Chapter 29: Ahead of Time

DANICA

She wore a puzzled expression. “Like a nymphomaniac? Why would you say that?” she asked, her voice laced with revulsion.

Hugo approached me, attempting to usher me into the car.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what she meant,” he confirmed, making the situation even more awkward.

“I don’t want her to think I’m a nymphomaniac.” I wriggled out of his grip and moved closer to her.

“I meant like a mythological nymph. You know, a nature spirit,” I clarified, but Hugo clamped his hand over my mouth, pulling me against him.

“She’s not feeling well. She missed her meds today and skipped a few therapy sessions. Please be understanding,” Hugo pleaded, holding me steady.

Now he was painting me as a lunatic, spouting gibberish. Daisy still looked baffled, but I could tell she wasn’t buying Hugo’s explanation.

Hugo opened the car door for me and I slid in, resigning myself to his fabrications. Hugo climbed in from the other side and just as he was about to drive off, Daisy hopped into the backseat, slamming the door shut.

“I need answers now!” she demanded.

“Get out of my car,” Hugo snapped at her, but I suspected his anger was more directed at me for not keeping my trap shut.

“I want to help you,” Daisy declared.

I had no clue why she wanted to ally with us, but I doubted any assistance could harm us. However, there was no way to know if she was genuine.

“We don’t need help,” Hugo retorted almost instantly.

“Then I can always reveal that you were the ones who helped that wolf escape. And I highly doubt you’d be able to gather any intel on Creed’s plans,” Daisy countered, and I shot her a warning glance as Hugo’s irritation was palpable.

I had to intervene. “She just wants to help,” I murmured, fearful that he would lose his cool.

Hugo swiveled to face Daisy. “There’s nothing you can assist with. We’re just going there to gauge their knowledge and safeguard any evidence they might have. We have no intention of stopping them.” He tried to explain, but Daisy stood her ground.

“I still want proof it’s real,” she insisted.

“Get out of my car!” Hugo barked, his voice firm. “Go ahead and tell everyone, but I doubt many will believe you since you have no proof yourself. And if you dare to spill what you know…” I could swear Hugo’s eyes turned pitch black.

His gaze bore into her, teeth clenched and temples throbbing. “I’m warning you nicely. Nothing will stop me from retaliating if you cross me.” I had never seen this side of him, so utterly cold and ruthless.

Daisy finally looked scared, a fear she couldn’t hide. She didn’t utter a word but exited Hugo’s car. She trudged in the opposite direction, not once looking back.

“That wasn’t necessary,” I told Hugo as he drove off.

His expression softened and his eyes lost their harshness. “Why did you tell her you’re a nymph?”

“I… I panicked. I don’t know. I’m sorry.” I wasn’t sure why I had told her. It seemed harmless if she knew about werewolves, then why not me? I still doubted she believed me.

“The more people who know, the greater the danger you’re in,” he explained, but he didn’t understand that maybe, just maybe, I craved some normalcy in my life. Having a regular friend to chat with would be a breath of fresh air.

“What exactly is this threat?” I inquired.

“Not everyone from the mythical world is on our side. Some want to see both our worlds go up in flames.”

But Daisy was human. And she seemed…understanding. I knew it was naive to trust her so readily. But I had a gut feeling about her. That she was good. It was a sudden intuition, considering I hadn’t known her for even a full day.

“What if I just want to be friends with her?” I asked, apprehensive about his reaction.

“I know you don’t care much for the mythical world, but at least pretend you do. Astra will be visiting you soon and she’ll expect you to act like a leader. You need to think beyond just friendship. It’s not your priority, and I expect you to know that but…,” he rambled on, but I cut him off.

“Why should I care when my end is just days away…if I’m even that lucky. Can’t you see there’s nothing left for me? I know it might seem trivial to you, but to me, a friend is everything. And even that, I don’t have.” My voice was rising, and he kept stealing glances at me while trying to keep his eyes on the road.

“When will you understand that I don’t want to spend every night crying myself to sleep, alone?” Tears were streaming down my face as Hugo’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, pushing the car well beyond the speed limit. “I’m so tired of it all. I just want something normal, and she could have been the only normal thing in my life. I don’t even know what normal is anymore when I’m just counting down to my last day. Not everyone is meant to be the world’s warrior. And I’m so…so sorry that you expect more from me, and I just keep letting you down…”

The car came to a halt in the middle of nowhere. “I’m so…so sorry that you’re stuck with me to protect… I wish I could be someone worth protecting, but I’m not…there’s no point in protecting something that’s already shattered,” I told him, as he sat there, motionless.

He didn’t respond, just stared into the void. Maybe it was for the best. I just hoped he heard me. Really heard me this time, and tried to put himself in my place.

I stepped out of the car, knowing that I was walking toward a world of pain. Only in the distance did I hear the car door slam shut, and I knew he was still trailing me when I reached a clearing in the woods.

This time, I wasn’t sure why I had walked so far, I wasn’t even thinking. But then I looked ahead and thought maybe I was led here for a reason.

Hugo came to a stop beside me, his face mirroring my surprise. “What’s…that?” I asked, pointing to a star etched into the ground. It was large, like a site for some ritual, with a point in the center. It looked like it was burned into the ground, the grass around it charred black.

I glanced at Hugo, and his face was filled with terror. He clearly knew something I didn’t.

“It’s too soon,” he said, panicked. “You’re not ready for this,” he grabbed my hand, trying to lead me away, but a voice stopped us.

“There’s no escape, boy, it’s time,” I turned to see a woman dressed in black and silver. Her face was as pale and clear as snow, her hair woven into countless tiny white braids. She was a vision of otherworldly beauty.

“Astra,” Hugo murmured. “It’s too soon!”

He spat at her, and she let out a piercing shriek, as if in defense.

Her gaze shifted to me, studying me, trying to see through me. I released Hugo’s hand. He noticed, and so did she.

“Come here, child,” she commanded, and it felt like I had no choice but to obey. I didn’t hurry, taking my time to approach her.

As I got closer, I felt a chill in the air. I didn’t see her blink, or even breathe. I began to question if she was even alive.

I stopped just outside the star drawing, and she slowly moved behind me. I kept my eyes on her as long as I could, not daring to move.

I felt her icy fingers on my shoulders, sending shivers down my spine. I looked over at Hugo, who was watching with worry in his eyes. Then he looked down and squeezed his eyes shut.

She leaned in close. “Burn,” Astra whispered in my ear, and pushed me into the circle.

But I didn’t hit the ground. I fell into a pit of flames that seemed to go on forever…