Falter (Sacrifice Of Immortality - Book1)

Chapter 9

We stopped at the edge of the forest with our supplies, snacks, and drinks we got from a little shop nearby. Donovan looked at the notes and map before we went into the forest.

The trees were old, and the forest gave me a strange feeling.

Donovan helped me over rocks and fallen trees.

We laughed and made jokes the entire time. I really enjoyed this, and it gave me butterflies from all the excitement and being near Donovan.

We finally found the cave we were looking for- or we hope so.

We tried to figure the map out as best as we could, and I got excited just as we were about to go in.

"You really think this is the cave?" I smiled tied my shoes.

Donovan frowned at the entrance.

"Yes, I can feel it." He said strangely.

I stood up and clapped my hands.

"Then let's get going, Donovan!" I grabbed his hand and tugged him into the cave.

He didn't look excited; he kept frowning and looking around for something.

I asked him about it and he just shrugged and said he's just trying not to get his hopes up. I understood that and I shouldn't be this excited about something we found in an old book that might not even be real.

I felt a little cold and Donovan tucked me under his arm and his body heat warmed me up quickly.

My entire body kept telling me that something was wrong, I have seen way too many horror movies to keep my imagination at bay.

We stopped at the end of the cave, and I looked around, trying to find another way.

"This can't be the end!" I yelled and my voice echoed off the walls of the cave and suddenly Donovan grabbed me and covered my mouth.

"Shhh." He whispered and looked around.

"Sorry," I said and knew yelling in a cave that's a million years old wasn't a great idea.

He shook his head at me with a smirk like he just read my thoughts.

He looked at another small map that I haven't seen.

"Where did you get this?" I pointed at it and his jaw was ticking.

"Raxton found this in another book and thought they might be connected." He lowered it against his leg and looked at the wall. "The map said that there should be an entryway in here." He started tapping on the walls and I took the map from him.

"Let me see," I said as I looked at it for a while. "Hold on," I said and walked back to get a full view of the wall. Donovan frowned at me.

"What?" He asked, and I lifted my head from the paper and walked over to the wall. "Genevieve, what?" He asked again, and I smiled at him.

"See, here's where we came in." I pointed on the map and he nodded. "And here is the entrance, it should be somewhere on the left," I said as I patted the wall and the next moment, I pressed on a rock and it went inward. "Donovan," I said in shock and he rushed towards me.

"What Genevieve?" he asked eagerly, and I smiled and lifted my hand off the wall.

We both held our breath when the wall moved open and a strong wind blew past us. It was an old musty smell and the air in there was most likely been there for a really long time.

I took a step forward, but Donovan's hand gripped my wrist.

"Wait Genevieve, we don't know what's in there." He said, and I smiled.

"Exactly, that means we should find out." He shot me a look of surprise when I said it.

"You're supposed to fear places like this, not get excited and bum-rush into it." He gave a little chuckle.

I rolled my eyes, and we went through the passageway; it wasn't cold like I would have expected it would be. It was darker in here and Donovan pulled me behind him and held my hand as we walked. He seemed very nervous about all of this and I had a feeling I should be nervous too.

We didn't speak as Donovan told me to be quiet and every nerve in my body went on full alert, something was going on and I don't think this was just a 'project.'

We ended up at a door and Donovan took a deep breath and closed his eyes when he turns the knob; I stood behind him and he tried to cover me from whatever was behind the door.

He opened it up just as he let go of his breath when nothing happened.

It was gloomy in the room and it looked like some satanic gathering took place here many years ago.

I gasped at what we saw, and Donovan squeezed my hand.

"Touch nothing, we don't know what happened here." He swallowed and shook his head.

"Something bad happened here," I whispered and walked around.

There was blood on the floor, it was almost black from being here for a long time. The tables had things on them I couldn't explain and it sent shivers down my spine.

I saw an old book on the table that was open, and I read the page softly and it was in Latin. I did not understand what I was reading and when I reached the end of the page and turned it over and knocked over a little vial that had something in it.

