There was a growl, and I glanced to my right. Two more shifters emerged from the staircase, advancing across the platform. I heard Phoenix knocking on the glass, his eyes widening as he recognized them.
“They made it all the way here!” My brother’s muffled shout came through. “They followed us here!”
These were the shifters that had gone after Phoenix and Aida during the Sluaghs’ attack on Stonewall. Their eyes glowed violet as they came up next to Patrik and Thadeus, glaring at Azazel and baring their sharp fangs, ready to fight by our side.
Better late than never. There wasn’t any time to think about where they’d been hiding all this time. We desperately needed them in this fight.
Jovi and Hansa were on the floor, dying. Aida and Phoenix were still trapped in their glass spheres, as was Abrille, who looked more dead than alive as she floated in the clear liquid. We were surrounded by at least twenty Destroyers, their forked tongues flitting out to catch our scent.
The war continued to unravel below. The allied forces were making advances, explosions rocking the castle and swords viciously clanging as the free nations fought to reclaim their land. I could hear them overpowering the incubi and Destroyers below. Soon enough, they’d be swarming through the castle.
We were up here, surrounding Azazel in a standstill that, as horrible as it seemed, was pretty much where we’d planned to be before we’d left Stonewall. None of us had seen the blood spell coming, though. Hansa, Vita, and Jovi’s predicament had not been part of the plan, and it tore me apart because I couldn’t do anything to help them. With hordes of Destroyers arriving to defend Azazel, we couldn’t spare a single fighter at this moment.
“Take these slithering bastards on,” Draven shouted at the young Druids, “you’ve put enough energy into me, I think I can hold it on my own.”
The young Druids nodded wearily, their golden glow dimming as they turned to face the incoming attackers. Draven was left on his own to sustain his bright force field against Azazel, and it seemed like a substantial effort on his part, as beads of sweat blossomed on his forehead.
The shifters morphed into Destroyers, baring their fangs at the hostiles flying around us. Our attackers closed in on the platform, drawing their swords and getting ready to fight us.
“Hold your ground, Draven,” I managed, and aimed my crossbow at one of the Destroyers, while Jax, Patrik, and Thadeus drew their swords. “It’s about to get crazy…”
The beasts hissed as they came down hard.
I released an arrow and watched it splinter a Destroyer’s eye.
Our real war had just begun.
Aida
I screamed so hard, it felt like my lungs were going to collapse.
My brother was lying on his back, a massive sword in his stomach. He was bleeding out fast, and no matter how hard I kicked and punched the damned glass sphere, I couldn’t get out.
Waves of hot and cold pummeled me, my inner-wolf roaring. I felt tears spilling from my eyes.
My throat burned, and my heart ached so much, I feared it would cave in on itself.
“Jovi!” I cried out. “Get up! Dammit, Jovi, get up!”
But he wasn’t moving. His eyes were open, blinking slowly. His chest still rose with every staggering breath. His fingers trembled. His skin became paler with each moment that went by. And I couldn’t do anything.
Serena had just hit one of the Destroyers in the eye with an arrow; now she brought her sword out and engaged in battle, using brief barriers to gain a minor advantage against the beasts. Jax, Thadeus, Patrik, the young Druids, and the shifters took on the others. Destroyer blades screeched out of their sheaths and clashed hard against those of my friends. The shifters snarled and ripped the heads off two of the Destroyers, snatching their spears and swords and using them against the others.
Jax used his mind-bending ability on another before he jumped on its back and shoved his sword through the back of its neck. The Destroyer fell flat on its face as Jax pulled his blade back and moved on to the next one, while Serena pushed a barrier out and beheaded the Destroyer she’d partially blinded.
The young Druids were nimble and swift on their feet, using their swords to block the Destroyers’ hits and shooting white flames that ate away at the monsters’ flesh. One by one, the Destroyers were falling, but more were coming from below, having responded to Azazel’s hiss for help.
