Chapter 30
'I’m gone, I have to runaway and I know you are scared, but please don’t be scared.
I know how to fix this.
I’ll be back one day, I promise, so I won’t say goodbye
See you then Hanna
Your best friend, Persephone
PS I love you'
Hanna read the note a dozen times that morning. Drilling those words into her head. She swear she could hear Persephone voice read them to her inside her head. Truth be told she was upset her friend runaway, but the idea of Baron finding Persephone, hurt more then her friend’s disappearance.
“no” she spoke. She scrunched up the paper and threw it on her bed. She raced to the closet and grabbed her favourite leather jacket and boots. Hanna turned to the window and sprinted forward. Phasing through the brick and into the outside world, landing on her feet. She took a quick moment to look around. Then closed her eyes and focused.
Beyond the chatter of stickers and the grunts of training warriors. A distant sound of motorbike driving beyond the wall, down the cliff edge to the road leading to town. It was fading fast and she didn’t have time to wait. In a flash she rushed across the courtyard, phased through the wall and threw herself off the cliff side.
She was flying across the sky, the town lit up in the morning rays. The rush of air cooled her faced. Then she started falling downward steadily towards a motorbike below. She landed hereos pose in front of the motorbike and the rider almost lost control, skidding to a halt.
“what the” Mary cursed. She lifted up her visor and stared at Hanna. “What the heck are you doing outside and falling from the sky, have you heard of a door?”
“Sorry Aunt Mary, but it’s an emergency!” Hanna stating, getting to her feet.
“In your pjs, girl its freezing outside”
“I don’t feel it”
“lucky you” Mary threw herself off her bike and walked forward. “Now tell me what’s wrong”
“sorry Aunty no time, I have to save Persephone” Hanna rushed forward, grabbed Mary's arm and threw her Aunty over her body, onto the ground back first. She dropped her hand and yelled “Sorry Aunty!” then rushed to the motorbike.
“HEY!” Mary cursed, rolling to her feet and racing for Hanna.
Hanna kicked the bike into gear and took off down the road screaming “I’LL BRING HER BACK!”
In seconds Hanna had disappeared down the road, leaving her fuming Aunty behind.
It took time to find her, but she did.
Hanna soon found herself running through the forest beside her favourite park. Racing past trees and kicking dirt in her wake. She couldn’t explain why or how she knew Persephone was here. She just knew.
Soon her best friend came into view. The girl was backing away, from what she couldn’t tell. Hanna skidded to a halt and walked to the left for a better view. The sight of Baron stalking towards his own daughter with a knife and crazed look in his eye, sent Hanna racing for her friend.
“You had, one job!” Baron growled. "All you had to do, was be the Hybrid's friend and bring her to me"
“Father-“
“One fucking job and you couldn’t do that right!” He raised the knife high above his head and stormed forward.
Hanna rushed by Persephone side, she took the girl with both hands and pulled her back. Pulling the girl out of the way. She turned to her friend and demanded “Run!”. She took her hand and the girls started to run.
“HYBRID!” the Baron shouted. “HYBRID GET BACK HERE!”
The girls kept running, they didn’t stop for fear of death. His voice carried through the trees and haunted them. They lost sight of him in seconds, but his voice and footsteps continued to give chase.
Hanna pulled the girl through the trees, then suddenly stopped and pulled Persephone against the frame of a tree trunk. She pressed her friend against the trunk while she used her own body to shield her friend.
“han-“ Persephone voice whispered.
“wait!” Hanna warned.
The racing footsteps drew close for a moment, slowly down to a walk. Hanna kept her eyes peeled for any sign of life. She dared not move. When the footsteps faded, she looked beyond the trunk to the left. Watching the back of Baron disappear in the trees.
Hanna pulled back and turned to her friend. She pulled away from her confused. Her friend was starring at her angrily. “think he’s going” she spoke.
“what were you thinking! why did you risk your life for me?” Persephone shot back shocked.
