Chapter 29 #2
“Neither one of us would be in this situation if you hadn't chickened out.
I had the guts to do what needed to be done.
I'm the one who's going to knock Klougus off his high horse.
He doesn't deserve the power he has. He doesn't appreciate it. Look at him! He's become soft, and his grasp weakens every day because of it. Now he wants to hand everything over to his undeserving daughter.” Talkeen’s head fell back on a hollow laugh, and a wave of white hair fell down his back.
“I wonder how he would feel about her if he knew she was helping us all along.
But of course, the second he said he would give her what she wanted, she turned her back on me.
So, when I'm done ending you and your dumbass brother, I'm going after her.
I'm taking everything. I'm taking what I'm owed, and everyone in the Bane will bow to me when I'm done.”
“Wow, man, you really have been drinking your own Kool-Aid, haven't you?” Raymond laughed mockingly at Talkeen, who looked confused by the colloquialism, but it kept his rage focused on him. “I hate to be the one to burst your bubble, but none of that's gonna happen here.”
As I got closer to him, I wanted more cover for my steps, afraid he would feel the vibration. So, I used my own magic. The vines slid from my skin, creating a moving platform that was eerily silent, unlike the sound of my feet.
“What makes you think you have any chance of surviving this? I'm stronger than you are now.” Talkeen laughed. “I can feel it. You're weakened. Your time away from the Bane must have made you soft.”
“You may be stronger than I am.” Raymond dropped his head back as he pulled his locs up into a bun. “But you ain't stronger than my girl.”
“What?” Talkeen laughed. “Even if that were true, she can’t reach you here. Sad. I never thought you were the kind to let a woman fight for you.”
“People change,” I spoke from over Talkeen’s shoulder, surprising him.
When he turned to look at me, I was ready for action. I told the vines to attack, and they did. They slapped him, hitting him in the chest. Talkeen, startled by the surprise attack, fell backwards, sliding across the ground. I took that moment to run to Raymond’s side.
“You good?” I asked as I reached him, glancing down at Cufio, who clearly wasn’t.
“Absolutely.” Raymond looked at me proudly. “You?”
“Yes. Rayna showed up, so she’s helping Metice. I told Olian to get the others out of here. Figured this place wouldn't be standing when we’re done with him.”
“Smart girl.” He looked over his shoulder at his brother. “You heard her. Get out of here, find somewhere safe so you can rest up.”
“I can fight,” Cufio coughed, still clutching his center.
“Like hell you can. Go now,” Raymond ordered him.
“I got his back.” I nodded at Cufio, reassuring him we would not leave without each other. “Go.”
He sighed, conceding, and a dark space behind Cufio opened. After one last glance at his brother, he fell back into it, disappearing.
“Let's do this,” Raymond spoke as Talkeen got up.
I didn’t think I hit him that hard, but the man looked like he’d already been through a war.
Talkeen said nothing. Once he dusted himself off, he attacked, and I realized pretty quickly that the space we were in belonged to him. Threads of shadows snapped at us furiously under his command. Raymond fought back, but Talkeen was right: he was stronger.
“We can’t stay in here,” Raymond said. “As long as we do, he has the upper hand.”
“How do we get out?” I tried to ask the shadows to free me, but that didn’t work. I heard a resounding NO in my mind.
“We work together.” He blocked another strike from Talkeen. “When I open a doorway, use your vines to keep it open. He’s strong, but he’s struggling against them.”
Talkeen realized what we were doing quickly. My vines threaded around the opening of the doorway Raymond created and pulled it wider.
“No!” He launched what would have been a brutal attack, but Raymond wrapped his arms around me, and we fell out the shadows back into the hall.
Most of the others had already left, but there were still a few who lingered. Unfortunately for us, they weren't on our side. Raymond and I had fallen onto our backs but made it back to our feet just as Talkeen stepped into view.
“Looks like you’re all alone now.” Talkeen smiled as if he was happy, but the tension around his eyes betrayed his mask. “Thank you for making this an easier task for me.”
“Get over yourself,” Raymond said. “I swear, it's like you’re trying to be Klougus even though you claim to hate him.”
“I am not!” Talkeen shouted, but the sound was borderline whining.
When he said it, I imagined him stamping his foot like a child, and it made Talkeen look a lot less threatening. Maybe that was Raymond’s point. Let me see what we were really up against. A child mimicking more dangerous adults.
