43. Chapter Forty Three
Chapter Forty Three
Evandra
The stairwell twisted upward like a spine, its crumbling stones slick with moisture and fresh blood from the battle raging below. The distant roars and cries of Riftborn and Vyrmin filled the air, the sound of clashing blades and guttural snarls reverberating through the tower.
Drake leaned against me as we ascended, his weight pressing heavily on my side.
I could feel the trembling in his muscles, a raw testament to the battle he had fought and the punishment his body had endured.
His eyes, usually blazing with energy, now carried a flicker of exhaustion.
He tried to straighten, shifting his weight to carry himself more fully as if refusing to let me see how much he was struggling.
It’s clear he got more of the torture than I had.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” he murmured, his voice rough and low, but there was something tender beneath the fatigue. His gaze softened as he looked at me, a brief crack in the armor he was trying so hard to maintain. “You saved my ass. Again.”
I tightened my grip on his side, steadying him as he faltered for a moment. My lips twitched into a faint smile, though my eyes flicked upward toward the towering darkness above us.
“Damn right I did,” I said, keeping my voice light despite the turmoil swirling in my chest. “Though we do have to talk about you lying to Julian about me at some point. AND hiding a bond .” I shot him a look, half-serious, half-teasing, as I tried to distract him from his pain.
Drake chuckled softly, the sound strained but genuine. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said, his words a quiet promise. But even as he spoke, I could see the tension in his jaw, the way he fought to keep upright and appear strong in front of me.
“Neither of you are going anywhere if we don’t keep moving,” Fen interrupted from a few steps ahead. Her voice was sharp and commanding, but her eyes softened as they flicked to Avod, also limping.
I glanced at Drake again, noting how he clenched his fists like he could will himself past the pain.
Even now, when his body screamed for rest, he was trying to shield me, to carry the weight of this fight for both of us.
My heart twisted at the sight, a mix of love and frustration swelling within me.
The staircase seemed to twist endlessly upward, the air growing colder and heavier with each step.
Each breath tasted of sulfur and decay, the acrid tang of corrupted magic stinging my throat.
I could feel Drake leaning harder against me, his weight pressing into my side, but he kept moving, his determination pushing him forward.
Suddenly, the sound of an explosion echoed from below, sending a tremor through the tower.
Dust and debris began raining down from above, stones clattering against the crumbling stairs.
Felix acted instantly, raising a glowing hand as a barrier of shimmering light flared to life above us, deflecting the falling rubble.
“Move!” Felix barked, urgency sharpening his usual calm. “The Riftborn are holding the Vyrmin off, but the tower won’t hold forever!”
As we rounded another landing, the oppressive air seemed to thicken. The torches lining the walls flickered, their flames bending unnaturally. A shadow flickered in the corner of my vision, and my heart raced with unease.
“Drake—” I started, but his instincts were faster.
“Down!” he roared, his voice a guttural command. With a burst of strength, he shoved me aside just as a hulking Vyrmin erupted from the darkness, its grotesque form charging toward me.
The creature was a nightmare-made flesh—a twisted amalgamation of Riftborn and beast, its body scarred and stitched together with raw sinew and dark magic. Its glowing red eyes locked onto me, and its lips pulled back in a snarl, revealing jagged rows of teeth.
Drake’s found blade flashed as he stepped between me and the monster, but his movements were slower than usual, his injuries dragging him down. The Vyrmin swung a massive claw, striking him across the chest and sending him crashing into the stone wall with a sickening thud.
“Drake!” I screamed, scrambling to my feet as the creature turned its attention back to me.
His growl reverberated through the room, low and feral.
Despite the gash across his chest and the blood dripping down his side, he pushed himself up.
The air around him shimmered as he attempted to summon his dragon beast form, but his exhaustion and injuries kept him from shifting.
The Vyrmin lunged at me, its claws outstretched, but Drake was there, intercepting its path with a roar of fury. He drove his blade into the creature’s shoulder, the impact forcing it back a step. The effort cost him, his body sagging slightly, but he didn’t falter.
“Get behind me,” he growled, his voice sharp despite the pain lacing through it. I hesitated, torn between wanting to fight beside him and fearing for his safety.
“No!”
“I said, get behind me!” he barked, his gaze never leaving the creature.
