Unseen Scene—Book Three, Chapter 6 (Ava POV) (Patreon)

Ava is unaccustomed to feeling small. Unaccustomed to feeling inferior in power.

But in the presence of this Anunnaki, Ava feels both.

Felix reaches a hand forward, and the air ripples and shimmers in front of where they’ve been forced to stop. The magic that resonates off of this winged giant…even Ava can feel it is ancient.

A nauseating knot begins to twist and ball in her stomach as she stares at the man.

“Your attempts to save the human are admirable, but they are pointless,” the Anunnaki announces with a shake of his head.

At the mention of the detective, Ava’s instincts take over, and she turns to look at them. The knot of unease untangles within her as she meets their eyes. Such eyes. She would give her all to remain locked in their gaze forever.

That unbidden thought scares her far more than the Anunnaki in that moment, so she swings back around with a yell that is followed by her fist.

The impact wallops against her like the crack of a thunderstorm. It shocks every muscle in her body until they seize with agony. When the impact with the ground comes, she barely feels the breaks that shatter her bones through the blinding pain that already paralyses her.

Breath abandons her.

Her mind flashes in panic. In pain. In fear.

And then at the very edge of the white hotness is a voice.

Their voice—calling for her.

“Ava!”

Life forces it way back through Ava’s system. Pain tries to beat it back, but it marches on, until her lungs draw in a breath. She swallows at the air, feeling her heart punch into her ribs crushed against the ground. Her head flicks up as she desperately searches for the Detective.

And—of course—they are facing off against the Anunnaki alone.

Why, of all the humans to find a connection with, did it have to be the one that can’t seem to stay out of trouble for even five minutes?

“You cannot penetrate this barrier unless I wish it so,” the winged man explains to [Name]. “Do not do anything you would regret.”

“You read minds now, too?” they quip in return.

Aggravating a much more powerful opponent. Yes, that definitely sounds like them.

Ava almost groans. Not out of pain, although that still wracks her body, but out of exasperation.

Then something happens that is almost so difficult to believe that she wonders if she is imagining it.

The Detective throws out a hit…and it connects.

Small droplets of glittering blood splatter from the Anunnaki’s lip, driving him back in obvious shock.

Ava blinks, but the scene is still there.

Is this magic? A fluke? A distraction tactic?

Whatever it is, Ava is flooded with so much pride that it masks any remaining pain. It’s enough that she can heave her aching body from the ground and jog a few steps in order to wrap [Name] into an embrace of relief and triumph.

Ava’s feet freeze as her hands ball at her sides.

What is she doing?

What had she been so close to doing?

What barriers would have been shattered by that embrace if she’d allowed it?

And how is it this thought dominating her mind when there is still the threat of the Anunnaki so close?

Her breath shudders out of her, and the bruising throb of pain returns, making her hunch over. But even through it, Ava smiles as she allows herself a brief moment to imagine what it would have felt like to be wrapped in that embrace with them.