Chapter 92 Chapter 92
Chapter 92 Chapter 92
The Grim Ones I was aiming for dodged the stream of water, but in its haste, it was burnt by a few rogue flames from my other attack. It shrieked -again putting my senses in grave danger- and faltered slightly, giving me a chance I couldn’t afford to miss.
I summoned the stream again, and as the creature was mid shriek, I aimed the water straight down its throat. It choked and gurgled for a few tense seconds, making disgusting noises that reviled the stench in its ability to summon my gag reflex, and finally exploded into a pile of ash and smoke.
I silently thanked the universe for making them essentially shadow and energy, because I did not even want to imagine what that explosion would have looked like if they were made of flesh.
Glancing around me, I noticed that the other three Grim Ones were nowhere to be found, and I couldn’t help the dread that sent a shiver down my spine as I wondered where they might be.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ivan and Rose standing over two piles of ashes as they each took on a new threat.
I was about to sprint towards them when pain like nothing I have ever felt before erupted through my left shoulder. The force of the attack sent me straight to the ground, rocks and branches poking my back and shredding my coat.
I skidded to a stop, and grunting, I lifted myself to my knees. My coat was tattered, and its shoulder was singed and frayed, and with another grunt, I took it off to inspect the damage to my flesh.
My arm was red and tender, and my shoulder erupted in pain when I moved it, but thankfully, nothing was broken, and I was still alive.
I looked to my left, where the attack came from, and gulped when I saw the Grim One standing over me, a sizzling electricity surrounding the ball of magic in its hands.
I tried to stand, but my left arm gave up, and I fell back down on the rocks. I stared up at the creature, my mind in a haze of panic and despair; I was utterly and completely paralyzed with fear as my eyes were fixed on the sphere of dark energy.
I closed my eyes, preparing for the pain that was about to consume my being as flashbacks of the night of my attack invaded my mind.
I could see the creatures hovering around me, their cloaked figures surrounding me from every angle. I was so lost in that memory that my heart almost stopped when the familiar shriek of death pierced the air around me.
Opening one eye, I sighed and leaned back on the ground when I saw the pile of ash scattered beside me.
“Are you okay?” Kira’s voice was like music to my ears.
I lifted my head and stared at my best friend, who looked more like a vengeful angel of death than the blue-haired mystic I was so used to.
Her hair flew about her face, her face streaked with ash, and her jeans ripped at the knees. I took the hand she gave me and stood up, wincing slightly as I did.
The pain had already subsided to a dull ache, and I rolled my shoulder in an attempt to dispel it.
“Yeah, I’m good.” I shoved my white locks away from my face. “Thank you.” I beamed, throwing my arms around Kira and squeezing her tight.
“You’re lucky that thing missed the first time.” She sighed. Behind her, Kieran, Jasper, and Gabriella finished off another group of Grim ones together and ran towards us.
I checked on all of them, happy to note that there were close to no injuries on them, and then we all made our way to Ivan and Rose.
“Is it just me, or are we seriously outnumbered?” I asked once we were all in no immediate danger.
“I noticed it too.” Ivan nodded. “It’s like half of us are not even here.”
“You guys haven’t heard?” Jasper glanced between us.
“Hear what?” Rose asked.
“This isn’t the only attack.” Kira sighed. “Four other simultaneous attacks were launched on the kingdoms. Someone weakened their wards sometime these past couple of weeks enough to allow the portals to open. Half the faculty and council members were dispatched to the four kingdoms to help.”
Silence fell on us as we processed the severity of the information. Someone, most likely the traitor, managed to slip into the four kingdoms and weaken their protective wards, then orchestrated 5 simultaneous attacks, all while the royal council was in the midst of a full-blown investigation to flush them out.
How was that even possible? How did they manage to evade being discovered and plan all of this? And most importantly, why were they doing this at all?
Our moment of contemplation didn’t last long. In less than a split second, two new portals materialized right in front of us, and through them drifted a new wave of the dark creatures.
With the new knowledge of the peril the kingdoms were in, we knew we had no hope of backing up, and it was up to us to save the island.
This time, I didn’t allow for hesitation to cloud my mind because one second could change everything.
Fire, water, earth, and air mingled together; the field of energy that the seven of us summoned lit up the starless night.
Magic fed on magic, and we worked together, power like nothing we’ve ever experienced pulsing through our bloodstream as more and more bodies dropped and ash drifted into the air.
Soon, we were joined by Holden and his friends, and then Gianna and her clique showed up. Our group of seven turned into a small army as we moved further into the academy grounds, and despite the wreckage and destruction, we were happy to note that we didn’t lose a lot of mystics. It seemed that our training was paying off.