Ashes(107)

A cold mist hovered above the ground. It was thin, so it didn't haze her view of her surroundings. And it had to be said that her surroundings were pretty bleak.



It seemed like an endless stretch of green, bumpy land. There was the occasional puny bush, mossy rock, or twisted tree, but the weedy land was otherwise plain and bare. No blossoms. No mountains. No landmarks. No real color. It was the kind of place where you could just walk and walk and walk, and nothing would look any different.



There was an unnatural quiet that was broken only by the creak of tree branches and the eerie sound the cool wind made as it rushed over the barren land and whistled through the brittle shrubs. It brought with it the scents of grass, soil, and decay.



Shit, she needed to get away from here. Fast. 



Knox?



Nothing.



Knox, please say you can hear me.



Still nothing. Crap.



Adrenaline began to pump madly through her veins. Harper kept her cool, knowing it wouldn't do the baby any good if she lost her shit. Besides, her demon was panicking enough for both of them.



Harper braced her hands on the damp soil and pushed to her feet with a moan. It was no easy feat with a baby bump. She brushed her hands together to get rid of the dirt and then gave said bump a small rub. Her limbs trembled, yet she didn't feel weak.



The mist gave the place an eerie feel, but that wasn't what had the hairs on her nape and arms standing on end. No, the uneven ground vibrated beneath her feet, and those vibrations echoed through her body. She didn't like it, because they didn't make her feel charged – they made her feel dizzy. Sickly. Soiled, even.



The wind came again, brushing against her skin and ruffling the dress that was now damp and stained with streaks of dirt. She shivered, rubbing at her cool arms, as she gave her surroundings another thorough scan. Just where the fucking hell was she? The gray clouds were low, so she guessed she was somewhere high. Had she been dumped here with the hope that she'd never find her way home? And why, exactly, had the old woman sent her here?



All valid questions, but Harper nonetheless didn't intend to wait around and find out. Planting her feet, she called to her wings -



White-hot pain streaked down her back, and she spat a vicious curse. She tried calling to them again, but that only earned her more pain. Her heart began to race as fear skittered down her spine. Despite that fear, the protective power that lived in her belly didn't rush to her fingertips. There was the briefest spark inside her, but nothing more.



Something was interfering with her abilities – possibly the same "something" that seemed to be blocking her attempts to contact Knox.



Well, it looked like she'd just have to get out of there the old-fashioned way. Her back protested the idea of walking, but it didn't take a genius to work out that Nora didn't have good things in mind for Harper; she couldn't afford to hang around. There was no dirt path, so it was highly likely that she'd get lost in the mist. Knowing her luck, she might even fall into a bog or something, but she'd be damned if she'd stay put.



Harper quickly chose a random direction and started to walk, every step brisk and -



With a gasp, she stumbled back and put a hand on the cold, rough boulder to steady herself as vines suddenly spouted from the earth and began to slither menacingly along the ground. She watched as they twisted around each of the boulders, forming one big foliage fence.



Okay, so she was trapped. Good to know.



Her demon hissed loudly, wanting out so it could attack the vines. Harper fought the entity. It wasn't the first time she'd been a prisoner, but it was the first time that she'd had someone else's safety outside her own to consider. If she hadn't been pregnant, she would have taken her chances with the enchanted vines, but she wasn't sure if they'd retaliate or something weird like that.



She froze as static energy suddenly filled the air. Her hair seemed to lift, and a low droning sound split through the unnatural quiet. Harper turned toward the sound, and that was when a familiar swirl of red and black smoke appeared beyond the boulders. Well, shit.



Mere moments later, Nora stepped out of it, dressed in a black robe, her hands joined as if in prayer. Worse, the old bitch was followed by a group of hooded figures. What. The. Fuck?


      ///
       
         
       
        



Given that Nora had opened a portal, there was one thing Harper knew for sure. "You're an incantor," she clipped.



Nora bowed her head with a smile, like she'd been delivered a compliment. "That is correct. I suppose you mistakenly assumed I was the same breed as my grandson. No. But if you had known I was an incantor, would you have suspected me as you suspected Thatcher of being involved in the attacks on you?"