Tainted Rose

by Yumoyori Wilson

  I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to face the light. I couldn’t stop, refusing to face reality even as I approached it. But, my mind already knew, and I had to accept it.

  I’m dead.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  ~DANIEL~

  My feet landed on the floor mid-run, almost tripping from the rough landing, but recovering as I ran towards Mako – her body still on the ground a pool of red beneath her. No, No, No.

  Azriel’s power burst through me as we reached her side, dropping down to our knees; our eyes landed on the open wound in her chest. I was ready to heal it, when my eyes widened, my sense picked up the absence of a heartbeat. NO!

  “Daniel! Is she okay?” Eli yelled, her footsteps approached.

  I didn’t answer, my hands pressed against her chest as I started compressions, my power began to pool in my hands as I readied myself to jolt her heart if my attempts failed.

  “C’mon Mako. Breathe!” I begged as I pressed, praying to the gods to save her.

  I wanted so badly to lash out, to be pissed at whoever had done this to her, but there was no time for that. I needed to remain calm. Needed to fix my princess, so I could tell her how much I loved her.

  “No. Makoto...Midnight. Don’t die, wake up!” Eli cried, falling in front of her as her hands held her head, while I continued. My eyes noticed the bracelet still on her wrist, letting out another curse. No fucking wonder. She couldn’t protect herself cause of that stupid piece of magic restraining protection crap.

  “Eli, slow the poison! It’s too close to her heart. This will all be for nothing if you can’t stop it,” I ordered, noticing the green sludge flowing in her blood.

  I already could tell her legs were the most affected, the blood flow stalled by the poison. Unless we got her to Winterlya in time, she’d be paralyzed from the waist down. But that was the least of my concern; she needed to breathe before I worried about such consequences.

  “Got it!” Eli placed her hands-on Makoto’s shoulders – a bright, pink light emitted from her hands. She removed her hands, a set of freshly pink markings remained on Mako’s shoulder blades.

  “It will still the poison for as long as I command it. I need to stay in my fairy form or it’ll restart. We need Winterlya. She can remove the poison without having lingering effects. But it needs to be soon. I can’t hold onto this form for much longer,” Eli confessed.

  I could already see the beads of sweat on her face; her shoulders moved with her deep inhales and exhales.

  “KAI. Makoto isn’t breathing. Tell Winterlya and Karen they need to prepare to treat Nephilim poisoning. I need you here ASAP. If I restart her heart she needs medical attention. Eli’s slowing down the progression of the poison.”

  “Where are you?” Ryder demanded as Kai and Marcus entered our bond.

  “Mountain side of the exam. Eli remove your hands, I need to shock her,” I ordered, pulling out of the knight communication so I could focus. I sent a powerful jolt of my energy within her; the spark surrounded her heart, but it didn’t beat. “Dammit, again.” I cursed as I sent another jolt.

  No Mako. Breathe! I didn’t tell you yet. I didn’t tell you how much I love you. Dammit, baby, don’t leave me. I’m sorry, I beg you Starlight, bring her back. Don’t take her from me. I can’t lose another person I care about. I won’t forgive myself if she dies. Please, I need my light. I need Makoto.

  I could feel my back burn, as I began to half shift, my large white wings escaped my back and spread out. The power continued to flow through me, not stopping at just my wings. My hair became longer and glowed an ashy light blonde. I felt stronger, more rejuvenated than ever as I started another round of compressions.

  “Let me take over Daniel. I’ll save her I swear it,” Azriel vowed. I took one last look at Makoto; her lips turned purple as her complexion became as pale as a ghost.

  Please Starlight, don’t take her away.

  ~AZRIEL~

  I continued the compressions, my energy pooled into my hands as I readied myself. If I couldn’t restart her heart, I’d cast a spell. I knew it would be hard on her body, potentially sending her into another coma...but, she’d be alive. I could work with that. As long as her soul was within her body, I wouldn’t rest till I got to see those turquoise eyes and hear her voice. Until I knew that the Princess and Hope were okay, I wouldn’t give up.