Hanna frowned. “because I care for you, your my best friend. Beside what are you doing”
“protecting my best friend”
“How cute” Baron’s voice chastised.
The girl’s eyes bulged. They looked around, but couldn’t see him. Hanna guided Persephone around the trunk and found nothing. He was close, they could feel their hairs spring up at his cold presences. Question was, where was he.
"the hybrid and the mortal, what a tragedy" he sung amused.
"Show yourself!" Hanna shouted.
"Shame it has to end"
Hanna didn’t have to wonder for long. She noticed a flash of shadow in the corner of her eye. She turned right and was met with the sight of a knife coming towards her. She threw Persephone and herself aside. The knife swung past her head and slammed into the trunk. “PERSEPHONE RUN!” Hanna shouted. She quickly helped her friend up, then pushed her forward coaxing her to run before she turned back to Baron. "Why are you doing this?"
"Why?" he cackled. The man was grinning ear to ear. He rolled his head back and faced her. Dragging his knife out from the tree, then carving across the trunk. A quick turn on his heels and he began walking towards her. "Revenge"
Hanna threw her hands up into fist to chest level, ready to fight. "Revenge?" she questioned confused.
"You think you will get away after all you did to Master Reya?". Baron pointed the tip of his blade to Hanna's face. "No, today I will avenge her and only when your blood seeps into this miserable realm, will my revenge be satisfied"
Hanna looked up at his madness, the rage and she was terrified. Her limbs became like jelly, barely holding her stance. She fell backwards a few steps. All her life she was taught to fight Demons, but this man was a Demon, he was worse. She was never trained against fighting the madness of others. With a deep, sharp breath through her nose. She dug her heel into the ground and held firm. Hanna began studying the slow looming body stalking towards her, just like her mother taught her.
Then a snap of a branch from behind, startled Hanna. She turned and gazed in her horror, her friend hadn't left her. She was still standing beside her. Just as terrified as she was. "I told you to Run!" she shouted.
“IM NOT LEAVING YOU!” Persephone voice shouted.
“Go now!”
“How sweet, still looking out for each other” Baron laughed.
“I won’t let you hurt her!” Hanna shouted, focusing back on him.
Baron rolled his eyes. “I’m here to kill you Hanna, you don’t have to watch me kill her if you don’t want to!” he rushed forward swinging his knife.
Hanna dodged left and right, till a tree root caught her off guard and she fell onto her ass. He stalked forward and slammed his knife down to her. She was too late to throw herself aside so she raised her forearm to shield her face. The blade tore through her forearm to her elbow then out the other side. She screamed as the hot blade ran threw her arm.
Suddenly her flesh started to vibrate. She rolled herself away clutching onto her bleeding arm. It felt different then her usual shake episodes. This time, it was more concentrated in her arm. As if something was trying to crawl under her skin.
Baron laughed. He straighten himself up and took hold of Hanna by the neck. “Is this all you got?” he laughed. He raised his bloodied knife to her shaking body, dragging the tip along her cheek. Trailing a thin line across her face. “Im going to kill you, nice and slowly”
“fuck off” she cursed, then launched forward and head butt the man in the head.
He let her go, stumbling backwards. He was about to advance again when a rock was thrown from the side, slamming into his head. He dropped to the ground on his side.
Persephone rushed to Hanna, grabbing onto her good arm and dragging her upright screaming “RUN!”
The girls started to run again, sprinting away from the man as he gave chase screaming “COME BACK HERE LITTLE BITCHES!”
Once again they lost sight of him. They stumbled as they caught their breath. Hanna stumbled forward a few feet then fell to her knees clutching onto her arm. The searing pain was unbearable. The shakes wiggled to her gash. Where the wound expanded, spraying blood over the dirt and her pjs.
“what’s wrong?” Persphone asked frighten.
“it hurts, it hurts” she cried.
