Astrid's POV

I ran through the forest as fast as I could, trying to save Violet. Even though she's been keeping secrets from me, she's still my best friend, and I wouldn't want to see her hurt, let alone killed.

Branches whacked against me as I ran, even though I was trying my best to avoid them. I could hear Merlin meow from behind me, probably holding onto me for dear life. Strangely but luckily enough, I couldn't feel his claws digging into my upper back and shoulders. My guess was that it was the many years of me growing up with him that I got used to his sharp nails.

Finally, I saw a clearing up ahead. We just needed to get through some brambles."We're almost there, Merlin! Hold tight!" I didn't dare tell the cat about what was about to come...

*HISS!* "WHY ARE WE RUNNING THROUGH BRAMBLES?! I'M GONNA DIEEEE"

Merlin was pretty angry as I tore through the brambles, giving myself little cuts as I ran through them. 

"I'M SORRY! I'M RUNNING AS FAST AS I CAN! JUST HOLD TIGHT!" I said, grimacing as the cuts finally started to sting.

"MAYBE WARN ME NEXT TIME!" Merlin meowed, holding onto my right shoulder.

"ALRIGHT! WELL WE'RE OUT OF IT NOW-"

Suddenly we burst through the brambles, and came face to face with a monster. A green-eyed, fluffy, purple-winged monster.

"Hey isn't that one of those Hellghoul thingymabobbers?" Merlin said, peeking his head out from behind me. I pushed his head back just as the drooling monster turned around.

It was time to fight.

Violet's POV

I looked around frantically for a way out of this mess, a little escape route at best. Sadly none came into view as the monsters grew closer by the second. I was done for. Monster dinner.

This is it, I told myself, sweat dripping down my face. You've really done it this time. Karma's a bitch. You left your only safe haven with the BOY YOU LIKE to try to run away from reality. And where does that leave you? Surrounded by monsters, about to become their supper.

Suddenly, an angry snarl came from the monster behind me. I turned around just in time to see it get chopped in half, its blue blood splattering the ground... and Astrid standing behind it, breathing heavily, holding a golden sword.

I couldn't help but gasp. My best friend, who I lied to and kept secrets from, has come back to save my ass.

Karma may be a bitch, I thought to myself, But if you've surrounded yourself with the right people, you won't become monster supper.

Then I realised that doesn't apply to anyone else in the universe except me. I looked back up at Astrid and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey." Astrid said, readying her sword.

"Hey." I replied with a smile on my face.

"Saved your ass." She smiled back.

"Damn right you did."

"Now move your butt before I move it for you - I gots me some monsters to kill." Astrid smirks and side bumps me out of the way. I giggle and hang onto a tree branch so I don't fall over and watch the action happen.

"Dang, I wish I had some popcorn, cause this's gonna be inteeenssssee!" I squealed as I watched Astrid behead another monster with her shiny golden sword. Somehow I was okay with this. Somehow, I was okay with this new reality.

Ray's POV

"Okay look, she couldn't have gone far." Dean tried to reassure us. He sounded like he was trying to mostly reassure himself though.

"But she has wings! She could be ANYWHERE by now!" Violet's mother stated. She was so panicked that she started pacing the alleyway.

"What I'm saying is, if she just got them like a week ago, she wouldn't be strong enough to fly as far, so she's gotta be around here somewhere." Dean said, trying to stop Violet's mother from pacing.

Meanwhile I was standing there trying to comprehend the whole situation. Violet was about to go get help... and she just... ran away? What is she, on her period or something? 

Or was she just too confused and scared that she needed some time alone? Yeah, maybe that was it.

I turned to Dean. "Hey Dean, do you have something we could track her down with?"

Dean stopped and looked up at the night sky, putting his index finger on his chin. I assumed that was his way of thinking. Then he looked at me and put his finger in the air like he had a bright idea. "Come with me, I have an idea!"

Dean ushered us both to a blue sewer grate. He told us not to worry, then we did the exact same thing we did when Violet was here. We stood around the sewer grate in a circle and we put our hands in the middle. I watched Dean as he sighed a deep sigh, his eyes closed.

What is he doing? I thought to myself, a little weirded out.

Then his eyes opened back up, his irises glowing a light blue. The ground started to shake and crumble beneath our feet. Violet's mom and I both started to panic again, but Dean told us everything was going to be alright, and that no one was going to get hurt.

"I've done this millions of times before. All I need you to do is trust me."

Violet's mom and I both looked at each other, then looked back at Dean and nodded. Dean breathed a sigh of relief. "Good." He said, with a smile on his face.

Then we fell.