by Eliza Tilton
Stumbling back, his blade passed my guard, and came in fast.
I spun in a back-spinning pirouette, and was almost level to the ground, bringing my blade across his gut. He moved and the hit clanged against his belt buckle as it only gouged part of his belly.
We stood apart from one another, bleeding and heaving. Our blades met in another explosion of metal sparks, the attack so fierce it re-opened the cut on my bicep. Pain rippled through me and I realized I would need to push myself further than any fight before. The previous battles had fatigued me, and Derrick fought with such tenacity it was almost admirable.
He dipped his shoulder and crashed into me, his great sword trailing behind him. He swung in a horizontal arc, meant to cut me in two. I arched in a bridge low enough that my hair touched the floor. The blade passed over me, but only a hair’s length away.
The wound on my stomach oozed, and I bit back the wave of nausea spreading through me. I sprung back and drove my head into his nose. Blood exploded out of his nostrils, covering the lower half of his face. He staggered back. I came in with a single-handed downward slice, but he countered with a side thrust kick to my wound.
Wind rushed out of me and I doubled over gasping for air. I hadn’t been in this much pain since the wenlo den, and this boy may even rival—if not match—the strength and ferocity of the brood mother.
He barreled in again, another downward vertical strike. I dove into a side roll, spinning to my left. My blade cut across his thigh as his blade sunk into the stone below, just missing me. We were both moving slower, but unlike him, my blade wasn’t stuck in the ground.
Abandoning his blade, he tackled me and punched at my face like a ravenous beast. My right eye swelled, making it harder to see. I drove my thumb into his left eye in an attempt to shove him off. He jerked back in pain. I twisted to the side and pulled my knees to my chest, freeing myself from under him. He was coming back for more. His blood soaked face only made him look more imposing. I kicked him in the throat, sending him tumbling backward, allowing me to get to my feet.
I scrambled for my sword, grabbing it in just enough time to dodge the severed half of the broken statue that Derrick launched at me. I raised my sword to strike, but he grabbed the blade, his grip like iron. I punched him in the face at the same moment he punched me in the stomach. A snap crackled in the air—a clear sign my rib broke—but the swelling on his face showed his cheek was probably broken too. A second blow hit my ribs again, and my strength drained away. He tore the blade out of my hand and threw it to the ground.
“I won’t let you have her,” he grunted.
“She is not yours to control.” I kneed him in the groin. The maneuver hurt, but forced Derrick to double over.
I turned and went for my sword. The force of a lion slammed into my back, sending me dangerously close to decapitation as my throat neared the blade stuck in the ground. If the angle had been any higher, I would be dead.
He pinned me in a side mound with a full hand of hair and pushing my throat toward the razor sharp edge, his other hand trying to pull mine out from my support. The blade nicked my jugular. I was a dead man.
A shock wave exploded out of the temple, throwing us backward into a wall.
Yoshi.
Dust filled the air, obscuring my vision. Clouds of stone debris danced around me. I picked up my sword as Derrick emerged from the dust. I growled and locked my blade with his.
We glared at one another, exhausted and bleeding.
“If this is how I am to die, it’s at least with a worthy opponent.”
Derrick’s eyes widened.
A second explosion shook the temple. Parts of the ancient dome were ripping apart as the rift in the center pulled everything through the gate.
“Why did you have to come into our world and our lives?” he asked. “Why did you have to take her from me?” He was broken, and duty made me answer him truthfully.
“Because my world is dying, and as next in line to be king, I have to secure a future for my race.”
The ground rumbled. Soon, the gate would be unstable. Without any power source to contain it, we would all be sucked in.
“And, to answer your last question, I also love her.” I scanned the crumpling landscape around us. “As fate would see fit, the two men Jeslyn loves will meet their ends together.”
Chapter Forty-Five
Avikar
“Retreat! Retreat!” I shouted as I stumbled away from the temple, heaviness coursing through my body, my legs and arms heavier than ever. Why were we retreating? The Order still fought with the shifters, and in the thick brush, it was hard to see which side was winning.
Oh, that was it. We were losing. I had to call the retreat, move us all to safety before we were slaughtered. We lost.
Did we? I didn’t remember losing. A dense fog clouded my memories. I couldn’t remember what I was supposed to do, other than retreat.
A body lay on the grass in front of me, ripped apart, the damage so severe I could barely tell if it was human or not.
Just like in the cabin.
I stepped over the body and continued forward, away from battle.
“Avikar!” Raven raced toward me. “Where are you going?”
“We have to retreat.”
“Retreat?” She shook her head. “No, you were supposed to go to the temple.”
“The temple …” I didn’t remember going there.
“Remember? Derrick found us and you two were going to make sure Yoshi wasn’t disturbed.”
“Derrick’s here? Where?”
“What’s wrong with you? Oh, no … what happened to that … is that a man?” She pointed a shaky finger at the body. “What could have done that?”
“We need to retreat. Call the others.” I walked past her. “Retreat!”
“Avikar!” She grabbed my arm, tugging hard. “Why are you walking away?”
