CHAPTER 114: CHAPTER 114: THE FLIGHT

THE NIGHT AIR HIT THEM immediately—cool and sharp, carrying the scent of distant ocean and the underlying hum of the city far below.

The helipad was lit by ground-level lights that cast everything in an otherworldly blue glow, making the whole rooftop feel like they’d stepped onto the set of some high-budget action film.

And there, rotors already spinning lazily in preparation, sat a sleek black helicopter that looked far too expensive to be real.

"Of course it’s a luxury helicopter," Mailah muttered. "Why would the Ashfords settle for anything less?"

Despite the tension thrumming through every nerve in her body, she felt a slightly hysterical laugh bubbling up.

Here she was, fleeing a supernatural anniversary party after rescuing a woman from a pain-feeding demon, about to escape via private helicopter from a mansion that apparently came with more amenities than she’d imagined possible.

Her life had become absolutely insane.

A man in pilot gear stood by the open door, his expression professionally neutral but his eyes sharp with the kind of intelligence that suggested he’d seen plenty in his two decades with the Ashford family.

He was older than she’d expected—maybe late fifties—with silver threading through his dark hair and the kind of calm competence that came from years of handling crises.

"Mr. Ashford," he said with a small nod of recognition. "Your brothers said you’d need immediate transport."

"Chen," Grayson replied, and there was relief in his voice that he didn’t quite manage to hide. "Can you get us to the estate?"

"Already filed the flight plan. Twenty minutes, give or take." Chen’s gaze flicked to Elin, taking in her disheveled appearance and frightened expression with the kind of quick assessment that suggested he’d transported his share of refugees over the years. "I’ll have you home before anyone realizes you’ve left the party."

"That’s the idea," Grayson said, his hand still firmly clasped around Mailah’s.

They moved toward the helicopter, and Mailah felt the downdraft from the rotors whip her hair around her face.

The evening gown that had seemed so elegant in the ballroom now felt ridiculous and impractical, the silk catching on the breeze and tangling around her legs.

Grayson steadied her with a hand at her elbow, his touch warm even through the fabric of her dress. "Careful," he murmured, his breath close to her ear. "These shoes weren’t designed for rooftop escapes."

"Nothing about tonight was designed for what actually happened," she replied with a slightly manic laugh.

Chen’s lips twitched in what might have been amusement as he helped Elin aboard first.

The young woman moved like she was in a daze, her eyes unfocused and her movements mechanical. Mailah’s heart clenched watching her—this was what extended trauma did to people, demon or human inflicted.

Grayson climbed in next, then turned to offer Mailah his hand. She took it, grateful for the support as she navigated the awkward step up in heels and an evening gown.

The helicopter’s interior was surprisingly spacious and comfortable—cream leather seats, polished wood accents, and enough headroom that even Grayson didn’t have to duck.

"Of course it’s nicer than my apartment," Mailah said, settling into the seat next to Grayson. "Why wouldn’t it be?"

"Your apartment is perfectly adequate," Grayson replied, then paused. "Wait, you still have your apartment?"

"Of course I still have my apartment. I’m not going to give up my lease just because I was pretending to be—" She cut herself off, suddenly aware of Chen’s presence even though he’d moved to the pilot’s seat and was doing pre-flight checks.

"Just because you were pretending to be my wife?" Grayson finished quietly, something unreadable in his expression. "Except you’re not pretending anymore, are you? Not after tonight."

The weight of his words settled between them like a physical thing.

He was right—after everything that had happened, after she’d publicly claimed protection rights and he’d backed her play, they’d crossed some invisible line. This wasn’t pretense anymore. This was real, messy, complicated, and terrifyingly real.

"Buckle up," Chen called back before Mailah could figure out how to respond. "It’s going to be a quick flight, but it might get bumpy. Weather system moving in from the coast."

Mailah fumbled with her seatbelt, her hands still shaking slightly from adrenaline and the aftermath of everything that had happened.

Grayson reached over without a word and helped her, his fingers steady and sure as they clicked the buckle into place.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"For the seatbelt or for backing your insane rescue attempt?" His tone was light, but there was something serious underneath it.

"Both? Neither? I don’t know." She met his eyes, seeing her own uncertainty reflected there. "Was I insane? To challenge Varrow like that?"

"Completely," Grayson said without hesitation. "Absolutely, unquestionably insane."

Her heart sank. "Oh."

"And also," he continued, his hand finding hers and threading their fingers together, "one of the bravest things I’ve ever witnessed. Which is saying something, given how long I’ve been alive."

The helicopter lifted off smoothly, but Mailah’s stomach pitched in a dizzying tumble—less from the sudden rise in altitude and more from the way Grayson was watching her.

