Chapter 28 #2
Green light pulsed around the body of the wraith, glowing from the dirt.
As Caelan flicked both his hands outward, the ground opened up in a great fissure, a deep pit into the earth twice the length of the wraith and so deep there was only blackness that stared back up at them.
The wraith plunged into the darkness, its red eyes already fading with defeat.
Bringing his hands together, Caelan sealed the pit shut, locking the wraith in the belly of the realm it had come to destroy.
Astraia stood and rubbed her neck. Swallowing, she bit back a cry from the pain in her throat.
Then two warm hands were on either side of her face. Dark hair rustled in the wind as green eyes peered into hers.
“Are you okay?” His voice quivered, low and uncertain.
“Yes, thanks to you,” she croaked, giving him a small smile.
His lips curled at the edge, the ghost of a smile beginning to form. She felt the tension in her chest loosen, just slightly.
A sharp thunk, and the smile never bloomed.
The bolt struck between his shoulder blades with sickening force, driving his body forward. His eyes widened in shock as he collapsed to his knees before she had time to shout his name. Red painted his tunic beneath his armor.
Astraia flung herself to the ground. Kneeling beside him, she helped him down to his side, seeing the black arrow lodged in his back. Astraia froze, the moment split in two—before and after.
“Astraia, run,” Caelan gasped, blood leaking from the side of his lips.
Her heart beat out of her chest, panic flooding her senses. Not Caelan. Not the boy I had loved, who loved me even when I was gone. Not the man who built stars for me.
A whistle whizzed by her ear, blowing her hair back, as another bolt nearly missed her head.
Snapping her head up, she looked back at the tree line, where the first wraith had fallen. He was kneeling on one knee, aiming a black crossbow at them. Her arrow was still wedged in his eye, pulsing with white light.
She glanced at Caelan, his breaths becoming shallower. She would not be able to heal him fully until the last wraith was destroyed. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and rose.
Still channeling her bond, she grabbed her Starwood bow from her back.
Speed was her ally, and Power was her deathbringer.
In rapid succession, she loosed her arrows, aiming for all the exposed parts of the wraith.
White streaks of light blazed through the darkening sky, like lightning strikes on a stormy night.
The wraith managed to dodge several of the arrows, deflecting some with his armor, and others with his smoke and flames. But Astraia did not stop. She walked toward the demon as she fired—arrow after arrow.
One tip wedged between his armor on his shoulder, streaming the Power bond into his cracked skin. An eerie shriek made her ears ring.
She was only a few paces away from Dominion’s steward when her quiver ran dry. The wraith too had no more bolts to fire and pulled his broadsword off his back, the fiery iron aglow with flame and smoke.
Astraia ushered her bonds forward once more, flaring Power and channeling it into her lightning blade. Her grip tightened on the hilt, sweat dripping down her face from exhaustion as she stepped toward the beast.
Nightfall was upon them, only slivers of sunlight peeking through the trees and bidding the field goodnight.
Yet the glow from the battle resembled a bonfire.
White and red light danced along the blades of grass as smoke and shadows painted the trunks of the trees.
Both wraith and Starborne raised their blades in unison, ready to end the other in their own fires.
Astraia lunged first, slashing her Starborne blade down on her enemy. The air hummed as the sword cut through the air and came crashing down onto the broadsword of the wraith.
Power and Dominion met once again, this time in the hands of steward and Starborne.
A crack echoed through the field, red and white sparks flying on impact.
She did not wait for a counterattack, bringing her blade down again with all the force of Power behind her stroke. The wraith met her strike for strike. What felt like hours were mere seconds as blades collided, and Astraia’s strength began to wane.
She needed to end this, now. Or Caelan would die.
Another whisper of a memory flashed before her mind.
Get them on their knees.
Blocking another blow from the wraith, she stepped sideways out of reach and unsheathed her dagger. With sword in one hand and her dagger in the other, she ran at the wraith.
His broadsword came down, but she was already blocking with her sword. Channeling what strength she had left, she pushed his sword back and drove her dagger into the side of his thigh.
The demon faltered, roaring in pain, and stepped backward before falling to his knees. Astraia whipped her sword around with both hands, driving herself forward as she slashed sideways with her blade.
She screamed, claiming her victory, and cleaved his head from his body. Smoke smoldered from the neck before the body toppled over, burning the grass around the corpse.
Astraia nearly collapsed as she watched the red glow fade from the dismembered head of the wraith.
She could feel her bonds on the brink of burnout, but as she swam into her mind, her tether to the Stars still held firm, and she pulled the doors to her Power bond closed.
Her skin and eyes returned to normal, the glow subsiding, and her sword blinked out of existence.
Sighing, she turned back to where Caelan lay and sprinted back to him. Her chest heaved, burning from smoke and exhaustion as she knelt beside him. His eyes were closed and his skin pale, but his chest still rose and fell.
Thanking the Stars, she blinked away tears and allowed Sacrifice to fill her. Coolness coated her throat as her bond healed her own injuries, then flowed into warmth emanating from her hands. The familiar comforting blue glow lit up the grass around them as she lay her hands on his back.
“I’m going to remove the arrow, Caelan. I’m so sorry. Please stay with me,” she choked, whispering to him as she worked.
Deafening silence answered her.
Bracing one hand on his back, she grasped the shaft of the bolt firmly in the other and pulled. His back arched, and he groaned, then went limp.
Covering the wound with both of her hands, she flung open the doors to Sacrifice and let her tether go, allowing herself to flare. Blue light rippled through the air around her, engulfing her and Caelan.
Please. Please, let him live.
She prayed earnestly to the Stars—the Stars she now knew were alive and answered.
Blue light spilled from her, leaching the remainder of her strength from her body.
She felt faint as a rush of warmth spread over her.
Sacrifice battled to heal them both, keeping her from blacking out while she worked to heal the Lord of Volpes and one of the last souls in the realm who cared if she lived or died.
Blood no longer spread from the entry wound on his back, and new skin formed over the opening.
The injury was healed, but he was in shock from blood loss.
She cursed under her breath. Pulling even more from her bond, she concentrated on every single drop of blood in his body, willing it to multiply.
Sweat dripped from her brow, and her vision blurred, but she would not stop until she knew he would survive.
Several minutes passed, and just as she could feel her body slumping further onto the ground, she heard a gasp.
Caelan breathed deeply, his eyes opening for a moment and locking onto her.
The wildness of green forests stared back at her, and a small smile pulled at the edges of his mouth.
Sighing, she smiled back. His eyes closed again, but his breathing was no longer labored.
Placing her fingers on his wrist, she felt his pulse and grinned to find it strong.
Exhaustion threatened to claim her as she pulled back on her tether, and her bonds finally calmed. She sat on the grass beside Caelan, unable to move or think. A cold bead of sweat rolled down her temple, followed by a shiver down her spine.
He was alive. She did not burn out. The wraiths were dead. For now, that was enough.
The final strands of sunlight winked from the horizon, teasing her with sleep. But she needed to move them to cover. They were too exposed in the field, and she was certain the rest of the wraith horde would be looking for their companions soon.
Clumsily, she rose from the ground, glancing around for their horses. Orion and Caelan’s horse had fled into the woods during the fight, but she was sure they could not be far. She needed to get Caelan on his horse and get as far away from the wraiths as they could.
Scanning the tree line, she froze in terror, the air sucked from her lungs.
Two sets of red eyes broke through the darkness, searing into her. Two undead steeds snorted black smoke as they carried their masters. Two stewards of Dominion had come to claim her..