Why was she arguing with me? It was time to leave. “Stop it. This is what we have to do. We have to leave.”
“No. No, that’s wrong. Something’s wrong with you.”
“Nothing’s wrong with me.” I pushed her off, walking further away from the temple, stepping over another destroyed corpse sprawled across the ground.
“Avi—”
Her words cut off. Guess she finally listened. I turned around to make sure she was following.
A giant beast with the face of a wolf and covered in black fur wrapped four grizzly arms around her. Claws dug into her body while shiny yellow fangs bit down on her neck. Blood trickled from her mouth.
She reached a hand to me. “Avikar.” My name left her lips as a whisper.
Retreat. Retreat. The word played over and over in my mind, freezing my legs to the ground. Raven needed me, but the fog in my mind clouded every thought. I couldn’t think straight. Couldn’t move toward the temple. “Raven?”
A tear fell from her eye. “Help,” she cried. Blood splashed from her lips, her voice drowned by the sounds of nearby combat.
The monster moved backward, dragging her with it. Her limbs fell lifeless to her sides as she disappeared into the thick brush.
A burning sensation filled my chest, swelling in waves. Sweat slicked my neck, my back, even my armpits. Fear and dread seeped into my heart, louder than the clash of swords on the battlefield. Heat built in my ears, pulsating through my mind in a shock wave of clarity that reverberated through me. The fire in my blood flowed like a torrent, rushing to all of my senses, waking me from a numbing sleep. Tears rolled down my cheeks.
“No!” I shouted, agony tearing through my chest, through the fog in my mind.
The cloud in my mind vaporized and I set my sights on one thing, and one thing alone. Kill. Rage pushed me into a focused wrath. This feeling of dread that had haunted me since the cabin, manifested in this moment of terror.
; Raven’s blood left a trail on the damp grass, leading me through the trees to a clearing. The beast held Raven, her head lulled to the side. Nothing but moss and grass separating us. The creature lifted his dripping maw in my direction.
Grant me power, Creator, to slay this wicked beast. I ground my teeth and charged at the massive behemoth as its claws scraped against the flesh of the closest thing to my heart: Raven.
Notching two arrows, I let them loose at the creature’s face. A perfect shot. Both arrows drilled the beast right between the eyes, then suddenly splintered down the middle as they impacted with the beast’s skull. They didn’t even leave a mark. The frenzied monstrosity threw Raven like a rag doll. She cartwheeled through the air and smashed into a tree, then fell face first into the ground below.
I tossed my bow and unsheathed my sword. This was better, I tried to tell myself. I wanted to make this creature feel the pain ripping through me. Roaring, the ravenous beast lunged forward, its four clawed hands slashing at me. Its upper appendages were massive, five times the size of my arms, ending in seven-inch claws. The lower arms were adorned with a sickly green maul and resembled hooks.
I moved faster than ever before. Adrenaline pumped through my body, fueling me forward in my attack. My heart pounded with the fear Raven could be taking her last breaths. Never had I been so terrified, not even fighting Lucino, not even fighting that first brute back in Raswood Forest. Nothing mattered, except killing this beast and getting to Raven.
I wove in and out of strikes from the beast. I found an opening and swung with all my might. The blade struck between its two arms on the left side.
My eyes widened as the blade shattered off its hide. Thousands of tiny metal shards dissipated into a cloud of failure. It didn’t even hurt it? Impossible!
Razor sharp hooks caught my side and tore across my gut. Blood seeped from the wound. A bad one, probably fatal. I spun away, trying to put distance between us. Pain seared my side at the sudden movement. Pressing my hand against the cut, I bit my lip, holding back the wave of dizziness slapping me.
The beast snickered. Was it laughing?
It turned around and slinked toward Raven.
“Raven!” Blood gushed out my side as I took a step. I had to stop the bleeding, but I had to get to her!
She lifted her head off the ground, her gaze finding me, then the beast.
“Arghhh!” A primal scream ripped from my mouth. Was I such a non-threat that this thing wouldn’t even bother with me? I ripped off my shirt and quickly tied it around my stomach to cover the wounds.
Raven grabbed the blowgun from her side and lifted it to her lips.
Pain rippled through me with each step as I made my way to her.
The beast hissed at Raven, hunching over her, and she shot a poison-coated dart into its mouth.
The creature roared and stumbled back, scraping at its throat.
Raven’s eyes closed.
Using all my strength, I jumped and sunk my dagger deep into the beast’s back. My weight pulled the weapon down its spine. Its howl shook the woods around us. It reached back and ripped my shoulder open.
This was it.
The beast pulled me off its back and slammed me to the ground. Air rushed out of my lungs. It was a miracle I managed to keep the dagger in my hand. The creature hovered over me, blowing its foul breath across my face. I had nothing left. At least it would be over fast.
A sharp whistle rang out through the woods, louder than the beasts’ howl from before. The beast looked up at a ray of light so intense it burned its face into a smoky haze.
In that magnificent light, my brother’s face.
Jimri?
