Chapter 71 HERE FOR WAR

Chapter 71 HERE FOR WAR
Derek's POV

I didn't like what was happening one bit. I know that I had already said that about six times. But this time, I meant it. I felt like I was going to go crash on Iris' behalf.

The creature leaned down, touching her.

But as it touched her this time, it didn't just stop at her skin. Everything about this place was dangerous. The creature, Iris, and even I felt dangerous myself.

I opened my mouth to tell her to step back. But the words never left my mouth. I didn't even think they wanted to leave my mouth to begin with.

It was almost like the creature stepped into Iris. Like it was phasing into her. It looked at me like it was trying to show me just how much power it had. Just how much it was willing to show that it had some kind of power over me. To show that it had power over Iris herself. It was hard to look away from.

Something was pricking the back of my eyes, and I didn't want to believe that it was tears.

It wasn't fully possessing her. I could tell from the way her eyes were wide, and the way she gasped for air. It was just trying to show something.

I could feel the little shift in the air, and it was getting harder to breathe. The frost that had come ever since the creature came out of the darkness only increased further.

I couldn't help but run a hand through my face.

It was almost like two different things were trying to occupy a tiny bit of space. The space was the room. But who were the two things.

This time, Marcus was the one that moved, grabbing her arm, and pulling her.

“Get away from it,” he screamed. I looked over at Iris' mom, and she had completely passed out in front of me.

I leaned down, keeping her safe and making her lean her back against one of the chambers.

As Marcus pulled Iris away, I noticed that the creature didn't follow. After he pulled her away, I immediately saw the reason why he didn't have to.

A faint glow of light pulsed right under Iris' skin, and then it disappeared again. It was the same color as the one on the creature. It couldn't have been marking her, could it?

I didn't even want to think about it that way.

Iris' hand suddenly flew to her chest, and she gasped for more air. I could see her eyes glow for just a second with a different kind of light. She held on to her chest even tighter.

“I can feel it,” she whispered. “I can feel it right within me.”

I stepped towards her. I was allowed to touch her now. I saw Marcus do the same thing. “Feel what?” I asked, grasping her shoulder as I made her look at me.

“Where is the creature?” she whispered. “It was trying to show itself to me.”

If everything wasn't happening right in front of me, I would have doubted it like hell.

Marcus stepped forward. “Fascinating,” he was saying, and I turned to look at him.

“You really need to get a new hobby,” I said, but he was barely even answering me.

He leaned down to touch Iris's skin, and the creature stood to the side, watching us.

“The anchor has deepened,” he said, and I felt my chest tighten.

“How can we undo it?” I asked calmly, even if I was losing my mind.

Marcus cocked his head to the side. “You don't,” he said, and I swallowed hard, shaking my own head.

“You can't say that,” I said, trying to be as calm as I could be. “There has to be a way.”

I could feel myself get weak. But that was nothing compared to the way Iris must have been feeling at that point.

She was already getting dark circles within a day.

Iris stood there like a statue. Like she was tired of responding or reacting.

“You have to find something,” I said, about to make the move of grabbing his collar. Marcus took a step back like he already knew what I was about to do.

“There was a way,” he said, looking over at me like he pitied me now. “That was until she broke the gate.”

I felt a headache right at the front of my head.

Iris didn't have a fucking choice. That was the only reason why she broke the gate. She was asked to choose between her mom and herself. I would have made the same decision if I was her.

“And you know what?” Marcus asked, making me look at him.

“What?” I asked in a whisper. I was getting tired of having to hear something new that had the capacity of breaking me every fucking time.

Would it sound stupid if I took a break outside and went to call Garrett? At that point, I couldn't even help but accept the fact that he was the smart one. He was the one that could put an end to everything that was happening right in front of me.

Or so I thought. If he was there, he wouldn't have a choice but to listen to everything Marcus was saying as well.

“There are still more fights on the way,” he said, and I immediately remembered that he said once the gate was broken more thing were going to find their way out.

“Then we're going to prepare for it like hell.”

With that, I looked back at Iris, pulling her back to me. She quickly wrapped her arms around me, and I could feel her tears soak my back. But she wasn't sniffling. The tears were just flowing.

That was when Ragner roared from right above us.

Goddess, Iris wasn't even allowed a minute of rest?

That was when we heard the clanking of metals.

I looked over at Marcus for answers, and there was genuine fear on his face.

“They're here,” he said.

“Who?” I asked immediately, and I could practically feel Iris' chest go hollow in front of me.

“The warriors. I don't know which, bit they are here for war.” His eyes were fixed on me as he spoke again. “The war has found its way here.”