sends a shot of ice down my spine, and then her eyes fearlessly stare into mine.

“Tempting, pretty hybrid. But you’re not that good.”

She blows her intoxicating breath in my face, forcing me to blink out of reflex. My eyes flick open immediately, but she’s gone. Completely vanished from sight. What the fuck? That’s not possible. She’s fast, but not that fast.

Twirling around in circles, I search for her as the sands drop back into place and the sky clears, allowing the sun to come out of hiding once again. But there’s nothing and no one to be seen. We’re miles from the compound. The compound—shit!

I race back, panicked and dreading what I’m going to find. The newly repaired gates open before I even reach them, but I stumble to a halt when I find nothing but the peaceful, daily life of the people.

Where did she go?

Chapter 13

JASE

“You all thought I was crazy when I heard her voice from the dead, too. I’m not making this shit up. I know what the hell I saw.”

I’m so sick of arguing. I realize how preposterous it sounds, but I’m not exaggerating this shit.

“That… Shit, Jase,” Araya groans, looking just as frustrated as I am. “You make it sound like the savage recognized you, but yet it was separate from Aria. My savage was always different from others, but it was still me. And when it started changing, it was because I was gaining more control. If what you’re saying is real, that means she’s losing control. Hell, it sounds like she’s losing herself.”

I swallow hard, worried about Aria losing herself inside of her own mind, giving control to her darker side. It’s like we can’t catch a fucking break. She can’t catch a break.

“How did she just vanish?” Kellan asks, his voice small as he tries to stay far in the corner. “I’ve checked all over that land. She didn’t leave speck of evidence telling me which way she might have gone, and if she was moving that fast, she wouldn’t have been able to cover her trail.”

“I blinked. She was gone. That’s all I know. How many times do I have to say that?” I growl, glaring at him.

“You can’t sense her?” Araya asks, tilting her head. It’s rare the sane one can sense the savage one unless they’re really close. Even then it’s not always the case. Simone is one exception to that, but she’s not like the rest of us. Then again, none of us are like each other. We’re a big pile of mixed up breeds.

Kellan’s lips go to a tight line, and he slowly shakes his head. “Not even a little. It’s stronger when I’m savage. Apparently I’m useless while sane.”

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