The flash disappeared as quickly as it came. The beast writhed. I found what little strength I possessed, and with the dagger still in my hand in a reverse grip, I brought my arm across my face, turning onto my left shoulder to get more force. I swung my dagger in a vicious backhand and caught the creature in the jugular. The monster stood, pulling me to my feet. Its lower arms wrapped around my back. Hook-like claws dug into my skin while its two free hands held its burning face. In a swift movement, the beast bit onto my shoulder crushing bone.
“Avikar.”
Raven’s voice … only a whisper, but powerful enough to snap me back into action. Creator, don’t let me fail now.
Strike after strike, I turned my arm into a flurry of death. The beast removed one of its larger hands from its face. A mistake.
With all I had left, I drove the knife deep into its eye. The beast stumbled back and fell flat on its spine, releasing me. I fell to the ground just within arm’s reach of Raven. Reaching over, I brushed the hair out of her face. “You saved me.”
Her eyelids fluttered, fighting to open. “You saved me first.”
“Hold on,” I begged her. “Please, don’t go.”
“We’ll go together …” Her head lulled to the side, and I crawled closer. The action ripped at my wounds, tearing them further. My vision blinked in and out
The world around me blurred into darkness.
I’ll be with you soon.
Yoshi’s old, haggard voice pierced the darkness.
“You are full of surprises, boy. Many men and beasts alike have fallen victim to the grok, and you beat one by yourself. Impressive.”
I opened my eyes. “What’s a grok?” My head spun and I coughed blood.
“An intelligent creature not indigenous to your world. Hard to find, even harder to control. It will take me awhile to find a replacement.”
The creature was his?
Yoshi pressed his hands onto my back and his words became a strong chanting in a strange language. The darkness and pain began to recede.
“No, save her,” I croaked, gazing at Raven’s face. From this angle, I couldn’t tell if she was still breathing. “Save her.”
“Her journey is over, while yours has just begun.”
His eyes shined like balls of electric blue energy, and the wrinkled face I’d grown accustomed to shifted into dark navy smoothed skin.
“What are you?” I asked.
“When you are ready, and if you can find me, I will answer that question. Until then, our business is finished.”
I tried to sit up, but none of my limbs moved. “What did you do to me?”
“You will be in stasis until the spell has finished. I will leave this as a parting gift and guardian.” He produced a sword wrapped in cloth from a bag on the ground. “Gazervayne. It is the true name of the bird your love was named after. There is irony in everything, boy; if you look hard enough, you will find it.”
The wrapping fell from the sword to reveal a black blade with a purple metal hilt and blood crystals encrusted in the handle. I tried to speak, but he vanished. Heaviness returned to my eyelids, forcing them closed.
Pain squeezed around my heart, an ache that slowly grew into a gaping hole in my chest.
I would live, but Raven was gone. Truly gone.
Chapter Forty-Five
Jeslyn
A large boom echoed outside, rattling the tent. I ran to the front and peeked outside. A strong wind pulled pots, firewood, and weapon racks toward the temple. Everyone close by scrambled around in a mad dash out of the forest.
Lucy popped into my view. “We need to leave.”
“What’s going on?” Gwen came up behind me, peeking over my shoulder.
“You two follow me, and stay close.”
We rushed out of the tent, dodging anything not tied down. Deep cracks ran down the sides of the large white temple. Tents flapped and any loose items flew in the air toward the temple as if the temple was a whirlpool, consuming the whole world.
When we rounded along the encampment, I skid to a stop. Derrick and Lucino rolled across the charred ground, swords sparking as they connected.
“Lucino!
” The wind howled against my voice, drowning out my scream.
They were too close to the temple. This strange storm would suck them both in. I started running. I couldn’t lose them both.
“Stop!” Lucy yelled after me, but I didn’t stop or turn back. I had to reach them in time.
I neared Lucino just as the violent air ripped the tents out of the ground. I screamed and ducked as one flew past. Temple stones crumbled and crashed to the ground.
Lucino and Derrick paused, their swords locked against one another.
“Jeslyn!” Lucino yelled, his eyebrows drawn down. “What are you doing? Get out of here!”
Wind slammed into the temple and pieces of broken stone swirled above it in a tornado. The sky darkened, and gray clouds blocked out the suns. The wind swept me off my feet and slammed me onto my back. I reached for the grass, desperately trying to grab hold of anything. Derrick dashed forward and grabbed my arm just as I slid by him.
“Hold on!” he yelled. His face strained as his grip on me slipped.
Lucino grabbed Derrick’s forearm, his other hand wrapped around a nearby tree. His muscles pulsed from the strain, and a red mist washed over him. He stomped his feet into the ground, standing strong.
A black tornado swirled in the center of the temple, sucking in everything around it. The force pulled at my clothes and lifted me off the ground.
“Lucino!” I screamed, desperately holding on to Derrick’s arm.
Derrick screamed and pulled me into his chest. “You have to take her!”
Our gazes met, and an ache filled my chest. Was this the end for all of us? Derrick didn’t deserve this fate. He did nothing but love my family and me. He should be growing old with a family of his own. A love of his own.
Lucino’s jaw clenched, his brow furrowed.
