Page 60 of Heart of Dawn
Shoving my emotions into a tenuous box, I asked them about their ordeal.
James answered first. “Well, after the fae stormed the farmhouse, we were locked up in that factory. Couldn’t break the runes.” His bottom lip trembled. “I really thought… I really thought…”
Cate took over from him, wrapping an arm around his waist. “Things seemed pretty hopeless. We had no light, only the red glow of those magical markings.” Her nostrils flared, the pack weapons expert’s lips curling into a snarl. “Bastards. All of them.”
Paige picked up the explanation next after half a minute of silence, theSnoopybadge pinned to her scrubs a symbol of her joy. “We tried everything to break out so many times. The worst part was hearing and smelling you, sir. Knowing you were out there with a horde on your back and not being able to do a thing about it.” Her eyes glistened with tears.
I took her hand, giving it a squeeze. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do more to free you.”
“But you did,” she countered. “You and the vampires.”
“Don’t beat yourself up, sir,” James threw in, standing straighter, his arm still linked with Cate’s.
My pack went on to explain how they got away from the factory after breaking the door down, finding this hospital, James and Paige coming out to get me.
“I’ve never run so much in my life,” Trev said. “Wild. But we avoided the horde, only having to take down a handful of zombies until we found this place.”
I sighed heavily. “Thank God.”
“What about you, Miko?” Andrew wondered. “Aside from killing Lance.”
I’m dying to save my mate!my inner voice screamed.
“Can I have some water first, please?” I asked, keeping that box closed. “If there is any?”
Get stronger.
Get out there.
Get to the gates.
Malorie presented me with a full bottle of water. “This is fresh from outside. We’ve been filling up as many bottles and jars we can find.”
“Excellent. Thanks.” I took the water, gulping down half of it.
I explained my story, laying down every detail, including the truth about Wendy and her magical honey.
Arlo spoke first. “Holy. Shit.”
“Right?” I responded. “The problem is getting that honey. We’re running out of time. Dawn wants me dead. It wants all of us dead. And it won’t be long before it nails turning supernaturals into biters.”
“Daria said it felt like she was slowly dying again,” Cate responded. “Like she was possessed, becoming a zombie.”
Which was slightly different to how Dawn worked on humans. But whatever. It still worked toward the same goal, getting stronger by the day.
“Poor Orion,” Paige said. “What are we going to do?”
Basil caught my eye. “King Damien will not open the gates. Especially now.”
No shit. “Is there a back door or something?”
The fae glowered at me. “If there were, do you not think I would have used it by now?”
Dickhead. I folded my arms tightly across my chest. “I’m not taking no for an answer. If this whole thing has taught me anything, it’s that there are possibilities everywhere. We just have to find them.”
Listen to me being all buoyant when Orion suffered a knife to the stomach.
“The gates only open from the inside,” Basil said pessimistically.
