I tried to get up, but needed help as my legs shook so violently. Fae wrapped an arm around my waist, allowing me to rest my weight on her.
‘Where is Hawthorne?’ I asked, looking around. I hadn’t seen him since I’d been reunited with Jack.
‘He’s fine, Avalon,’ said Fae. ‘I told him to go to the pups. Shadow went too. They’ll be back soon.’
‘Pups?’ Jack repeated, confused. ‘What-?’
‘Not now, Jack,’ I said. ‘Fae, did you find R?ven?’
Fae shook her head sadly. ‘I haven’t seen her.’
‘R?ven?’ Kenneth said. ‘She is taking the human register to a safe place as we speak. Actually, the reason we have the cure is thanks to her-’
My father was cut off mid-sentence as a large gust of wind assaulted us, catching us off guard, and knocking every single person to the ground. Everyone hurriedly got to their feet, holding their backsides. We weren’t alone. Two Realm guards were going to go down fighting. I didn’t see how they’d stand a chance though; there were twenty of us, and only two of them.
‘Don’t be foolish,’ my father yelled to them. ‘Stand down.’
The Wind-Mage tried again, but we were prepared for it this time. The small hurricane he produced was nowhere near as effective as the first. Our group huddled together against the gust, myself in front.
‘We don’t want to hurt you,’ I yelled over the roar of the wind.
They didn’t listen.
The second Mage raised his hands slowly, palms facing the sky. Slowly, debris began to rise from the battlefield, including rocks, arrowheads, and various weapons that had been discarded or lost.
‘Don’t do it,’ I warned, leaning against the wind that threatened to send me flying backwards. It took all of my weight, and several hands on my shoulders to keep me in place. I felt my heels digging into the ground, trying to keep me in place.
It looked as though the second Mage did not have much control over the debris he manipulated, but combined with the Power of wind, they would become deadly projectiles.
‘You’ll regret it,’ growled my father.
He didn’t listen. Releasing the weapons, they became caught in the wind at once.
I watched them, as if in slow motion, streaking through the air. I was pulled to the ground by Jack and my father, and I heard the projectiles whizzing over my head. I shielded myself against the wind, dirt, and dust flying into my eyes, blinding me. A rock cut my forehead, but other than that, I was unscathed.
I heard coughing, and looked around. Everyone had dropped to the ground in time. No one had been pierced by a rogue arrow.
The wind died, and I managed to get to my feet, the others following suit.
‘Gregory,’ I said. ‘Would you mind?’
‘Not at all,’ he replied.
Crack!
Within a split second the Wind-Mage was standing exactly where Gregory had been. He had a split-second of bewilderment on his face before the rebels converged on the Guard, beating him to a pulp. The same could be said for the second Mage, who was now at Gregory’s mercy, though it seemed they were equally matched. Jack leapt forward at once to help him subdue the Guard.
I couldn’t help but feel utter relief wash over me as I watched Jack. I had the feeling that everything was going to be okay now.
‘Hey … what’s that?’ said Terry suddenly, pointing behind us.
Everyone looked, peering over each other’s shoulders.
‘It’s a bird,’ said someone I didn’t know. ‘It got hit by the flying arrow.’
No. I pushed my way through them until I saw her; R?ven. She was a mass of black feathers, her wings sticking out at odd angles.
‘No!’
I ran towards her, skidding to a halt by the bird’s side. R?ven’s breast rose and fell rapidly, the arrow head embedded in her chest. She began to transform before my very eyes, turning back into her beautiful self.
‘Oh, no, R?ven,’ I said, crouching beside her and lifting her into my arms.
‘Avalon,’ she whispered with a small smile. ‘I missed you.’
‘Your voice,’ I said. ‘What happened to your voice?’
R?ven tried to speak, but coughed blood instead.
‘JACK!’ I screamed at the top of my lungs. ‘JACK!’
‘It’s okay,’ said R?ven softly. ‘It doesn’t matter. We found the cure. Helena will remember you again. I only wish my … my own parents remembered me.’
R?ven didn’t know. She didn’t know that her parents waited for her at home.
I looked over my shoulder to see Jack running towards me as fast as he could. Fae stood amongst the other rebels, unsure as to what was going on.
‘It’s R?ven!’ I bellowed to her. ‘It’s R?ven!’
Fae froze, her eyes wide. Stumbling forward, she too began to run towards us.
Jack reached us, falling to his knees beside R?ven’s head. I looked down at my friend cradled in my arms. I was about to tell her that it was okay, that Jack was here and he could heal her, but I stopped when I saw her face.
Her eyes were open, but they were glazed. Expressionless. I shook her a little, and her head lolled hopelessly.