Mira's POV
Flying is nothing like I imagined.
Zephyr's arms hold me tight as his massive golden wings beat against the air. We're so HIGH—the forest looks like a carpet of green and gray far below. The wind tears at my hair. My stomach lurches with every dip and rise.
And a hundred Dark Ones are staring up at us.
"They're following," I gasp, watching the corrupted creatures surge through the trees below, tracking our movement. "Zephyr, they're ALL following us!"
"I know." His voice is tight. "Hold on. I'm going to fly faster."
His wings beat harder. We shoot forward, and suddenly the wind is screaming past my ears. I bury my face against his chest, trying not to look down.
Through the mate bond, I feel Kael's terror. He's running below with Draeven, trying to keep up. But they can't match our speed. We're leaving them behind.
"It's okay," I whisper, trying to send calm through the bond. "I'm okay."
But I'm not okay. My whole body aches from destroying that tree. The golden marks on my arms pulse weakly. And now I'm flying over an army of monsters who want to eat my power.
"How much further?" I ask.
"Twenty minutes. Maybe less." Zephyr glances down. "The Dark Ones are spreading out. Trying to cut us off."
"Can they catch us?"
"Not while we're in the air. But when we land..." He doesn't finish. Doesn't have to.
I think about Frostfang territory under attack. Tribes fighting over me like I'm a prize. Kael's people dying because I exist.
"This is all my fault," I whisper.
"No." Zephyr's voice is firm. "You didn't ask to be a Lifebringer. You didn't ask to come here. None of this is your fault."
"Tell that to the people dying."
"They're dying because others chose violence. That's on THEM, not you." He adjusts his grip. "You're trying to STOP the violence. That makes you the hero, Mira."
I don't feel like a hero. I feel like bait in a trap that's about to snap shut.
A screech cuts through the air.
I look up and my blood runs cold. Three flying Dark Ones—things with bat wings and serpent bodies—are diving toward us from above.
"ZEPHYR!"
He banks hard left. My stomach drops as we plummet sideways. The Dark Ones miss by inches, their claws raking empty air where we just were.
"They can FLY?" I scream.
"Apparently!" Zephyr twists and spins, dodging another attack. "Hold tight!"
I wrap my arms around his neck, clinging desperately. One wrong move and I'm falling to my death.
Again.
The flying Dark Ones circle back, screeching. More rise from the forest below—five, ten, TWENTY of them. They swarm around us like massive, corrupted birds.
"There's too many!" Zephyr gasps. "I can't outrun them all!"
One dives from directly above. Zephyr can't dodge fast enough. The creature's claws slice across his wing.
He screams. We DROP.
My stomach lurches into my throat as we plummet toward the forest. Zephyr's injured wing can't catch air properly. We're spinning, falling—
"Use your power!" Zephyr shouts. "NOW!"
I throw my hands out on pure instinct. Golden light explodes from my palms.
The blast hits the nearest Dark Ones. They SHRIEK and scatter, their corrupted bodies smoking where the light touched. For a second, we have space.
Zephyr's wings catch air. We stop falling, jerking upward so hard my teeth clack together.
"Nice shot!" he gasps, but his wing is bleeding badly. Black corruption spreads from the wound. "But I can't fly much longer. The poison—"
"I can heal you!" I reach for his wing.
"Not while we're flying! You'll drain yourself and we'll both fall!"
He's right. I'm already exhausted. Using more power now might kill us both.
Below, I see a clearing ahead. And beyond it—massive cliffs carved with caves. Frostfang territory.
"There!" I point. "Can you make it?"
"Have to." Zephyr grits his teeth and pushes forward. His injured wing struggles with each beat. Blood trails behind us in the air.
The flying Dark Ones regroup and chase. They're getting closer. Closer.
We're not going to make it.
"Zephyr—"
"I know!" He pours everything into one final burst of speed.
We clear the tree line. The cliffs loom ahead. Wolf warriors on the walls spot us and start shouting. Below, I see the battle—dozens of beast-men from different tribes fighting each other. Blood everywhere. Bodies on the ground.
All because of me.
