30. Severn
SEVERN
We snuck along the concrete wall in the hallway of the auction house. Aiden led the way, and I stayed close behind.
Aiden held a finger to his lips and mouthed to be quiet. I huddled close to his back and heard the voices he did through the door ahead.
“…the head of the vampire family! Ceril, this isn’t going to work.” The voice wasn’t familiar, but it was deep. It could have been any of the beings Ceril kept around his table.
The doorknob twisted, and Aiden pushed me back toward the corner of the hallway. A brunette werewolf that was watching our back pulled us back around a corner. When I heard the door close, Aiden turned to me. “Tall angel, blue hair.”
“Tirah,” I said with finality.
“You really think she will help us?” Aiden asked skeptically.
I shrugged. “There’s only one way to find out, right?” When I stepped around the corner of the hallway
Tirah was holding her phone. “Tirah?”
When the angel looked up, her eyes were wide. “Severn?” A soft yellow aura began pulsing around her.
The next night we began driving to the auction house.
Downtown Noirhaven was buzzing with the same nighttime energy as it always was as we zipped through the busy streets.
Dark purple and blue neon lights reflected off the cars and buildings in the city as we made our way out of downtown.
My entire life, I wondered what it would be like to experience Noirhaven as a normal being, not someone who lived for the existence of another being.
Solely for their purposes. Finally, it felt like I was almost there.
Meeting Aiden and the Mortis Family had become the comfort I needed to be the being I never knew I was meant to be.
Milo drove through the suburbs with Des in the passenger seat.
Aiden and I sat with our hands lightly touching in the backseat.
“We can do this, right?” When I looked over at him, a soft green aura began pulsing off of him.
“Aiden!” My voice was much louder than I meant for it to be, and Des turned around.
“Everything okay?” She looked concerned as her gaze danced between the two of us.
“Aiden, why are you green?” Confusion was laced in my words. There was no other way to explain what I really saw. “You have a green aura.”
“What?!” He pulled me to him. “What exactly do you see?”
“It’s like, pulsing. Wait, it just changed to purple.” My eyes went wide. Then the color disappeared. “Oh, it’s gone.”
Aiden averted his gaze to Des, who was still staring at us in confusion. “What is happening?” She looked back and forth between the two of us for an answer. My attention was focused on Aiden because I was just as confused as she was.
“You’re taking on some of my special sense.
I wonder if it has to do with the bonding.
We have to talk to Vea about this when we can.
” Des nodded at Aiden’s words before turning back and looking at the road.
Aiden’s soft smile sent a rush of comfort through my body.
“I’ll teach you.” He winked and squeezed my hand.
The vibration of Des’s phone against the center console startled the silence as we waited two blocks from the auction house. “It’s Myq,” she stated, glancing at the screen. “He says it’s clear.”
We piled out of the SUV and began the short walk over, staying as hidden in the trees as we could.
The parking lot had a handful of cars scattered throughout, and the blonde Aiden described from the Volkov mansion stood at the gate as we approached.
“We cleared the outside. Myq is at the entrance waiting for you all. We will keep an eye out here. Stay safe.” She placed a hand on Aiden’s shoulder and winked.
Aiden shook her off and grabbed my hand.
Narrowing my eyes at her, I smirked and followed behind Aiden as he dragged me. “Thanks for your help.” I tossed it over my shoulder as we walked toward the front door.
“My beta shut down the cameras already,” Myq said as we approached.
Milo nodded, looking around the exterior of the building.
“He already cracked the door code too. Once I give him the go-ahead, he will unlock it.” Myq turned to me, his green eyes scanning my features.
“Severn, right?” When I nodded, he smiled.
“Good to meet you. Let’s get this shit going!
” Myq shouted, and the front door unlocked.
Immediately, two armed werewolves were at the door ready to take us out. A whistle sounded from behind us, and Myq shouted. “Get down!” We followed his lead, and each of the beings was taken down with a headshot. “That’s my girl,” Myq said with admiration.
When I turned around, a petite werewolf with long brown hair tied up in a bun stood holding a rifle. She dropped her weapon to her side and joined us as we entered the auction house.
There weren’t many guards in the main space. The two other beings that came out of a room to the left were swiftly taken down by Milo. A kick to the head and chest, and they were out cold.
“Cleo, go with Aiden and Severn,” Myq instructed. “I’ll take Milo and Des this way.”
In our small groups, we went into the concrete hallways while the rest of Myq’s pack kept watch on the rest of the house.
Aiden led the way toward the door that would lead to the hallway on the left. When he pulled it open, an angel stood with his back toward us. Aiden quickly covered his mouth and shoved his knife into the being’s side. Slowly, the angel fell to the ground.
Cleo took a deep breath as we stepped into the concrete hall. “The rest of the pack on guard is on the other side of the hallway with Myq.”
