Chapter 2: The Burning Sky
812 Words
The wind didn’t just howl; it bit.
Evadne clung to Kaelen, her fingers knotting into the rough fabric of his tunic as they soared higher into the open sky. Below them, the Sanctuary of the Sunken Stars looked like nothing more than a shattered white gemstone bleeding smoke into the clouds. The only home she had ever known was burning, and she was trapped in the arms of the creature who had set it on fire.
"Keep your eyes closed, little star," Kaelen’s voice rumbled against her ear, deep and steady despite the chaos. His massive arm pressed her firmly against his chest, shielding her from the freezing gales that threatened to rip her away.
But Eva couldn't close her eyes. The sheer vastness of the world outside her ivory cage was terrifying, yet she was entirely captivated. The horizon stretched out forever, painted in bruised shades of purple and gold. For nineteen years, she had looked at the sky through a stained-glass dome. Now, the raw majesty of it made her breath hitch.
Suddenly, a screech tore through the air.
Eva looked back. Emerging from the smoke were three massive, dark-winged beasts—the temple's sacred manticores, ridden by armored high guards. Their spears gleamed with deadly, holy light.
"They're gaining on us," she whispered, panic finally piercing through her shock. She looked up at Kaelen, her wide violet eyes pleading.
Kaelen glanced over his shoulder, his amber eyes darkening with a feral, possessive fury. "They won't touch you," he growled. "I didn't tear that temple apart just to let them lock you in a cage again."
The intensity in his voice sent a strange shiver down Eva's spine. It wasn't just the anger of a warrior; it was the raw, obsessive declaration of a man who had already decided she belonged to him.
He didn't slow down. Instead, Kaelen angled his body downward, diving straight toward the canopy of a dense, shadowy forest below. The trees rushed up to meet them like an ocean of jagged green glass.
A spear of light hissed past Eva’s cheek, close enough to singe a strand of her silver-white hair. Kaelen let out a low, menacing snarl. The moment their boots hit the forest floor, he didn't stumble. He hit the ground running, pulling Eva tightly into his side as they crashed through the thick underbrush.
Behind them, the manticores crashed into the upper branches, unable to fly properly through the dense canopy. The guards screamed orders, their heavy armor clanking as they dismounted to pursue on foot.
Kaelen dragged her deeper into the shadows of the ancient woods. Eva’s breathing was ragged, her delicate leather slippers completely ruined by the damp earth and sharp stones. Her white silk gown was torn at the hem, stained with mud and moss. Every muscle in her body ached, but Kaelen’s grip on her waist was unyielding, practically carrying her forward when her legs began to fail.
"Just a little further," he muttered, his amber eyes scanning the darkness.
"I... I can't," Eva gasped, her chest heaving as she stumbled over a thick root.
Kaelen caught her before she could hit the ground. Without a word, he scooped her up into his arms again, holding her close against his racing heart. He looked down at her flushed, exhausted face, his expression softening into something deeply, fiercely tender.
"I’ve got you," he whispered, pressing his forehead against hers for a fleeting, intense second. "I'll always have you, Eva."
Before she could process the weight of his words, Kaelen veered sharply into a hidden ravine, slipping behind a thick curtain of glowing, luminescent ivy.
They scrambled down into a damp, dark cavern. The sounds of the pursuing guards grew faint, echoing uselessly in the distance. They had escaped, at least for now.
Kaelen gently lowered her onto a flat stone, but he didn't step back. He sank to his knees right in front of her, his large, calloused hands coming up to cradle her face. His sun-kissed skin was hot, and his gaze dragged over every inch of her features with a desperate, hungry focus—as if he were making sure she was real, and more importantly, that she was entirely his.
"You're safe," Kaelen breathed, his thumb gently brushing a streak of dirt from her plump cheek. His eyes locked onto her lips before rising back to her violet gaze. "They will have to slaughter every living thing in this realm before they take you back from me."
Eva stared at him, her heart hammering against her ribs. He was terrifying, dangerous, and completely obsessed—and for the first time in her life, she felt a dangerous thrill spark deep inside her soul.
- Writer