"INCOMING!" Zephyr shouts to the warriors.
He aims for the largest cave opening—the one with guards posted. We're going too fast. Way too fast. We're going to crash.
At the last second, Zephyr pulls up hard, flipping us. His back hits the cave floor first, absorbing the impact. We skid across stone, finally stopping in a heap.
I roll off him, gasping. "Are you okay?"
Zephyr groans but sits up. His wing hangs at a wrong angle, black veins spreading from the wound. "Been better."
"Let me heal—"
"LIFEBRINGER!" A female voice cuts through the cave. Cold and sharp as ice.
I look up.
An older woman stands in the cave entrance. She's beautiful in a harsh way—sharp cheekbones, gray hair pulled back, eyes that have seen too much. She's the only fully human-looking person I've seen here besides me.
"You must be Rhea," I say, pushing to my feet. My legs shake but hold.
"And you must be the female causing all this chaos." Rhea's eyes sweep over me with disgust. "Look at you. Small. Weak. Unmarked. And somehow my son thinks you're worth destroying our tribe for."
"Your son?" My brain catches up. "Kael is your son?"
"Unfortunately." Rhea steps closer. Behind her, I see wolf warriors blocking the cave exit. "He was supposed to mate properly after Sera died. Choose a strong female from a good bloodline. Instead, he bonds with... you."
The contempt in her voice makes me feel two inches tall. Like I'm back with Marcus, being told I'm not good enough, not smart enough, not ENOUGH.
But I'm not that girl anymore.
"I didn't ask for the bond," I say, lifting my chin. "And I didn't ask to come here. But I'm trying to HELP. Your tribe is under attack because others want my power. Let me negotiate with them. Stop the fighting."
"Negotiate?" Rhea laughs bitterly. "Stupid girl. You don't negotiate with predators. You DOMINATE them. Or you die."
"Then I'll dominate." I let my golden marks flare to life. Not threatening—just showing strength. "I destroyed a corrupted tree from the inside and purified an entire section of Dead Forest today. I can handle some territorial alphas."
Rhea's eyes narrow. "Can you handle THIS?"
She whistles sharply.
The wolf warriors grab Zephyr. He struggles, but he's too injured to fight. They pin him to the ground.
"What are you DOING?" I demand.
"Teaching you a lesson about trust." Rhea pulls a knife from her belt. "You want to save everyone? Fine. Save HIM. Heal my son's enemy, and I'll let you meet with the tribes."
"He's not your enemy! He HELPED us!"
"He's Sky Dominion. They're attacking us RIGHT NOW." Rhea crouches beside Zephyr, pressing the knife to his throat. "So choose, Lifebringer. Use your depleted power to heal him—and possibly die from the strain. Or conserve your strength and let him bleed out. Either way, you learn that your choices have consequences."
Horror floods through me. Through the bond, I feel Kael getting closer—he's almost here. But not close enough.
Zephyr meets my eyes. Blood runs down his wing. The corruption is spreading toward his heart. He has minutes at most.
"Don't," he whispers. "Save your strength. You need it for—"
"Shut up." I drop to my knees beside him, placing my hands on his wing. "I'm not letting anyone else die because of me. Not today."
Golden light flows from my palms into his wound. I feel my power draining. Fast. Too fast. The room starts spinning.
Rhea watches with cold satisfaction. "Foolish girl. You'll kill yourself trying to save everyone."
Maybe she's right. Maybe I am foolish.
But as the corruption burns away from Zephyr's wing, as his breathing steadies, as life returns to his eyes—I know I'd make the same choice again.
The healing finishes. Zephyr's wing is whole. The corruption is gone.
And I collapse, my power completely empty.
Through fading vision, I see Rhea standing over me. She's smiling.
"Perfect," she says softly. "Now you're helpless. And the REAL negotiations can begin."
The cave entrance darkens.
Alpha males from a dozen tribes pour inside—bear, eagle, serpent, wolf. All of them staring at me with hungry eyes. All of them wanting to claim the powerless Lifebringer.
And I'm too weak to even stand.
Rhea raises her voice: "Gentlemen. Shall we discuss terms?"