Chapter 83 Black out

Chapter 83 Black out
Chapter 83: Scarlett’s POV

Not even waiting for another confirmation, I turned to the direction and ran.

I moved as fast as I could but I also tried my best to stay quiet.

My heart was hammering hard against my chest as I prayed to the goddess at the same time I moved.

'Please let it be my brother!'

"Scarlett!" I heard a static sound from the hearing device hanging around my neck.

I quickly fixed it back to my ears— and the  worried voices of Albert, Bee and Fiona came up at the same time.

"Why did you disconnect— Have you found him— is Asher there?" Their questions blended into one and I could barely keep focus as to who asked what.

"I think I have found him..." I said instead as I saw another deep orange glow at the far end of the tunnel I was currently on.

"Is the distance still far?" Fiona's voice stood out.

"About a mile!" I said.

"Scarlett, it's too far. You will have to return!" Her sharp voice warned.

I blinked in confusion as her words overrode my current emotions. But I continued running.

"Why—" I barely finished asking the question when the bracelet buzzed again.

"The bracelet, we are running out of time Scarlett... Willow will be able to pick up your scent if it buzzes again. You will need to get out of there. Now!" She said.

I was going to process her words but just then, I stumbled into the glowing light and...

I saw him. Axel.

"Oh goddess!" I sobbed in shock, relief and then pain and anger; all at once.

"Scarlett— My queen!" The hearing device screamed. "Have you confirmed his presence?" Albert's voice stood out, and somehow it broke me from the emotional shock.

Quickly, I walked towards him, nodding my head and wiping my tears all at once.

"Yes— yes, Albert... My brother is here."

He was tied up with heavy chains I could already suspect to be silver. And then his skin was coated with dried blood, and his eyes were closed...

If not for his ragged breathing, I would have thought he was dead. But he wasn't.

The weak rise and fall of his chest gave me the assurance I needed. I just had to—

"Thank the Goddess!" Someone said through the hearing device but almost immediately Bee's voice came up;

"My Queen, you heard Fiona... Please get out of there now!" He said.

But I was barely keeping up with their words as my legs stumbled towards him.

"Axel... please wake up. We need to leave—"

"Scarlett, what are you doing?" Someone screamed in my ears. "You need to get out of there!"

But my tears and broken heart made it even more difficult to comprehend them. Rather, their voices became like a disturbance to me.

Before I could stop myself, I yanked it off and placed my trembling hands on my brother's battered body.

"Axel... please wake up..." I repeated, hating the lump that sat in my throat in panic.

'My brother was fine. He had to be...' I said in my head.

Yes, his skin was pale and his lips were cracked... But he had to be alive.

Growing impatient with worry, I tapped his cheek with as much force as I could. "Axel!"

And to my relief, he blinked. His swollen eyes stirred but could barely come open...

"Scar..." He tried to say but I quickly shushed him.

"Keep your strength brother... We have to get out of here first!" I moved my hands to the silver chains and even though they burned me, I tried my best to yank them open.

"Scar..lett... No... Where is Asher?" Axel breathed and it felt like a sword had been forced down my throat.

Tears filled my throat and though I shook my head trying to keep them away, they still dropped.

"Asher is not coming!" I hissed, moving my eyes around the room for something that could help me break the chains.

"...You can't be here... Willow—"

"Forget Willow!" I hissed as my failed attempts to break the chains made me even more frustrated. "I am going to get you out!"

Tapping into my Lycan wolf, my nails emerged, sharp and long. And then I started trying to claw the chains open.

The silver burned my fingers, tearing through skin like tiny sharp blades but I refused to give up.

I wasn't going to leave my brother.

“No,” I choked, as I continued fumbling with them. 

"Scarlett... You need to stop..." Axel managed to croak out and I felt my insides die a little more. "You— you have to go..."

He couldn’t even form words correctly without his breath breaking and rattling as his eyes met mine.

How could I leave him behind?

