“Shiiit.” I place a hand on her shoulder, manifesting a sigil of white light beneath us, and vanish within seconds. Spawning the two of us outside their city, now hidden within the trees, I flick my wrist, and she unfreezes along with the previous two males, still back in the park. My legs buckle as dizziness impairs my vision.Not good.
“If you think–” she pauses, noticing the change of scenery through cautious eyes while clenching her fists. “Wait, what happened?” Backing away, she keeps her line of sight on me.
“As previously stated,” my look hardens, “we needed to leavebefore more ‘things’ come looking for you. I have a vehicle parked up the road. I’ll explain on the way.”
She considers her options as though there is a choice.Alex said, “No magic in front of the mortals,” and she’s seen it four times already. He’s going to be pissed.Which is why we’re traveling by mortal transportation. “It’s this way.” Mustering my strength, I jog past her.
Mission one, find the mortal, is now complete. But mission two may be more difficult than either of us envisioned. “You know, this isn’t how normal best friends start their friendships. Luckily for you, I have–”
“Let me go!” her demanding yell interrupts, and my agitation returns.
“I don’t have time to go back and forth with you. If you want to stay, fine, your death won’t be on my hands. But you’re missing out on a good thing,” I scream over my shoulder until a jarring grunt draws my attention, forcing me to turn. “Damn it.”
I pivot and rush towards the invading gloom, a vile creature from my realm. Excitement hums within my aura. The little magic I have left begs for release.Mission two, bring her back alive. Well, I’m fucking trying, but she’s like a trouble magnet.
A thick, shadowy vine swings out, crashing into my stomach and throws me back with tremendous force, slamming me into a tree and snapping it in half. My breath dissipates briefly. “That…fucking hurt…asshole,” I wheeze, yet regain my footing and rush once again.
My lungs burn trying to inhale. Piercing pain jabs me from the side, causing a sluggish reaction. Something is broken, but with a hand placed over my ribs, I heal.
Muffled screams call from a distance, and I witness her immobilized and pinned to a tree. Her mouth and body are bound with shadows. Another tentacle hurdles towards me, and I duck beneath it, concurrently summoning a sharp feathered sword that hums with the same excitement.
Sliding on my knees and cleaving its eerie tentacle in half, the surrounding woods rattle from the creature’s desolate outburst. Butit recovers quickly, sending another tentacle to replace the one severed.
I spin, dodging and slicing that grotesque ligament in half, then stand and charge forward. It sends two more, and a wicked smile perks the corners of my lips. Pain and exhilaration make one hell of a concoction. Time slows, and my arm rises with magic teeming over my palms.
“Freeze!” I shout.
Its limbs cease inches from my body, stopping midair. I leap on top of them, racing towards its head, and pierce my sword through the gloom’s thickened flesh. Watching the life drain away as my glistening blade splits it in half, a cloud of smoke explodes over us and blackened blood rains down like a broken oil pump.
She and I are having a good time. Her, being the captive, and me, doing the rescuing.This is great.Standing, a confident smirk tattles my internal thoughts.I bet I look like a badass. This is my first mission away, and thus far, I’m killing it.
Literally.
“Now…do you believe…me?” Exhausted, I take a knee but try to maintain that bad bitch vibe. She stands, wearing a confused expression, rubbing her arms where the shadows held her.
“I still don’t trust you, but thanks for saving my life…I guess.” She approaches, raking her judgmental leer over me. “Are you okay, you don’t look so well.”
“I’m fine.” Plastering a false smile on my face, I continue, “We should keep going, bestie.” Grabbing her arm, I take off towards the vehicle.Yep, so much for not showing magic. Hopefully Alex understands.
“We’re not friends,” her pitch stiffens, and she passes me a sad look while retracting her arm. Something within her shies away from the idea, which makes me curious. “Who are you, and how’d you do all of that? I’ve never seen a single person fight the way you did…or use magic. Wait, that’s not real.”
Throwing caution to the wind, because why not, I explain, “What attacked you is called a gloom. A wicked creature born from stolen souls, able to manipulate shadows. Depending on their rank, they not only wield them, but harness them as a power source.” My brows scrunch as I reflect on the many deaths my kind have suffered from their decrepit hands.
“A gloom,” she mutters, “more like a demon. Have they been here the entire time? Who else can see them? What the hell do they want with me? And why are you acting like all this is normal?” Panic increases her inhales while slowing our jogging pace.
“How about we get to a safe location, and all your questions will be answered?” Forbidden from saying anything more, this is the best I can offer. It’s bad enough she has seen me do things her kind isn’t capable of. I’m glad to not be under her scrutiny. Yet.
She nods and whispers, “So much for thinking exercise would end me. Now I have to worry about shadow demons? And Lord knows why it kept saying, ‘it’ll ascend to a God.’ Whatever the hell that means.”
I grab her arm, and we stop. “Ascend to a God. You sure it said that?” I ask sternly.
“What of it? Do you know what that means?”
“Did it say anything more?”
“I don’t know,” she spits, shrugging my hand off. “What does it matter, and stop touching me!”
“Never mind, we’ll find out later. We’re almost there.” Frowning, I take off. She doesn’t understand yet, but the answer to that question may determine the fate of all Valirene.
