Chapter 44 #2
But I wouldn’t have it. Not this time. I had to get away.
This was the absolute deal breaker. I couldn’t give such a despicable male any more power.
He reached out, but I ducked. Without the element of surprise helping me to push Dion’s arm away, I’d never been able to dodge another attempt by him to get a hold of me.
“I’ll never listen to anything coming out of your fucking lying mouth ever again until the day I die!
As if I’d allow someone as vile as you to become even more powerful!
You and I are fucking done. Do you hear me?
Done!” I screamed the last word as loud as I could before turning around and storming out of the library.
Yes, I promised I wouldn’t run away again without giving Dion a chance to explain, but this time, his lies were beyond catastrophic, and I couldn’t bring myself to care about old promises or being reasonable.
Blind with tears, barely able to breathe, and shivering all over, I almost stumbled and fell, but pure determination drove me on.
“I told you to wait!”
I ran, ignoring Dion, who yelled after me.
But I didn’t. I hated his commands in general, and there was no chance I’d obey them now.
Rational thought escaped me, a million voices screamed at me from all angles, and the chaos in my brain pumped indescribable panic into my system.
I had to get away—I had to escape before he could find me.
Moving my feet as fast as I could, I ran blindly until I lost Dion.
Fuck Fuck Fuck. Why had the book shown her that?
Not that I wouldn’t have told her, but I had wanted more time.
Time to figure out how I could possibly explain all this to her without scaring her away.
How do you ease someone into seeing the depths of someone’s rotten soul?
Any attempt to have this conversation without her fleeing from me would have been doomed from the beginning, which reality had just proven—Nayana was running away.
“Naya, fucking wait.” Had my voice ever sounded so desperate?
I couldn’t care less. It took me all I had not to fall apart.
This was perhaps the first time I’d regretted the role that I played in Amalach’s destruction, not for the lives that had been lost that day, but because it was driving a giant wedge between my Naya and me.
Stuffing the book I’d wanted to read before shit had gone down into my bag, I hurried to catch up with her.
She was fast, but I was faster, and I had to get to her before everything could take an even worse turn. I needed a chance to explain. I’d told her time and time again I wasn’t a good person. Had she already forgotten?
A roar came from behind me as I hurried past the exit to the plaza in front of the Mystic Library, and before I could even comprehend what was happening, I was surrounded by three creatures straight out of my worst nightmares.
I’d never seen anything like these beasts before, but it quickly dawned on me that it had been a mistake to bring a book outside.
I’d read once that theft would trigger the appearance of the Guardians of the Library.
Beings with large leathery wings and a dragon-like physique.
Sharp claws protruded from their feet, and their bodies were covered in armored scales.
Everything about them was designed to be lethal.
Fae beasts were always troublesome, but the Guardians were giving them all a run for their money.
This was big trouble. I wasn’t fully restored from the shadowwalk yesterday, and on top of that, I was so out of myself that it took me a second too long to wrap myself in shadow armor.
One of the Guardians had already leaped into the air.
It aimed for my back, breaking through my defenses far too easily and driving its claws through the thin silk of the ceremonial tunic into my flesh.
Pain erupted with a vengeance, and still, all I could think about was making it to Nayana before she was out of reach.
Already, I couldn’t feel her Potential anymore, the distance between us was too great.
With a roar, I freed myself from the beast on top of me.
Fury fueled me, and I scrambled to my feet, armor closing over my bleeding wounds, which even my natural healing couldn’t handle during a fight.
My hands shook, and my magical sword only appeared on the third attempt.
“You fuckers sap magic, don’t you?” I growled, even though I knew the monsters were mute.
There was no question that I had to be quick. The Guardians wouldn’t be satisfied if I just handed them their book back. They’d been created to punish thieves—it was their sole reason for existing.
Desperately scraping together my rapidly dwindling power, I charged at one of the Guardians while I dodged the others as best I could. Instinct took over, and I moved fluidly with a skill honed over centuries.
I had to hurry, but the Guardians didn’t give me an opening. In a desperate attempt to level the playing field at least a little, I feigned attacking my direct opponent, but in mid-charge I changed direction and drove my midnight blade directly into the heart of the Guardian who had injured me.
My pain worsened to the point that even the heat of the fight couldn’t suppress it anymore, and my magical resources continued to dwindle rapidly. I stared in shock at the emptiness in my hands as my sword dissolved into thin air.
So, I had to fight the two remaining Guardians with my bare hands. What a great day to be alive!
Scratching every ounce of power to the surface, I attempted to summon shadow tendrils to slow down the monsters, but they vanished as soon as they materialized. I had no reserves left, and a cold numbness spread through my limbs.
“I…need you, Naya,” I mumbled, cursing fate before my legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground. For the first time in my existence, I lost a deadly battle, my consciousness, and possibly my life.