And then she was gone. The final light of water fading away into the abyss.
A scream left me, and I wasn’t the only one. Every single girl in the bond mourned. I needed to wail and cry. Bursts of pain were rocking me so hard I couldn’t even breathe, but we were still locked in the deadly battle with the Seventine and had no extra energy to release our pain. To mourn our fallen. All the six of us could do was focus our gazes on the beautiful Spurn half – who no longer moved – and continue to drag the Seventine toward the prison.
Do not stop, Abby. Fury was as serious as I’d ever heard her. We’ve come too far now. Don’t let our sacrifice be in vain.
The next to fall was Eva.
It’s okay, she whispered, it was worth it to save the worlds. I couldn’t save my family, but I can save everyone else.
No! You’ll stay here with us. We’re your family too. You have to fight.
I held her faltering spark of life, as I had done with Talina’s, but just like before, I wasn’t strong enough.
Eva fell. The last drops of blood trickled from her still form, and then I could no longer feel her.
The pain in my heart was beyond anything I had ever experienced, and I was sure the only reason it had not burst apart in my chest was the fact that I was very close to losing consciousness myself. I knew what would happen then. I knew that if I fell, all of them would, because I was the conduit holding our bond and power together.
Sapha was next. Thank you for saving Arotia, she said. Tell Jedi … I appreciate everything he has done for me.
Even though I knew it was pointless, I still tried to keep her with us. Her shadow energy was more foreign than that of the other girls, but in the end, the results were the same. Her skin flashed in an array of colors before settling back to her beautiful rich soil color. Then she was no more.
My mind knew and accepted now that we would all die. I decided that was okay, as long as we saved the worlds and prevented the Seventine from severing the tether during the convergence. Our energy would hold the prison closed. Our friends and family would be safe.
Brace.
I opened the bond enough to reach him. The feel of his soul sent another shot of pain through my dying heart.
Let me through, Red. Don’t do this.
He couldn’t physically penetrate the barrier we’d set up, the one which closed in on the Seventine and dragged them to their prison. But we had our mental bond.
I … can’t. Have to … stop.
I was too weak to continue.
Brace’s yell was guttural, and I felt a slight lift in my energy as he forced his power into me. It was difficult for him to do this through the barrier, just small tendrils made it to me; it helped a little.
Ria fell next, and as my soul burned in agony, I fought for her too. I was going to fight for each of them. I would give no less to my girls. I couldn’t hold her.
Goodbye, my friend, she murmured before her essence died.
Next was Delane, the warrior strong and stoic until the end.
Delane! No! … Figh … fight.
I wasn’t being fair. She had fought so hard, but I couldn’t let them go easily. Her spark slipped through my grasp. My arms faltered beneath me. I was down to my forearms, my knees barely keeping me aloft. The Seventine were above the prison entrance now. I held on, determined to make it to the end. It would be too late to save the girls. Or me. But the Seventine would never hurt any other again.
The first stared with those three black eyes. His voice shuddered. It seemed to cause him pain to speak. “We will have an eternity together.”
In that moment, the ground beneath the Seventine split open. The purple light flashed across everything, highlighting the stark desolation on the creeps’ faces.
Rot in hell!
With a final screech, which held horror, fear, pain and rage, the shells of the seven bodies collapsed in on themselves. Leaving behind nothing more than a rubbery skin on the ground.
I felt a splintering then. The ritual we’d set free was finishing. The moonstale and laluna stones were visible in the walls, flashing their shine of power.
With the last of our energy, Fury and I held on, pouring our blood and power into the prison. We had to make it to the end.
The entire cavern and mountain rumbled as the Seventines’ essence was again returned to the prison. I screamed. Fury screamed. And then I felt her slipping from me.
No … you’re strongest, I stuttered. I need you.
I couldn’t lose them all.
Love y…