31. Everly
Everly
Chapter thirty-one
My eyes are instantly drawn upward as we enter the forest. The trees are covered with luminescent leaves that seem to shimmer with their own inner light as they stretch toward the sky in a harmonious ballet. Shafts of sunlight filter through the vibrant canopy, creating an enchanting play of shadows that move in time with the forest’s mystical heartbeat. Flowers of every imaginable shape and color carpet the forest floor, their petals releasing fragrances that evoke the very essence of magic itself.
“I’ve never seen the forest quite so alive and colorful before,” Zaria mutters.
“It’s beautiful,” I agree.
The further we travel the more the forest seems to breathe magic. Nymeria and Anika bound ahead silently, and within seconds they have completely disappeared. My pulse kicks up, and I tighten my grip on the reins as I search for them.
“Don't worry. They will stick close. They are the ghosts, remember,” Maxon’s voice reassures me.
I nod, relaxing my grip and trying to find calm in this beautiful scenery.
It amazes me how much the forest changes the longer we ride.
“The forest around the Evergreen is different from the others in Faerie. The druids’ magic lives and breathes in this forest,” Maxon explains, as if reading my thoughts. Dropping my gaze from the treetops, I peer over at him and smile. I try to reach out to see what he is feeling, but all I feel is contentment, and I’m not sure if it’s mine or his.
Tristan and Kian are in the lead, followed by Maxon and me in the middle, with Raiden and Zaria trailing behind. Occasionally, I catch sight of Anika and Nymeria through the thick trees and foliage, fleeting glimpses of white. Nova and Storm stay close together while Maxon remains vigilant, scanning our surroundings with a watchful gaze. A sense of nervous energy permeates the air, making me feel unsettled. It’s clear he is on high alert. They all are. But the silence that has encircled us weighs heavy, like a stone in my stomach, compelling me to break it and dispel the lingering tension.
Not sure how loud to speak, I reach out and poke Maxon’s arm to draw his attention and whisper softly, “What are you looking for?”
“Nothing in particular.”
Tristan twists around, catching my eye. “Well, I’m watching for bellowigs.”
My eyes widen at his tone, and I'm almost too afraid to ask. “What’s a bellowig?”
Maxon’s violet eyes land on me, and he smirks before looking ahead. “They are rather large rodents. I think the best description that you would understand is flying squirrel.”
The squirrels back home are cute creatures of grace and enchantment with large, expressive eyes, and velvety fur.
“Why would you be worried about running into them?”
Kian looks back at me and grins mischievously. “You’re thinking of the cute human realm version, aren’t you?”
“Well, yeah, what other version could there be?”
“The version that will claw you to pieces for a fresh meal,” Zaria replies dryly.
I turn in my saddle and stare at her. “Say what now?”
“You heard her,” Raiden grunts.
“What kind of squirrel is that?” I demand, looking back at Maxon, feeling slightly more panicked than before.
Maxon shrugs, as if not bothered. “The fae kind.”
We all fall into silence again, and I do my best to push the images of the bellowig from my mind. Instead, I focus on my surroundings.
The air fills with the sweet symphony of unseen creatures. The delicate hum of fairy wings, the gentle rustle of leaves, the soft clopping of the horses, and the melodious songs of enchanted birds.
The forest grows denser the further in we go. The horses slow, Kian now taking the lead as we travel along the trail in a single line. My skin prickles with awareness when the temperature drops, and I look around in confusion. With every step we take, the forest grows quieter, as if holding its breath. Unease trickles down my spine, and I know the others can feel it, too.
Up ahead, Kian’s horse rears, shaking its head and nearly throwing him off. He holds onto the reins, calming the horse with whispered words and rubbing its neck.
Storm snorts out loudly, startling me, and I feel Nova’s muscles tense under me.
“Maxon,” I whisper.
“I know,” he answers, quickly dismounting from Storm.
A shiver runs down my spine, and I squeeze the reins tighter in my hands, doing my best to center myself.
Maxon turns in a slow circle, drawing his sword from his back. Raiden gets off his horse and blocks Zaria's path when she moves to follow. “Stay up there.”
Zaria's eyes lock with mine, and she swallows audibly, her throat bobbing with a hint of anxiety. The fear in her eyes is unmistakable, and I wish I could reassure her everything is fine.
Nova nervously fidgets beneath me, and I gently stroke her neck, attempting to calm her. Storm must sense our unease, because he backs up, stopping at my side as Raiden and Maxon fan out, the ferns around us concealing most of their bodies. I glance over at Kian, who has drawn his bow and arrow.