Suddenly, something red burst from her arm. Thin at first till it expanded wide to the size of a Raven’s wing. All pain vanished as both girls starred at the sudden wing poking out of Hanna’s arm. Shaking off the blood, the wing curled around till facing directly at Hanna. The feathers were darker shade of grey then her eyes. Luxurious beauty that held itself upright in perfect stillness. Then something moved beneath the feathers, pushing past till revealed a smooth patch of oval skin.
The skin peeled back to reveal itself a silver eye starring at Hanna. The eye blinked and Hanna fell to her back screaming.
Persephone rushed to help her friend, but one look at the eye sent her scurrying away.
The eye wing shook violently, silver eyes changed to terrified blue, just like Hanna. Shaking wildly. Hanna tried to rip the wing out of her body, but the more she tugged, the more she brought out of her skin.
Hanna quickly soon stopped the screams, starring down at the wing terrified. She starred into that one blue eye and realised this was apart of her. She started to calm herself down, like her mother taught her. Silver eyes soon blossom back. With her free hand, she reached out and tentatively stroke the feather wing. Strangely it felt weird, the texture was smooth, like polished steel not classic felt like a normal feather. At the same time, the feeling of being touched there, in this gentle tone was calming to the mind.
Soon the feather shrunk back and wrapped itself around her front of her forearm. The rest of the wing shrunk back into her skin, healing over the cut and transforming the once bloodied gash to a thin scar. Hanna marveled at the wing covered arm and the eye that starred transfixed on her.
"woah" she whispered amazed.
The thin hairs of the wing pricked up and the lone eye budged starring outward. Hanna and Persephone quickly followed the gaze to Baron. Watching the Angelic storm towards them.
“Stop Running!” he growled.
Hanna dove for the nearest stick. He pounced on her just as she reached it. She swung her body around and slammed the branch on his head. It shattered to pieces, but left no mark. He laughed, then punched her in the face. She fell back to the ground. He laughed, punching her in the face twice more before he raised the knife above her head.
“It all ends with you” he sneered.
“NO!” Persephone screamed as she rushed her father.
He twisted the knife and slammed the blade through his daughter’s stomach. Both girls eyes widen at the movement. He however wasn’t phased, he turned to the girl and stated plainly “don’t interrupt” then ripped out the blade from her stomach. Her hands flew to her stomach, clutching at the hole and the mass of blood spilling from the wound. Soaking her shirt crimson. “I was going to do you next” he elbowed Persephone in the face. The girl slammed body first into the ground. Gasping as the pain roared through her body. He turned to Hanna and smiled. “As I was saying” he gripped the knife and slammed it for Hanna’s heart.
Hanna caught the blade mid air, with her bare hand.
He frowned at her strength.
Hanna glared up at the man above her. Breath huffing and puffing as her eyes flared crimson. The wing crawled over skin till covering knuckles. Feather's stretched over clenched fist like claws flexing. She drew back a growl, then clenched down on the blade. The knife shattered in two, leaving him defenseless. She drew back her winged hand and punched him in the face. The tips of the wings tore through his face as he was knocked sideways off her body. He clutched his bleeding mouth and scurried away from the girls. Terrified of Hanna and the way she crawled towards him on all fours, snarling and eyes wide and glaring.
“no, no” he begged. “Hanna stop this!” he begged. “Control it!”
Hanna wasn’t in the right frame of mind to answer. She was beyond angry. The Angelic side of her was awake and it wanted blood. She darted forward in a flash. She pounced on Baron and began slamming her winged fist into his body. Tearing skin and shattering bones one punch at a time. He tried to push her away. His hand slipped to her face and she sunk her teeth into skin. She tore off a mouthful of flesh and swallowed it hole. He screamed. She licked her lips. She bit his neck and tore his flesh from the body. He continued to struggled as Hanna tore him apart, tearing him limb from limb, ripping and eating the flesh beneath her.
