Chapter 59

The door creaks as my palm presses against it. Moving into the depths of the building, my footsteps echo through the empty halls. The barren emptiness and decay rests heavily on my back. I shudder at the overhanging dampness and press forward through the murky halls, creeping through the battered skeleton of the dead building. The vile odor of damp and rot clogs my nose.
Ahead of me comes the distant sound of shuffling. I follow it, glancing back warily every few steps. I peek into a dark room, two chairs sit with their backs to me, two chairs I recognize from the DVD.I can just make out the tops of Clara and David’s heads. I rush forward, ignoring any sense of caution.
I rip the gag out of Clara’s mouth and move to David in a blind panic. Clara speaks in a rushed, garbled voice, but I can’t hear anything because my adrenaline level is so high.
David grabs me roughly by the shoulders, making me face him. “Kayla, it’s a trap! You must leave, right now!” This at least penetrates my fog covered mind. Clapping echoes from behind. I spin around. The King of Darkness looks at me with fire in his eyes.
“Now, now, Kayla, did you think it would be that easy, princess? Did you think you could escape from me?” He takes a couple of steps towards us. His menacing smile gives me the chills.
My head explodes with pain and my knees buckle. I can’t see straight.
He strides towards me. My head feels like a boulder. I can’t lift it. He stops in front of me and bends down.
Breaking glass and the heavy pounding of footsteps break his hold on my mind. The room fills with the council brandishing swords that light with a blue glow. They rush towards the king, and the room explodes with different creatures. David picks up a metal bar lying on the floor. He swings it with a skill I didn’t know he possessed. A yellow-eyed creature comes hurling towards me. I dart to the side. Chaos descends on the room as the demons and council fight for control.
One by one, the council members fall. Movement in the far corner catches my eye. I make my way over. One of the Order of Terror crouches low to the ground. He creates one terrifying creature after another, playing on each of the council members fears.
A scream draws my attention. I watch horrified as one of the council is ripped apart by a hell hound. His sword drops a few feet away. Keeping my eyes on the battle, I creep toward the sword. Once it is firmly in my grip, I head toward the one from the order.
He’s crouched down with his back to me, his head bowed. Lifting the sword high, I thrust it into his back. The sound of metal and the thunderous roar of the battle stops.
The surviving crowd of bewildered council men look bewildered. The king stands in the center, just as surprised. His eyes catch mine.
“You will pay for this, girl.” He marches towards me. I close my eyes, concentrating on pulling my power forth like James has shown me. Heat swells in my chest, flooding into my veins like a spark following a fuse. Slowly, I open my eyes. The king stands still, his mouth remains an uncharacteristic grim line. The council stands behind him and have the same expression on their faces.
I let the ball fly from my hand, it moves so fast it’s a blur of blue. The ball smacks the king in the shoulder, knocking him back a few feet. The glow in his eyes intensifies as he sends a line of fire in my direction. I jump and roll to the side. The fire misses me by a fraction of a millimeter.
Fire erupts from his hands like a volcano. Wave after wave comes my way. I’m exhausted, and my movements slow. I manage to let a ball of light go every once in a while, but it never hits its target.
A blue whip slaps the king across the cheek causing him to stagger forward. This is followed by a blue ball of light which hits him in the back. He drops to his knees, clutching his face. Cole appears beside me. The king looks at him with hurt and betrayal in his eyes.
Cole and I orb and appear outside the building. “Stay here,” Cole orders before disappearing again. The sound of clashing metal and distant screams tears through my body. A few minutes later, Clara and David step out of the building. Clara’s right arm hangs at an odd angle. Blood is smeared over both of their faces. David is sporting a swollen black eye that renders his eye shut. Their clothes are torn and covered in muck and dried blood.
James, Chris, and Justin appear, surveying our little group. None of them look any better than Clara and David.
A high-pitched scream makes my blood run cold. James and Chris disappear into the building. David runs through the rotted doorway. Clara screams and tries to make her way after him. Justin grabs hold of her, stopping her from entering. I stand and watch everything play out in slow motion.
Smoke escapes from the open windows, followed by flames. Chris and James appear outside.
“Get back!” James yells as he carries a lifeless looking Misty in his arms. I don’t move. I can’t. I stand and watch the door, waiting for David to return. Clara’s screams pierce my heart. The building explodes, knocking me backward. A body covers mine as debris rains around me.
Slowly the weight lifts. My legs and arms sting from the impact.
I look around hoping for some miracle. David is nowhere to be seen. Clara’s cries become louder with each passing second.