They were friends for as long as they could remember. Never doubted the other, never turned their back. But when one of them was accused of a crime he didn´t commit, his whole world came crashing down in the span of just one night.
Due to the resulting consequences, she lost her family and wants revenge no matter the prize. But what will happen when she is forced to help him prove his innocence? How could she predict that he will find his way into her broken heart?
When more and more lies are spread … will she actually believe him? Or herself? Could she be the one to stop it all or be the downfall for everyone?
Which side is she going to take?
Masterlist
Intro: Once upon a time, a hundred years ago
Chapter 1: Haunting Past
Chapter 2: Welcome back
Chapter 3: I will ignore you for the rest of my already dead life
I reblogged her late last year and my 2024 has been very satisfying work-wise and (secure enough to not stress out) money-wise so far. Money Snake is wise and good.
tag game bc you all have great taste~ post your top five songs on repeat! @beingsuneone @kazuinvocation @milk-violet @ruruumin @howdyfriend @tragedy-of-commons + anyone else willing to share who sees this💚
Thanks for the tag wonder! I appreciate the nosy 😌 here's mine, though a lot of it is bc i listen to my curated wip playlists 😅 peep the fact I'm in the middle of a serial killers podcast special lmao
Imma tag~ @tinystarstay the loml, @hee0soo and @jaehunnyy
“You get one chance to form your own squad, and you choose your ex, your current lover, the quadrant’s resident smart-ass, two people who have tried to kill you in the past year—one over said current lover—and whatever Dain is? These are your choices for the most important mission any rider could possibly undertake?”
“I’m glad someone said it,” Tairn chimes in.
I am done with Onyx Storm … I absolutely loved it from the beginning to the end but especially the end left me … withering in pain and angst and I am so not fucking ready for the next book. The angst is settling deep into my bones because I am asking myself the question… what if?! WHAT THE FUCK IF ?! I am so fucking horrified for the next book you have no fucking idea ….
Summary — When you had to come back home to a house you had sworn you would never set foot into, you surely did not expect to find yourself in your own personal nightmare...
Looking around you just to see the home you had fled the day you had turned 18, just to find yourself right back where you had left things 7 years later, now as the owner of the estate your parents had left behind after their death was surreal.
Everything seemed to be just as it was when you had run out of the front door with nothing more than a bag pack, your phone and the money you had saved from jobs you got to for once have something to yourself. And knowing your parents, that was most likely the case.
The gigantic portrays that seemed to be staring down from the walls were still there just like every artifact that your family had collected over centuries. Everything was still in place and everything felt just as cold and lifeless as when there were still people living in it.
Standing here in the entrance hall and looking around after the funeral of your mother and father was over, you felt just as small as always. Why they had left the house in your hands and not your siblings you didn´t know. After all, they were the golden children while you were just the disappointment that had betrayed the family being leaving. You wanted nothing to do with the house, wanted nothing to do with what ultimately reminded you of a time in which you felt unloved and left behind by those you were supposed to call family.
But that couldn´t be changed now.
You knew that you wouldn´t keep the house. There was no way you wanted to stay for longer then you absolutely had to. You should just burn it to the ground; however this was still the house you had grown up in. Even with all the hatred you had for this place, you still felt somewhat attached to it.
Felt attached to it with its creaking floor boards, scratching sounds in the walls, constant cold that seemed to settle in your bones, flickering lights and footsteps that came from nowhere. The house was weird. It always had been but your parents and siblings had called you crazy often enough in your childhood that you chose to keep quiet about every single incident you could remember.
And there were a lot.
It was weird how it was only ever you who seemed to notice it. At some point in your early life you had actually started to doubt your mental state when nobody reacted when the door opened itself during dinner even though you were sure it was closed or when the cups fell out of the cupboard regularly without being touched.
But then you had left and pushed that life out of your mind.
And now you were back.
Trying to sell this haunted place without much luck.
