The Cursed Prophesy

     “Fly with me,” he begged, his lips pressed tenderly on my ear. The ground trembled below us, announcing a horrible faith to come if we didn’t leave—now. I couldn’t trust him, though, because I had no guarantee that this guy would be any better from those men.

     No. Not after what I’d seen.

     “I can’t,” I whispered back, hearing their voices echoing louder. “I don’t know you.”

     “Please, Claire, just trust me.” His grip became tighter when the first glimpse of light flashed through the thick trees behind us. “You’ll be safe. I’d never hurt you.”

     “I saw you kill my uncle,” I let out, my breaths becoming short and hollow. The image of his eyes looking into mine, like he was so scared of what was happening, burned inside of me. My limbs became gelatin, my mouth sandpaper, and the only thing that could keep me standing came in the shape of a murderer.

     “That was not your uncle, for Christ’s sake,” he replied, anxious. His heart drummed in his chest, a clear indicator of their closeness. More lights flashed through, and the river at the bottom of the cliff suddenly roared louder, almost as if it tried to match the mood. “He was one of them. They can make you see things that aren’t really there.”

     “And how do I know you’re not one of them? How do I know you’re real?”

     He looked at me for a slight moment, yet that was enough to distort time. The way those ringlets of golden fire spiraled in his eyes helped me forget about it all for a moment, focus solely on the words he said. “Listen to what your heart tells you.”

     But I didn’t have to listen. I knew I wanted to trust him. I knew that damn well. Without the need of a conscious command, my hands traveled around his bare torso and laced with each other on his lower back. “What if I fall?”

     “I’ll catch you,” he said, and the sound of something unfolding matched the way his body tensed. My gaze drifted involuntarily at the wings in front of me. They swayed gently, almost stretching after being held in for a long time. Their natural glow looked…heavenly. “Ready?”

     “I don’t think I’ll ever be,” I confessed, noticing his arms becoming stiffer around me as he moved both of us until we were right on the edge.

     “You’ll get used to it, Clary.”

     “Hurry up; I know they’re out it that clearing!” A voice shouted from behind us, and more lights kept bouncing on and off the trees.

     “I’m scared, James….”

     He took my legs and let them curl around him, moving my arms so that they laid curled around his neck. “You shouldn’t be—not with me.” He took a deep breath, and I could hear the wings vibrating with power. “At the count of three, okay?”

     I nodded, feeling his chest against my forehead. “Run faster!” Someone yelled.

     “One,” he murmured.

     “I can see them!”

     “Two.”

     My stomach tightened, and I felt him leaning over the edge.

     “He’s gonna jump; we can’t lose them! Boss needs her!”

     “Three.”

     The world stopped for a second. It was as if we were floating in an empty void—just the two of us. Their screams suddenly didn’t matter anymore, my rational thoughts dissipated, his body relaxed, and everything became warmer.

     I let my eyes close then, feeling how it all snapped back and we fell off the cliff.