His gaze pinned her in place, sharp and unrelenting, as though she were both a fragile treasure and a perilous secret he couldn’t let slip from his grasp.

Below them, the manor shrank rapidly, its lights glittering like jewels scattered across dark velvet. From up here, she could see the full scope of the estate—the sprawling gardens, the maze-like pathways, the ballroom with its glass ceiling still full of supernatural beings who had no idea that their carefully ordered world had just been disrupted.

"Do you think they’ve noticed we’re gone yet?" she asked, watching the manor recede into the distance.

"Probably," Grayson replied. "But by the time they organize any kind of response, we’ll already be home."

Home. There was that word again, and this time Mailah didn’t question it. The Ashford estate had become home somewhere along the way, through all the chaos and deception and gradual revelation of truth.

Across from them, Elin sat with her eyes closed, her face pale in the dim interior lighting.

Mailah wasn’t sure if she was asleep or just trying to block out reality, but either way, she looked fragile enough to shatter.

"What are we going to do with her?" Mailah asked quietly. "She can’t stay with us forever."

"Why not?" Grayson’s response was immediate. "The estate has more than enough room. And she needs protection while we figure out how to deal with Varrow and his collective."

"You’re just going to... take her in? Indefinitely?"

"You’re the one who invoked protection rights," he pointed out. "That makes her our responsibility now. Unless you want to back out?"

"No," Mailah said quickly. "No, I don’t want to back out. I just..." She trailed off, struggling to articulate what she was feeling. "I didn’t expect you to be so willing to commit to something like this. Taking in a traumatized human, going against supernatural law, making enemies of powerful demons—it’s a lot."

Grayson was quiet for a moment, his thumb tracing absent patterns on the back of her hand. "I’ve spent centuries avoiding commitment," he said finally. "Avoiding connection, avoiding anything that might make me care about the outcome. And where did it get me? Slowly dying, isolated, convinced that the only way to survive was to feel nothing."

He turned to look at her fully, his blue-gray eyes intense in the low light. "Then you walked into my life—or rather, stumbled into it while pretending to be someone else—and everything changed. You made me want to care again. Want to fight for something beyond just existing."

Mailah’s breath caught. "Grayson—"

"So yes," he continued, "I’m willing to commit to protecting Elin. I’m willing to make enemies of demons who deserve to be opposed. I’m willing to disrupt centuries of supernatural tradition if it means standing by you."

The declaration hung between them, weighted with all the things they hadn’t said yet. All the feelings that had been building through months of pretense that had gradually become truth.

"You know," Mailah said, her voice slightly unsteady, "when you’re not proposing like it’s a business merger, you’re actually pretty romantic."

His laugh was surprised and genuine. "Was that romantic? I wasn’t sure. I’m out of practice."

"Centuries out of practice," she agreed. "But you’re getting better."

The helicopter banked slightly, and through the window, Mailah could see the coastline appearing below them—dark water meeting darker land, with scattered lights marking the estates of the wealthy and supernatural who preferred their privacy.

"Mr. Ashford," Chen called back, his voice carrying a note of concern. "We’ve got company."

Grayson’s entire body went tense. "What kind of company?"

"Another helicopter. Just appeared on radar, coming in fast from the east." Chen’s hands moved over the controls with practiced efficiency. "They’re not responding to hails."

Mailah’s heart dropped. "Varrow?"

"Most likely," Grayson said grimly. "He must have had backup plans in place. Chen, can you outrun them?"

"This bird’s fast, but if they’re willing to push their engine harder than is safe..." Chen’s jaw tightened. "It’ll be close."

The helicopter suddenly accelerated, pressing Mailah back into her seat. Through the window, she could see another set of lights in the distance, closing the gap between them with alarming speed.

"Can they force us down?" she asked, trying to keep the panic out of her voice.

"They can try," Grayson said. "But Chen must be the best pilot if my brothers hired him, and this helicopter has a few modifications that standard aircraft don’t."

"What kind of modifications?"

"The supernatural kind," Chen called back, and there was a hint of grim satisfaction in his voice. "Hold on, this is going to get interesting."

He pressed a series of buttons on the console, and suddenly the helicopter lurched sideways in a maneuver that should have been impossible for an aircraft this size.

Mailah’s stomach dropped as they banked hard, the world tilting at a sickening angle.

Elin woke with a frightened cry, her hands gripping the armrests with white-knuckled intensity.

"It’s okay," Mailah said, though she wasn’t sure if she was reassuring Elin or herself. "Chen knows what he’s doing."

"Theoretically," Chen muttered, sending them into another impossible turn.

Through the window, Mailah could see the pursuing helicopter struggling to match their movements.

It was larger, more powerful.