The picture of a flying Cerberus is invading my thoughts and I can't shake it. I push the mental image out, wanting everyone to join in on the fun. But only Usiah and Ash laugh, the rest groan, the killjoys.
"That was actually a really good one, Donavan." Usiah wipes the tears from his eyes as he catches his breath. "We should stay here."
"Do you trust those winged bastards to protect her?" Cerek balls his fists at his sides.
"I do." Berwyn nods. "They are bonded to her and would die to protect her. I think we all need to work together and get along for Ash’s sake. Besides, we weren't able to stop Michael from taking her before."
"Then it's settled. We will take Ash for this witchy thing, and you guys wait here." I clap my hands together and stand up. "Cora, can you leave your phone with the mutts?" I winks at Berwyn who fights a smile.
"If anything happens, we'll call you." Josiah grabs the phone from Ash and calls himself. "There, save my number and I'll save yours."
He hands the phone back to her, and she follows his instructions before passing it over to Berwyn. She glances between their three faces before resolve sets in place.
"Behave." She orders.
Cerek winces, while Berwyn closes his eyes. Usiah groans as his mouth turns down in a frown.
"That wasn't necessary." He glares at her.
"I don't want you chasing any angels when I'm gone." She darts her eyes to the ground, then twists to the balcony, her white hair billowing behind her.
"She might have a point." Cerek groans. "Hurry back, sugar."
My brothers and I follow her to the balcony and unfurl our wings, then take off.
"Hey! Wait! What about me?" Ash bounces on her heels from the balcony behind us.
"Coming!" I call out as I swoop back around to pick her up.
20
Ash
I can't believe they almost forgot me. If anything, I was expecting them to argue over who got to carry me. Instead, they each assumed someone else would do it. An intense itching forms between my shoulder blades as I bounce up and down, calling out to get their attention.
Donavan swoops back around and sweeps me off my feet without missing a beat.
"Sorry, we will get used to this, I swear." He rests his forehead against mine briefly as we catch up to his brothers.
"I wish I could fly with you." I sigh. "It would make life much easier."
"Then I wouldn't have an excuse to cradle you in my arms." Donavan grins.
"You could do it for no reason." I raise an eyebrow.
"True, but this is more fun." He winks as the wind whooshes past us.
I snuggle into his chest and inhale, his earthy, smoky scent enveloping me. My lips tug into a smile as my eyes close. Hopefully, this witch knows her stuff and I can enjoy these men for a bit while we plan for our next steps.
We land on the edge of the field from before. There's no way I want a repeat of last time, so I'm thankful we aren't crossing it. Donavan gently sets me on my feet, steadying my shoulders until I catch my balance. A tall, leggy blonde is standing near the tree line, a gold chain twirling around her fingers.
"You ready to do this?" She grins as we approach her. Her blue eyes sparkle when they land on me. "I'm Krista. Josiah says you have an angel problem?"
"Nice to meet you. I'm Ash, and yes, unfortunately I do." I glance over at Josiah, wondering how much I should tell her.
"Don't worry. I don't care much for those pompous assholes either." She winks. "Let's get this party started."
Donavan scoops me up, and I squeal. My face heats from the silly reaction. Why did I do that? He launches himself in the air and hovers as Josiah collects Krista. Gideon and Josiah join us and we take off, soaring above the trees.
I cuddle into Donavan's chest, wishing again that this world wasn't so cold. I watch the forest pass by, the trees so thick that only thin paths show the ground beneath them.
The further we fly, the trees begin to thin and tiny saplings pop up in between the larger canopies until we land in a clearing next to a small creek. Josiah sets Krista on her feet while Donavan reluctantly lets go of me.
"What do we need to do?" Gideon claps his hands together.
"Ash, can you step forward?" Krista asks at the same time.
"Sorry." Gideon rubs his neck and the tips of his ears redden.
