Page 60 of Ava: Part Two

Every step they took forward increased her fear, and with that, she felt the start of a panic attack. It had been a while since she had one, but this was the worst time to be incapacitated.

The guards walked down the hallways of the administration offices, and then the dean opened the door to the back of the building before turning back to her.

“If you survive in there, I hope the experience makes you a better human,” the dean growled. “I now have to go and clean up the mess you have caused.”

And then he turned and started walking back the way they had come.

The guards pulled her through the doors, and they slammed shut behind them. The sound made her flinch before she started to hyperventilate.

“Please... I’m human. What’s going to happen to me?”

The guards remained silent and emotionless as they took her down some stairs. The moment they reached the bottom, she felt a sense of dread. It was exactly how she felt when she ventured too close to the dark forest that had almost claimed her.

“What’s down here? Please help me; I won’t survive this,” she said desperately.

But the next instant, a door slid open, and the guards threw her inside. She landed hard on her shoulder on the cold, marble floor.

She only had time to glimpse a mattress along one side of the small room before the door closed and the light disappeared.

And the darkness—the same darkness that had been following her since she had survived the forest—swallowed her whole. She could not escape it. The sticky molasses covered her skin, fire flowed through her veins, and her breathing worsened as she curled up on the floor and closed her eyes.

She couldn’t breathe. Every breath she managed came out in short, ragged and painful as she hugged her knees. She could already feel that evil seeping into her body, dragging her mind back into the forest. Zeke couldn’t save her this time. Nobody could save her.

The pain started in her head, like icy fingers attacking her from all directions. Her chest began to hurt from lack of oxygen. This was really how she died. Alone and pitiful. All her earlier confidence that she could take care of herself shattered in the face of this unbeatable foe.

Unable to do anything else, she let her mind wander to that place in her head, that beautiful beach that she had escaped to the times her mind had been unable to process her pain.

It came to her easily. The beautiful cliffs, the waves gently licking the sand on the beach, the uninterrupted view of the horizon.

And on that beautiful beach, she took her first deep breath.

As she looked around, she realised everything felt realistic. There was no pain there. No stickiness, fire in her veins, or unnatural darkness. The sun was high above her; she could even feel its warm rays on her skin.

She didn’t know how long she had escaped into her imagination when her imaginary Zeke appeared beside her. He had an intense look on his face as he studied her.

“You’re okay,” he stated.

“No. I think I’ve lost my damn mind,” she laughed.

How else could she explain this? She knew where she was in reality, yet here she was with the salty breeze hitting her face.

“Why are you here?” she asked her imaginary Zeke.

“Because I’m yours.”

Chapter 40

Zekereturnedtohissenses the moment Ava’s pain turned off like a switch.

He would have thought she was dead if he hadn’t sensed her calm, almost content emotions instead.

The ring was destroyed to shreds all around him, and his body was cut up in several places where he had smashed into the magical barrier and the ring. He ignored the blood and the pain as he walked around the damage he had done. The witches were still chanting, but they were sitting down now, breathless and their heads lolling to their sides. Instead of three, there were six now, and they were slumped against each other to maintain contact instead of holding hands. They had drained themselves. It looked like they’d had to reinforce their barriers constantly.

How long had he been stuck in his rage?

Right beside them, the dean stood with his arms crossed, watching him.

“Let me out, Alpha Russell,” he said calmly.

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