Chapter 58 THE PURSUIT
CHAPTER 058: THE PURSUIT
My eyes frantically open and I wake up as the smoke enter my nose and I choke and I feel pain.
Everything hurts. My arm where Dante grabbed me is covered in blisters.
"Thalira don't move," Mom's voice says somewhere above me.
I try to sit up but it became a bad idea. My eyes tilts.
"Where's Luna?" I gasp.
"Here." Luna appears, kneeling beside me. Her face is bruised. "Caius grabbed me but Kieran tore his arm off before he could drag me away."
"He literally tore his arm off," Sofia adds from somewhere nearby. "It was horrifying and awesome."
"He regenerated it in seconds," Alaric says grimly. "Then his army attacked and we ran."
I force my eyes to focus on my surroundings. We're in a small cave and it's defensible. Outside I can hear snarling and howling.
"How long was I out?"
"Ten minutes," Zev says. He looks better than before but still pale. "Long enough for us to find shelter."
"They're surrounding the cave," Kira reports from the entrance. "At least fifty or maybe more corrupted creatures."
"Can we fight our way out?" I ask.
"Not without casualties," Kieran says. He's still in wolf form, massive and golden and blood stained his fur.
"Then we stay and defend."
"They'll starve us out," Morgana argues.
"Or smoke us out," Cassian adds. "I can smell accelerant. They're preparing to burn us."
I push myself up despite the pain. "Then we move now while we can still choose our path."
"You can barely stand," Mom protests.
"I'll manage."
Luna helps me to my feet. Through the bond I feel her determination mixing with fear.
"Together?" she asks.
"Always."
We move to the cave entrance. The corrupted creatures circle but keep their distance.
"They're waiting for orders," Zev says.
"From Caius?"
"Probably."
As if summoned by his name, Caius steps into view. He looks completely unharmed. The arm Kieran tore off is perfectly back to it's position.
"Ready to continue our chat?" he asks pleasantly.
"Go to hell," I say.
"I've been there and I didn't care for it." He gestures to his army. "This is your last chance. Surrender now and I let most of your friends live."
"Most?"
"I'll need to make examples of a few. Pour encourager les autres as they say."
"We're not surrendering."
"What a pity." He raises his hand.
Then the creatures charge.
"Run!" Kieran roars.
We run out from the cave. Cassian throws fire behind us, creating a wall between us and the army.
It buys us maybe thirty seconds.
Alaric scouts ahead with vampire speed. "There's a clear path northeast. It leads to higher ground."
We follow him, while, running through the forest with an army at our heels.
"How many?" Sofia gasps between breaths.
"Too many," Morgana answers. Her shadows flare out behind us, catching creatures and slamming them into trees.
But more keep coming.
I'm on Kieran's back in wolf form. He runs like the devil himself is chasing us.
Which isn't far from the truth.
Luna runs beside us in her silver wolf form. Smaller than Kieran but just as fast.
A corrupted bear charges from the side. Luna intercepts it, and her jaws close on its throat.
They tumble together. She comes up bloody but moving.
"We can't keep this pace," Zev pants. He's running on his own now but barely.
"We don't have a choice," I say.
A wolf crashes into Kieran's side and we both fall down hard.
I roll, coming up with a knife I didn't know I had. The wolf lunges and I drive the blade into its eye.
It collapses, twitching and snarling loudly.
Kieran is back on his feet, shaking off another attacker.
"There's too many," Alaric says, appearing beside us. "We need to make a stand."
"That's suicide," Kieran argues once he shifts back to human.
"So is running," I say. "At least if we fight we choose the battlefield."
"There." Cassian points. A rocky outcrop rises ahead. Steep on three sides, only one approach.
"That'll work," Kieran says.
We sprint for it. The corrupted things pursue but we reach the rocks first.
Cassian and Morgana work together. Fire and shadow creating barriers across the way.
Kira and her scouts take up defensive positions. Sofia throws every protective charm she has.
Zev collapses against a boulder, breathing hard.
"You okay?" I ask.
"Peachy. Love being chased by demon animals." He winked.
Despite everything I almost smile.
The corrupted creatures circle but don't attack. They just wait, snarling and pacing.
"They're waiting for something," Zev says.
"For what?"
As if answering, the creatures part.
Caius walks through them like a king through his court.
He's different now but still handsome but there's something wrong about him. His movements are too fluid. His smile too perfect.
"Thalira Moonwhisper," he says, his voice carrying easily. "We finally meet face to face without dream magic or projections."
"I can't say it's a pleasure," I reply.
He laughs. "Such a spirit. I see why you interest so many. The Hollow King. The boys. Even Marvin in his pathetic way."
"What do you want?"
"I'll make this simple. You come with me now, I let your friends go. You refuse, they die screaming. You have thirty seconds to decide."
