The Lost Child ~ [Xaden Riorson]

Chapter 12

Violet goes from beneath Oren's sword to the corner of the room in a heartbeat. I don't let it phase me as I feel my power flare up inside of me. Xaden appears behind me, shadows falling like mist from his body as he snaps his fingers, illuminating the room with mage lights.

"You're all fucking dead!" I seath.

I feel my bones snapping and shrinking as feathers pop out of my skin. My arms bend backwards as muscles stretch and thin. My face mutates as bone pierces skin, creating a razor sharp beak.

I beat my feathered wings as I take off towards Oren, my talons sinking into his flesh as my beak pulls at his neck. Rage flows through my body as I make quick work of everyone in the room. I hit the floor, exhausted, as my feathers fall off and I start to transform back to my original self.

I'm a heap on the floor, coated in blood, my shirt sticking to my body. I pant heavily as Xaden stands by the door in shock with a stunned Violet in the corner.

"Damn, Xaden." Garrick walks in, sheathing his sword as his gaze rakes over the room. "No time for questioning?" His eyes land on me before they widen a fraction.

"No need for it." I wheeze, wiping the blood off my face.

Bodhi enters the room, doing the same quick assessment Garrick had. He gives me a timid grin. "I take that this was you?"

A crazed laugh bubbles up through my lips as Violet walks over to me, everyone in the room looking at me like I've just murdered their families. Bad joke, because I kind of did. Well, my sperm-donor did. My laugh fades.

"Let me guess," Bodhi says, taking the attention off me as he rubs the back of his neck. "We're on cleanup?"

"Call in help if you need it," Xaden answers with a nod.

"I'm alive. I'm alive. I'm alive." Violet mumbles to herself.

"Yes. You're alive." Xaden says, stepping over Oren's mutated body, retrieving a dagger from one of the fallen women's shoulders.

Garrick and Bodhi haul out the first bodies as I stand on shaking legs.

"I didn't realize I said that out loud." Violet starts trembling as she lowers herself to the floor, her face paler than snow.

"Fuck." I curse as I drop down to the floor to avoid falling flat on my face. Xaden shuffles through Violet's armoire as though he didn't just witness a massacre.

"It's the shock," he assays, whipping Violet's cloak from it's hook and grabbing a pair of boots. "Are either of you hurt?" My fingers absentmindedly touch my throat and Xaden's eyes narrow before he drops down next to me. His hands hold my face with the gentleness of holding a baby as he tilts my head back and looks down at my throat. "What happened?" He traces my throat as a wave of pain washes through me.

I shove him away with shaking hands. "I'm sorry. I can only do so much." Astra's soft voice fills my mind.

"It's fine." I say to both Astra and Xaden.

"Fine?" Xaden snarls as Garrick walks into the room with a pair of pants, a cloak and boots. "It looks like you were decapitated before your head was sewn back on!"

A wave of nausea rushes over me as I recall the feeling of my head being severed from my body.

"You can trust him." Ant says.

"It's not so simple. You felt me die."

The wave of guilt and sorrow from Ant pushes me to tell him. "I was. Ask Sgaeyl."