14
Kora
Agatha was dead.
Kora howled, her scream ripping from her throat as the shards of her already broken heart stabbed her chest repeatedly. She’d found it odd when Agatha had spoken to Raiden, but that confusion all too quickly turned into horror as he’d done nothing to stop that guard from gutting her.
And Raiden had left her body there. Simply rolled her to the side as if she meant nothing.
Anger joined Kora’s torrent of emotions, smothering the confusion from Agatha and the fact everyone in the room had randomly dropped dead . . . almost. Barron’s trap had evaporated, fading into the starry night above, but remnants remained wrapped around her body, tying her to this damned chair.
Sweet escape had been near until Aryn collapsed at her feet, blood leaking from his ears, followed by the Windward siblings .
. . and Blake. The prick’s hand laid stretched before her, still trying to connect to her.
Kora scoffed at it, nudging his fingers away with her toe.
His bride-to-be had left him, fleeing the scene like a coward.
“Kordelia!” Raiden rushed over, an arc of shimmering, precious blood staining that iridescent uniform they all seemed to wear.
It looked ridiculous. Who would wear something so figure-hugging?
He fell to her feet, his hands hovering over her as those crystalised eyes assessed the situation. Battle was familiar to Raiden, he appeared too at ease, too in control. Chaos continued to reign behind him, seemingly unfazed that he’d just vaulted over several guards to reach her.
“What about them?” Kora jerked her chin at the wave of diseased guards infiltrating the room, marching in uniform to create two lines blocking the rear doors. They stood still and Raiden froze, observing them as they stared ahead, vacantly blinking.
“They’re not moving,” he whispered, as the room hung in suspended, tense silence. After another bout of gut-hollowing quiet, Raiden shifted to tug at Barron’s magic wrapped around her.
“Please don’t,” she gasped, as his blood splattered fingers grazed her thigh.
Barron’s magic squeezed, burning her skin, and the shadowy walls of the chamber closed in, suffocating her.
Raiden paused, his gaze hardening as she trembled.
Agatha’s body remained behind him, her flowing grey hair covering her face as her blood continued to pool onto the stone floor.
Darkness encroached the edges of Kora’s vision, threatening to render her in the darkest, deepest pit of despair.
She wrenched her gaze way, swallowing the last of her tears.
She would get out of this chair herself.
Raiden’s proximity caused her mind to explode, her thoughts chaotic, her heart thunderous.
All the while, dark magic crept up her skin.
Groans echoed around the room and figures began sitting up, blinking and rubbing their eyes, wiping blood from their noses and ears. Nearby the guards, Ivar stirred, and Kora held a bated breath as he shifted above Theron’s body, shielding him from the enemy.
It was a gods-damned miracle that he was still alive. She had so many questions for Ivar, but none of them mattered if him and Theron didn’t escape. She begged the gods to help them, and urged Ivar with her eyes to move, and move fast.
Devastation surrounded her. Everyone she held dear was trapped in this singular room, fighting for their lives, and Samuel had been taken somewhere afar, doing gods-knew-what. It was all too much.
Her water beast consumed her, smothering her fear, her despair, and allowing her rage to take hold.
It grew, rising within, bubbling beneath her tarnished skin.
It roared at what Barron’s magic was doing to her, to her gift, and it washed away the threads of decay tainting her, her veins returning to their familiar blue.
“Kora, my pet, what are you doing?” Barron shifted with a hiss, turning to face them. His black eyes widened as his power leaked from her, dripping down her legs and onto the floor. Those unnatural guards remained motionless, nothing more than ornamental statues.
Panic seized Kora as everyone woke up, Skylar and Aerion reaching for Raiden as he propped them up. Aryn rasped beside Kora, his eyes glowing like molten metal swirling in his irises. Sweat plastered his head as he panted from using his power.
Aryn was a mage.
Water in the glasses bubbled before the crystal shattered, pieces flying across the room. The water and tar separated, and her pure gift lifted into the air, coalescing into a revolving, glowing ball.
Erick rose, desperation twisting his face as he targeted Barron.
Blake lunged, blocking the attack, and his second shadowed form wrapped around Erick’s legs, pulling on them.
With his sword, Blake sliced Erick’s shoulder and he toppled to the ground, his head smacking against the hard stone.
The crack was louder than the marching of guards.
Erick’s eyes didn’t open.
With an animalistic scream, Kora’s power exploded within her and the water shot outwards, snaking into the mouths of guards, choking them, drowning them, and they collapsed simultaneously. Barron’s last tendrils fell away and she pushed up from the chair, regaining her strength.