"She's not going anywhere with you," Kieran growls.
"That's not your decision little wolf."
"It's mine," I say, stepping forward. "And I'm not going. But I'll offer you something else."
"I'm listening."
"Single combat. You and me. I win, you and your army leave. You win, I come willingly."
"Thalira no," all the four boys say together.
Caius tilts his head. "That's tempting. But I've seen you fight. You're formidable. Why risk losing when I can just take you?"
"Because you're curious. You want to see what I can really do."
His smile widens. "You're perceptive. I like that. Fine… A single combat, no magic, just skill."
"Why no magic?"
"Because I want this to be interesting. Magic makes things too easy."
"Deal."
"Thalira this is insane," Alaric says.
"It's the only way."
Luna grabs my arm. "I can't lose you. Not now."
"You won't. I promise."
I step down from the rocks. Caius meets me in the cleared space between his army and my friends.
His skin is perfect and his eyes is bright.
"What are you?" I ask.
"Something that shouldn't have exist, just like you." He produces two daggers from nowhere. "Are you ready?"
I draw the blade from my belt. It's not much but it'll have to do.
We circle each other.
"Begin," he says and moves.
He's faster than anything human. Faster than Alaric.
His dagger slices toward my throat. I barely deflect it.
He spins and his other blade cut my arm and blood flows.
"First blood to me," he says.
I don't waste breath responding. I just attack.
My blade finds nothing but air. He's already moved.
His dagger tear my back and blood flow rapidly.
"You're outmatched," he says. "Surrender now and I'll make your death quick."
"You said if you won I'd come willingly. Not die."
"I lied."
He attacks again, relentlessly.
I block, parry, dodge. But he's landing hits and I'm not.
My vision starts to blur from blood loss.
"Thalira!" Kieran screams.
I can't look away from Caius. I can't afford the distraction.
He feints left. I fall for it. His blade drives into my shoulder.
I scream.
He twists the knife.
"Yield," he orders.
"No."
"Then die."
He pulls the blade free and raises it for a killing blow.
The time slows.
Not because of magic but because I'm dying.
This is it. This is how it ends.
Then Luna screams.
Not a human scream. A wolf howl full of rage and grief.
And something in me breaks.
My time magic activated.
The world freezes completely.
Everything except me and Caius.
"Interesting," he says, frozen mid-strike. "You broke your own rule."
"You broke it first. You said no magic."
His smile is vicious. "So I did."
Time resumes but I'm ready now.
When his blade comes down to my throat, I've already dodged the attack.
I'm already behind him.
I use my blade to pierce the gap in his ribs, pushing it deeper.
"How?"
"I'm a Phoenix Soul. Death doesn't scare me anymore."
I twist the blade.
He screams and his army screams with him.
Then he fell on his knees.
"You can't kill me," he chokes. "I'll just regenerate."
"Then I'll keep killing you until you stay dead."
I raise my blade for another strike.
"Wait," he gasps. "I'll tell you. About the Hollow King. About what's really coming."
"I'm listening."
"The packs. The killings. The weapons. It's all distraction. The real threat isn't us."
"Then what is it?"
He looks up at me with dying eyes.
"The Council. They're corrupted. All of them. And they're coming for you tomorrow."
Then he collapses and dies.
His army wavers. Then starts to dissolve into shadow.
I stand there, covered in blood, hardly believing I won.
The boys rush to me. Kieran reaches me first.
"You're hurt," he says.
"I'm alive."
"Barely."
He's right. Now that the adrenaline is fading I can feel how badly I'm injured.
My knees give out.
Alaric catches me. "We need to get her to a healer."
"The academy," Mom says. "It's only a few hours from here."
"The Council is there," I gasp. "Caius said they're corrupted. They're coming for us."
"Then we don't go to the academy," Cassian says.
"We have to," Zev argues. "It's the only place with healers strong enough to save her."
I'm losing too much blood.
"Do it," I whisper. "Take me to the academy."
"Even if it's a trap?" Luna asks.
"Especially if it's a trap. Time to end this." And darkness overwhelmed me.
When I wake up we're moving fast.
Someone's carrying me.
Kieran I think based on the warmth.
"She's awake," Sofia says somewhere nearby.
"Thalira can you hear me?" Mom asks.
"Yeah."
"We're almost there. Just hold on."
Through blurring vision I see the academy gates
ahead.
And standing in front of them, waiting, is the entire Council.
All thirteen members.
Their eyes glow red.
Every single one.
"It's a trap," I try to say.
But I'm too weak.
The gates open and we're surrounded.
And the Council's leader, a woman I don't recognize, smiles.
"Welcome home Phoenix twins. The Hollow King has been waiting for you.”