  I sent another jolt – the high electric current failed a third time. I took a deep breath; my eyes looked up to see EliaseAnne’s pain stricken, pale face as she sat there trembling.

  She looked at me, the tears pooled in her emerald eyes, gliding down her flushed cheeks, her trembling lips opened.

  “Azriel...please, save them. I beg you.”

  I nodded, closing my eyes. It was now or never. There was only a short time frame when the soul lingered in the body before beginning its ascent to Starlight. I had to try.

  “Dear Starlight, Mother of all things, Creator of everything light and dark. Hear my plea. Our Princess has fallen, poisoned and left to perish on your land; your soil soaked with her blood. Do not allow a being of low stature go against your star map, and defy your plans for Rosalina Mackenzie Heart. Hear my cry for justice and renew the threads of life within. Let my strings of justice save her soul from the ascent, let the gift you’ve given to me heal and mend such wounds. Bring Makoto back to us...to me. Please Mother Starlight, answer thy call.”

  I felt the power within release; the multiple white strings left my hands and began to wrap around Makoto. String after string, wound around her body, cocooning our princess...I felt the strain of my magic, gritted my teeth as I continued to let the overflowing energy release from my hands.

  My eyes noticed the web within the wound in Mako’s chest – as it healed the surrounding ripped tissues. I scanned her body, watched as it began to heal. The poison still lingered, but thanks to Eli’s magic, it had stopped its progression.

  I watched my strings wrap around her heart, sheltering it before sending multiple shockwaves. I waited anxiously, praying that our efforts weren’t in vain as I held my breath.

  I reached out and held the hand lying on her chest, wishing to feel her warmth instead of the cold, clammy feel that greeted me. I pressed her hand against my lips as I closed my eyes.

  Princess...Makoto, please. Breathe.

  My eyes flashed open, widening as my ears picked up the first heartbeat; another followed a few seconds later, followed by another. It continued, beating in an irregular pattern, but it began to find a rhythm; my strings of healing retreated as my eyes watched her heart beat strong.

  “KAI! Now!” I heard Eli scream through our bond.

  I felt a change in the air followed by a ripping noise. I glanced over to see Kai, Ryder, and Marcus who looked like they’d been running. Kai didn’t hesitate, walking forward while Ryder and Marcus froze, their eyes landed on Makoto’s body.

  I couldn’t focus on their reactions; the priority was to get Makoto to Heila, ruling out everything else.

  “Winterlya, Karen and the rest of the medical team are ready. The Queen has been notified as well and will assist in the treatment. Are you two ready? I won’t be able to make it as smooth of a trip as usual.” Kai confessed.

  My eyes trailed his body, exhaustion evident. I frowned, taking another glance at Makoto whose heart was already beginning to lose momentum.

  “Kai, you’re pushing it,” I warned. We already had to deal with Makoto being on the edge of death. We’d be at a big disadvantage if Kai pushed past his limit. He gave me a frustrated look, but sighed.

  “Hinotori,” he summoned, his eyes closed before opening again, those amber globes glowed with immense power.

  “It’s been awhile Azriel, Elyion. Shall we? The Princess is already on the decline. Let us not delay,” he announced. His Japanese accent cloaked his words.

  We both gave each other one glance before looking at Ryder and Marcus – both of their eyes gave off the glowing effect – Stryker
and Ryuu took over to bid us farewell.

  “Keep us posted on the Princess’ condition. We won’t take long,” Ryuu requested.

  “I’ll clean everything up down here. Just focus on stabilizing her. We believe in you three,” Stryker acknowledged. The demon and I had never been able to see eye to eye on any matter, but now as he gazed at me, I knew he believed in my ability to care for the Princess and his demon love.

  I could see their fear, but I also saw their confidence. This wasn’t just a coincidence. It was a test and we all knew it. It was time to show the darkness what it meant to be knights, and it started with saving the Princess.

  Hinotori placed a firm hand on my shoulder, doing the same to Eli. I held Mako’s hand tightly against my chest before closing my eyes.

