Chapter 2 THE BLEEDING VEIL

CHAPTER 2: THE BLEEDING VEIL

IRIS'S POV

The air behind me doesn't just shift. It tears.

It sounds like wet fabric being ripped apart by invisible hands, a gross, heavy sound that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It feels like a bleeding wound in the world itself.

"Iris! Stop! Please just come back!!"

Lyra’s voice is still screaming from the edge of the woods. I can hear the terror in her throat. She is begging me to turn back, telling me I am making a huge mistake.

But I don't stop. I can't stop.

Right now, I don't care about the danger. I don't care about the stories of the Dead Zone. I am boiling with rage. It’s a hot, red fire in my chest that burns away the fear. I hate Selene. I hate her for taking the only thing I have left of my mother. I hate her for throwing it into this dark, tangled mess just to see me suffer.

I push forward. The branches are like claws. They scratch at my arms and snag my clothes, but I struggle against them. I shove my way deeper into the gloom.

"Where are you?" I hiss, my eyes scanning the dirt.

Then, I see it. A silver glint caught between two gnarled roots.

I reach for it. My fingers brush the cool metal of the locket. But the moment I touch it, the world tilts.

A strange, powerful current shoots up my arm. It’s not like static electricity. It’s heavier. It feels like liquid fire rushing into my veins. My vision blurs at the edges.

"What the..."

I grab the necklace tight. And then, it happens.

I can't explain it. It feels like something passes through me. It feels like I am tearing through the very air itself. The atmosphere around me shifts and warps.

A sensation hits me so hard I gasp. It feels like I am being poked by a million tiny needles. But the needles don't hurt. They feel... good. It is a sensual, tingling feeling, like pink bolts of energy are dancing all over my skin. It tickles the living hell out of me. It vibrates in my teeth. It buzzes in my bones.

It is so overwhelming that I think I might lose my mind.

I drop into a squat. I don't even know how I manage to move, wedged in tight between the branches like this. My body feels heavy and light at the same time. I cover my head, squeezing my eyes shut as the sensation peaks.

Then, everything stops.

The tingling vanishes. The silence of the Dead Zone vanishes.

BOOM.

The noise hits me like a physical slap.

Explosions. Shouts. Screams.

It sounds like a war zone. I hear the crunch of wood and the roar of something that definitely isn't human.

I scramble to my feet, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. My eyes go wide, darting left and right.

"What is this?" I whisper. "Where am I?"

My brain is in shambles. I can't put the picture together.

The forest is different here. The trees are massive, ancient things. And the clearing is filled with people.

No, not people.

Figures cloaked in dark, swirling fabric are moving with a speed that looks impossible. They weave and dodge, waving their hands in weird, rhythmic patterns. Flashes of light burst from their palms—red, black, and deep, violent violet.

It looks like magic. Real, terrifying magic.

What the...

I watch, frozen, as one of the cloaked figures throws a bolt of that violet light toward something I can't see. I turn my head to follow the path of the light.

That is when I see him.

Standing across the clearing is a man. He looks at the cloaked attackers with pure hatred. And then, his eyes change. They don't just reflect the light; they glow. They turn into pools of molten gold.

He opens his mouth and lets out a growl that shakes the ground beneath my feet.

CRACK.

His body begins to reshape. It’s horrifying and fascinating all at once. His feet extend, cracking and lengthening. Dark hair sprouts from his skin in thick patches. His jaw snaps forward.

In the blink of an eye, the man is gone. In his place stands a monstrous beast.

The air leaves my lungs in a rush. I lose my footing and collapse, landing hard on my butt in the dirt.

"Oh my god," I squeak.

My body is shaking so hard my teeth chatter. I am completely paralyzed. I stare up at the beast with wide, terrified eyes.

The beast ignores me. It launches itself into the air, jumping clear over my head. It lands in the center of the clearing, right on top of two of the cloaked figures. I hear the wet snap of necks breaking. The beast grabs them and throws them across the forest like they are rag dolls.

