THESE HIDDEN WINGS

BONUS CHAPTER UNLOCKED

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Do you know who I protect Daya?

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WITH A LOW grunt, Harvest took a seat.

Opening his book once more, to where he had been before he was interrupted. The shiny image of upside-down golden wings, the only sign of what the book could be about, glinting in the light momentarily.

Lwangi glanced at his brother, exchanging looks but they seemed to leave it at that, the silence growing in between them, as Harvest fiddled with the corners of the pages, trying to find some kind of loophole to the mess he had gotten himself into.

It was a downright mess that was for sure.

He hadn't expected it to be easy, true, but neither had he expected that he would discover this much more difficult.

It wasn't like he hadn't done things much more dangerous than this little game he had been playing.

It bothered him that whilst dangerous things like HER spy were nothing but child's play to him, or all the things he had seen, and encountered like flesh-eating sirens and much more horrendous things, this little innocent, harmless thing was the one thing that had him locked down.

He stared blankly at the page, its ancient writings reflecting in his eyes. Despite all the suggestions in the book, it could do nothing for his helpless situation.

Events about tethering yourself to someone as the being that he was, was natural and the book that he had in his hands, explained just that, but when you're mixed with blood that runs even more ancient, with magic from the designer, himself, he knew there was simply no way he could get out of this.

Certainly not as easy as if it had been anyone else.

He hated to admit it, loathed even thinking about it, but one thing that scared him the most was that he couldn't say it.

He couldn't say 'it' like he so flawlessly had before.

[I feel nothing]

Because in this instance, he felt everything. The mark glowed steadily as he glanced at it for a frustrating moment before pulling his sleeve further over it.

He took out a short breath, trying to concentrate but he couldn't.

Too many images of 'her' were driving through his mind. Memories floating about last night. A simple action, she probably had thought was brave on her part.

He could see it in her eyes, a little spark of defiance.

Granted he hadn't expected her to go that far, even if it was just a kiss on the forehead, and maybe that was where she had made her biggest mistake.

Because it wasn't a simple act of defiance or changing cards. It had sparked a hope, a hope that should have died years ago.

Now it replayed on and on in his mind, refusing to leave-

-and the more it played, the more he wanted it.

Badly.

And yet at the back of his mind, a warning replayed. He couldn't get near her. He was told of this, he knew the risks, he HAD known the risks, since day one.

Was he to lie to himself and say he had planned?

Of course, he had. But back then he had wanted to prove something, to show his father, he could handle himself. To show HER how strong he was.