Shadowborn Queen - G. Bailey Page 0,23

don't have to waste those sexy pickup lines on me anymore."

"Cheeky, madam. They worked, I have you as a mate now," he protests, making me laugh.

"What's so funny?" Axel asks, turning back to us and walking backwards. I don't get a second to scream as magic bursts to life right behind the guys and a massive man walks out of the dark magic portal. The man stretches to the sky in size, his skin is all dark, I'm sure he was once handsome but now he is so covered in blood that I can't tell.

So this is a Titan.

"Watch out!" I scream as the Titan kicks the guys in a line and right into the closing portal.

They don't get a second to stop themselves as they fall through and it disappear.

"No!"

My scream only attracts the Titan's attention and Luke grabs my arm, dragging me through the trees.

"Fly up, now!" Luke shouts at me and I do as he suggests, flying high into the air. I smash through the trees, ignoring the branches that cut against my arms. Luke holds his hand out for me and I grab his hand with mine, latching on. We keep going up until we are over the clouds, I suck in a deep breath as the Titan spins around in circles in the forest, looking for us.

"We have to find them!" I whisper to Luke as he pulls me into his arms. The harsh wind blows against us as we do nothing, knowing if we move out of the clouds the Titan could see us.

"It's likely the portal just went to another part of the forest," Luke whispers to me. "I think we should find somewhere to hide for the day, tonight we will make our way to the academy. The others will know to meet us there if they can. If not, we get weapons and help to find them."

I know Luke is most likely right, but a part of me hurts at the idea of hiding out from the Titan and not searching aimlessly for my mates in the forest. I know nothing I could do would take down that Titan, and judging by the amount of blood coating him, it would be pointless to even try. I would just get Luke and I killed, and that can't happen. A smart princess knows when to fight and when not to. I just have to hope I know when the right time to fight is. I keep messing everything up, and now I've lost three of the most important people in my life in this forest. Eventually, we notice the Titan is gone, and the trees are motionless in the forest once again.

Luke flies down, pulling on my hand to take me with him. We don't land for a long time as we travel over the forest and towards some of the taller areas full of trees. Luke helps me glide through the trees this time and we both land on the ground, right in front of a large hill covered in trees with shallow caves.

"Here will be safe and easy to see anyone near," Luke suggests, picking up some sticks on the ground. I gather some as well, feeling the chill in the air already, and it's only early morning. Luke is right, with Titans around we can't travel through the forest in the day. I think it's best we travel at night, where there might be shadows, but at least we know the darkness will hide us.

Luke is quiet as we both gather sticks and branches for the fire and settle in one of the more hidden caverns. There isn't much space in here, and once Luke gets the fire going, we sit right next to each other.

"Tell me something about you. Something not many know," I ask Luke, resting my head on his shoulder.

"When I was a little kid, I made friends with a wisp in my garden. It would always hide whenever someone else came near, but not me. I know they are rare, but it was good company for me for a long time. I almost felt it's magic, like a comfort blanket," he tells me. "I never was good at making friends, but the wisp liked me."

"You have friends now," I tell him. "And someone in love with you. I'd say you're really good at making friends."

"How are you coping with everything? We haven't had much of a chance to stop and talk about your mother and father,"