I stand in front of her as she pulls supplies out of her pockets. My eyes widen as stuff keeps coming. First a sage stick, then a lighter, followed by candles, stones, an amulet, and what looks to be a small stone altar. Her clothes are form fitting, where the hell is she fitting all that stuff?
"Displacement spell. I left everything sitting on a table back home with the other end of this cord." She holds up the gold chain she was playing with when we first arrived.
Did she read my mind? These witches are more powerful than I had assumed. I need to remember not to underestimate their abilities. Again, an intense itch hits my shoulder blade. I try not to grimace as I reach back to scratch. As my fingers hit a large knot, I wince. Did some strange bug bite me?
"Gideon, can you look at my back?" I try to keep the panic from my voice, briefly forgetting they can sense my emotions. "I think something bit me."
He rushes over, running his hand up my back, feeling the lump before lifting my shirt. A gasp escapes his mouth, causing Josiah and Donavan to join him.
"Is she?" Josiah's voice raises.
"Am I what?" I spin around, meeting his eyes.
My heart pounds in my chest. Am I dying? Is the mortal world somehow mutating me?
"Not here." Gideon glances at Krista as he sends mentally. "It's not a bug bite, lovely."
"You're killing me. Am I going to die?" I spin in a circle like a dog chasing its tail, trying to get a glimpse of whatever is on my back.
"It's nothing bad, but let's not tip off the witch." Josiah's calm tone soothes me and I stand still as Gideon smacks my back.
"Got it. It was a spider." He winks.
"I'm ready over here." Krista chuckles and shakes her head. "I have a feeling that life around you would be very amusing indeed."
"Until I start cutting bitches." I roll my eyes. "I mean, yeah... amusing."
"Where did that come from?" Josiah's brow furrows.
"Sorry, my demon slipped." I chuckle.
"A disclaimer is in order. I just cast a true self spell. It's needed for the ritual to work, but you won't be able to lie from this point going forward." Krista smiles apologetically. "Ash, can you stand in the circle?"
I step forward into a circle made of black and white candles, each spaced evenly. The circle is only a few feet wide and the small, stone altar is burning some kind of incense in the middle. My head swims as the smoke surrounds me. Krista chants in a language I've never heard, but my skin tingles as the magic builds as if I'm in a balloon that's being over inflated until it implodes. My head is thrown back as I'm lifted off the ground, my arms straightening at my sides. A purple haze covers my vision as Krista's voice booms over the forest. Suddenly, sound ceases to exist. It's just me and the magic, as it weaves and dances through my body. The magic pins me in place as my body hums with power.
"It's not that easy to escape me, abomination." Michael appears overhead.
Fuck this shit. I'm sick of this jackass trying to fuck with me. He can either kill me or leave me alone, but I refuse to be afraid of him.
"Go to hell." I growl, forcing my arm up through sheer willpower, as the magic attempts to immobilize me, and point at his chest.
A shot of red flame flies from my hand as he dodges, his feathered wings smoking from where the tips were burned. His eyes narrow as I will another fireball to appear. He growls and disappears in a flash of bright white, just as I launch the second shot, leaving it flying straight into the air.
I float back to the ground, feeling stronger than I have in my life. My emotions settle into place as if they haven't waged war inside me over the past several days. Instead, I feel powerful,
confident, and ready to figure this shit out.
"Don't you realize you are more powerful than anything in creation?" Cerek's words replay in my mind.
"That was touch and go." Krista smiles, but her shaky voice betrays her nerves. "It's done. He won't be able to pop in within sixty feet of you now, but that doesn't mean he can't get close."
"It gives me enough of a warning that I can defend myself." I grin. "Is there anything else we need to know? I'm ready to make plans and execute them."
"That's it, if someone can drop me off back at the coven?" Krista glances around. "The true self spell is broken. If you guys need anything else, you know where to find me."
"Donavan, you take her home, I'll carry Ash." Josiah's eyes meet mine.
"Fine, if you insist." Donavan rolls his eyes then winks at me. "We can cuddle for no reason later."