“I’ve never seen you do that before,” Skylar remarked, blood covering her braided hair and hands.
“Guards!” Barron bellowed. “Get them!”
Kora blanched as that familiar stench filled her nose, causing her eyes to water.
Skylar gagged beside her as towering bodies covered in black-and-malachite armour stormed the room.
Kora’s power had only targeted the lesser guards fighting the pirates.
Guards grabbed hold of Theron and Ivar—sweet, blessed, amazing Ivar—dragging them back.
He was out of arrows, and Theron was too weak to even hold his head up.
Kora raised a hand, steadying herself as she burrowed deep into her well.
She couldn’t let this happen again.
“Wait!” Raiden jumped in front of her. “Magic doesn’t work on them. You’ll burn yourself out.” He flicked his power, and Kora paled as a visible current of wind bounced off their chest plates. The monstrous guards continued to march in a trance, unaware of the magic rebounding from their chests.
“Shit,” she groaned, rubbing her throbbing temple. They were trapped. The pirates were falling one by one, unable to hold back the diseased wave of guards.
A figure popped out of thin air before her, and she held in her scream as he erratically signed to Raiden, who repeated what he signed. “Leto’s shields are an external force. It should hold them back for a minute. Thanks, Leto,” Raiden nodded. “We have seconds to escape.”
Leto curiously glanced at Kora, his iridescent eyes tunnelling onto her scar. She rolled her eyes. Being gawked at was nothing new for her. Judging by his attire, he was a pirate, most likely with Bone Rattler, by the dreary colour scheme.
As the guards advanced, Barron carefully watched as he trailed behind them. Leto threw up his hands, summoning a kind of bubble to expand into the air, attaching to the ceiling and walls. Kora gasped at its surface, shimmering from purple to green to darker hues, ever-changing.
“Now!” Raiden yelled as the pirates disbanded, followed by Aryn, Aerion, and Skylar.
“Wait! I’m not leaving them!” Kora pointed at Erick’s limp body beyond the barrier, between the guards and Leto’s bubble, then to Theron and Ivar. Her stare slid to Agatha for a moment, the pain too much. Raiden grumbled incoherently, rubbing his face.
“He betrayed you. He’s the reason you’re here.”
“I’m not leaving him!”
“If we go back for him, you’ll be back in Barron’s clutches!” Raiden’s crystal eyes flashed. They were dazzling, and Kora swallowed, unable to focus on anything but them.
“You wouldn’t understand, but I can’t leave him behind.”
Raiden stared at her for a second, his jaw clenching. “Stay here.”
Hurrying to Leto, Raiden signed something to him before rushing through the bubble, passing through it with ease. Kora took her moment and raced after him. Passing through the barrier was odd, the magic colder than she expected, like a greasy film smothering her body.
Blake yelled beyond the barrier and darted towards Raiden. She swooped under a sword, sliding across the slick floor to Agatha first, as Ivar wrestled with two Talmon guards.
She clasped Agatha’s face, turning it towards her. Kora froze as her fingers glided over youthful skin, wrapping into Agatha’s voluminous hair. A sob wrecked her body as she closed Agatha’s eyes, her hands violently shaking as she tried dragging Agatha back to Leto’s blockade.
“Get her!” Barron’s command caused everyone to freeze as all eyes turned to Kora. Disbelief simmered from Raiden, whereas Blake smiled devilishly.
Kora chewed the inside of her cheek as a pair of emerald eyes begged her, pleaded with her.
Despite Blake’s fury, eternal remorse radiated from his all-too familiar eyes.
Time slowed as Kora connected with his stare, memories of hushed whispers, inviting shadows, and forbidden passion filling the space between them.
“Blake! Stop him!” Barron commanded, shattering the palpable tension as Raiden knelt before Erick.
Kora shook her head, mouthing please, but Blake’s demeanour shifted. His second shadow leered around his shoulders, his face tightening, lips twisting. Those veins—the diseased shackles Kora had sported not too long ago—wriggled, and Blake wrung his wrists before withdrawing his sword.
Kora’s eyes shuttered as her chest caved with deflation.
He’d made his choice.
Raiden whipped out a hand and invisible bands of power stroked down Kora’s body, lifting her. She yelled, hands clawing at the floor, not ready to leave Agatha. But Ivar and Theron were in reach. Ivar panted as he kicked back, freeing himself from the enemy’s grasp.
“Ivar! Grab hold!” Kora shouted, her arm outstretched as she flew past. With one hand fisted in Theron’s shirt, Ivar lunged, dragging his body along the floor.
It was too late.