Page 95 of Cursed By Fate

“Let me go, Keith.”

His grip tightened, cutting off my circulation. “I don’t understand why you won’t submit to me.”

“Gorgons have a long history of feminine rage. I’d start there.”

The amber glow of his eyes solidified to gleaming gold. Uh-oh. I’d awakened the beast within.

Slowly, I used my free hand to reach for the dagger in my back pocket. I withdrew the blade, and in one swift motion, jammed it deep into his forearm. Blood spurted from the wound.

He howled in anguish, giving me time to yank my arm free and flee. I was fast, but could I outrun a werewolf with god’s blood? I opted not to find out. I spread my wings and took to the sky.

I watched the ground below as I flew. Keith had shifted, as expected. The creature kept pace with me, glancing skyward every few seconds to make sure he didn’t lose sight of me.

I had to get to a safe place without Keith following me. I debated my options—anywhere I went, I risked putting the life of an innocent Neighbor in danger. Laurel’s rustic cabin was a possibility, but it was also remote and surrounded by marshland. The location could work against me as easily as it worked in my favor.

Then I saw it—another flicker of movement. And another. Then the howling began, sending the hairs on the back of my neck into an upright position.

Gods above and below.

Keith had summoned the pack to hunt me down. Under his control, they would tear me apart without a second thought.

There were no clouds to use as cover. I searched frantically for anything I could use to obscure their view of me, but the sky was clear and the path was free of obstacles. Any other time, this would be a plus.

The howls grew louder and more intense.

I couldn’t risk setting foot back on the island without powerful backup. Savannah beckoned in the distance. Despite my desire to stay and fight, I hooked a left and flew toward the mainland.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The air was the kind of heavy that made it hard to breathe. Under different circumstances, I would’ve grabbed a scrunchie and pulled my hair into a ponytail to minimize the horrific effects of the weather.

One more reason to despise Keith Irwin.

I landed outside Vale’s house and tucked away my wings. As I darted to the door, one of the demigod’s vampire minions intercepted me.

Words rushed from my mouth. “INeedToSpeakWithValeUrgently.”

He didn’t bother to respond. He simply pulled open the door and let me pass. I sprinted through the house in search of its master—and slammed straight into his chest.

Vale grabbed me by the elbows and held me still. “Hey, slow down. What’s the emergency?”

Now I was out of breath. “Keith. Bossy werewolf. Need Mesharu for backup.”

“Why would you need Mesharu for a problem on Evermore?”

I steadied my breathing. “When I tell you one of the Neighbors has developed a god complex, I’m not exaggerating.”

Vale did a double take. “Which god?”

“Hypnos.”

“Why would Hypnos inhabit an aging paranormal?”

“That’s not quite the situation.” I explained the basics.

“How did you figure this out?”

“I went to see someone with connections.”