“Nice to see you too, boys,” Daniel smirked. “Shall we have cake before or after the reunion?” Ethan snarled and Daniel motioned with a lazy hand for the remaining Berserkers to attack.
Ethan drew his bow and shot a smouldering arrow into the first one’s chest. I closed my eyes as it writhed in agony and burned from the inside out. He made short work of the others in a similar fashion and pointed an arrow at Daniel, ready to fire.
“Ah-ah,” he said, motioning to Roan whose grip tightened on me. My back cracked under the pressure. “One move from me and she dies.” Ethan’s arms went slack. “Now, throw your stick away like a good boy.”
Ethan hesitated but did so without further question. While Daniel’s attention was averted, I slipped my hands beneath Roan’s torn shirt and pressed my fingers on his stomach. The sickness moved about like maggots beneath his skin. My head swayed, I felt woozy thinking about it and instead forced myself to concentrate. My fingers moved and I pinched one of the invisible strands, drawing it out. It was strange and cold against the warmth that still existed within him. I did the only thing I could think of and called it to me. It did as it was commanded. The blackness oozed like tar into my body and Roan’s breath caught. Suddenly I was enraged.
“I’m sure your mother would be proud to see how like your father you and Gabriel are,” I said. It hit a nerve. Daniel turned around wearing a look of malice I’d never seen before, and Ethan took his chance.
Driven by his new rage Daniel beat him down with one strike. Ethan laughed, “So this is all you’ve got.” He picked himself off the ground.
“You’ve seen nothing yet,” he snarled.
“Remind me to put that on a note when I send your ashes to your brother,” Ethan said cockily.
My head swam and vision blurred. I looked to the left and watched Ric land a deadly blow on the Berserker circling him. She screamed and returned the favour by sinking her teeth into Ric’s shoulder.
“Remember, boy.” I faced Daniel as he sidled forward. “This isn’t my first slaughter.”
Oh no.
Both Ethan and Daniel pulled their lips back and snarled, flashing their teeth dangerously at one another. Daniel started his attack and sunk his teeth into Ethan’s blocking forearm. It came screaming back to me but they were too busy trying to kill each other to notice my increased struggle. I strained and scratched at Roan’s arms to get away but it was like trying to break a rock with my bare hands.
“Roan,” I whispered desperately. He ignored me, trying to clear his head. “I know you’re still there, so help me. The Berserkers will never have you. You’re mine, even if I have to bleed or die for my right to take you back.”
“Don’t say that,” he spat, spinning me around to face him.
“You took your time,” I frowned, pulling at my arms. “Now let me go.”
“What will you do?” His eyes flicked up fearfully to the scrapping pair.
“I’ll save his life,” I said desperately. “He’s going to die. I saw it happen.” They moved further and further away and my frustration grew. “Nobody has to die today. Please, Roan.”
He stared at me, still wild with grief and worry. But when I felt his grip loosen I slipped my arms away seconds before he was torn from me entirely. I rounded and chased after Daniel and Ethan, shouting briefly back at Ric.
“Don’t kill him!”
The trees were blurs as I drove my boots into the ground as hard as I could. Various figures flashed and spun around me in a disoriented haze like my final night in Wetherdon. Branches lashed and brambles scratched at me mercilessly. I dodged the knife that flew in front of me and pulled myself out of the Berserker’s path, quickly driving my blade into its neck. Another came at me from behind but it screamed and fell to the floor with a silver blade in its back. I glanced to see Willow pulling her arm back before the next one distracted her.
The Berserkers’ animalistic fighting style was terrifying while growls and the sounds of crunching teeth and flesh and bone filled the air. The light had started to fade and when I reached the edge of the lake I feared the worst as Daniel scooped up a fistful of dirt and threw it into Ethan’s eyes. Ethan scrambled to clear his vision and Daniel drove his fist into him, knocking him unconscious. My legs burnt with exhaustion. The strange sickness from Roan slowed me further but also made me crazy. I heard whispers, saw shadows moving, and my body tingled at the feeling of the forest around me, and I pushed forward.
Daniel pointed his hand and drew it back, ready to land the final blow.
“Daniel!” I yelled, drawing my dagger again. He’d straightened his arm. The nails pointed violent and deadly; a natural spear.
I jumped in front of him, gasping as the keen split of skin and bone reached my ears. His eyes were wide in shock and my hands were numb against the blade I’d buried in his heart. He gasped for air.
“Got you,” I whispered, as a triumphant smiled etched its way up. Yelling came from somewhere nearby, though I couldn’t tell from where. Everything was suddenly fuzzy. Something strange dribbled down my chin. I brought my mouth close to his ear. “Don’t forget to say hello to your father.”
I grunted and used the last of my strength to twist it and tear the knife sideways. He choked on the blood that poured from his mouth and tipped backwards, his eyes rolling up to white orbs lifeless in his skull. He dropped to the ground, staring at nothing. Finally still. Something had tugged on me as well, bringing me to my knees. I felt weak. I coughed, almost choking on the metallic-tasting substance that made its way into my mouth.
Part of my dress grew cold and clung to me. I looked down. The green material had been shredded and red ran down my bodice and skirts fast; too fast. Ethan stirred behind me and my fear stirred with him. I clung to the lacerated abdomen but it didn’t hurt; not how I’d expected it to. My strength finally dissipated, buckling my legs, and I fell to the floor. Before I hit the ground time seemed to slow.
I don’t want to die.
There was still so much I needed to do. So many things I needed to say. Breathing came in shallow gasps as the blood flooded my throat. My eyes watered as I lifted my head up to look at Ethan. He deserved to live.
I wish I'd had time to tell him-
An endless dark washed over me as I breathed in one last time, closed my eyes, and let the world go.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
I ROUSED TO the sharp tang of blood.
Where is it?
I ran my hand around my chest but I was still intact, disregarding the small nicks and gashes I’d received from the battle and Daniel—