Whatever you had noticed was also noticed by potential buyers and they were not inclined on buying a house that could very well be the scenery of a horror movie.
You sighed when the door closed and another one left in a hurry.
“Why does this place hate me so much?” you asked yourself with your forehead leaning against the wooden frame of the front door.
The only answer you received was the subtle gust of wind brushing over the exposed skin of your arms and raising Goosebumps all over them. A shudder went down your spine as silence fell over the mansion.
It was no use to question anything and far too late for you to do so anyway. All you felt was exhaustion making your eyes feel heavy after 3 weeks of barely getting any sleep.
If you had though the creepiness off your home as a child was bad, then nothing could have prepared you for when you were living in it alone.
The first night back was weird as you had not set foot into your room in years. Everything had been calm. Almost to calm for your waiting mind to once again hear and see the thing you knew were there.
The second night was much like the first one. Calm. Save for the rats your heard running around in the walls.
And then the third night, just as you had gotten used to the quiet, it had all come back.
The scratching, the footsteps, the creaking floor boards… everything came back full for like it had just waited for you to feel safe.
Safe was the furthest thing you felt now.
You wanted to go home. Your home. The one you had found in a city so far away and so different that it was easy to forget this place when you burrowed in your fuzzy blanket in front of your TV with your cat curled up by your side.
God you missed the fluffy pet that was for now tended to by your best friend until you came home.
A crow sat in the window and tilted it´s head at you.
“At least you can fly away whenever you want. I am stuck here it looks like.” You blinked back with defeated shoulders, turning to leave the hall and walk up the stairs when you thought you saw the shadow of a man out in the field. It was gone as quick as it had come and you shook your head, hoping that it had been the light of the lowering sun playing tricks on your eyes.
“This place is making me go crazy.” You muttered to no one.
All you wanted was to sleep but this night was no different to the others.
Well it was, because this time you felt the growing need to go to the bathroom.
One look to the ticking clock on the wall told you that it was the middle of the night. 3:12 am.
Oh how you hated the thought of having to leave your bed right now.
You reached for the bed side lamp and the room was illuminated by a dark and dim light that only served to magnify the vibe the house already gave. You shuddered like so often.
Feeling that your bladder was urging you to get up you slipped into your bunny slippers and reached for the little night robe slung over the end of your bed to protect yourself from the cold.
The fact that the tab was already open and running hot water, steaming up the mirror did not help settle the bad feeling in your gut but for the sake of the toilet you ignored it. For now.
You did your business and flushed. Stepping close to the foggy mirror and wiped your hand over it. Your eyes met your mirror eyes…
And those of the man standing behind you between you and the door.
A shrill scream left your lips as you whirled around to stare at the stranger that most definitely did not belong inside your house.
“Who are you?” you demanded with your voice shaky enough to fail the intention of sounding brave.
The man’s head fell to the side in a gauging way.
“You´re finally back.” He said with a deep voice that somehow seemed to echo itself.
He was handsome, that much was no doubt and had he not been standing in your bathroom in the middle of the night you probably would have cared about it.
“B- back? What do you- Who are you?!” You forced out and clung to the sink in your back.
The man blinked at your heavily breathing form. “I missed you.”
“Please, take whatever you want and leave my house! I won´t tell anyone that you broke in here, but please don´t come closer…”
A grin spread over his face as he tilted his head from side to side.
“I didn´t break in. I never left.”
Fuck.
What. The. Fuck?!
“W- what do y-you mean? You never left? What-“
The man stepped closer and you let out a cry, pressing yourself into the furthest corner knowing that there was no way out and past this man. You automatically reached for the hairbrush on the side cabinet and threw it at him.
No.
You threw it threw him and he chuckled like you had tickled him.
This couldn´t be. What was happening?
It was like the brush had passed right threw him and he didn´t even flinch. It almost seemed like his appearance had flickered for a moment before returning back to normal.
