outside. The air was cool and crisp, and I took a deep inhale. Nothing triggered my senses except the scent of trees and fruit, but I headed where I’d seen the flash anyway.
It could have just been a glare from the moon through the glass, or it could have been the glint of silver from someone’s blade. Either way, I needed to be certain. Not only for me, but for the people inside the house.
Ivy and Neva wouldn’t be collateral damage to my past.
As I crept through the yard, I fleetingly wondered where Finn had run off to, along with Maddox. Ivy seemed head over heels with the fae, but it was interesting to me he hadn’t been present more, considering I was around. He either had no idea who I was or didn’t care much for the safety of his girlfriend.
Or, maybe he wasn’t who Ivy and Finn thought he was. Everyone was suspicious to me, but there was also a possibility his farm really did take up most of his time and I was making a big deal out of nothing. I had at least tried to keep my thoughts away from believing he couldn’t be trusted, but it didn’t work very well.
A branch snapped up ahead, and I paused in the shadows of an outbuilding. I pushed my power out along the lush ground, hoping it would go unnoticed while doing what I needed it to do. Trundles of magic slithered from my fingertips, weaving between the blades of grass and around the trees.
Before they could get where I’d heard the sound, the repetitive thuds told me someone was running, and I wasn’t about to let them get away. I cut off my magic and followed. I’d spent a lot of time in the home gym back at my apartment and running was as easy as breathing for me. So, with little effort, I caught up to the fae ahead just in time to watch his wings spread.
Oh, hell no, asshole.
I let my feathered beauties burst from my shoulders as I launched myself forward. He took flight, but so did I. This wouldn’t be the first time I’d taken someone down in the air.
My wings were longer and stronger than his leather ones, so I gained on him easily. He was wearing all black, so I had no idea if he worked for the king or was just someone out lurking where they didn’t belong. Either way, I was about to find out.
I lifted my palm and thrust magic into his back. His right wing buckled but recovered faster than I liked. Focusing back on getting closer, I increased my speed and decided this would need to be done hands-on.
He made the mistake of glancing back and slowed after seeing how close I was. My arms wrapped around his midsection as I brought my wings around his front and under his throat.
“Get us to the ground safely and I won’t slice your head off,” I demanded.
“Screw you,” he spit right before a wave of electricity rolled through my body.
Son of a bitch. He had wanted me to catch him.
My hands released on instinct, and he shot higher into the sky. With sparks still rolling off my arms, I chased after him. Fury rose within me that I hadn’t seen the move coming, and I was done playing games. This was why I liked to kill people who were up to no good. It required so much more effort to bring them in kicking and screaming.
Power built within me. I knew exactly what my next move would be, and the thought of the cries to come made me giddy.
When I was once again close, I didn’t reach out. Instead, I sent a ball of magic into his back for a second time. This one wasn’t meant to hurt, but to remove all sense of control over his own body. It brought me great joy to make grown men like him so weak and pathetic. I’d honed this particular skill for moments just like this.
He swiveled back to me as his wings slowed and arms fell limp at his sides. “What did you do?” he snarled, and I grinned.
“Oh, not much. Have a nice fall.” I waved my fingers as his wings finally folded in and his dark eyes widened in fear of what was to come.
I might not ever know who he was or why he was spying on us, but at least he wouldn’t be a problem