Chapter 19
“Infinite, please,” I begged, throwing up a silent prayer. “Please don’t let me die. Not like this.”
Terror filled my mind. My chest.
I was going to die.
“Pathetic,” Quazar’s cruel voice rumbled across my mind. “You can’t handle one little blow? Embarrassing.”
Tears burned at the back of my eyes. My death could send Papi to an early grave. He still hadn’t recovered from Manmi. If I fell, after he begged me not to Ascend…
And Evanae. My sweet Evanae. We were sisters by birth, but best friends by choice. I couldn’t fathom her sorrow. Nor Ellabeth’s…
No. I may leave here bruised, but I was not dying this dawn.
The creature smacked me into the ground, shoving a sharp item into my back. I screamed, crying against the pain. Another grabbed my hair, yanking on it, ripping out several strands. I wouldn’t last much longer like this. The object in my back started…draining me.
Wait. No. Draining?
These had to be Spirit Harvesters.
“Bingo.”
I fumed.
He knew. He burning knew that Spirit Harvesters were here and he left me. I screamed. Not from pain. But from rage.
I fyused. In the process of transfiguring, the object slipped out of my physical body, releasing me.
I kicked out with my feet, swiping under two of the Harvesters.
They lost their balance, giving me just enough room to get a better advantage.
I blinked back stars, pushing past the shock of my wounds.
Summoning star bolts, I shot one after another at the monsters, aiming for their heads. I took flight into the sky. They flew after me, without hesitation. I shot the biggest one in the head and kept flying across the deserted island.
The blow did nothing.
I summoned a spear and shot it at another of the Harvesters. It caught him square in his chest.
And did nothing.
I tried weapon after weapon, using my starfire to heal what I could internally, while trying to fight off the Spirit Harvesters. But it wasn’t working. None of the blows landed fatally. It was almost like they wanted me to strike them because they knew it wouldn’t work.
I was in such eternal rot. Flying with all my might, I curved around torn down stumps. I pushed higher into the sky, hunting for a way out of here.
All the way in the distance, I could spot a star gate.
My mouth fell open.
I bet Quazar had flown straight for it, leaving me here to fend for myself.
“Correct. No need to kill you myself when the Harvesters are more efficient.” A laugh. “If you survive, there’s fresh sugar cane waiting for you. Assuming I don’t eat it all.”
I hated him. With all my hearts and might, I hated him.
A bony hand wrapped around my ankle and yanked me hard. I jerked in the air, my starry wings flinging haphazardly as I was snapped to the right then flung to the ground.
The star gate. I had to get to the star gate.
I could not fight this. Not alone.
If you choose to live by your stomach, we’re given no other choice. We will choose to let you die by it.
But I didn’t have anything! This wasn’t remotely fair!
“Fair.” A snort was heard down my mind. A brush of shadow pushed against my thoughts. “She thinks her precious temple is fair. How adorable.”
“Shut up!” I screamed out loud as I shot to my feet, taking off again.
“You dance too much, Star of the Age.”
“That’s not me!” I screamed, racing for the star gate.
I blocked out the sound of the Spirit Harvesters, and somehow, I put a protective shield around my mind against Quazar. I changed my flight pattern, flying in zig zag motions to throw off my pursuers. I begged for another Seraphim, a Legionnaire, anyone to show up and help me.
No one did.
I pushed harder, unwilling to just give up. If I could make it to the star gate, I would survive. I felt lightheaded, nausea weakening my flight, as hunger made me sway despite my adrenaline. But I kept flying. If I slowed, I would—
Jagged teeth latched onto a pair of my wings, shredding through the tips, dragging me down. I screamed, tears streaming down my face, as my wings were torn through to the bone, golden blood spewing.
“Why can’t we feast? She is delicious.”
I drew on my starfire, using it to boost me into the air.
Then I shot out another burst, that sent me careening with such brunt force over the islet, I nearly missed the star gate.
As my vision blackened, I focused on the star gate, while pulling every trace of blood back into my fyused body, unwilling to let my leaking blood reveal what hid beneath my skin.
Especially not in the presence of these monsters.
I could feel my blood vessels reforming, healing, coming back together, as parts of my body patched itself enough for me to remain intact. The Spirit Harvesters lunged for me again. I reached the star gate, and threw myself into it, racing across. The moment it spat me out, the star gate closed.
I rolled over and over across the marble floor before landing in a heap. My breaths were ragged, as I covered my body with my torn wings. My vision blurred. I had a splitting headache and everywhere burned.
Hèls. That was absolute Hèls.
But I survived. By some burning miracle I survived.
I cried, the stinging tears snaking down my cheeks.
I’d nearly lost my life in a miserable way again.
Terror filled my chest as I tried clinging to my sanity.
I couldn’t shake away the nightmare that was the Spirit Harvesters.
Maybe if Quazar and I had worked together, maybe I could have ended the life of at least one.
Instead, I got my tail rocked. Bad.
Someone started slow clapping as I wiped my tears, still hiding under my draping wings, hyperventilating. I checked my hands. My arms. They were bare. No exposure of what lay beneath my skin. Embedded in my blood.
Bend, but do not break. Burn, but never bleed.
I was failing miserably at that.
I slowly lifted my head, my cheeks wet with tears, to find Quazar’s eyes glowing with triumph. He squatted by me, tilting his head
“Well, well. She survived.”
“I hate you,” I seethed, baring my teeth at him.
He waved a hand. “I don’t really give a rot, Starling.” His eyes fell to my hands. I tucked them into the folds of my wings. “You evaded Spirit Harvesters. How?”
“She what?”
Several gasps broke out. I glowered at Quazar, who was glaring at me.
“How?”
“Piss off, traitorous demon. I almost died thanks to you,” I snapped.
I rolled away and pushed to my feet. Hobbling, I held my side with an arm and threw the other to my back where I’d been stabbed. I needed Zara, immediately. From my quick scan of everyone, I was the only one who’d been wounded within inches of her life.
“Ellie,” I breathed, my vision swimming. Stars. I needed to sit down somewhere.
Daelun flew over, but I floated away.
“Leave me be,” I snapped. “Ellabeth, where is she?”
I looked around.
Ellabeth was nowhere to be found.
Then I remembered the anger in Dakairi’s eyes as he followed her through their star gate. Slowly, I turned my gaze on him. Something feral churned in my gut. Rage flushed my neck hot.
“Where. Is. Ellabeth?”
Dakairi shrugged, nonchalantly, crossing his arms. Then he grinned, his eyes dancing.
“She was getting tired.” He tilted his head.
The Talons grinned, wickedly.
“So I put her to sleep.”
Dakairi’s blue eyes blazed.
What had he done to my best friend?
Something in me snapped. I didn’t think about my pain. Or the fact that I could hardly walk. I didn’t think of my shredded wings. Or how I kept putting my body through endless Hèls since the dawn I came to this temple.
Without thinking, I fyused. I whipped out my wings and slapped Dakairi across his face so hard, his body snapped, jerked back, flew across the hall, and slammed into one of the wingtower pillars. Hard.
Before the angels could react, I launched myself at Quazar, and slapped him just as hard. His head snapped back, golden blood gushing out of his mouth.
The Xadari Talons snarled. Their jeweled eyes began to glow. They launched themselves at me.
But Seventh Choir got to me first, shielding me. Every last one of them fyused. Before I lifted my wings again, Seventh Choir attacked. Then my Choir, and the Talons, tumbled into an all-out brawl.