Azazel stood in the middle, facing off with Draven and chuckling. He shone all green, Asherak’s energy oozing out of him like toxic fumes.
The hatred searing through me was impossible to control. My muscles jerked, and I bared my teeth, glaring at the back of his neck.
If looks could kill…
“You’re a coward for calling your drones out to do your fighting for you,” Draven spat, glowing with golden energy, still holding his own against Azazel.
“I’m not interested in fighting Druids.” Azazel laughed. “Your little rebellion needs crushing, not entertaining! I imagine you won’t last more than a few minutes, anyway.”
“Listen to me carefully, Azazel, as I’m only going to say this one more time before I bring the whole of Eritopia down on you,” Draven replied. “The castle is surrounded. The free nations are coming in, and your defenses are falling, one by one. You can’t stop it. It’s all coming to an end for you, whether you’re ready to admit it or not.”
Azazel clearly didn’t like what he heard. He glanced over at Serena, who was fighting off another Destroyer with the help of one of the shifters. Just as the beast fell to its knees, the shifter gnawing on its neck, Azazel put a hand out and balled it into a fist, using an invisible force to grab Serena by the neck and drag her away from the fight.
He lifted her off the floor. She struggled in the invisible chokehold, coughing and gasping for air. This wasn’t a blood spell he was using on Serena. It was much more basic, akin perhaps to telekinesis. Draven’s eyes flickered black as he released the arrow from his crossbow. Azazel dodged it so fast, it whizzed past him and vanished somewhere beyond the platform. He grinned and clutched his fist even tighter, his knuckles white. Serena fought for her life, gagging and kicking her legs.
“Try something else and I will snap her neck like a twig,” Azazel said.
I watched helplessly, no longer able to even think. I kept a close eye on Jovi’s breathing, hanging onto a thread of hope that he’d live through this somehow, that we’d finish this quickly and get to him before it was too late.
Patrik slipped out of a scuffle with a Destroyer and slid across the floor toward Jovi. He grabbed the crossbow next to him and aimed it at the back of Azazel’s neck. He pulled the trigger fast enough for the arrow to lodge in Azazel’s shoulder, just as he turned his head to look at Patrik.
Azazel grunted from the pain, but didn’t let Serena go, while Draven’s gaze darted from one to the other, a muscle twitching in his jaw, his lips pressed tight.
“I swear, you people never learn.” Azazel sighed and brought the diamond up to his lips again.
“Oh, no,” I gasped. “No, no, no…”
Patrik’s body stiffened as he raised his sword above his head. Thadeus was forced out of a fight as well. His legs carried him several feet across the platform, until he stood face to face with Patrik. Their faces grew pale as they realized what was happening. Azazel had their blood, too.
“No,” Patrik gasped, his arms no longer obeying him. Thadeus brought his sword forward, sweating and grunting, desperately struggling against Azazel’s blood spell.
I could only imagine their frustration, after having just liberated themselves from his control.
“Yes.” Azazel sneered, plucking the arrow from his shoulder. “Now, get busy with one another and stop being so troublesome.”
Patrik and Thadeus started fighting each other, their swords clashing, though they did their best to oppose Azazel’s control. Their pained expressions brought more tears to my eyes. I couldn’t take this anymore. I needed to get out of he
re. I needed to help.
I kicked at the glass bubble once more, praying to all the supernatural entities out there, including the Daughters of Eritopia, for some help. My brother was dying on the floor. One of my best friends was unconscious, while the other was suffocating in Azazel’s invisible grip.
I had to do something…
Phoenix
Like Aida, I was helpless. The obsidian cuffs were making it even worse for me, as I couldn’t use my sentry powers, either. My best friend was slowly dying on the floor, and my sister was struggling to breathe in Azazel’s invisible hold. The others were fighting off Destroyers, while Draven was facing off with Azazel, unable to get Serena out of his grip.
It didn’t look good, and I could feel my heart twisting in agony.
Like a winged gift from the heavens, Field suddenly flew in, along with two more shifters that looked like him, their grins telling me they were itching for a fight.