Aiden nodded as we continued walking. Suddenly, I got the strangest sense of deja vu. We crept along the concrete hallway, and everything started to look eerily familiar. “I think I’ve been here before,” I whispered to Aiden.
Aiden turned around, his brown eyes wide and full of concern. “I thought you didn’t come in the rest of the hallways”
Shaking my head, I replied, “I never did, but I had a vision early this morning.”
“Now is not the time for a conversation.” Cleo’s words were firm, and she was right. But the look Aiden gave me was full of hurt.
I probably should have told him.
We crept along the concrete wall until we approached a door on our left.
Aiden held a finger to his lips and mouthed to be quiet. I huddled close to his back and heard the voices he did through the door ahead.
Seeing everything I had already seen in my vision unfold in real time before me was surreal. This had never happened before.
“…the head of the vampire family! Ceril, this isn’t going to work.” The voice wasn’t familiar, but it was deep. It could have been any of the beings Ceril kept around his table.
The doorknob twisted, and Aiden pushed me back toward the corner of the hallway. I now knew it was Cleo who pulled us back around a corner. When I heard the door close, Aiden turned to me. “Tall angel, blue hair.”
“Tirah,” I said with finality.
“You really think she will help us?” Aiden asked skeptically.
I shrugged. “There’s only one way to find out, right?” When I stepped out around the corner of the hallway
Tirah was holding her phone. “Tirah?”
When the angel looked up, her eyes were wide. “Severn?” A soft yellow aura began pulsing around her. “Severn, what the fuck are you doing here?” Tirah quickly walked over to us, putting her phone in her pocket. “You cannot be here.”
Tirah tried shoving us back toward the door we entered the hallway through.
“Stop. Tirah, please.” I wasn’t above begging. She wanted to help. I knew she did. “Help us get Vea back safely. That’s all we want.”
“Yeah, and he wants you, Severn. You!” She threw her hands up. “Do you even know what he’s doing? He’s a fucking maniac!”
“We are aware,” Aiden said. “Please, just help us.”
“He has her tied up in your studio.” She gestured to the far corner, down another hallway.
Aiden turned to look at me with a questioning expression. “Is that the room we are planning to leave through?”
I nodded.
“Take Tirah. Cleo and I will sort things out here.” Aiden kissed me on the forehead before walking toward the door Tirah exited from, Cleo closely behind with her weapon ready.
“Come on.” Tirah and I began walking quickly to the other side of the hallways. As soon as the door to the studio was clear, two werewolves stood guard at the door. Their attention was focused on Tirah and me at first until they quickly looked in the opposite direction.
“Who the fuck are you?” One of the barrel-chested beings pushed off from the wall and began walking away.
The other werewolf looked directly at Tirah and me. “Tirah, right?”
“That’s right. I have Severn.” Tirah jerked my arm. “I need to tie him up in there for Ceril.”
“Ha,” the being scoffed. “On whose orders?” When he rolled his eyes, he crossed his arms. The muscles in his biceps were so large it looked comical when he tried to cross them.
“Ceril’s you dipshit, who else.” Tirah’s sass was unmatched.
A loud thud sounded from where the other werewolf had stepped off too.
“Oh fuck,” The meaty being said under his breath.
“Okay, whatever. Just lock the door when you’re done.
” He popped the door open. With long, slow strides, he walked off toward the inevitable fight that was happening between the werewolves, Milo, and Des.
Stepping into the studio again, the smell of wet concrete, paint, and blood hit me like a brick wall.
Horrible memories came flooding back. All of the times Ceril tortured me, hung me in this room, and forced me to create things that I loved for his personal gain.
So many times I hung in here and just wanted to end it all.
But all of that brought me to where I am now.
All of that brought me Aiden and brought me these new possibilities of a family that actually loved and cared for me as the being I am and not what I can do for them.
As soon as Tirah flipped the light switch, I saw Mitz, chained to the chair I used to sit in when I painted.
The chains were covered in blood and rust. Never cleaned from when they were used on me.
When he looked up, his glasses were shattered, and a red scarf was tied around his mouth.
His buzzed bright green hair was bright in the dull room and so unexpected.
I was so used to seeing him in a beanie.
Running to him, Tirah pulled the scarf from his mouth.
“Severn, you have to leave. Please, go now.” Tears began streaming down his face. Tirah stood and turned around, her eyes widening.
Following her line of sight, I saw her. Vea hung from the metal bar that Ceril would hang me from. She was naked, tied up with leather straps and chains. She had been whipped and beaten. Her neck was cut so deep her head was barely hanging on. Her blood had spilled all over the concrete floor.
Swallowing, I pulled out the cellphone Aiden had given me and sent my very first text message to Aiden.
Me
VEA IS DEAD.