Chapter 32 #2
The Wraith shrieked, reaching for them, eager to gobble them up, but instead of reaching down for his opponent, Fen wrapped them around himself and then attached them to the ceiling where he hung upside down, like a bat.
The Wraith cocked its head in confusion, so busy focusing on Fen it didn’t notice me transform the stairs into a slippery incline.
They jolted as their feet went out from under them, and they slid all the way to the bottom.
Fen used his shadows to propel himself across the ceiling, dropping down to the floor and raising his shield to defend against the Wraith who was already on its feet and swinging.
Conjuring another light dome around the two of them, I light-stepped into the center of it.
My heart pounded in my throat and sweat gathered at my hairline.
Fen’s well of power was half gone, and I’d barely contained all of the Wraiths.
If we didn’t make progress soon, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to draw enough power to destroy all of them.
Reaching out with both hands, I focused on the floor beneath the two groups on either side of me.
Imagining them as free-standing patches, I pulled them towards me, sliding them until the three separate domes of light became one large one and we were all standing within throwing distance.
Enough room to fight, but close enough to help one another.
Except enclosing us all in a small area made the Wraiths fight more fiercely. It was as if they’d gotten a fresh burst of energy while the rest of us were starting to flag.
Marcus and Bea stood back to back, shields held tight in front, while their Wraith circled them, hissing and swiping at any exposed limbs.
Titus and Daphne nearly ran into each other, giving their Wraith a chance to get in a couple of good swipes. Each of them let out a hiss of pain. Sparkling red appeared in a slash on Titus’s cheek while the same color stained a line from elbow to wrist on Daphne’s shirt on her sword arm.
Fen and I were also back to back. He struck out with his sword, and I with my hands, but our Wraith ran literal circles around us, moving too fast to catch. I felt ridiculous, and helpless.
“This isn’t working.” I shouted to Fen. “What do we do?”
“Blast them with your power,” he said, panting through his words. His strikes never faltered, but he was tiring.
“I don’t want to hurt anyone.” It was why I hadn’t thrown any bolts or ribbons of light around or simply exploded in one giant burst. The close quarters and speed of the Wraiths made the former too risky and, after nearly immolating myself weeks ago when we assessed what I could do, I wasn’t sure I could manage the latter.
Not without destroying everyone around me.
“Listen to your instincts.” He blocked a swipe from the Wraith and parried, landing a rare hit and sending it staggering back a step. “Trust what is.”
“Easier said than done.” My instincts were telling me we were doomed.
A feminine scream startled me from my spiraling.
Marcus lay on the ground, clutching his shield in one hand and reaching for Bea with the other. A mass of sparkling red bloomed on his calf. His sword lay on the floor, forgotten, because the Wraith had Bea in its arms, its mouth almost at her throat.
Everything faded in my awareness except for the narrow distance between the Wraith’s teeth and Bea’s skin. I stopped thinking and moved.
One step and I was behind them. Before the Wraith could turn, my hands thrust forward, making contact and forcing light into its body until it exploded with a bloodcurdling shriek.
Bea’s knees buckled and she hit the floor before I could catch her. I bent over her, but she waved me off, crawling towards Marcus. “Go. Help the others.”
The destruction of one of its comrades had startled the Wraith fighting Titus and Daphne, and they seized the upper hand. With a series of swift turns and alternating strikes, they moved to place their opponent between them. It hissed furiously, ducking to attack their feet.
Daphne jumped to avoid being tripped, while Titus slammed his shield into the floor.
“Maeve,” Titus called, as the Wraith popped up. “On my left,” he said, jerking his head to the right.
Left, or right? Which one? There was no time to decide, so I moved on instinct, light-stepping to Titus’s right.
The Wraith had moved in the same direction, and my hands seized its shoulders as Titus and Daphne both thrust their swords into its chest. It shattered in a burst of light.
Without missing a beat, the two of them turned to help Fen. I moved to follow, but the dome above us flickered. Fen’s well of power was dangerously low and draining fast. Like sand through an hourglass, our time was running out.
Adjusting the protective dome around us so Marcus and Bea were outside of it, I let their shields and weapons dissolve. It lessened the amount of power I was drawing but not enough.
Even with three assailants, the remaining Wraith was undaunted. It blurred, coming to a stop for a quick swipe at one of them before moving too fast to be seen again. Unless one of us got lucky with a strike, the second trial would be lost. There was only one way I could see us succeeding.
Trust what is.
I let the light in my limbs fade, leaving me defenseless. “Hey,” I shouted. “Leave my friends alone.”
Fen, Titus and Daphne froze, their eyes wide as the Wraith appeared at my back.
“Maeve, no.” Fen charged forward, but it was too late.
The Wraith wrapped its arms around me, claws digging into my skin as its mouth snapped towards my neck. I felt teeth prick my skin as I hauled up the last dregs of power, light bursting from my body, and the Wraith at my back exploded, leaving the smell of singed hair behind.