by Lee, K. N.
Face set with hate, she took off her glasses.
She wanted him to see her eyes.
To feel the rage festering in her soul like flames in a pyre.
He skidded to a stop and stood there in silence as Evie tossed her glasses into the woods.
Her eyes changed. They began to glow.
“What are you doing, Evie? I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I told you to let me go,” Evie said. She closed her eyes, threw her arms into the air, and sucked in a deep breath as her body began to shift.
Painless.
Effortless.
Almost euphoric.
Evie’s bones bent. Her skin tingled as black feathers and fur took the place of her creamy white flesh. Silver talons replaced her nails, and her mouth became a white beak with a tip that curved downward.
Those eyes, silver and glowing, flickered open and glared at Avalon who seemed to shrink away.
He lifted his hands, showering wizard’s fire in her direction.
She smiled as the flames cooled as they neared her body.
Just like her mother, Evie transformed into a creature of myth, legend, and nightmare. As a gryphon, powerful and majestic, Evie was filled with enough confidence to exact her revenge.
Lightning quickness aided her in flying into him. She grabbed Avalon by his neck and carried him high into the black sky.
His yell filled the air and Evie’s ears, but there would be no mercy. She continued to climb the air with her wings flapping in tune to her heart beat. The clouds were a welcome blanket for her, and yet the Avalon shivered at the drop in temperature.
“Let me down,” he shouted in between coughs and screams.
“No,” Evie said in a calm voice.
“Please, Evie. All I wanted was to love you. And for you to love me back.”
Evie took him higher and higher until even she was too afraid to venture any further. This was as far as she would go.
“But I don’t love you, Avalon. You took me from the man I loved. Now, tell me you won’t hurt my family anymore,” she shouted.
Avalon looked at her, eyes wide with fear, but there was more…something she couldn’t decipher.
“I promise,” he said. “Now let’s go back down and talk this over.”
Evie stared at him.
For the first time since she met him, she was able to read him.
Horror filled her mind.
He’d done things to Olivia. Things that would haunt Evie forever. She could only imagine how Olivia was coping.
Rage filled her.
All logic escaped her mind.
Before she could stop herself, she crushed Avalon’s neck with her talons and tossed his body yards away through the air. Panting with anger, she watched his body soar through the air and fall downward to the ground.
Alone.
So many emotions filled her.
Relief, sorrow, and fear overwhelmed her.
Is it over?
The silence answered her.
Avalon was gone.
Yes, she thought, a tingly sensation flooding her body.
Was this what victory felt like?
It’s over.
THE SWEET SMELL of hydrangeas filled Evie’s nostrils. It was the best smell in the world.
She carried the bouquet at chest height, her hands tightly gripping it as if someone might run up and steal them from her.
She’d be ready for them. No one would steal her happiness ever again.
Nothing was better than seeing Parker standing at the altar.
Was she dreaming?
Her smile felt as though it took over her entire face.
All that Evie and Parker had endured together.
All of the years they had spent falling in love with each other.
It led to that moment.
Wes gave her hand a pat as he led her down the aisle. She beamed at him, giving him a peck on the cheek as they made their way along the white rose petals that led to Parker.
Everyone that loved her was there. Quinn grinned from her spot at the altar as her maid-of-honor. Olivia stood right behind her in matching lavender gowns.
Parker’s parents watched with delight from the front row.
Adelaide watched from the front row across from them. Tears streamed her face, and she didn’t even care to wipe them away.
A spring wedding in Paris.
This is what Evie had been waiting for all of her life.
Wes kissed her cheek and stepped away to stand behind Parker’s brother, cousin, and best friend.
Evie stood before Parker, her heart full of so much love that it spilled forth in the form of tears.
He reached for her hands, taking them into his own.
“We did it,” he said to her in a whisper.
She nodded. “We did.”
No one else existed at that moment. The priest waited for them, respecting the gravity of that moment.
A tear escaped Parker’s eye. “I’m never letting you go.”
Evie smiled through tears, and nodded. “I know,” she said. “This is not a dream”
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my novella from Woodland Creek!
All reviews are appreciated.
If you would like to read more from the Woodland Creek series, please click on the link below:
Woodland Creek Website
K.N. Lee is an award-winning author that resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. When she is not writing twisted tales, fantasy novels, and dark poetry, she does a great deal of traveling and promotes other authors. Wannabe rock-star, foreign language enthusiast, and anime geek, K.N. Lee also enjoys helping others reach their writing and publishing goals. She is a winner of the Elevate Lifestyle Top 30 Under 30 "Future Leaders of Charlotte" award for her success as a writer, business owner, and for community service.
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