You took a deep breath to try and keep calm.
“How long have you been here?” you pressed out between tight lips.
The ghost(?!) thought for a moment but stood completely still. Judging by his clothes he couldn’t be from this time frame but from when-
“1967. The year I died.”
You wanted to die.
“And y-you never left?” you swallowed heavily.
“Can´t. This is my house. Can´t leave.”
“And why show yourself now?”
“You came back.”
You didn´t want to think about the possibility of what his words could mean. The implication that this man, this ghost, had been haunting your childhood home since long before you were even born was already enough for your heart to beat out of your chest in fear but the thought of said ghost watching you leave and waiting for you, You!, to come back? That had your stomach rolling unpleasantly.
“But not for long, I will-“you said quickly but got cut off.
“No.”
You froze.
“What?” you exhaled and watched as the smile of the man vanished and turned into something dark.
“No. You came back. I can´t let you go.”
He said it so easily as if it was the most obvious thing. Like you had ever planned on staying.
“I can´t stay, I- I can´t!”
The man flickered drastically and with him so did the lights. The scratching in the walls started up and the mirror burst in million little pieces.
“NO, YOU CAME BACK TO ME. YOU ARE MINE!”
An ear shattering scream echoed through the night and suddenly he was right in front of you with and ugly smile and an evil glint in his otherwise beautiful dark almost black eyes.
Rhys: “So let’s see if I’ve got this; you have immense shadow power, incredible combat skills, height, tattoos, secrets, dead parents, a thirst for vengeance, the weight of the world on your shoulders, a rebellion to lead, and a dragon?”
Xaden: “Yeah? I mean, there’s also my girlfriend who I’m completely in love with and 107 people under my protection but-”
Rhys: *frantically flipping through papers* “this is the hyper-intelligent girlfriend with unprecedented lightning powers? The one you speak to with your mind and call a nickname permanently?”
Xaden: “I do only have the one girlfriend. Kinda offended you’d think otherwise.”
Rhys: *signs a paper* “Adopted. The rebellion thing is handled. Me and your aunts and uncles have got this. Your new mom is going to need some time to add you and your mate to the family portrait gallery. Your bedroom is upstairs, knives are in the training ring, family dinner is every Thursday, your allowance is infinity and your curfew is never.”
The rest of the quadrant await the arrival of the newly bonded riders. And one rider is a little more anxious than they would like to admit over a certain Aetos.
Set Pre Fourth Wing/Books
Garrick Tavis x OC (Dahlia Aetos)
Black Dahlia Masterlist | Masterlist
It was getting late. The sun starting to set in the sky. Most of the cadets, now riders, had returned with dragons. The flight field looking vastly fuller than it had this morning when we’d gotten into formation no long after the dragons willing to bond had taken flight. And I was itching to get back to the dorms and take a shower. Even though it was starting to get cooler, standing in the sun for most of the day in black flight leathers was not ideal.
There was only a few dragons left to come back. With how full the first year side was, I’d hazard a guess at twenty still yet to return. But as my gaze sweeps over the first years in front of us, I can’t help but notice someone missing from Xaden’s squad. The only one missing from his squad. The one everyone was so sure would be one of the first ones back. But she was nowhere to be seen. I lift my gaze, scanning the horizon for any glimpse of blue scales, or that damn brown hair of hers that reminded me of chocolate.
Hot air fans over me as Chradh chuckles behind me. “For someone so adamant they don’t harbour any feelings towards her, you do seem to be making some interesting notes about her apperance.”
I turn my head to glare at him, and want to punch the smug look he has on his face as he stares down at me. “I don’t have any feelings for her. I hate her. Despise her. She means nothing to me.”
”Right. So what do I get when I say I told you so?”
I roll my eyes at him before turning my head back around to scan the horizon, catching Xaden looking at me with a smug look similar to Chradh’s.
”What?” I snap at him.