Josiah gently scoops me in his arms, as Donavan waits for Krista to finish collecting her things. With a quick jump, we take flight, soaring over the trees back to the apartment.
21
Ash
With all the magic and the angel showing up, I had nearly forgotten about the bump on my back. The itching is driving me crazy, and I can't reach it in my current position. Thankfully, the balcony is in sight. We land and I hop out of Josiah's arms and start rubbing my back against the brick wall of the building.
"None of that, lovely." Gideon lands and pulls me away from the wall.
"Now tell me what's on my back." I stare at him intently.
"About that..." He rubs the back of his neck. "Let's go inside. Everyone should hear this."
"I think you're trying to kill me with suspense. Donavan isn't even here yet." I pout, sticking out my bottom lip.
"Donavan knows what I'm going to tell you." He steps forward and kisses my forehead gently while Josiah slides open the door.
I follow him in to find three sets of eyes boring into me.
"Something's different about you." Berwyn steps forward and sniffs me. "I can smell you now."
"He's right." Gideon buries his nose in my hair. "You smell like sulfur and earth."
"Distracting me from the real question again." I twist around and poke Gideon in the chest. "Now spill."
"As you wish." He chuckles.
"What are you talking about?" Cerek frowns as he rushes forward.
"I have a weird bump on my back that Gideon is about to explain." I sigh.
Cerek spins me around and lifts up my shirt, gently stroking two places on my back. Oh fuck, there's two of them now?
"Gideon, explain now!" I growl, trying to contain the anxiety rising in my chest.
"Sit down, Lovely." He leads me to the couch then gently pushes me down.
"Seriously dude, why are you trying to freak her out so bad?" Usiah steps forward and gets in Gideon's face. "We can all feel it, including you."
"I'm not. I just don't want her to panic." Gideon shakes his head. "I'm fucking this up."
"Yes, brother, you are." Josiah kneels in front of me. "Ash, they aren't anything bad. You are growing wings."
"So my father is something that can fly. That leaves what? Angels, gargoyles, and fairies?" I scratch at the bumps on my back.
"You don't smell like a flying dumpster." Cerek shakes his head.
"But maybe her scent is different because she's a halfling. She doesn’t smell like sulfur anymore either. What if they cancel each other out?" Berwyn taps a finger on his chin. "She could be anything that flies."
"What else is there?" I put my hands on my hips. "And she is right here."
"Several species of fae, gargoyles, angels, and some species of animals." Josiah ticks the list off his fingers. "Not that I think your mom did something with an animal. I meant shifter animals. I'm shutting up now."
His face turns bright red before he turns and rushes out on the balcony. I cover my mouth, trying to hold in the snicker that's forming, but let it out when the rest of the room erupts into laughter. Tears stream down my face and I struggle to catch my breath. I needed that more than I had realized.
"Please don't be half pebble." Cerek snorts. "I would rather picture your mom fucking a flying horse."
"A flying horse? What have you been smoking?" Usiah grabs his ribs. "I didn't realize you had an imagination."
"Shut up." Cerek shoves his brother, but the crinkle at the edges of his eyes betrays his amusement.
Donavan sticks his head through the open doorway and lifts an eyebrow as he takes in the room. "What did you do to Josiah? He's perched on top of the steeple and won't answer me."
"He accidently insinuated that Ash's mom was into animals." Usiah grins.
Donavan snorts then sends out mentally. "Did you picture her doing it doggy style?"
"Stop picking at him." Gideon drops his chin and glares. "You know he's over there beating himself up."
"He doesn't give me material very often. I swear he's a robot most of the time." Donavan winks at me and I shake my head.
"Leave your brother alone and let's focus on the fact that I'm about to be feathered!" I scrunch up the side of my mouth. "So, how do we figure out who my father is so we can get to the bottom of this mystery?"
"Once your wings sprout, we should be able to tell where they came from." Berwyn lowers himself to the couch next to me.