“Axel…” My tears croaked, my fingers still clawing at the chains. “I am not leaving you behind. I promise—”

The chains burned against my hands, it was more pain than I had ever experienced but I would die first before I gave up. 

My palms ached, but I pulled harder. “Come on— damn it! Ah!”

My buzz on my wrist suddenly cut through my actions and my pulse skipped as my eyes instantly flew to the entrance.

The protection had worn off. Willow could sense me now.

"Scar...lett.. you have to leave... She— they are coming..." Axel breathed, trying to push me away.

But I aggressively wiped away my tears and remained right there. "No, I am getting you out of here. Right now!"

I could sense Willow too but from where she was, it would take her at least ten minutes to get here.

Which meant, we still had time.

"I've almost gotten it," I whispered as I managed to break through one of the chains.

If I could just put the same energy into the other half, maybe I could—

My thoughts suddenly froze as an amused voice cut through the air behind us.h

“Well... well… the little princess thinks she can play the hero...” she mocked.

Every organ within me froze as I slowly turned to find Willow, standing by the entrance with a smile that curved like a blade. 

Just setting my eyes on her ugly face now that she wasn't even wearing a veil to hide her scar, burned my anger back to the surface.

All the pain and heartbreak I felt flooded me like a broken dam. Like a wounded warrior, I slowly got on my feet and faced her.

"Willow!" I spat.

Her dark eyes glowered in amusement as she waved.

“Oh Hi,” she purred, tilting her head. 

My hatred and irritation for her grew like an erupted volcano. My throat tightened with bitterness and I felt my fists tighten on their own.

"I'm not here to play games with you! Release my brother right now and maybe... Just maybe you might get away with this!" I warned.

Her amused eyes widened into a dark chuckle. “You really are a stupid girl, aren’t you?"

My vision flashed red as I felt my wolf take charge. "I don't want to fight with you... Don't push me Willow!"

"Oh," she exclaimed, touching her chest dramatically. "Do you honestly think you can fight me? Or in a more dreamlike... beat me?”

Rage burned through me, fueling my bravery to a level I had never felt before.

"I am only going to ask you this once," I hissed through my teeth. "Release my brother, now!"

Again, her eyes glimmered with even more darkness. "And if I don't?" She asked, letting out a dark laughter.

My control snapped and before I could process it, I lunged into her.

My movement was so fast, I caught her unaware. My sharp claws slashed across the other half of her face.

But just as I was about to deepen the slash, she recovered and pushed me with the full force of her powers.

I crashed into the wall, but my fury drove me back to my feet.

I tried to lunge at her again, but this time she was prepared. She caught my hands in a swift movement.

"You stupid child!" She spat, her eyes dilating into dark swirls that seemed to leak out of her. "You are just like your mother. Stupid and weak!"

"No! You are too obsessed to see that you are the stupid one!" I screamed, kicking her with my legs.

I didn't know where the force came from, but it was enough. It knocked Willow off her feet and as she landed on the ground, I didn't give her a chance.

I got on top of her and started throwing hard punches I could.

All of the lessons my brother, aunt Emily, Nathan and uncle Greg had given me didn't go to waste.

My arms were aching, but I was determined to continue till she was powerless to even protect her face!

"Molilih Bima sikoyoh!" She suddenly screeched beneath my claws.

At first it seemed like a cry of pain but Axel's sudden roar, broke me from my concentration.

And just as I turned to look at him, my eyes expanded in shock.

Right before me, large dark entities stepped out of the wall and came at me. I tried to fight them, to push...to claw... Anything at all...

But it was useless.

Willow had called her dark magic for help and I was just a weak second generation Lycan.

The shadows dragged me off her, tearing through me like electric saws.

"Ah!!" I screamed as the pain knocked my breath out of me like a wave.

It didn't take long, the world began to sway.

And then my knees hit the ground just as the edges of my vision began to darken.

My consciousness was shutting down and the last thing I saw was Axel straining against his half broken chains with his mouth opening in a silent scream—

And then everything went black.