8. Chapter Eight Rhowyn
Chapter Eight: Rhowyn
I was doing the best I could trying to control the air magic, but it was harder to use for me. I didn't quite have the skill or the finesse that Baer had. His eyes bored into me as I struggled, my panic increasing. “Arryn, what are we gonna do?” I asked him, knowing we were running out of time.
The smoke shrouded Baer's face again as the Ankou, as they called the creature, pushed through my efforts. I pushed my magic forward, willing it to do as I commanded. It relented, and I met Baer's eyes again, his body shaking with the effort of holding up three shields.
I was almost tapped out myself, but I couldn't stop trying. I heard Arryn call out to Charity's Consorts, trying to discern what magics they could wield to help us. “Hurry, Arryn!” I demanded from him. “He can't hold these shields much longer!”
Just as I said the words, not daring to remove my gaze from his, Baer dropped to his knees. I felt the magic snap, pushing me back as his shields fell, and I watched in horror as the smoke swallowed him up completely.
I tried to run to him, but Callum grabbed me around the waist, effectively holding me back. “Let me go, Callum!” I screamed at him.
“I can't do that, Trouble,” he said softly.
“He needs our help!” I begged, pleading with all of them to help Baer. I couldn't just stand there and do nothing. My hands grasped Callum's forearm as my panic raced through me, my nails digging into his skin painfully as he held me back.
“The others don't have anything that can help us,” Arryn said, sorrow dripping from his words, the defeat evident as I met his eyes, pleading with him silently to help Baer.
“Fuck!” Lennox cursed. “I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this, not with everyone watching,” he explained as he stepped toward the Ankou, his hands outstretched as he started to draw on his magic.
At first, I couldn't see anything happening as Lennox's magic slowly built within him. My shoulders started to slump in defeat as I studied the smoke that shrouded Baer from my view, willing it to give me just a glimpse of his form. I prayed that he would be okay. That, somehow, he'd make it through this. I needed him, my bright spot in the world. The darkness I had fought all my life would surely consume me if he was taken away from me.
Finally, as if answering my desperate prayers, I started to see the smoke swirl toward Lennox. I scrambled in Callum's arms again, trying to get to Lennox, sure that the Ankou was going for him next.
“Shh... Trouble. Just wait,” he whispered.
“They need us, Callum!” I exclaimed, glancing up at him, pleading with him with my eyes for him to do something. Anything.
His eyes softened as he spoke quietly in my ear. “His magic is working. Give him time. ”
“What!?” I gasped, whipping my head back to see Lennox pulling more smoke to him, where it slithered along his skin, sinking in as if he was absorbing it.
“He's a soul sucker. He's absorbing the Ankou's magic,” Callum explained, his breath warming my ear as his mouth brushed the shell, sending a shiver down my spine. My nails dug into his skin further as I held my breath, watching the smoke increase its flow into Lennox.
“Is that what he did with me?” I asked, referring to when my magic tried to consume me.
He didn't answer with words, simply nodding, his stubble rubbing against my cheek as he held me in place. I clung to him, afraid to hope that we'd make it through this. I'd never been so terrified before, even when I had faced the dragon. At least then, I was able to help, to do something. Standing here on the sidelines, helpless, didn’t sit well with me and proved just how little I knew about this world.
My fear continued to grow as I watched, afraid that if I looked away, the Ankou would win. I couldn't lose these men that I'd slowly come to depend on, even if they angered me and frustrated me to no end. Except Baer. Baer was always my safe place, my sunshine, my ray of hope.
Baer's form was slowly revealed as Lennox sucked up the smoke like a vacuum, devouring the magic of the Ankou. My eyes scanned his body, looking for signs of life, needing to know he was okay. Straining to see, I finally caught the stirring of the dirt near his mouth, churned up from his expelled breath.
I exhaled a sigh of relief, nearly collapsing in Callum's arms. I hadn't expected him to be the one to offer me comfort, but I'd take what I could get right about now.
As Lennox continued to pull the smoke into himself, a shadowy figure appeared, anger crossing its visage. Bells were on its cloak and pointed cap, tinkling softly in the breeze that was now flowing since the shield was no longer blocking it. How had we not heard those bells before? Well, Bear had heard them, but I hadn't heard anything, even with my enhanced hearing.
The creature flew across the distance toward Lennox, trying to get him to stop. A gnarled hand with wicked, black fingernails wrapped around Lennox's throat as I watched.
I doubled my efforts to get away from Callum and go to Lennox, to get that creature away from him at any cost. I'd be damned if I didn't save him from a dragon only to lose him to this bastard.
Callum's arm clamped down around my waist, almost cutting off my air supply as I struggled against his hold. Arryn and Charity's consorts rushed toward the Ankou, their weapons drawn.
Lennox showed no sign that the Ankou was harming him, but I could see the blood dripping down his neck from the nails of the monster, and the veins in his neck were now distended above the grip. His face started to pale from the complete obstruction of blood flow and oxygen.
My Jui Jitsu experience told me he wouldn't last much longer under the hold if it wasn't dislodged soon. He'd pass out before he could finish his assault against the Ankou, and then we’d all be screwed. The smoke rushed from the creature as it continued strangling Lennox, absorbing into him.
As I watched the whisps disappear, I noticed that the Ankou was becoming less ethereal and more substantive the more its magic was drained from it. The bones in its hand became more pronounced as if the magic was its life force.