Fen and Felix charged forward, their weapons flashing as they joined the fray.
Fen’s daggers sliced through the air with deadly precision, striking the Vyrmin’s thick hide, while Felix summoned a burst of light that seared the creature’s twisted flesh.
It howled in agony, but its strength was monstrous.
Drake, despite his wounds, fought with a ferocity that bordered on recklessness. He parried the creature’s attacks with his blade, his movements fueled by raw determination.
When the Vyrmin swiped at him again, he sidestepped, driving his sword deep into its side. I could see the strain in every muscle, but he didn’t let up, his growls echoing through the chamber like the beast defending his mate that he was.
The Vyrmin staggered, ichor spilling from its wounds, but it wasn’t finished. With a desperate lunge, it swiped at Drake again, forcing him to his knees. My heart clenched as he gasped for breath, his body trembling under the weight of his injuries.
“Now, Eva!” Fen shouted, her daggers holding the beast at bay for a split second.
Seizing the moment, I charged forward, gripping one of the daggers I had gotten from the evidence chamber.
I plunged the blade into the creature’s exposed neck, twisting it with all the strength I could muster.
The Vyrmin let out a final, gurgling roar before collapsing to the ground, its massive body crumpling in defeat.
The room fell silent, save for the labored breaths of our group. Drake leaned heavily against the wall.
“Still saving my ass,” he rasped, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “What are we, three for three?”
I knelt beside Drake, gently lowering him to the ground as the others gathered around us. Blood stained his tunic, seeping through the fabric and pooling on the cold stone beneath him. His breaths were shallow, each one labored, and the sight made my chest tighten.
Felix stepped forward, his usually steady hands trembling slightly. “Let me,” he said, his voice firm despite the exhaustion etched into his features. He knelt on Drake’s other side, his hand already glowing with the faint blue light of his healing magic.
“You don’t have to—” Drake began, his voice rough, but Felix shot him a look that silenced him.
“Stay still,” Felix ordered, placing his glowing hand over the gash on Drake’s chest. The light flared brighter than I’d ever seen it, and the magic flowed into Drake’s body, knitting torn flesh and staunching the flow of blood.
Drake winced but remained silent, eyes locking onto mine. I placed my hand on his, giving it a reassuring squeeze as Felix continued to work. The healing light pulsed rhythmically, its warmth cutting through the cold, oppressive air of the tower.
“You don’t need to fight for me like I’m weak.” I said softly. “Its going to get you killed.”
He managed a faint smile. “I know you’re not weak, Evandra. Gods, I know that. I just don’t want you to have to fight. I just don’t want you getting hurt. Not if there’s a chance I can stop it. Not ever.”
“Please. You brought me here to help, Drake.” I whispered. “So let me help.”
Felix snorted without looking up, shifting to a deeper gouge on Drakes ribs. “For the record, she’s underselling it. Her powers are getting fucking terrifying. You should’ve seen the new net trick.”
Minutes passed, each one dragging longer than the last. Felix’s breathing grew heavier, beads of sweat forming on his brow. His magic was doing its job—Drake’s color was returning, the tension in his muscles easing—but the toll on Felix was evident.
“Felix, that’s enough,” I said, worry creeping into my voice as I saw him sway slightly. “You’ve done enough.”
“Not yet,” Felix muttered, his voice strained. “He’s not fully healed.”
“You’ll kill yourself, brother!” Fen said sharply, stepping forward to steady him. Her gem-encrusted daggers hovered protectively at her sides, but her eyes were fixed on Felix, a rare flicker of genuine concern softening her usual edge.
Felix ignored her, pouring more of his magic into Drake. The light surged once more, brighter than ever, before flickering and fading. Felix gasped, his body shuddering as the last of his strength left him. He swayed, and Fen lunged to catch him before he crumpled to the ground.
“I told you,” Fen muttered, her tone more gentle than her words as she eased Felix down. She brushed his damp hair away from his face, her expression unreadable. Avod looked at her with fondness, relishing in her momentary genuineness.
Drake sat up slowly; the pain in his movements greatly diminished. He glanced at Felix, his jaw tightening. “You didn’t have to push yourself so far.”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Fen said dryly, though her voice wavered slightly. “He’d do that for anyone.”