and tone horrified at what just happened.
I push light purple hair out of my line of sight so I can see her more clearly, and then freeze.
Light purple hair? I don’t have light purple hair.
“What the hell?” I ask, flippin’ the foreign colored strands of hair over my shoulder and tracin’ them to their roots, which, sure enough, are attached to my head. I look at Delta, wide-eyed.
“I don’t know how, but I think the wards you had on you just broke,” she tells me. “Look.” She points to my back, and I look over my shoulder and balk when I see lilac-colored wings sprouted out of my back, in the same shade as my hair.
Well, damn. No wonder I felt off-balance.
I look around, needin’ to be sure we’re safe, and confirm that we’re back on the long driveway of their mansion. My eyes drop to her chest. “Shit, are you okay?” I ask Delta, worry coursin’ through me at everythin’ that just happened. My shirt is in tatters, and I rip the bottom of it off and help to press it against Delta’s wounds.
We both just sit on the gravel drive and breathe through the adrenaline that’s pumpin’ through both of us, our exhales ragged.
“What happened back there?” I ask, but her answer is interrupted by shoutin’ and the sound of runnin’ steps as our demons spill out of the front door and sprint toward us.
Delta only has time to give my hand a quick squeeze before she’s descended upon by her demons, while Alder and Flint flank me. And the look on their faces...pure terror.
Flint’s skin immediately darkens and hardens, like he’s goin’ full marble. Alder’s eyes flash with worried fury. I’m so relieved at seein’ them that a sob escapes my throat. I can see their gazes runnin’ over my new wings and hair, and I wonder what I must look like to them.
Delta and I are pulled apart as our demons wrap us up, and questions come flyin’ at us, which makes us both whimper.
“What happened?”
“Who did this?”
“Get her in the house, she’s hurt!”
Words and concern surround us as Alder lifts me up, his hands shakin’ slightly as he holds me. My wings are pressed tightly against the inside of his arms as he starts to inspect me for injuries. It’s uncomfortable, and I wiggle a little to give the new appendages room.
“What the fuck happened?” he growls, worry coatin’ his tone and bleedin’ out of his eyes.
Flint pushes my hair back, and I see confusion in his gaze as he fingers a lock of the new lilac strands I’m sportin’. “What is this? Are you hurt?” he demands, and all I can do is shake my head to reassure him.
Alder carries me across the yard, holdin’ me tightly against his chest. We’re movin’ in step with Delta’s demons back toward the house, and I feel as though I’m floatin’ in a cloud of adrenaline and fear, but now cocooned in the safety and comfort of Alder’s arms and Flint’s presence.
“What happened?” Alder tries again.
I swallow hard and clear my throat in an attempt to make my voice steady. “We were sittin’ and talkin’. Everythin’ was fine, but then there was this boom. It was like thunder, only louder, like we were dead in the middle of the cloud. The house started gettin’ pelted, and Delta…”
I trail off for a moment as I press my face against Alder’s chest. I can see Delta bein’ rushed into the mansion ahead of us, and all of the events are flashin’ through my mind, tryin’ to be processed. The adrenaline seems to be wearin’ off too, and my body shakes slightly, which only causes Alder’s hold to tighten around me.
“Somethin’ happened to Delta. I don’t know what, but she couldn’t react at first. When I looked outside to see what was goin’ on, there were demons there. We tried to run, but they were everywhere, so we fought. Delta tried to shift us back, but we were blocked. Then, somethin’ happened when I touched her blood. I exploded, I guess, and she was finally able to shift us out. And now...I look like this,” I finish, and Alder’s lips press in a thin line.
He scales the steps that lead up to the front entrance of the mansion, while Rafferty calls for Strut and starts barkin’ out orders as we all move up the stairs.
As soon as we’re all inside, Flint turns on them. “You said she would be safe!”