Chapter 5 #2
“Serena,” my whisper has her instantly snapping her head up. Her eyes are as big as saucers, not believing what she’s seeing. Quickly, I unlock the door, letting the sound of the metal scraping against itself vibrate the surrounding bars.
“We have to go.” She stands as fast as her frail form will allow. Swaying, her arm instantly reaches out, seeking stabilization, but her weak muscles crumble under the weight. Her shoulder slams against the wall, and it takes seconds we don’t have for her to finally get her footing.
“You didn’t drink the water, did you?” My question is rushed as I pop my head out of the door and peek around the corner. Serena gives me the slightest shake of her head in response.
We begin walking down the way I came. “I haven’t found a way out yet,” I confess. “But we will. We are getting out of here,” I promise her.
Having to basically carry her up the stairs in her debilitated state, I’m huffing and puffing before we reach the landing I was previously on.
I told her about what I found in that room, and if she was shocked, she didn’t show it, probably focusing on getting out of here alive.
We are getting out of here. I don’t care if I have to burn this whole place down with every single soul in it. I will not be among the fallen. Out of nowhere, the hall is drowned in red, a siren blares overhead, and we both plaster ourselves to the wall.
Guess they figured out we escaped.
Picking up speed, we rush forward. A door sounds at the far end, and footsteps pound against the linoleum. Serena stops all of a sudden, rooting her feet to the floor. She points ahead, indicating for me to go on.
“I’m not leaving you! Let’s go!” I pull on her arm, but she doesn’t budge, pitching forward a bit before gaining her balance again.
Shaking her head, she yanks her arm free of my grasp and starts back down the hall.
For fuck’s sake.
Raising her hands, there’s a rumbling sound coming from the walls. In a matter of seconds, the pipes burst, and water spews from the walls and attacks the guards barreling in our direction.
I’m amazed at her power—her strength is admirable.
Snapping out of my daze, my fire follows suit, finding its mark on one of the guards.
A devilish smile pulls at my lips as I watch the fire engulf him.
It spreads from person to person under my command, and I relish in it.
I soak in the sounds of their screams, absorb them like a sponge, and let it fuel the rage burning inside me.
They tortured me—us. Kept us locked away like rabid animals and treated us as such.
Like we’re worth nothing more than the dirt on the bottom of their shoes.
They took Serena’s fucking tongue. Her voice.
The fire rages, but I don’t let it fester the way that part of me craves.
No. They will not die at my hands, not today.
We’ll come back for them. For now, their wounds will scar as a reminder of what’s to come.
Vines plummet from the ceiling, suspending three unfortunate guards in the air. Serena sends an unimaginable amount of water toward their mouths, drowning them with her vengeance.
I guess she had other plans.
Dropping the dead weight, you can’t hear them fall over the chaos that’s erupted. Blocking gusts of air, I’m struck by the same electrical current I’ve become too familiar with. Instantly, my body seizes on the ground. I bite my tongue, and blood instantly floods my mouth.
My jaw clenches with vicious pressure, and I fight with myself to not concede to the pain.
An unmistakable battle cry comes from Serena, and using the little strength I can conjure up, my gaze moves to find her.
She takes hit after hit, air knocking her back farther each step she takes, but she does not yield.
Her water gathers at her feet, creating a whirlpool of destruction beneath her.
It propels her toward the line of guards, and she takes out the front runners.
Newfound strength has exploded from within her, and I watch her dodge another attack, pivoting on light feet before striking against her opponent.
As current after current runs rampant through me, the shadows I keep buried deep inside start knocking at my resolve, begging to be set free.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I duel with it, struggling to confine it back into its box. An earsplitting shriek emits from my lungs as it fights its way to the surface.
When the electricity stops, my head swings to Serena, who holds the head of my attacker in her hands, their neck dangling at an unnatural angle.
My face slackens, unable to get the words out before it’s too late.
Everything happens in slow motion. The triumphant look on her face falters, morphing into confusion.
Her brows furrow as she looks down, and when she sees what I see, her eyes widen in realization.
Scarlet spreads over the chest of her garment, the tip of a blade jutting out between her breasts.
Then, the whole place is nothing but fire and crimson.