43. Trust can birth the ugliest Truths #3
Taking shape, is by far the third largest beast I’ve seen–a black panther, riddled with tyrian, purple markings, two thick tails, and muscles lining her frame.
She leaps for the first gloom, landing claws deep in its chest, sending them both toppling over.
Ivy snaps her jaws, biting the gloom’s head clean off, and continues with the second.
Any that dare getting close, are met with both tails, her back paws, or another bite. She single handedly takes out rows of our enemies alone. My heart shivers from Russ’s gift.
“You used her after all,” says a melodic voice.
Peering behind me, I shout, “Russ!” I shouldn’t be this happy. But to hell with logic, emotions, and magic, his full-on dimples are the warm welcome I’ve hoped they’d be.
“Kitten.” He chuckles, wrapping his arms around my soiled frame. “Are you okay?” I take in his scent, filling my lungs whilst glad he is alive and here.
“Is this a welcoming party?” Ashlyn giggles, then one by one, they all step out through Caspian’s mystical door.
Stained in red and black fluids, wearing tattered clothes, I am relieved to see no visible injuries.
I greet each of them, including Marcel, who by all accounts looks better than any of us.
Not a stain on him. Angie saunters over, hugging me and somehow gifts a little more energy.
“Where have y’all been?” I ask, pulling back to ensure she is fine. “Me and…wait, have either of you seen Niro?”
“Y’all isn’t–”
“Not now, Alex,” I snap his way. But one last member steps beyond Caspian’s sky-blue door, all smiles with a white stick hanging from his lips.
“Hey troublemaker, you missed me?”
“No.” My response is quick, but his smirk grows against my answer.
“You were just asking about him. I’d say–”
‘Not. Now. Alex,” I grit. “Wait, how’d y’all find me?” Watching Alex huff with my choice of words, I see Angie point towards Ethan, who renders what I describe as an, ‘I’m happy you’re alive so I can kill you myself’ expression. “Explain.”
“A sigil on the back of your neck. Below your hairline. You can thank me later for placing it there. Now if everyone’s done with this ridiculous greeting, we have more pressing issues to contend with,” he says, sounding more annoyed than his usual take.
“Are you fucking kidding me? You did what?” But our reunion is short lived. Crashing through the trees, are hundreds, if not thousands, of our enemies, all fired up and charging.
“Language, Kyra.” Ethan peers over his shoulder through a shade of golden, glowing eyes. “Your break is over. Now–”
“I’m not taking a damn break,” I rebut quickly, but he moves on like he didn’t hear me. Ass. Hole.
“What happened? Tell me you were not foolish, dear brother, unaware you’d be sending us to our doom.”
“My intel has never failed me, Ethan. You’ll be wise to remember it. Though, someone set us up, and I believe I know who.” Their brotherly love is not so…endearing. Alex frowns, eyeing Niro, Russ, and Caspian with questions.
Caspian, I know you and Kahlan’s…wait did I say his name right? I pause my thoughts. Anyway, I’m sure y’all are two peas in a pod.
He snorts, glancing my way and delivering one hell of a smile. “You’d be correct.” A wink follows. This is what I was missing, not the awkwardness from our previous encounter. Sweet buns. I note the faintest blush stinging his cheeks as he looks away.
Yasmine steps forward, tossing Niro a middle finger who smirks at her ensemble.
“We can figure this out another time. You two seem uncaring about what’s racing towards us.
” Dark blue fog circles her frame, and in an instant, the torn battle gear is now back in place.
White leather flows over her with a cloak leading towards her ankles. Genie magic!
“Ivy!” Russ yells, and I’m pulled from my inner mind. We all turn, noticing her massive claws trampling our way. “I suggest you call your shifters. Unless you’d rather face their wrath.” Bodies shuffle backwards, and I’m left frowning, but following along. Ivy is his shifter. Holy shit!
An earthquake size shutter trembles beneath our feet, splitting the ground and consuming hundreds of changed fays. The once army finds it difficult to advance. Unbeknownst to them, Ethan had summoned a protective wall, keeping them at bay.
How long it will hold depends on his magic level.
Then, something swift enters the area, wiping out hundreds more glooms behind his wall before ‘it’ and Ethan’s magic disappears.
Our enemies chase after it, but again, it flashes back, taking out twice as many.
Those who evaded the slaughter raise their arms in another battle cry, targeting us once more.
“Celine!” Ethan shouts. As the dust settles, a large serpent slithers from slain bodies, tearing a trench upon her approach, mauling over any and everything in her path.
