Twin Moon - Chapter 293 - Now or Never
Zelena.
Gunner took my hand and I turned to follow behind him. Lupus was marching at his side, the two of them whispering harshly. I couldn’t focus on what they were saying, I was too taken aback by the bodies we passed. My eyes caught on a woman lying face down on the ground with a gaping wound in her back. Another with his neck broken at an ungodly angle. Three or four wolf bodies followed quickly after. How could one person do so much damage? A rush of magic tickled across my skin and the air around us felt thinner and light. Gunner stopped walking and turned to look at me.
“Do you feel it?” he asked. I nodded and lifted my head higher.
“She’s literally sucking the air out of the village” I answered.
“How are you supposed to fight against that?” Lupus grunted angrily.
“I have powers too” I said as I lifted my hands and erected a shield around the three of us. The air immediately felt normal again, further proven by the sigh and deep breath Lupus took.
“Let’s go” I commanded. The three of us set off on a jog toward where the magic was coming from. We rounded the barn and a growl burst from my lips. Whiskey stood with her back to the barn doors and a circle of bodies around her. She held a small axe in her hand that was red with blood. Her entire body was drenched in blood, so much so that there was barely any clear skin visible. Our warriors were fighting back hard, but their efforts were pointless. Between her brutal and fearless attacks each time someone approached her, plus her ability to seemingly pull the air out of people's lungs, she was winning. Dread weighed down my stomach and an icy shiver ran up my spine. I don’t know if I can beat her.
“Get everyone back, and stay out of sight” I growled over my shoulder at Lupus. He nodded once and changed form, right in front of me. His dark grey, and very large, wolf looked even more terrifying than the human form of Lupus did. I’ve seen his wolf form before, from a distance anyway. But seeing his wolf up close and personal, with the scar running across his face, his long sharp teeth on full display, plus the furious glint in his eyes. If I didn’t know who it was in there, I would be wetting myself with fear.
Lupus dashed off back the way we came. I assume to get around the other side of Whiskey. Gunner once again took my hand and squeezed it tight. Together we cautiously walked forward. A group of seven fighters in their wolf forms spotted us and quickly ran over to flank us on both sides.
“Get out of here, all of you” Gunner commanded. The wolves stopped and looked at him puzzled. A large orange wolf shook his head a growled fiercely. I guess that is a no. Gunner waved them off and growled.
“I order you” he demanded, his voice echoing through the air.
“All of you, get your squad and clear the area”. He used his Alpha command. They couldn’t refuse him now, even if they wanted to. Unfortunately though, we gained Whiskey’s attention. She flung her right arm out, catching a small brown wolf mid jump. Avoiding its chomping teeth, she threw the wolf effortlessly, sending it soaring back to crash into one of the cabins. I followed the wolf with my eyes and winced as it hit the structure and crashed through the wall. When it didn’t come back out again, I turned and snarled at Whiskey. She was looking back at me with what I can only describe as a look of twisted insanity. Her smile was wide, her eyes glowed a dark red and her body seemed to be vibrating. But the most disturbing part was the whisps of black smoke that spiralled around her arms and legs. She’s given herself over to it, the darkness. I know the enticing feel of it, it’s not something I could ever forget. The power, the addictive taste of it, the sense of excitement it instils in you. The darkness was what took Gunner from me, it was what encouraged me to kill Galterio, it was what made me feel crazy. If Whiskey had let it take her over, Goddess help us all.
I squeezed Gunner’s hand once more before pulling my hand from his.
***Now or never.*** I flashed him as I stepped forward.
***I’ve got you, I’m right here.***
Gunner answered as he lifted the shield. Just around the both of us at first. But I could feel it expanding. I felt the power bristle through the air. Gunner’s mixed with Whiskey’s, with a bit of mine. All of it was Goddess magic, but the differences were astronomical. Whiskey’s was cold and dangerous. Gunner’s warm and illuminating. Mine was grounding and homely.
Lupus must have been fulfilling his task, as the clearing seemed to clear out almost instantly. I unfurled my fingers from my tightly clenched fist and flexed them. My eyes were fixed on Whiskey, as hers were on me. I spotted a wolf out of my peripherals as it charged for Whiskey. I suppose it thought I was distracting her enough. It was wrong. Whiskey didn’t even look away from my gaze as she swiped her arm out, slicing the axe across the chest of the fighter. It yelped and began to tumble back. Whiskey twirled with dizzying speed and swung the axe once more, embedding it in the neck of the wolf.
A scream burst from within me, shooting out a wave of energy that crashed over Whiskey and shook the barn behind her. The wolf was dead, its head half decapitated. Seeing one of my pack members slain before my very eyes is entirely different from seeing the already dead pack-mates on the way here. It hurt differently, just as intensely, but very differently. Fury burned through me, lighting the spark of magic in my soul.
“Whiskey!” I shouted. Regaining her attention. She turned slowly to face me. her wicked smile still in place and her eyes holding more evil than I thought possible. She laughed. Just a giggle at first, but it quickly turned to a full belly laugh. I think she may actually be crazy. Whatever those hunters did to her all those years, what ever pain and torment they subjected her to. It broke her. they broke her.
“You!” she huffed out between breaths.
“You’re the best they have. You’re the one that’s going to stop me?” she cackled as she looked around the space, as if expecting more fighters to come.
“Stop this now!” I demanded.
“Or what?” she blanched. All humour was gone, and she was glaring at me through furrowed brows and a tightly pressed scowl.
“What are you going to do, dear sister? You think you can stop me, you think you can beat me? Do you want to give it a go?” she snarled through clenched teeth. I quickly looked at the space around us. Multiple people had already died by her hand, but I couldn’t see any more of our fighters.
***They’re gone, they’re all safe. It’s just us now, Zee.***
Gunner’s voice filled my head with the assurance that I needed. This is my shot, now or never right. I lifted my arms at my sides, pulling the power into my command. I manipulated the gravy around Whiskey and gripped hold of her. With her arms pinned to her sides and her legs completely encircled, I held her in place and lifted her off the ground. She struggled against the pressure, only for a moment, but just as quickly stopped again. I stepped closer to her, with Gunner right behind me. His forcefield was around all three of us, expanding out a fair distance over the space around us too. Whiskey watched us both closely as we neared her.
“I underestimated you” she hissed. A tight smile graced her reddening face. She wanted me to think she had given up, she made it look like she wasn’t fighting it. She’s trying to trick me into releasing her. I guess she doesn’t know that I can feel it, the pressure she is putting on the hold I have. I can feel her pushing at the tethers. Just like with Galterio before he broke free of me. I can feel my hold on her weighing. It was just one moment. One quick flash of fear, a second of me doubting myself. Remembering how Galterio broke through my power, and what he did to me afterwards, it was enough to interrupt my concentration. Whiskey took full advantage of my slip up and used her power to sweep me off my feet.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