  “May the Stars protect us on our path to salvation.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  ~LEONARDO~

  “Dammit, why can’t I find this stupid orb! That headmaster said it was going to be easy. But where is it!”

  I frantically continued my search; my eyes searched for the black orb I was required to retrieve to pass this exam.

  I have to find this Orb. I need to pass this exam. I can’t afford to fail. Mama would cry in the sky above for me failing…yet again.

  I’d never been good at anything; always struggled to achieve all of my goals. I didn’t know what I had done in my past life, but I was plagued with such bad karma that I wondered if I should even have goals. I never achieved them, but this was the first time I was so close to becoming a knight.

  Sure, I still had one more rotation before the final exam, but as long as I passed this I’d have the motivation to do better – to become a graduate of Knightwood. At least it didn’t matter that I was a red rank. I could still graduate, though the jobs available for my rank would be shitty jobs like a waste collector.

  I would make my mom proud. She’d finally get to see her son become victorious and walk proudly with such a title to our name. It wasn’t her fault we were poor. She was the hardest working person I knew, down to her very last breath, but I would bring prosperity to our family name, removing the disgrace that clings to me wherever I went.

  I looked around the clearing again before another round of curses escaped me. Dammit, where is it! I don’t have time!

  “It seems you need some help, Leonardo.”

  I jumped at the calm tone as I looked over my shoulder.

  “Professor Sepherant? What are you doing here? I thought you resigned?” I was confused to see his perfect appearance; his tailored suit didn’t reflect a wrinkle; his hands behind his back as he smiled at me. His eyes were what always scared me; those light purple eyes held a load of mystery to them and gave me the creeps.

  “One can never get a break. The professor assigned to your exam bailed. He said he didn’t want to waste time supervising such a disgrace of a shifter. I guess he’s another one who hates on the Dulro’s family name.”

  I gritted my teeth as a growl vibrated against the walls of my throat; the piteous expression on Professor Sepherant face only made me angrier. How dare that professor say such things? He knew nothing but rumors and lies.

  “Thus, the headmaster summoned me for my aid. I was already in the town nearby. My servant needed to pick up some arts and crafts from that famous, jewellery store, when I got the message. I decided it wouldn’t hurt to help you out. I see how much you want this Leonardo. So, I’ll be kind enough to do this.”

  His hand moved from his back, revealing a medium, black orb which shimmered in the light that peeked through the thick fog.

  “You found it! Are you sure? This isn’t a trap, right?” I questioned, my suspicions overthrown with joy. I would pass.

  “It’s not a test. I’m not held against their rules, remember? The fog is thick enough, so they won’t notice anything. Take it now,” he pushed, smiling.

  I rushed over, taking the orb from his gloved hands as I took a moment to appreciate its sleek appearance before looking up to my savior. “Thank you, Sir. May Starlight bless you for such kindness.”

  “No worries, Leonardo. To prevent the darkness, we must do kind to one another. I’ll give you one more tip before you go. I suggest you take the longer route back down instead of the way you came. I hear there are a few traps awaiting your return.”

  Ugh, those bastards always have to make my exam harder compared to everyone else. I bet they did it on purpose, too.

  “Thank you, Sir. I’ll take the longer route! I’ll be on my way. Makoto’s waiting, and I don’t want to delay.”

  “Makoto, you say? I haven’t seen her in awhile. She’s at the bottom of the mountain?” he questioned, his eyes filled with concern.

  Of course, he was concerned like all the professors at Knightwood with their fascination for the first female, pink rank. They heard an accident occurred during the exam, leaving Makoto in critical condition. I bet he was concerned for her well-being, especially with her helping me.

  “Yes. She agreed to help me. I’ll be on my way Sir. Thank you, once again.” I bowed.

  “No, Leonardo. Thank you. All the best.” He bowed, making me blush. No one ever showed such courtesy to me.

  “I’ll be off. Farewell, Professor Sepherant.” I turned and began to run; the longer route would take me at least ten minutes if I ran the whole way. I didn’t mind, feeling energized at my dream being in reach.

  One more rotation and I’ll live my dream.

