“We can’t separate,” Niro breaths. “But if we can save both…”
“We don’t have time for this. As fucked up as it is, I’m going for the kids. The mother can buy us some time.”
“Not against an elite, she can’t.”
“What!” I snap my head in that direction. Fierce, it stares down the mother with elongated tentacles dragging behind it, covered in icy spikes. Yeah, it’s an elite.Fuck.
“Niro, I need to save the children.”
“We’ll meet back here.” Are his last words before using his ungodly vamp speed and disappearing. This couldn’t be further from the plan.“Stick together, and under no circumstance should you separate from your pair.”Blaise’s text before everything went to hell in a handbasket.
“Get away!” One of the minis shouts, and I sprint. Niro can take care of himself, those kids can’t.You’d better come back alive.These nightmares are hell bent on destroying everything. The more we kill, the more they spawn.
A few meters away, another gloom dives, swinging for my skull. Without stopping, my knees scrape across burned dirt and debris as I duck under its attack. Sliding and creating a red bladed dagger, I plunge it deep within its stomach, hopping to my feet and continuing forward. A sweltering screech bellows as an explosion goes off behind me.
One less gloom to contend with.
“Hold on,” I call to the little ones, “I’m coming!”
This can’t be a repeat like the car accident. I forbid it, and if Destiny has any say on it, she will either agree or join my list permanently.
They’ve reached their limits, both children fall upon theirknees and embrace one another. Our distance is still vast, and I don’t know if I can reach them in time. And my magic will be their downfall if I usethatattack.
Think, Kyra. Think!
With our enemies so close, using a sigil to remove them won’t work…but sending me, would. Readying another metal dagger, I toss a sigil in front of me and track through it, planting the crimson tip into a skull of a now dying gloom, forcing it to release the littlest fay from its grasp.
“I got you, hold on.” I tell her. The smallest of the two.
On cue, three more glooms spring from taunting her brother, targeting me–a more powerful soul for the taking. I signal for the male to come to me, and as expected, the glooms give up on the defenseless fay, happier to get their greedy claws into me. Her brother makes it over, unharmed, and I advise them to stay back, placing an invisible shield around them “Shall we?” I gesture a bow to my enemies, then step away.
One rushes me, and I fling a mini dagger into his neck in tandem with coating my body in dragon scales. The gloom slides to a halt beneath my foot as the blade explodes, separating his head from his body.
“Who’s next?” I ask, crushing down until a popping sonance fills the air.
All at once, the remaining two charge towards me, yelping like banshees in war. With a pull on my magic, I manifest two crystal daggers and leap into the shield, blanketing the children’s vision as two earth shaking explosions go off.
“Hey, hey, look at me. We’re okay. Are either of you hurt?” I don’t bother to check behind me. These smaller glooms are quick, but not durable. I’m more than sure rotted flesh is still raining down. Removing my shield and stepping back, I smile. For once in my life, I actually saved someone. Mini twins, female and male that are identical. Even down to the freckles coating their little noses.
“Are you…a God?” Her brother asks, and I chuckle.
“Of course she’s not. She’s an Angel. Gods don’t care about us.”
My heart both purrs and sinks.The God’s don’t care?“Where are your parents?” I ask, crouching so they no longer have to crane their necks. The oldest points, his hands coated in dirt and blood. A single body lays upon smoking wood, drained of blood and missing what made them fay. Their soul.
Swallowing acid, my throat burns from the rising bile.No. Not in front of them.What am I supposed to do? Leave them here to become an easy target. Turning to look for Niro, I can’t see him anywhere, and my decision to leave him begs the question if I made the wrong decision.Fuck! Caspian, please. Where are you!
“Stay close and follow me.” Placing them inside another invisible shield, we embark towards the spot Niro and I agreed to meet at, but he is absent. Glancing past the smoke and charred earth, I can see that he–the elite–and the woman and child are missing.
My legs buckle from the simmering adrenaline. Noting I’ve used more magic than anticipated, I reach my safety zone. Creating two new metal daggers, I wince from my aura’s pull. From here on out, close combat will have to do.
I hope Angie and Ethan’s teachings will keep us alive long enough to find the others.
Massive shadows dance behind a bulging smoke clouds, showcasing large beasts towering over the trees. I wave a hand, signaling for us to run as quakes vibrate the soil. Hand to hand combat against whatever is behind us will not be possible.
“They’re coming!” the littlest one shouts. Turning, I witness a herd of glooms, ranging in all sizes, snarling with glowing eyes, hole ridden bodies, and murderous intent. They speed towards us.
“Listen.” Facing the mini fays whom I can’t see, I tell them, “I’ll transport you to my Academy where you’ll be safe. Find a fay named Blaise. Shout his name until he comes and tell him what’s happening.”