Shit, what is happening right now?
Nova begins to prance nervously and backs up. My grip on her reins tighten, as Tristan approaches, silently maneuvering his horse to my side, coming to a halt beside Nova.
“If we–”
The sharp whistle of an arrow slicing through the air abruptly interrupts Tristan's words as it pierces his shoulder.
I gasp, lunging for him. “Shit.”
I hold his shoulder as he reaches up and rips the arrow from his body, throwing it to the ground. Then the world around us erupts into chaos, the silence of the forest shattered as men came charging out from the trees. The scene before my eyes resembles something straight out of a movie.
So much is happening right now. I don’t know what to do. We’ve found ourselves surrounded by a menacing group of at least twenty Outcasts, each holding a weapon.
A piercing howl tears through the air, and my eyes lock onto Anika and Nymeria, as they bound into the group, mercilessly bringing down the two nearest Outcasts. They land with such force that they appear to lose consciousness instantly.
Maxon swings his sword, slicing through each opponent that approaches him with the ease and grace of a dancer. Zaria’s piercing shriek slices through the air, piercing the cacophony of clashing swords. My eyes snap to her, and I see a fae desperately attempting to pull her from the horse. In the blink of an eye, Kian’s arrow swiftly finds its target, sinking deep into the fae’s exposed neck. As the fae crumples to the ground in a lifeless heap, Zaria’s wide, panicked eyes lock with mine.
Tristan manages to quickly and gracefully move from his horse to mine, his arms encircling me as he grabs the reins and kicks Nova in the side. As she rears up, Tristan instinctively presses against my back, ensuring we don't topple off. Then she shoots forward, and we are racing into the trees.
“Wait, where are we going?” I shout.
We can’t leave the others. I can’t leave them. Ice drenches my insides as we move further away from the group.
I hear Zaria scream again, and Kian curses, bellowing something to the others.
“We have to go back!” I plead.
“Maxon told me to get you out of there.”
“When?” I yell.
I am getting super pissed now.
“Before we left!” Tristan growls.
The sound of the fighting fades and panic overrides everything else. Something dashes out in front of us, and I see a fae with his bow and arrow raised. Tristan ducks, pushing me down as an arrow wizzes past. I tilt my head up just as a ghastly, pasty gray figure lands on top of the fae, its teeth sinking into his neck. The deadling tears into skin and flesh, sending a spray of blood arcing through the air.
With a quick maneuver, Tristan steers Nova to the left, keeping a safe distance from the deadly creature.
“What the hell is a deadling doing topside?” he snaps.
“I never want to see one of those ever again.” I shiver, my fingers sinking into Nova’s mane. A spine-tingling guttural roar sounds behind us and Tristan curses.
I swallow roughly, choking on my words, a ball of fear clogging my throat. “Do I even want to know?”
“Probably not.” Tristan urges Nova on faster.
“We need to go back to the others.”
“Not an option right now, Everly.”
“I can fight.”
“Barely.”
The sound of fast approaching footfalls has me glancing over my shoulder as the hideous milky eyes of the deadling meet mine. I swear my blood runs cold. “He’s fast.”
“They all are.”
But how did I outrun one before? I look forward in time to duck under a low-hanging branch, its leaves slapping me in the face. A deep, bellowing noise fills the surroundings as Nova suddenly collides with something. My heart drops as she falls, sending Tristan and me sprawling on the ground, both of us rolling several times before coming to a stop. Tiny cuts litter my exposed skin, and my dress is coated in a thick layer of dirt as I hastily get up and rush to help Tristan stand.
With a swift motion, Tristan positions himself between me and the deadling, shielding me from any harm. Blood coats the creature's face, giving its grayish skin a gruesome appearance. It launches itself at us and Tristan moves fast, grabbing the creature around the neck and swinging onto its back. The deadling rears back, a high pitch screech emitting from its throat. I quickly release my dagger, which I have strapped to my waist, and run. Tristan’s eyes meet mine, filling with panic when he realizes what I’m going to do.
With a quick duck, I evade the deadling's flailing arms and drive my weapon into its chest. The give of skin and bones makes bile rush up my throat. The deadling goes wild, and the unexpected backhand knocks me off balance and sends me sprawling across the ground, and I’m disoriented by the bright lights flashing behind my eyes.
Digging my fingers into the soft dirt beneath me, I look up and see it sink its sharp nails into Tristan’s side, flinging him off its back.