She didn’t stop till the gods curse completely consumed his soul and what was left of his body. She pulled herself away from the ground and starred around her at the floating ashes. She spotted the mist of gold and froze at the sight of them. Her red eyes shifted back to silver. The anger, the angelic side, calmed down, leaving her back in control. Her wing crawled back past her knuckles to the base of her wrist.
The next thing she knew she was being pulled backwards out of the ash cloud. She looked up and found Ava and Mary huddled around her. “mama? Aunty?"
“Are you alright?” Ava asked worried.
“Yeah fine”
“Good, cause you are in deep trouble young lady” Mary informed. Hanna was about to explain herself when Mary continued. “No body steels my bike and gets away with it!”
Hanna smiled at her Aunty. She could hear the soft whispers of voices and followed them to the right. To Camila tending to a bleeding Persephone. Hanna’s eyes widen as she threw herself from her mother’s grasp screaming “PERSEPHONE!”
Her mother and Aunty rushed after her. They gathered around Persephone. Hanna sat near Persephone head, with one hand pressing against the stab wound. Her other running her fingers through Persephone hair. “it’s okay” Hanna reassured. “Everything is going to be fine”
“Promise?” Persephone croaked.
“I promise”
“Alright kid this won’t hurt a bit” Ava promised. She moved the other’s hands away, pressing hers firm against Persephone wound. Her powers seeped into the little girl and began healing her in record succession.
After she was healed, the group returned to Cats Cradle. Where the rest of the family were waiting for them.
Before Hanna knew it, she was swept into the arms of her mother. “Where have you been!” Beatrice yelled. “Do you realise the danger you put yourself in, what almost became of you. Baron is a dangerous man, you shouldn’t have left”
“My friend was in trouble! I had no choice”
Beatrice groaned. “You always have a choice”. She pulled away from her daughter, grabbing her by the shoulders and holding her firm. Hanna looked up at her mother, she feared the wrath of her mother’s eyes, but she felt more fear from those terrified dark eyes starring down at her. “Always and you chose to go through alone” Beatrice shook her head. “Next time, when the Lion comes out to hunt, you don’t walk into the den alone, leave the Lions to us”
“I will” Hanna promised. “Do you think there will be another”
Beatrice frowned. She got down on one knee and faced her daughter eye level. “there’s always more, but not today. Today the Lion is gone and the wilds are free. I know you want to fight, but warriors don’t go looking for fights, we fight when needed”
The young girl's lip trembled. “I’m sorry mother”
Beatrice’s smile flashed for a moment. She leaned over and kissed her daughter’s forehead. Pulling away, she pressed her forehead against her daughter’s temple. The grip on her shoulders faulted. Wrapping around her daughter, she pulled her close and held her tight. She felt her daughter’s arms wrap around her body. She felt small feathers graze against her side. She opened her eyes, raised her eyebrow and looked down. Facing Hanna’s wing eye starring up at her on the verge of tears. “don’t be afraid” Beatrice reassured, despite being very confused on what was starring up at her. “I’m here”. She pulled her head back. She blinked twice before Hanna threw herself at her mother, wrapping her arms around her neck. Beatrice looked over her daughter, to her wife, finding her lover’s soft eyes focused on them.
“He cut her arm and it grew” Ava summarized.
“oh” Beatrice responded. “Well it’s a very pretty wing”
Hanna shuddered. “it’s ugly”
“hey sweetpea” Ava urged, taking hold of her daughter’s shoulder. “Don’t talk about yourself like that, that wing is apart of you and there is nothing ugly about you”
“Mama is right” Beatrice informed. “It is not ugly”
“well it’s still scary”
Ava tugged at her shoulder. Her daughter slowly pulled away and faced her, not in the eye, but close enough. “I know you are scared, it’s new, but take another look. It’s not scary is it?”
Hanna looked down at her wing. She tried to see the beauty of the feather wing, but Baron's blood still lingered on her feathers and the sight made it difficult for her to see anything about this wing, other then the carnage it can cause.
