8. Arrow of Darkness
Arrow of Darkness
ROHEN
Terracotta tiles vanished from beneath me as I jumped from one roof to the next. Shoulder greeting the harsh surface of the neighboring structure, I rolled. With the momentum carrying me, I was upright once more and slipping through the rungs of a ladder before beginning my descent.
The chaos imploded. Flames devoured various homes and shops, while shrieks that were indefinable ripped through Serevalen.
Ducking between side streets, the desperation in the townsfolk's screams and cries threatened to deter me from my path.
When I caught sight of slaughtered victims, heads and limbs missing from their bodies, and intestines spewed across cobblestone, I nearly crumbled.
The Others had done this. Their portals were open, and the vision I’d had was already beginning to unfold.
“Focus,” Ellira breathed down our link, her attempted caress proving useless. “You made a promise to that woman bathed in life, did you not?”
Huffing, the percussion of my feet against the street matched the war drum of my heart. “How can you ask me to do such a thing when innocent people are dying? Those you are supposed to protect are slipping from this realm, damned by the feigned divinity our lands believed was worth worshipping!”
“The intricacies of fate are never easy to stomach. Destinies are pre-determined, benefactors in a prophecy meant to save far more than those who will be lost. In birthing realities, those who are befallen by evil have chosen their demise for the greater good. While they may not recall making such decisions, their consent curated their sacrifice. In fact, it is what they wished.” My mother sighed heavily, “Believe me, it never becomes easier to witness a world you love be torn to shreds.”
“You say that as if this has happened before, as if you’ve—” Too distracted by my own frustrations, my body crashed into something unforgiving.
The force of the collision robbed me of every precious drop of oxygen, my palm slapping against the brick wall to my right.
Its gritty texture tore through my flesh, the last bit of air I had escaping me as a hiss between clenched teeth.
Barely preventing myself from stumbling, I cast my gaze toward whatever poor bastard wished to step into my path of reckoning.
Gold irises met mine, clashing with the contrast of inked crimson that caked every inch of skin. “Why the fuck are you still here, Levitte?”
My brows narrowed as I glared up at the man I’d come hunting for.
“By the gods, you idiot. Why do you think I am?” As if the deities themselves wished to torment me, the breeze caught whatever substance coated him, a rancid scent quick to assault my nostrils.
“Parran and the respective crews are awaiting us at the docks, but based on Leilani’s knowledge of the matter, I’m presuming you knew as well.
And gods, while I’m glad you’re okay, you smell fucking awful. ”
“Yes, I was aware, considering that’s the direction I was heading before we collided.
” My scowl deepened, and he only smiled as he playfully tugged on my strands.
“I think I’d prefer to smell awful versus look like shit, Levitte.
What is that? It’s certainly not the blood of your enemies.
By the looks of it, it’s almost as if you crawled off a dessert—”
Swatting away his tainted hand, my interaction with Caspian surged to the forefront once more. “Lay your filth-laden fingers on me again, and I will cut them off.”
“I missed you, too.” He chuckled before running the back of his knuckles above his eye to prevent the viscous liquid from dripping.
Nose scrunching, I took a step back. “What the hell is that?”
“The literal blood of our enemies.” Head swiveling to assess our surroundings, his expression shifted to incredulity. “You haven’t seen any of those demented creatures?”
“Demented—?”
“To your right!” Ellira’s shout tore through my thoughts and muddied them. Only her warning remained, but it failed to serve as a benefit.
Talons sank into my shoulder, webbed feet curling around flesh before I was hoisted from the cobblestone.
Anguish was quick to follow, and a scream tore from my throat, one I believed was more than perceptible from the palace.
Head rolling back, I swallowed thickly, my attention falling on the being responsible.
Its jagged skull tipped in amusement, sharp horns jutting skyward with similar ruggedness.
Stretched too tightly over its skeletal frame, its light-swallowing skin blended with the blanketing night, having aided in its attack.
With darkness as its ally, it became obvious why it thrived in such soullessness.
Bat-like in appearance, it spread its wings, mouth parting to reveal canines and incisors that were easily six inches long.
“Rohen!” Alastair bellowed, his hand clamping around my ankle with a grip that spoke of his unwillingness to let go.