“Let’s get this over with.” Raymond glanced at the shadow cores. “Looks like your toys aren’t doing too well. Do you honestly think you can fix that?”
“Yes, just as soon as I kill you and add your energy to my collection.”
Another glance around the room to double check confirmed we were, in fact, alone. Part of me wished Rayna would pop in with her explosive powers, but that was selfish. It was better for them to be out of the way.
“I got you,” Raymond spoke to me as the five shadow walkers circled us.
“You better.” I winked at him. And when he laughed, the fight began.
Talkeen stood back and watched as we took on his men.
His disappointment became obvious quickly as Raymond and I worked together like a well-oiled machine.
He used his shadow hands, forming more than I had seen before, and I used my vines in combination with the roots from the ground.
He would pin someone, and I would wrap them in the roots, dragging them deep down into the ground.
It wouldn’t hold them forever, and if they were stronger, they could have gotten out of it easily.
As we continued to arrest the members of Talkeen’s team, I could feel them beneath me, struggling to get out, and made sure the roots reinforced their holds, threading into the shadows they hoped to use to escape.
When we disposed of his men, Talkeen had no choice but to face us alone.
I thought more would come, but they didn’t.
Maybe his team wasn’t as strong as he wanted everyone to believe.
I‘d hoped to make the first attack, shooting the roots from the ground to hit him in the back, but Talkeen had studied me.
He anticipated the move and dodged the hit, retaliating with his own strike.
A sharp slap of power hit me in the chest, knocking me over.
Raymond moved between us, blocking a follow-up hit.
“Guess she’s not that strong after all,” Talkeen mocked Raymond’s previous bragging.
Raymond didn’t respond with words. Instead, he raged.
One look at me on the ground hurt, and whatever weakened him lost all effect.
I heard the anger in his growl, and he called the shadows to him; they built around his arms and legs like armor.
Then, Raymond took the fight to Talkeen. And I mean, he fought.
Talkeen tried to avoid Raymond, using his shadow techniques to protect himself, but soon enough, Raymond was on top of him, pounding away at a dark shield between them. I watched as the barrier cracked and Talkeen cried out.
Then, Talkeen held his hand out to the orbs, and thin strands of shadow started their path toward him.
Stop it! intuition yelled at me, and logic went out the window.
Yes, I know Raymond said to avoid contact with the damn things, and yes, I know I could have very well been running to my own demise, but I also knew I couldn’t let Talkeen pull any power from those orbs.
And, like Captain Save-a-Ho, I jumped between Talkeen and those shadowy threads, and they slammed into my back.
“No!” Raymond screamed when he realized what I’d done, and Talkeen took that as his opportunity.
He punched Raymond in the jaw, knocking him down. Then, he turned his attention to me—only, I realized too late that I couldn’t move. I looked down to see the shadows ripping at the fabric of my clothing.
“Fine, I’ll take you out first.” Talkeen was on his feet. He marched over to me, quickly wrapped his hand around my throat, and squeezed.
My lungs burned as I gasped for air, but the second I opened my mouth, a dark strand moved down my throat, aiding his attempt to strangle me. My eyes burned with tears and the edges of my vision darkened.
Just as I was about to lose consciousness, Raymond punched Talkeen in the side of the head, knocking him to the ground. He stood over him, shadows whipping from his form angrily.
“Don’t you ever touch her again!” Raymond screamed, and the building shook.
What was left of the structure crumbled around us.
The threads from the shadow orbs left me alone, choosing a better target.
They shot over to Raymond, and at first, I thought they would hurt him, but they didn’t.
They fed him, giving more power to his rage.
You’d think I’d be happy about it, but that intuition was telling me yet again to intervene. This wouldn’t be good for Raymond.
As I gasped for air, I felt Kaa beneath my flesh. She moved frantically, angry I had been hurt. I could hear her voice, a snake-like sound stretching the syllables. Release me! Pressure formed in the center of my chest, and I ripped my top to see her face forming.
“Have at it,” I told her, and Kaa shot out from my body in a massive expanse, larger than I had ever seen her before.
With her, the vines also lifted from my body, leaving my skin tattoo-free. Kaa coiled at my feet before she looked back at me. Our eyes connected, and in a moment, we had a full conversation, and I just knew what she wanted me to do.