Chapter LI-3

I didn't care that there was nearly no space between the two of us.. I kicked my leg up to kick him and at least free myself enough to take a hold of him, but none of it worked because he was far too stronger for me.. And I was far too numb to be able to do any of it, far too lost to follow up my own damned actions.. It was a crunching sound that took my attention however.. A sharp, echoing sound of bones crushing and a slight roar that left me suddenly motionless.. It was a male voice, a powerful growl that I hadn't heard in some time.. Long enough to have me forget who it belonged to.. And it did take Adam's attention as well. Whatever it was that the two of us were doing, one trying to kill the other, it was that loud sound that took our attention, that distracted even me from my intention to ruin Adam right in that moment. Everything froze in that moment.. Everything stopped. It was as if my mind found a second to pause and fall under that confusion that so suddenly dominated my body, I almost lost every little balance I was holding onto only because of my anger and nothing else.. My other emotions would've had me collapse right then and there. I tried looking over Adam's shoulder to my realization that there was no longer a witch with us, the he dimple reality that it was her bones that someone crushed or her neck that was snapped only seconds ago.. But before I could properly see what it was that was going on, Adam's pressure was simply snatched away from me.. In all that blur of consciousness and deafness of my senses, I was released with a simply pull of him away from me, yet I was still left motionless and frozen on my soot from just how quickly it was all going down.. I remember seeing Adam's eyes widening in shock when he was snatched away, as the silver necklace he was holding simply flew on the rotten wooden floor and away from him.. It was that moment I realized who it really was that killed the witch.. That released me from Adam's grip.. That pulled him away and yanked him so hard against the floor, he counted all his stars. It was Jack. And I— I couldn't believe my own eyes. And in all of that shock and loss of senses, I hadn't even realized that by being released from Adam's tight grip when he held me against that wall, I had now fallen to my knees, and stood still and motionless with my hands against the dirty floors as I observed what it was that was going on.. As I tried figuring out how it was possible that my brother was there.. No, no, it wasn't. He was not supposed to be there! It was far too dangerous! I hadn't told them for exactly that reason.. I hadn't— Hell, I didn't even know that the invisible barrier was down.. Perhaps when he killed the witch, the spell was broken as well.. Yet still.. Still I couldn't believe my own eyes.. As the two men now rolled around and exchanged punches, yanks, watching my brother being thrown so harshly that he basically made a whole in the wooden wall on the side.. "Jack, no!" Adam didn't register me, nor the fact that his necklace was gone.. He was walking towards my brother. Ready to ruin him. Unstoppable at that point from the fury my brother's presence had caused him. "Stop!" It was I that was quickest to locate the necklace, a few feet away from me, and with no thoughts in my head, my legs moved on their own.. I was on the floor still, on my knees still.. My hands bloody at that point from everything that had happened that night.. My whole body pulsing in pain as the ache radiated from my head to my toes.. But for some reason, I didn't allow myself to stop.. I could not allow myself to stop. Not in that moment. No, not when that was my only chance. And I prayed silently in that moment for Adam not to notice me getting close to the necklace.. I prayed to make it on time because from the corner of my eye I saw Jack being pulled from the floor and at that monster's mercy.. Jack had glanced at me.. His hand wrapped around Adam's that gripped him tightly around his neck.. And yet I knew my brother's strength, and the way he could even crush every bone in Adam's arm if needed so to release himself.. He was halfway doing that when I somehow found my way to my feet, straightening up in all that pain and pushing myself to push through that ache and make it to the necklace. I was so close. "Now, Lana!" It was Jack's growl I heard, a desperate demand that he said just on time.. On time when I reached the necklace. With my foot thoughtlessly over the silver jewel, with one turn of my head towards Adam, I saw him notice my exact actions, finally losing focus from his necessity to kill my brother and noticing that his precious necklace was locked underneath my boot. "No!" It was despair I heard in Adam's voice.. For the first time, a hint of victory crawled throughout me.. Yet still was pushed and silenced by the grief and pain that my soul held in that moment.. The fury that the simple glance at the four people I truly cared about lifelessly laying on the floor.. My Christian, my everything..