Chapter Seven #3
“Hey, you two! You aren’t supposed to be here! This square has been shut down!” The men ran at us, their deep blue uniforms with embroidered silver stars and jet black belts almost hidden beneath their dark cloaks.
“Ben, that’s her! That’s the akhata!” one of them shouted, his finger pointing at us frantically. The other one gasped, turning and running towards the far end of the shops.
Altair dipped his head, dark curls tickling my nose as his body sunk into mine. “Fucking stars above.”
With that, he shoved his hands into the cobblestone and pushed himself up.
I was momentarily stunned as he ran at the official, summoning a blade of shadows and slicing through the man’s head before he could even attempt to ready for a fight.
Altair’s head fell forward, his long, pale fingers gripping the bridge of his too-large nose.
Rolling over, I too stood, prepared for a fight. Eager for one. It seemed Altair had other plans.
“Let’s go. Now!” Once again, I was struck by how horrific it was to see him that way. His curls grew damp beneath the now falling rain, his full lips parted and his freckled cheeks red as he glared at me with golden eyes.
“No! They want a fight? Now they have one. They want me? Here I am.” I lifted my arms, stretching out as if, for the first time, I was ready to show the world exactly who I was.
“You idiot. All this will do is get you killed, or worse, captured!”
“Stars forbid I ruin whatever plan you’re brewing, just like you ruined mine!”
“I didn’t ruin anything! You were planning to come here and what?
Take that potion and spy on your old neighbors?
No, I don’t buy that. You’re armed to the teeth.
Which means you’re here for revenge. And whoever you’re wanting to kill, you won’t succeed.
You’ve practically sentenced yourself to death by coming here, so you’re lucky I’m stepping up and saving your ass! ”
“You’re not saving anyone, Altair! You and your disgusting kind are all that’s wrong with this world—this entire universe!
All of us shaytan are a fucking scourge!
A disease killing everything in our wake!
” I motioned towards the carnage, trying to convey my feelings without showing just how bleak my thoughts had turned.
Clearly, I was unsuccessful, because Altair’s gaze grew wide, his lips thinning as he pursed them. And then, with no warning, he was running my way. “We’re going home. Now.”
As if the stars themselves were intervening, a stream of shadows flew towards Altair. I watched in horror as darkness encircled the two of us, Altair only barely pivoting in time to ward against the hit. His back shoved into my chest, his body acting as a sort of shield.
It was that, his fearless and deadly aura, that reminded me of exactly who I was.
As a bulky man with a deep black cloak and an elite mask stepped through the shadows, I stepped around Altair and pictured a beam of pure, burning light escaping my fingers.
I willed my magic to the surface, demanding it listen, ordering it to attack.
And attack it did. As soon as my fingers lifted towards the man, a shock of magic escaped me.
The elite dove, smashing into the cobblestone and barely avoiding the hit. Altair’s hand reached out, latching onto my hip and tugging me back. I shook him off, growling like a beast.
“Nova?” Just like that, I was back in my family home, the only person other than my parents and sister that I had dared to trust begging me to understand. To forgive him. To stay with him.
When had I stopped being able to feel him? To recognize him by presence alone?
Talon stood, tearing off his mask and revealing a perfectly healed face. His hair was pulled back beneath his hood, his undereyes stained black and blue from what I assumed was little sleep. Had it truly only been days since I’d seen him last?
“You came back? What—” Altair stepped up to my side, his towering frame heavy and imposing. Talon’s amber eyes flicked towards Altair, thick brows furrowing as he took in his once best friend. Could he tell? Did he realize who was at my side? “Who is that?”
His voice was a hiss. A furious rasp. He was so rarely angry, I almost missed his easy smile, the painfully unapologetic way he laughed. Then I pictured him cutting off Dad’s head.
“You bitch!” I screamed, grabbing one of my knives and running at him. Talon ducked away from my strike, the blade not so much as knocking his skin. I dodged his grasp, his large hand attempting to secure around my wrist, to hold me captive. I would not be a prisoner.
“You have to understand!” My chains appeared, my magic buzzing and the stars giggling within my mind as I began relentlessly swinging at Talon.
Footsteps echoed off the cobblestone, the shadows disappearing to reveal a group of masked elites running our way.
Altair charged forward, bending backwards to avoid Talon’s swing and then whipping back up and latching a hand around Talon’s neck. I watched with wide eyes as he lifted Talon and slammed him to the ground, turning to face the oncoming elites.
Capitalizing on the moment, I dove down and shoved off Altair, wrapping my own hands around Talon’s throat and squeezing with violent desperation. Talon’s eyes bulged, his fingers preventing mine from truly cutting off his airway.
“Just die, stars dammit!” I sounded crazed, a whine to my voice then scratched my throat.