Olivia
Each breath Rayna took was a battle, a wheeze punctuating every inhale. Her once radiant, sun-kissed skin had turned pallid and gray.
Atticus couldnât bear to look at her; he just stared straight ahead, frozen like a statue. I didnât need to be a mind reader to know what he was thinking.
They had just found each other again, and now she was being torn from his arms once more.
Anger was building inside me, and I didnât know how to quell it. I didnât know if I ~wanted~ to quell it.
Samuel didnât have to rip her wings off; he didnât have to hurt her at all. Rayna was like a delicate butterfly, her wings just as fragile.
A darkness began to stir deep within my soul.
Coleâs eyes flickered to mine. Every now and then, they would gloss over as he communicated with the guards pursuing Samuel.
âDo something, help her, save her,â Atticus pleaded, his voice cracking with each word. I closed my eyes, exhaling a heavy breath.
Truthfully, I had no idea what to do. Healing a dead tree or a wilted flower was one thing, but Rayna, she was a person.
I pushed the anger I felt for Samuel deep down and tried to focus. The iridescent dust that once was her wings shone brightly despite the setting sun.
My hands cupped together as I scooped it up. Slowly, my fingers tipped inward, and the dust sprinkled over her wounded back.
Atticus kept asking me what I was doing, but I didnât have an answer for him, so I remained silent. Something deep within me told me this was the right way to help her.
âWe need to get back to the castle before the sun fully sets,â Cole said, standing behind me.
My fingers trembled as they dug into the soft grass, and we all watched in awe as bright green vines sprouted from my fingers, growing longer and longer.
The vines coiled around her frame like a snake ensnaring its prey.
âMake it stop!â Atticus demanded, but the vines started to glow. Color returned to Raynaâs skin, her breathing steadied, and the wheezing noises from her throat grew fainter.
When I removed my hands from the grass, the vines snapped and shriveled up. Small pink flowers lined her back where her wings once were.
Atticus pulled her closer, cradling her in his arms more tightly.
My legs wobbled as I tried to stand up; my vision blurred, and it felt like the world around me was spinning.
âOlivia! Whatâs wrong?â Cole shouted as he caught me in his arms before I could fall.
âI justâ¦..feel,â I mumbled into his chest. Exhaustion washed over me, and it felt like someone had drained the life from me. And thatâs exactly what had happened, unbeknownst to me.
âYou gave some of your life force to her. Letâs get you both back home,â Cole said. His hands grasped the back of my thighs before lifting me into the air.
My legs automatically wrapped around his waist, pressing my body against his. My arms curled around his neck and my head tucked under his chin.
A rush of cool air blew through my hair as he used his inhuman speed to whisk us to the castle within seconds. I peeked through my eyelashes at the setting sun. It had never looked so beautiful.