  ~MARCUS~

  I opened my eyes, needing to see how bad the situation was as we materialized, feeling the solid ground beneath me.

  The dizziness was hard to ignore, my world spun from the sudden shift – Kai transported us from Matthew’s office straight to the exam area. Kai’s hand rested on our shoulders before the world began to dematerialize – everything became like pixels falling around us as the environment morphed.

  The process was hella rougher than his usual teleportation’s; holding the same effects as when we walked through the portal, but ten times worse, making me feel sick to my stomach. If it wasn’t for my nerves, I probably would have thrown up. Now that we’d arrived, I had to fight the bile that rose in my throat as my eyes landed on the body of the woman I loved, a pool of dark red liquid beneath her. Blood.

  Azriel’s and EliaseAnne’s spike in stress leaked into our bond as they called for help.

  “KAI. Makoto isn’t breathing. Tell Winterlya and Karen they need to prepare to treat Nephilim poisoning. I need you here ASAP. If I restart her heart she needs medical attention. Eli’s slowing down the progression of the poison.”

  “Where are you?” Ryder demanded, being the first to recover from the wave of panic that hit us as we opened up our bond.

  “Mountain side of the exam. Eli, remove your hands, I need to shock her.”

  Shock her?

  The words alone sent chills down my spine as my left hand began to tremble uncontrollably. I knew I had to control myself or I’d shift, but the idea of Daniel shocking our Firefly – such words emphasized the reality of the situation and that Makoto wasn’t breathing. She wasn’t alive.

  Stryker had taken over, Ryder struggled to keep awake from the imbalance of emotions as he closed his eyes; glowing orbs of black took over as he opened them. I knew he wouldn’t dare pass out when Makoto was in danger, but he wouldn’t be able to stay awake much longer with us struggling to keep our emotions from tearing him apart.

  “KAI! Now!”

  I heard Eli scream through our bond, her high, shrilled voice scared me. I hadn’t been so afraid since my time at the facility – afraid of death every time I felt his presence as my body jolted from the electricity going through me – I was shocked over and over again.

  I glanced at Kai as Ryuu nudged into my mind, ready to take control if I needed him to. If we didn’t want to shift, we’d alternate until we could find somewhere safe to shift into our dragon form.

  Kai’s eyes flickered back and forth as he struggled wit
h control. Kai was the calmest among us, sometimes calmer than Daniel, but one could never underestimate a phoenix’s temper – their flames erupted from the depth of the earth to consume the culprit of such rage.

  He didn’t look mad – he looked fearless and ready to destroy anyone who tried to stop him from his goal.

  Now, Kai lunged forward as he knelt by Daniel’s side; he looked completely different. His hair was now long, ashy white blonde, floating gently in the air as if the wind kept the strands captive. His angel wings were outstretched, so white and pure I bet, simply with a touch, a feather could cleanse anyone of their sins.

  The power that flowed off of him was a rare sight to see and feel; the most power I had seen Daniel display in cycles.

  “Winterlya, Karen and the rest of the medical team are ready. The Queen has been notified as well and will assist in the treatment. Are you two ready? I won’t be able to make it as smooth a trip as usual,” Kai explained.

  He must have used the emergency spell while we were teleported to speak to Winterlya telepathically – explaining the new development.

  I bet he was the most shocked out of all of us. He’d used his foresight only fifteen minutes ago and had seen nothing. Something must have changed – someone interfered suddenly. But who?

  My eyes trailed his body, exhaustion evident. I frowned, taking another glance at Makoto whose heart was already beginning to lose momentum.

  “Kai, you’re pushing it,” Azriel warned, his singsong voice low and threatening.

  We all knew how stubborn Kai could be. He would never admit he needed rest or help unless you threatened him. He gave Azriel a frustrated look, but sighed.

  “Hinotori,” he commanded, his eyes closing before opening again, those amber eyes glowing with immense power.

  “It’s been awhile Azriel, Elyion. Shall we? The Princess is already showing signs of decline. Let us not delay,” he announced. His accent was thick, indication that he was furious.