He chuckles before shaking his head at me. “Oh nothing, it’s just hilarious watching you constantly watching the horizon. Especially considering all your squad is back and safe.”
”Just curious to see who else comes back.” I tell him sternly, not wanting to deal with him also pushing my buttons over her.
”Sure, and that’s why your gaze keeps flickering to my squad. My squad which is only missing one member.” He says smuggly as he continues to smirk at me.
I swear between him, Bodhi, Imogen and Chradh I was going to snap and punch one of them soon. Any time I was near her or briefly looked in her direction they would make a comment. A comment that wasn’t necessary. She meant nothing to me. She was the daughter of our enemy.
”I know what you’re implying. I’m not looking for her, I couldn’t careless if she makes it back alive or not.” I tell him, my heart rate slightly picking up with the thought of her not coming back.
No. I did not care about her. Didn’t care if she made it back alive or dead. Though part of me wishes it was another Aetos we were waiting to come back. Across the field stood Dain with his newly acquired red dragon, looking way too happy with himself.
”Well good, because if you don’t care she’s back.” He says with a shrug.
My head snaps upwards at his words, and sure enough flying towards us is a large sapphire blue dragon. It’s size definitely rivalling that of Sgaeyl’s. Something I’m definitely sure she doesn’t like as she huffs and turns her head. I already know who sits atop its back as it lands, but I can’t help but look to confirm. Her familiar brown her catching the light as she jumps from his back.
As she turns around to start her walk down to the roll keeper I can’t help the anger that simmers through me at the blood that stains her face and some of her neck. My hands balling into fists at my side. There is no denying the blood is hers, most likely from her nose. It doesn’t look to be broken, but she has started to bruise. My face must giveaway my anger as she glares at me when her eyes meet mine before turning away from Xaden and I.
”You look like you want to murder someone for the blood she has on her.” He drawls next to me.
”I do not. I’m fine.” I snap back a little too aggressively as I unclench my fists.
”I’ve seen corpses more fine than you are right now.” He mutters sarcastically from next to me.
I roll my eyes at him before turning my head to the front where she joins the line waiting for the roll keeper. As she takes her place the Colonel stands from his seat, moving to stand just behind the roll keeper. Even from here I can see her shoulders tense as she watches him. That was definitely not a normal for reaction someone should have towards a parent. Hell we’d watched him walk towards Dain afterwards and clap him on the back and congratulating him. But this was different. Very different.
She takes her place in front of the roll keeper, ready to give the name of the large dragon in front of me. I can’t hear her, but I know when she says his name. The Colonels face shifting into one of pure anger and hatred. A far cry from the way he had looked at Dain when he had told his dragons name. As she turns and walks away I can see the smirk on her face, clearly proud of whatever blow she has dealt her father. Only solidifying Bodhi’s words of her knowing her dragon. Because it is clear her father also knows this dragon, and as I look over at Dain I know he does to. This dragon meant something to all of them.
I hear Xaden suck in a sharp breath and turn my gaze back to her to see the Colonel marching towards her and grabbing her by the arm to turn her back to him. I involuntarily step forward, ready to stalk down to her before a hand clamps onto my own arm. All I can do is stand there and watch as we watch whatever it is unfolds. And clearly we’re the only ones who are watching this go down as no one else turns to watch them.
She finally manages to get her arm out of his grip, stepping back to put distance between them. He quickly goes to close it again, but his head snaps up as something moves out of the corner of my eye. The blue dragon she has now bonded steps out of formation and moves to the middle of the field, eyeing off the Colonel that is clearly threatening his rider. With a fleeting glare at his daughter, he turns and makes his way back to his heat.
”Well that was fucking interesting.” Xaden utters next to me as the whole flight field looks between Dahlia and her dragon.
I nod my head in agreeance as I watch her make her way back to her dragon, not sparing a glance at anyone. She was fucking interesting for sure. And she was definitely starting to prove me wrong in more ways than one.