He reaches out and gently caresses my back before feeling around the growing bumps. He massages the left nodule and I wince. Pressure builds behind my shoulder blade. Gideon's eyebrows raise and his eyes light up and he rubs my right one. My back is on fire as every nerve goes crazy.
"It's ok, Cora. They are just coaxing your wings out for the first time." Donavan kneels in front of me and grabs my hands, rubbing circles on the back of my hands with his thumbs.
"It's not pleasant." I growl through gritted teeth.
"No, but it's like sex, it's only painful the first time." He winks as he flashes a lopsided grin. "Berwyn, how did you know that would help her?"
"Josiah told me to do it." He says.
"You should have helped me yourself." I send out to Josiah. "Don't be embarrassed for what you said just because we laughed."
"It's not that easy, Ash. I always think over what I say. I overthink everything." He mentally sighs. "I let my words get away from me and I don't know why."
"Come back for me? This really hurts." I wince as the pressure reaches its apex.
I groan and black spots dot my vision as the skin on my back tears open and the pressure subsides. The new appendages ache as the cold air hits them. It's as if every fresh nerve is screaming for relief. Josiah rushes through the door and stops in front of me.
"Move them around. It will help them settle better." He orders, his eyes full of concern.
"How?" My heart races. I don't know how to use wings. I've never had them before.
"The same way you would move your arms or legs. It's a part of you. Just think about moving them and they will move for you," he coaxes.
I focus on my back, telling my new found wings to flap. Nothing happens at first, then I focus on the muscles that feel like they should move them. I yip when they raise up, then I grin. I try to look over my shoulder at them, but only get a glimpse of greyish brown leather. What the hell? Jumping up from the couch, I run into the bedroom, knocking my wings on the doorway.
I howl in pain as every nerve lights up at once. Falling to my knees, I growl as the spots clear from my vision. "Fold down you dumb fuckers."
I close my eyes and concentrate on the wings folding behind my back and they finally comply. Rising to my feet, I make it to the bathroom and position my back in view of the mirror. Well... I wasn't expecting them to look like this. They are identical to Stone triplet's wings, except for the color. They look just like bat wings, leathery and black.
"Does this make my father a gargoyle?" I call out as I watch my wings twitch.
I focus on moving them and watch as they comply. After a few attempts, I'm able to beat them up and down without much e
ffort. I wonder how long it will be before I can fly? That will be fun. A grin spreads across my face at the thought of soaring over the city with my gargoyles.
Josiah's reflection appears in the doorway and I twist to face him.
"Didn't you say your mom met your dad around here?" His eyes search mine.
"That's what Lilith told me." I nod as he wraps his arms around me, careful to avoid my wings. “Wait, wouldn’t you guys know about it? You lived here right?”
“Our lives are long and I don’t remember every warning that ever went off, but we do keep records. We will be able to look at them and tell you who he is. You being our mate makes so much more sense now." He kisses my forehead as I melt into his embrace. "We can also teach you everything you need to know about your gargoyle half, though I've never heard of a half gargoyle."
"Maybe your repository has more information on it?" I meet his eyes and bite my lip.
"Perhaps. I wonder if it would allow you to enter. Maybe the witches have a spell that could suppress your demon side so we could take you." He leans his chin on top of my head.
"As long as it's not permanent. I'm not changing who I am." I lean back and meet his eyes. "Just because you understand my new half doesn't mean it changes the other half."
"Of course not. You will always be Ash." He grins and my heart flutters.
“Speaking of Lilith, she’s made herself scarce. What is she up to?” I twist on my hair as I think.
Something doesn't feel right with her but I can’t put my finger on it yet. Maybe once we solve this father mystery we can figure it out.
“That one I can’t answer. Either.” He shakes his head.
22
Josiah
I didn't expect this outcome, but it doesn't change anything. We are still in the same position as when we started, only now it will be easier to find answers. Her father would have come into our territory twenty-three years ago, and there's no way he could have hid himself from us.
"Brothers, we need to look at our records." I send out to only them.
Ash and Stone (Hidden Truth Book 1) Page 11