His added weight tugged me down, claws sawing through muscle and scar tissue, reopening Caspian’s mark on my body. Bile surged in the back of my throat as affliction amplified, and the earth vanished from beneath us.
With another flap, we were propelled hundreds of feet into the air.
Sailing toward the shoreline, I scanned the star-littered sky, catching sight of more beasts jutting through the scattered blankets of clouds.
Their route became obvious as they scouted the streets, then swept over the sea and doubled back to their owners.
Blinking through the blinding pain, I called out to the man clinging to me. “I-It's taking us back to the Others!”
Alastair peered up. “So you carve off its godsdamned foot when we reach the ocean!”
“Have you lost your fucking mind?!” My head spun with the impending numbness that had already robbed my arm of sensation.
“Do you have any better ideas, Levitte?” he snarled, chin dipping toward the encroaching waters. “We take our chance with a plummet into your mother’s arms, or we go back there.”
“You can just let go!”
Alastair’s yell wove with mine. “I am not making this drop unless you join me!”
Lips parting to question his willingness to stay with me instead of going back to the woman he loved, the implications of his desires became trivial. A loud screech ripped from the creature’s maw as an arrow of darkness burrowed into its chest. Its hold loosened immediately, and our freefall began.
Plummeting toward the sea, our bodies twisted in ways that felt far from human. I scanned the ground below to determine whether we’d land in deep enough water and caught a brief flash of a figure.
Arm drawn back like one would a bow, they remained absent of such a weapon, but it wasn’t that realization that stalled me. No, it was because I could’ve sworn, for a singular breath, that they peered up at me with those familiar crimson irises.
Caspian.
Why the hell would he save—?
Frigid water slammed into me, its surface punishing as bones splintered upon impact.
Agony insurmountable, and lungs pleading for release, I sucked in a gasp.
The sharp tang of salt hit me first, then my mistake became clear.
Lids fluttering, I glanced over to find Alastair limp, his frame quickly sinking into the chasm below.
Panic surged, but as soon as it did, that melodic voice flooded the back of my mind. “Do you trust me?”
“Ellira, please. If you save one of us, let it be him.”
“Do you trust me?” she repeated, that familiar sharpness slicing through her question.
Consciousness slipped, and I answered with a weak, “Y-Yes…”
“Then step into yourself, Child. Accept who you are.”
Everything faded, and time vanished. Unsure of how long my breath had ceased, a surge of power resuscitated me—a reminder to keep fighting. Eyes shooting open, my surroundings vanished as I settled on a set of large, glowing honeydew irises.
An ancient intelligence filled their hues, holding a knowledge that even I wasn’t sure I wished to know.
Its ethereal body swirled with streaks of molten gold, radiant emerald, and iridescent pearl as magic rippled through the underwater current.
The creature's translucent fins matched its twinned horns that arched up and back from its sculpted, angular face, painting it with natural regality.
A water dragon.
How? Beings of such lore no longer linger near the lands of Wraelira. It has to be a farce, my mind playing tricks on me, my…
Blinking once as if in disbelief that I would question its mysticism, it tipped its head in quiet curiosity.
“You are not delusional, sweetling. She is your bonded, a creature I sculpted to protect you,” Ellira reassured, the smile evident in her words.
“In fully giving yourself to me, you now command the seas, my Child, and all that lurks beneath its very surface. Allow her to aid you and your friends in ensuring a safe departure. Serevalen is lost, but that reality can remain temporary if the prophecy is fulfilled. You must go.”
Before I could argue or express the guttural ache in my bones to protect those trying to flee a pre-destined fate, the dragon acted. Slithering into the deep blue, her length disappeared. Not even a second passed before she surged, slipping beneath me with a speed I hadn’t anticipated.
Chest meeting her back, I fought to grab hold of whatever I could find.
Slickness welcomed me, and where I imagined the sensation would’ve warranted disgust or panic because of my inability to secure my grasp, all I felt was safety.
It was as if I had been here before, caressing her scales with a familiarity that spoke of not just years, but centuries of companionship.
Ellira claimed she was my bonded, and while I wasn’t entirely sure what that meant, it felt right.