Ava followed her daughters gaze, then back to the girl’s face. “May I?” she asked.
Her daughter nodded.
Ava turned back to the wing. She offered her open palm to the wing. The Wing looked to the hand, then started reaching out to her fingertips. Grazing the tip of her skin with delicate strokes. “that feels nice, you don’t look scary at all. You are a very pretty wing” she turned to her daughter’s face. She smiled at her daughter’s focused curiousity. She pulled her hand back an inch. “Why don’t you reach out and hold my hand?”
“I don’t know how”
“That’s okay. We’ll figure it out together”
Hanna scrunched her face. Her fingers twitched as the wing moved left and right. She huffed, trying to force the wing forward to her Mother’s hand, but the wing refused to move. It’s eye looked up to her with narrow judging gaze. Crawling back into her arm an inch deep.
“it’s okay” Ava reassured. “Take a deep breath and try again”
Hanna followed her Mother’s instruction. She took a deep calming breath and tried again.
Again it didn’t move.
“Close your eyes this time” Beatrice suggested.
Hanna looked up to her Mummy confused. “Will that work?”
“I learned how to control my wings through meditation and patience” Bea explained. “Take a deep breath and close your eyes”. Her daughter did as she was told. Bea looked down at the eye wing and asked “Now I want you to focus on your arm, can you feel the wing?”
Hanna nodded.
“Good, what do you feel?”
“The wind” Hanna answered. “I can feel it all over”
Bea hummed intrigued, she looked down to see the eye focus on her. “Good, remember think of the wing as apart of your arm. Move it towards me”
A calm look took over the eye and the wing fluttered towards Beatrice. It blinked once, starring up at her.
“Now back to you”
The wing eye turned towards Hanna and moved across her arm till facing Hanna.
“Good, now reach out to your Mama”
Slowly, but surely, the wing eye turned to Ava. “I can see Mama” Hanna exclaimed proudly. The wing slowly moved through the air towards Ava. Crawling out of the skin pocket until the very tips of the wing were pressed against Ava’s hand.
“You did it!” Ava shouted excitedly.
Hanna opened her eyes, grinning wide she stated “I did it! I did it!” she turned to her wing. She reached out her other hand and stroked her wing. Her wing eye closed at the touch. “your not scary”. She turned to her Mothers and said “Thank you Mothers”
“Your welcome Sweetpea” they both stated.
“WHERE IS SHE!” Her Grandmother Michelle’s voice shouted from afar.
The small family followed the noise. Watching the woman push past her family, running up to her granddaughter. Just a few feet away, she skidded to a halt and cued excitedly “Oh my gods you finally have your baby wing”
“That’s a baby wing” Mary stated surprised. “It’s bigger then my arm”
“For an Angelic’s wings, they grow three-four times the size” Michelle advised. She closed the gap and picked up the wing, inspecting the feathers with look of immense pride. “Look how tiny you are, don’t worry, you are going to be big and strong when you grow up”
“Fascinating” Jillian comment intrigued.
“How many wings does an Angelic have?” Superion asked.
“Average is four, but some have more then fifty and some have none” Michelle answered. She turned to face her Granddaughter with kind smile. “Your first wing, are you excited?”
“I don’t know” she shrugged. “Its kinda cool”
“Well I think it’s very cool”
The others came over and immediately started discussing Hanna’s wing.
Their voices blurred and soon drowned out entirely as Hanna focused on Persephone. The girl was still in Mary’s arms. Clutching onto Mary’s leather jacket in tight fists. Yet her attention was solely focused on Hanna. There was something unreadable in her gaze, emotionless, fixed.
Hanna wondered if the girl was mourning her fake father. She wondered if Persephone thought of her any less for this new discovery of herself. She wondered if Persephone hated her for killing Baron. She wouldn’t blame Persephone if she did. She wouldn’t blame Persephone if she was scared of her.
It was only fair, Hanna was scared of herself too.