The shifters were the first to drop, sinking their fangs into a couple of Destroyers that had gotten dangerously close to killing Jax. The Mara took advantage of the opening and drove his sword through a beast’s neck, severing its spinal cord.
Field had high speed and his hatchet out, chopping off another Destroyer’s head before he crashed into a second one. One of the young Druids brought his sword down and beheaded the monster, giving Field the second he needed to get to us.
He brought his hatchet down against Aida’s bubble, but the glass didn’t give in. Aida’s expression lit up as they glanced briefly at one another. He tried hitting the sphere again, but still, he couldn’t even scratch it.
“It’s no use.” I groaned out loud. “They’re sealed by Azazel!”
“Jovi needs help! He’s dying!” Aida cried out, pointing at her brother.
It was only then that Field noticed him on the floor, several feet away, the sword stuck in his stomach. He instantly paled and rushed to Jovi’s side, dropping to his knees. He looked at the wound, then checked Jovi’s pulse. Jovi’s eyes were still open, and he was still breathing, but he was clearly struggling to stay conscious. Nevertheless, he was able to give Field a weak smile before he coughed up some blood. The sight of him in this state tormented me. Field’s face was drained of all color as he moved to pull the sword out.
“Don’t!” Jax shouted at him from across the platform while dodging a Destroyer’s broadsword. “The sword hit critical organs! If you remove it, he’ll bleed out even faster!”
“So what the hell do I do?” Field shot back, his voice shaking with panic.
“One of the shifters might be able to help him, but they’re a little busy at the moment, as we all are!” Jax replied, then blocked another hit before he shuffled around and used his mind-bending skill to confuse the Destroyer and drive his blade through its head in an upward motion.
Field roared with rage but couldn’t do anything further for Jovi, as he was immediately attacked by two other Destroyers and was forced to go on the defensive, moving away as he blocked their hits. One of the shifters wailed, caught between two Destroyers. The beasts snapped its neck and tossed its body over the edge of the platform, eager to take on more. That left us with just three shifters to help Jovi, should they be given a window of opportunity – but there were so many Destroyers involved, every one of our fighters was overwhelmed.
I heard Azazel laugh and saw him cock his head to one side and look at Draven. I was surprised at how the snake was able to multitask his spells, though I was focused enough to instantly take everything in and look for soft spots in his deadly theatricals. But I couldn’t spot anything. I could only rely on Draven finding the opening he needed to take the snake pendant away from him.
“Did you really think dipping your arrows in toxic shifter blood would do something to me? I’ve been conditioning my body to all of Eritopia’s poisons for years,” he said. “I couldn’t risk someone slipping something in my drink, could I?”
“Azazel, if you hurt her, I swear I will take extra time to torture you for this,” Draven hissed. “Let her go, and face me! Stop hiding behind her like a coward!”
Movement at the corner of my eye caught my attention. I lost all focus for a moment as I turned my head and saw Viola standing by my glass bubble, her hair loose and a thin layer of white silk hugging her body. Relief washed over me.
“Viola!” I gasped.
She smiled and touched the glass between us. The sphere disintegrated, and the water surrounding me collapsed with a loud splash as I fell to the floor. I coughed hard, readjusting my lungs to breathing air, then sprang to my feet and took her in my arms.
I held her tight, my body shuddering at the feel of her skin against mine. I hid my face in her rich, reddish pink hair, then kissed her deeply.
“You’re back,” I croaked as I looked at her, cupping her face in my hands.
She touched my obsidian cuffs. The restraints were instantly pulverized, the black dust gathering in the wind. I was finally free to use my sentry abilities.
“My sisters and I felt it when Nova left the castle,” she replied gently, as swords clanged behind us on the platform. “Azazel was keeping a protective spell over Luceria, and we couldn’t find out where exactly he was holding her. The moment she left, however, I rebelled because Azazel had lost all the leverage he’d had against us. They didn’t want to come, but I had to help. I had to see you…”
Viola trailed off as she reached out and touched Aida’s bubble. The glass vanished, and Aida fell flat on her face, wheezing as the water spread out on the black floor.
