Macy POV
Nyx's father, Garrett, is a breath of fresh air. He is foul-mouthed and stubborn, just like Nyx was in the Human Realm. Before I realize it, when have danced through several songs, bumping into anyone who dares to get too close. My stomach hurts from laughing, and tears are rolling down my cheeks.
We are about to start our next dance when someone taps Garrett on the shoulder. He twirls me around, and I slam into Nyx. Her gray eyes are cold, and she is scowling at the both of us. I look at Garrett for help but he is sneaking away.
"Coward," I grumble under my breath.
"Speak for yourself," he laughs over his shoulder. "My daughter is terrifying."
He scoots through the crowd, desperate to get away from Nyx. I double over with laughter, but Nyx is not amused.
"Oh, no, you don't," she hisses through her teeth.
Suddenly, I am left alone on the dance floor while she chases after her father. I glance around the ballroom, looking for a familiar face, but everything is kind of a blur. I stumble to the edge of the dance floor and rest against a wall to catch my breath. No one approaches me, and I fear I have chased them away with my antics on the dance floor.
My eyes scan the room once more, and I see a familiar figure slipping out of the main door. Destin glances over his shoulder before he leaves with a bottle of wine in his hands.
I don't think about my actions, and I follow him. No one stops me from leaving the ballroom. Why would they? It is a party, and I am chasing after one of my presumed mates. Once I am in the hallway, I slip off my shoes so he doesn't hear me following him. However, I suppose he may already be too drunk to notice.
I walk through the halls, looking for where he has gone. As if my feet have a mind of their own, I follow the same path we took to leave the palace together. The warm breeze of the Immortal Realm's night air hits my face. I round the corner to see the back door open.
"I shouldn't go out there," I tell no one. "It is not safe at night."
'But he has gone out there,' a bodiless voice responds. 'He is looking for her.'
I grit my teeth together. "You have no power here, Selene. If I choose to go out of this door, it will be because I want to. Not because you have baited me to do so."
She laughs loudly in my mind, and the sound is like nails on a chalkboard. How could I have ever worshiped someone so cruel?
'You will go,' she says. 'Not because I have baited you. No, you will go because you are curious. You want to see what your quest for vengeance will cost you.'
"I am not like you," I remind her.
'Not yet,' she responds. 'But how long can the Unforgiving Princess keep up this pretty charade? How many grudges will you hold against those that love you? You will kill and maim to claim back your firstborn child. The real question is, will anyone be left by your side to fight with you? At the rate you are pushing them away, I guess no one will be at your side. Go. Go out into the night and see what you will become.'
I don't bother answering her; she has already left my mind. I don't know if she would hear me, even though I am sure she is watching me. She knows I will do exactly what she says, but not because I am afraid of what I will turn into. No, I want to know if the gray creatures can be saved. It is the only way I can make things up to Destin. If I can save his mate, he can be happy once again. He could be happy without me.
So, I do it. I step out of the palace and into the dark night of the Immortal Realm. The farther I travel away from the palace, the thicker the darkness becomes. I look into the sky, but there is no moon to illuminate the night sky. Only stars.
With each step, I began to regret my choice, but when I turn to look at the palace it looks terrifying and dark. The way home feels too far, and I fear I have lost my way among the trees. If only I knew how to use my wings, I could fly up to get a better look.
A strange clicking noise fills the air around me. It is not a noise a bird or animal could make. Vomit burns in my throat as fear encompasses my mind. 'Don't call out into the darkness,' I tell myself.
"Hello," my voice betrays me.
Leaves rustle around me. Recklessly, I spin around, looking for the source. It feels like I am surrounded. A burning pain rushes through the tip of my wing. Screaming is not an option. I have already been foolish enough to call out. Biting down on my tongue, I fight back the scream, but blood drips down my chin.
A drop of blood falls off my chin, and it hits the ground at my feet. Cruel and evil hisses fill the air, and I know I have been found by one of them.
She steps through the trees. If there was ever a Goddess of Death, it would be her. Squinting through the darkness, I can barely see her. She is both beautiful and deadly. A combination of life and decay. She is covered in black from head to toe, with a dark crown on her head. If I had to guess, she was the first Gray Creature created. She is not dirty, but her skin is gray and thin. If she has eyes, I cannot see them because a black veil covers her face, but I can see her fangs even in the dark. She will kill me if she has the chance.
Stepping in my direction, she reaches out a long, grayed finger to touch me. Her black fingernail scraps against the skin of my cheek, bringing blood to the surface. Drawing back her finger, she licks the blood off.
"He loves you," she says with an unearthly voice. "I saw you together."
"No," I swallow. "Destin loves you. I have come…"
"You think you can save me," she cocks her head to the side.
"Yes," I whimper with fear.
"No one can save me from what I have become," she smiles as she ascends onto me.