Okay. Okay, Iris. What the hell is going on right now?

I have to get out of here. That is the only thought in my mind.

I scramble up to my feet again. I am trapped in the chaos. A sharp pain shoots up my spine, making me wince. I clutch the ground for a second, struggling to steady myself.

Confusion is the only thing my brain recognizes. I look up, my head darting to and fro. My adrenaline is spiking to the highest level.

Suddenly, I feel a strange feeling shoot up my stomach. I turn toward the opposite direction, and I see a bolt of that thick, strange violet energy flying straight at me.

I can't dodge. I can't move.

The energy hits me square in the chest.

I gasp, waiting for death. I wait for the burn. But it instantly dispels. It shatters against my skin like glass hitting a brick wall. I look down at my body. There isn't even a scratch.

I look up. The attacker in a dark cloak is staring at me. He lowers his hand, a deep frown etched on his face.

"I... I am sorry about that," he says. His voice is deep and confused.

"Sorry?" I scream, my voice cracking. "Sorry about what? What the hell is going on?"

Before he can answer, I feel a strong, warm arm clamp around my hand.

"Move!"

The voice is thick, deep, and smooth like velvet. I am dragged sideways. I stumble, my feet barely touching the ground as I am pulled toward a secluded portion of the forest. The stranger shoves me snugly beneath some large, leafy bushes, hiding me from the battle.

"Stay down," he orders.

I look up at him. And my entire world stops.

Oh, hell no.

I think to myself, There is no way this is happening right now.

I can't believe what my eyes are looking at.

His face is perfectly structured, like a statue carved by a master. He has a sharp, straight nose and wonderful lips that somehow look pouty and insanely beautiful.

And then there are the eyes.

Gold. Bright, molten gold with hints of red bleeding at the edges.

It’s the guy from my dreams. The insane, weird dreams that have been giving me headaches for weeks. He is real.

I frown instantly, my mind in total chaos.

"You," I whisper. "How..."

He looks at me, his gaze intense. "Thanks." He says.

I frown.

Thanks for what?

"Who are you?" he demands. "How the hell did you do that? That spell... it just bounced off you."

My heart is massive in my chest. I am on the verge of breaking down.

"I... I have to go," I stammer. "I can't be here."

He frowns, as if trying to picture what I just said.

Suddenly, we hear a growl. I look past his shoulder. I see a wolf—another one—tear a cloaked individual into two pieces. Blood splatters everywhere, painting the leaves red.

My eyes go wide. Panic strikes me hard.

"Oh my God!" I scream.

I instantly haul myself away from him. I scramble out of the bushes.

"Wait! Wait!" he shouts behind me.

I can barely register what he says. I just keep running. I run as fast as I can. His voice is loud behind me, but I don't stop. I sprint through the chaos.

I scream when I see one of the cloaked individuals rush toward me. He is holding a ball of that smoky violet thingy.

"No!"

I cover my face, avoiding the attack, and swerve to the opposite side.

All of a sudden, I feel something jab my brain. It’s not pain. It’s like an instinct. It strikes me hard, stopping me instantly.

I feel like I am no longer in control of myself. My body moves on its own.

I turn around.

I see one of the cloaked individuals chasing the fellow who had pulled me away—the stunning, magnificent man from my dream. The figure has a jagged blade of energy raised high, ready to strike the man’s back.

I don't know what happens next.

I don't think. I just react.

My head snaps to the right. It’s a sharp, violent motion.

CRACK.

The sound is loud and crisp.

Instantly, the cloaked individual drops to the ground. His neck is twisted at an impossible angle. He is dead.

The man from my dream stops. He looks around, his eyes landing on the dead body on the ground. Then, he slowly turns to look back at me.

He covers his face for a second, wiping away dirt, and then stares at me with a frown. Extreme

fire is written in those beautiful golden eyes. He opens his mouth, his lips shaking as if he can't bring out any words.

He points a trembling finger at me.

"How the hell did you do that?"