Donovan shot me a look, and I cringed, when he continued on his side, I picked it up.

I cringed when I cut my finger open and didn't want Donovan to know what happened.

I got up and wiped my hand on my pants, some of the liquid got into the cut and I panicked.

I took a deep breath and hoped to God I wouldn't get an infection from it.

I looked at the book and walked away, but I saw something small between the pages and stopped, I opened it and found a key.

When I picked it up, I called Donovan and his eyes went wide and he swore.

"You found it." He laughed and took it from me and looked at it. He frowned and handed it back to me. "We should take a few things and get going." He grabbed the empty bag he brought with and started placing things in there and I looked at the book and continued reading the next page.

The key was in my hand and I was reading the next page and frowned.

I decided we should take the book with us and I placed the key in my other hand and accidentally pressed the cut against the jewel at the top of it and the key got warmer.

"Donovan... Should the key do this?" I asked him and we walked over to me and touched it.

"Not at all." He sounded confused and then I lost my balance and Donovan caught me. "Genevieve, are you okay?" He asked me as he held me in place, and I nodded.

The next moment the jewel at the top glowed, and I felt a jolt going through me and my entire body felt like it was on fire.

I screamed and couldn't let go of the key.

Donovan tried to take it out of my hand and pulled his away and shouted some terrible swear words.

He gripped my arms and shouted at me. I could barely hear him over the pain and my back felt like it was being ripped open and I blacked out.

#

I blinked and saw the motel room ceiling; I knew that it was our room because I saw that watermark the whole night last night.

I sat up, but my back felt heavy and painful. I reached behind me to touch it and I yelled in shock; Donovan grabbed my shoulders.

"Genevieve, calm down!" He yelled at me.

I shoved him away and looked at him.

"How in the hell should I be calm when I have these," I pointed at my back, "these, these things attached to me!" I yelled.

"They're called wings." He corrected me and I gaped at him.

"Whatever they are, I didn't have them before!" I tugged on one and at once regretted it, my back throbbed.

Donovan laughed, and I shot him a look, he stopped and took a deep breath trying to keep himself under control.

"How do I get rid of them?" I asked him softly, and he looked at me and sighed.

"I don't know, but Raxton is trying to find out." He said behind his hands, I pulled them away.

"You told Raxton?!" I yelled, he cringed and nodded apologetically. "Oh my God, Donovan!" I was panicking now. "What if he, have you ever seen someone with wings? Real wings?" I asked him in shock and he just smirked hard and looked at me.

"Promise me you'll be calm?" he asked me, and I took a breath and nodded.

"The fact is, nothing could freak me out more than I am already," I said while I pinched the bridge of my nose.

He got up and switched the main light on. I watched him and he stopped in the middle of the room.

"What are you doing?" asked him and I sounded agitated.

He rolled his neck and then his shoulders, there was a swooshing sound and then feathers ruffled.

I gaped at him and froze, the entire room tingled with invisible power.

We were silent for a long while and I kept staring at the most terrifyingly beautiful thing I have ever seen.

He had black feathered wings that spanned so wide, it almost touched the walls on either side of the room.

He bit his lips and shrugged as he was standing there before me.

I tried to get off the bed, but my wings were heavy and dragged across the bed and I made a strangled moan.

"Just sit still for a while, I don't know how long it would take before they are... Working." He said as he helped me to sit back down.

He kneeled before me and I reached out my hand and touched one of his wings.

They were so soft and beautiful, my breath hitched, and I ran my knuckles over them gently and a shudder rolled through his body.

"Careful, some spots are..." He smirked at me, "it's like that spot on your neck." He grinned and I pulled my hand away and blushed. He chuckled and took my hands in his, "It's quite... Nice when you do that." He smiled and blushed.

"What are you, Donovan?" I blurted out and after all the shock had warm off.

He lowered his head and took in a deep breath.