“Good grief, you’re incredible,” I said, then pointed at Jovi. “He needs help—he’s dying, Viola!”
She nodded briefly before rushing over to Jovi.
I heard a grunt come from Field, and a shiver of fear ran through me as I watched him slide across the floor to one side, too fast, as two Destroyers slithered after him. He’d been hit on the head, and was losing consciousness, unable to stop himself from drawing dangerously close to the platform’s edge.
Aida sprang to her feet and leapt after him. The water that had spread out on the floor helped her slip faster, as she landed on her belly, and she managed to grab his legs. But now they were both at risk of falling over the edge.
I quickly looked ahead and noticed two large pillars framing the open space through which Field and Aida were going to fall off the platform, based on their trajectory. Summoning as much energy as I could, I threw out two powerful barriers, one after the other in quick succession.
The invisible pulses released in an arch. They crashed into the pillars and knocked them down, one on top of the other on the edge of the platform, just as Field and Aida slid and rammed into them with a heavy thud.
They both moaned from the pain, Field snapping back into consciousness and Aida holding her shoulder, while I found myself stunned by my first targeted and angled double barrier. I figured our dire circumstances had brought out the best in me, but I couldn’t help but think that Viola’s presence might have helped, too.
I instantly turned and pushed out another barrier, this time aimed at the two Destroyers coming after Field and Aida. It knocked them back, enough for the shifters to jump them and finish the job. Destroyer blood sprayed from their headless necks, glazing the black stone floor.
Viola pulled the sword out of Jovi’s stomach, then instantly covered his wound with her bare hands, her fingers glowing pink while she worked to heal him. I heaved a sigh of relief as I watched Jovi’s breathing begin to regulate, the border between life and death growing more distant. She touched his face gently, and said something to him with a reassuring smile. Jovi stared at her for a moment, then nodded.
A hiss to my right made me snap back to the dangerous reality, and I immediately pushed out another barrier to keep a Destroyer away long enough for me to grab one of the fallen hostiles’ swords and enter the fray.
My blood simmered, and my heart beat frantically in my chest. My Viola was back, and I was finally ge
tting my chance to defend my friends, my sister, and all of Eritopia.
I roared with all my might as I launched myself at the Destroyer, my blade eager to slice up some oversized snakes.
Jovi
My vision cleared as I heard Viola’s words echo through me.
“You’re strong, Jovi,” she said gently. “You will survive this.”
I nodded, almost as a reflex, and looked up at her. She smiled, hope glimmering in her violet eyes, and I realized the pain in my stomach was gone. I looked down and noticed the broadsword that Azazel had driven into me was discarded on the black stone floor, its blade coated in my blood.
I’d thought that I was hallucinating when I first saw her, my dying haze playing with my senses and taunting me with hopes of salvation. But as it all came into focus, the truth became palpable.
My heart swelled with relief as I realized that Viola was, indeed, kneeling next to me, and that I hadn’t imagined everything. She’d managed to pull me out of the darkness into which I’d been descending, healing my wound with her life-saving power.
“I can’t express just how good it is to see you,” I mumbled.
The sound of Destroyers hissing and grunting, swords clashing, and shifters growling grew louder around me, as reality quickly came back into focus. We were up on the platform. There was fighting going on between us and Azazel’s Destroyers.
I moved to get up, but my muscles felt like stone, unyielding and tight. My eyes widened when I remembered Azazel’s blood spell. Viola had saved me, but it seemed that she hadn’t removed his toxic control. I glanced at him and noticed his sneer as he threw me a glance over his shoulder. He still had a grip on Serena, assessing the rest of us while in a standoff with Draven, and he still controlled me.
“He’s using a blood spell to control my moves,” I groaned, looking at Viola. “Can you help?”
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