My mouth gapes from this revelation. She is his shifter, not his former lover. And I all but disrespected her when we first met. Great.
Before Ethan can make any definitive strides in her direction, another massive beast tramples from behind. “Yuna!” Alex shouts, in tandem with Angie’s “Terra!” But my jaw can’t drop any lower. Yuna, his friend from Haven’s Hole, is riding on the back of a towering water wolf.
“Now I’ve seen it all.” I blink in disbelief.
Terra leaps, clearing hundreds of yards and eclipsing the moon’s glow before landing beside Celine, snarling with her tail low.
Yuna holds on whilst the wolf’s behemoth teeth shred into gloom after gloom, now joined by Ivy’s powerful jaws ripping them in half.
My legs wobble from the massive paws pounding into the scorched dirt when Alex’s friend jumps in to help.
“It’s not safe for her to be around–I know you lying.” A gasp much louder than expected. She shifts into a gargantuan bear, causing a crater, which instantly kills dozens from her size alone. Four shifters, viper, wolf, bear, and panther, hold the glooms at bay while we gather our thoughts.
“Well shit, Alex. Why didn’t you tell me Yuna’s your shifter?” Angie smirks, stepping closer to him.
“Language, Angie. Your mouth is just as bad as hers.” He side-eyes me, and I reserve the right not to indulge him. Instead, I pull my plait over my left shoulder and render a deep bow. The tick of his jaw is good enough.
“Say’s the one who bonded with a wolf. An aquatic wolf of legends, to be exact.” Alex forces back a proud smile. “And you know we don’t discuss our shifters. Let’s be glad they’re all on our side.”
With everyone else, my gaze returns amongst the battle in time to witness Celine spit acid, burning those caught in its trajectory. Terra emits a beam of frost from her snout, Yuna releases wind blades with every swipe of her large paws, and Ivy…
“Where’s Ivy?” I ask Russ who grins with his arms folded.
“She’s the blur of purple. Cloaked and dangerous.”
“Damn.” Their synchronicity is perfect, and since arriving, I feel calmness finally resonate.
We can win this and get everyone home. Huffing , I search for Angie, forgetting about the minis.
“Can you do me a favor?” She agrees before hearing me in full.
“There’re two kids I rescued. Can you check them for injuries? ”
Dissolving my transparent shield, I frown, realizing they’re gone.
“Ahh, what kids?” Angie questions, shrugging her shoulders.
“Shit, did they run away after seeing the shifters? I’ll be back. They–”
“No,” Marcel interjects. “Now that we’re together, we will not separate. But you, Alex, explain how the fuck this mission went to hell under your intel. What about this scream intelligence.”
My chest pounds with this present conundrum. On one hand, he is right. Splitting up isn’t the best plan. On the other hand, two kids are running around and are easy prey for the picking. I can’t sit and do nothing.
Clenching both fists and checking what remains of my aura, I make my decision. “I need to find them.”
“You will not. Don’t be naive, Kyra, look around.
” Marcel flares his nostrils as his tone becomes deadly.
Primal even. “We hold the glooms attention. If those kids have wandered off, they’ll be far away from here.
But if you leave, you’ll be drawing attention.
Their best chance at survival is without you looking for them. ”
Scoffing, I acknowledge he has a point. But I can’t leave knowing they’re still here, so for now, I’ll listen. After our enemies are slain, we will search for them, even if I have to go alone.
“Calm yourself, Marcel–” Alex starts but is soon interrupted by Ethan.
“Caspian, Niro, do tell me, where did the two of you go after finding me?”
While the three of them trade blame with each other, one more look at their shifters eases my shoulders.
They have ended the last of our enemies, and now bound our way, reappearing in their fay form.
A smile of comfort follows an exhale, and my sights are set on Caspian and his captivating, two-toned eyes.
“Hey,” I speak low while considering my words. Did you not hear me calling out to you? I was worried something happened…or worse. Speaking internally, I can’t be sure who here knows about his ability.
His deep red mane sprawls around his shoulders, stained with midnight blood, yet he is more attractive now than before, with how calm he is. His delivering smile pumps adrenaline into my veins, and I’m glad we will have another day to discuss our last conversation.
“I’m fine, Sweets. Not a scratch on me thanks to Niro. The glooms used some form of magic blocking that limited my abilities.” He ignores my concern, but perhaps this isn’t the best time for such discussions.
I turn, ready to interrogate Niro.
“Where the hell did you run off to? You said, ‘meet back where we separated,’ but you weren’t there.” Now thinking about it, I’m doing Ethan’s bidding, and I loathe it.