Finally, as Lennox's face started to turn blue and the pull started to slow, Arryn reached him, slamming into the creature to dislodge him from Lennox. As the Ankou fell away from Lennox, his hold ripped away unceremoniously, I watched the nails drag along his neck, opening four large gashes precariously close to his artery. Blood started to flow down Lennox's neck, drenching his shirt at the collar, soaking into the material like Lennox was absorbing the Ankou's magic.
I gasped at the sight before my eyes were drawn from Lennox to Arryn as he raised his sword to attack the Ankou. He slashed downward, his sword splitting the cloak of the creature and barely missing the killing blow.
The Ankou hissed out, “Stupid fae!” He flew toward Arryn before he could raise his sword for another attack. Eoghan stepped forward, his sword coming down across the Ankou's outstretched arm and lopping it off in one smooth motion.
It swung to face Eoghan as Charity cried out in fear, distracting Eoghan at the last moment. The Ankou's other arm latched onto his throat and squeezed, the same way he had done to Lennox. Anger etched across Eoghan's face as the Ankou released him.
Instead of attacking the Ankou, Eoghan launched himself at Arryn, and I couldn't stop the gasp from leaving my lips. Connor and Luke stepped in to draw Eoghan's attention and slow his progress toward Arryn. They blocked the swings from his sword and allowed Arryn the chance to attack the Ankou again.
“Why is he attacking us?” I asked Callum, confused as to why Eoghan would turn on us so suddenly.
“The Ankou feeds on anger. It’s manipulated Eoghan's anger so that he attacks his friends,” Callum explained calmly, but the tension in his arm and body as he held me back said he was anything but.
“Why didn't Lennox turn on us?” I asked, confused as to why he'd been immune.
“Best guess?” Callum started, “It's because he was absorbing the magic, so it wasn't effective. Either that or because Lennox already lives with that much anger.”
Fuck. I hoped it wasn't the latter . I knew what it was like to live that way, and I didn't want that for him. The only thing that had saved me was finding my coach and MMA. What did Lennox have?
I watched, riveted to the scene before me, as Arryn swung his sword again. This time, it made contact with the Ankou's neck, the blade passing cleanly through. As if in slow motion, the shadows burst as the creature's head slid from its shoulders.
Lennox fell to his knees, gasping for air, and Charity screamed, shocked at watching the creature die a gruesome death. I barely flinched, willing to do so much worse to whoever tried to hurt my men.
Eoghan dropped his sword, and his fellow Consorts did the same as the magic of the Ankou disappeared, the creature fading from view slowly as if it was sinking into the ground itself.
Callum's arm relaxed, and I pushed against it, rushing to Baer, needing to make sure he was still okay. I landed hard on my knees next to him as I placed a hand on his cheek, my magic bursting forth from me as soon as I made contact, seeking out his injuries and healing them without needing any encouragement from me.
Arryn approached, placing a hand on my shoulder. “That's enough, Rhowyn. He's fine, and we don't need you exhausting your magic. We may need it later,” he said, pulling me from Baer.
I relaxed slightly at Arryn's words, trusting his judgment. I couldn't sit here waiting for Baer to wake up, I needed to do something. So, I jumped to my feet and stormed over to Lennox, who was sitting back on his heels, still trying to catch his breath. I pushed him hard with both hands, causing him to land on his back in the dirt.
“Why didn't you do that sooner?” I exclaimed.
“Fuck, Princess,” he said, ignoring my question as he sat back up again, resting his forearms on his knees.
It was then I noticed that he was still bleeding, and I knelt next to him, moving to heal him before I could think twice about it. I placed my hand over the gashes in the skin, so close to the artery. He was lucky that it had missed. My hand tingled and warmed as I pushed my magic into him, healing the gashes slowly, the blood slowly stopping as I did so.
I met his eyes, pleading with him to answer my question. I was angry with him for not stepping in sooner, for throwing himself into danger like that, and for being a general pain in my ass. But I was also glad that he was okay, relieved that he'd be around to pester me for a while longer.
“Why did you wait so long?” I asked softly, his eyes studying me in the same way.
He sighed, leaning into me, his forehead resting on mine as he held my gaze. “I didn't want to reveal what I am. It's not a common use of magic and is highly feared. I didn't want to use it unless I absolutely had to. This was the worst place to have to use it, with everyone watching now that Mother is broadcasting the entire trials,” he finished, his eyes closing as he inhaled.
My anger deflated at that. Even holding back, he was trying to protect us, not wanting us to have to face the backlash of his affinity. I couldn't speak, a lump forming in my throat, so I simply nodded in understanding. His hand wrapped around my neck as he leaned in and kissed me, so softly, almost hesitantly.
I leaned into his kiss, needing to know he really was okay, his tongue parting my lips as he deepened it. It was as if I could feel his emotions and turmoil in the kiss, his soul touching mine in a way I'd never felt before.
Slowly, he pulled away, my eyes opening to find him studying me. His soul was bared before me in that moment before he pulled his mask back into place. He stood and offered me a hand, pulling me up to stand next to him. His hand lingered on my waist as we walked back over to Baer, who was now groaning.
“Fuck my life,” Baer said, his eyes still closed. “I feel like I've been hit by a Semi.”
I laughed, glad that he was okay enough to make jokes, a slight tremor in my voice as tears pooled in my eyes.
Baer pushed up into a sitting position slowly, groaning with every movement. “So, was that our trial or Charity's?” he asked, dropping the question into the space between us all and leaving us dumbfounded at the idea.