My breath catches in my throat as I struggle to my feet. I need to help him. My steps are off balance and I swear I hear Anika and Nymeria howling and barking in the distance.
The deadling abruptly turns toward me, and I instantly freeze in place. What should I do? I can’t run.
Nova bursts through the trees, her white coat shimmering like diamonds despite the dirt coating her. Rearing up, she brings her hooves down on the deadling. My eyes widen in horror as it skilfully dodges the kick, swiftly climbing up her back and sinking its claws into her sides.
A scream rips from my throat and my heart beats wildly in my chest. “Nova!” Anger and devastation plummet me. I run forward, but Tristan is there, his arm wrapping around my waist and spinning me away.
“We need to run!” he shouts.
I desperately fought against his tight grasp. “Nova!”
In an instant, the deadling's focus snaps to me, and it relinquishes its grip on Nova. Launching from her back, it runs toward us with lightning speed. Tristan curses and snatches my dagger from my grasp. He meets the deadling head on, but my eyes won’t leave Nova. Without hesitation, I sprint toward her as she stumbles. She carefully eases herself down to the ground as I come to a stop beside her. My vision blurs and my nose stings as tears stream down my cheeks.
“Oh, Nova!” I cry, looking at her wounds.
I can’t tell how deep they are, but she’s bleeding so much. My hand instinctively moves to cover the puncture marks, and a sob escapes my lips, aware that there are additional wounds on her other side. Resting my head on her warm body, my tears dampening her soft coat, I feel the tell-tale tingle of magic moving through my body, and open my eyes to watch as, under my hands, appears a patch made of leaves and flower petals. Confusion floods my mind as I blink rapidly.
How did I patch up the wound? Can I do it on the other side? Jumping to my feet, I race around her. The sound of Tristan and the deadling fighting fills the air as I quickly lay my hands over the wound and close my eyes, trying to concentrate. My body warms again, and I sigh in relief, praying this will help her.
My eyes flutter open, and I find myself staring into the terrifying, milky white orbs of the deadling. A scream escapes my throat, echoing in the air as I frantically scramble away, my heart pounding in my chest.
Without warning, an obscured dark figure materializes before me, forcefully flinging the deadling through the air then igniting in a fiery blaze. It moves faster than I can track, colliding with the deadling. Its deafening screams reverberate through the air, assaulting my ears. I instinctively drop to a crouched position, covering my ears, seeking refuge from the piercing sound.
Suddenly, a profound silence descends upon us. My heart races, drowning out any other noise as it thumps relentlessly in my chest, accompanied by a rushing sensation in my ears. Slowly, I release my hands from my ears and rise to my feet. Standing just a few yards ahead of me is Maxon, his chest heaving. His eyes, like smoldering embers, cast a fiery glow that seems to set the air ablaze as ash dances around him, floating on the wind.
We both stand here panting. All we can do is stare at each other. Everything around us fades away as we close the distance between us. Maxon’s hands cup my face as his mesmerizing eyes flicker over every inch of my face.
“I’m going to kill every single one of them again!” Maxon snarls, his whole body vibrating in anger.
Reaching up, I grip his wrists, the rapid flutter of his pulse beats under my fingertips.
“I’m okay.”
His nostrils flare and his pupils dilate. “You’re injured.”
“I’m fine,” I attempt to reassure him.
His head dips, and a rush of anticipation fills the air as our lips meet in a desperate kiss. The sound of my heart thumping echoes against my chest, and a wave of exhilaration washes over me, causing my stomach to swoop. Maxon lifts me up, my legs wrapping around his waist, providing a sense of security and connection. The kiss is consuming. It’s as if I am his entire world.
Breaking the kiss, he traces a path with his lips along my jaw, sending shivers down my spine.
The gentle pressure of his fingers tangling in my hair at the back of my head has me releasing a deep breath. Bringing my face to his neck, he buries his face in mine, holding me securely against him. We stay like this for a long moment, arms wrapped firmly around each other. The taste of his kiss lingers on my lips as I breathe him in.
The sound of groaning reaches my ears, and I gasp. Drawing back, I push for Maxon to release me and drop my legs. Reluctantly, he lets go of me, and I spin around, searching for Tristan's familiar face. I spot him trying to prop himself up against a nearby tree. I make it all of two steps before my foot gets tangled in the fabric of my dress. With a frustrated growl, I grip my dress, feeling the fabric bunch in my fists as I sprint toward him.