The rain does nothing to relieve the searing heat, but an icy blast frees me of the gut-wrenching anguish the moment his power, darker than the night itself, darts through the trees like an arrow shot from a bow.
Essentria’s magic is the last, and it is the most vicious. I gag, grasping my throat as I choke against the power creeping up in a nauseating, cloying liquid until light emanates from my mouth. The surrounding vines curl around my ankles and wrists, binding me to the dirt that quickly crumbles under my body, sinking me deeper into the island.
My heart beats erratically as I gasp for air. The sky clears slightly, clouds retreating into the horizon as her magic pulls me further. The liquid pours over my lips like honey, sticky, then turns to dirt, clogging my airways.
As I wrestle against the vines, a root snakes along my shoulder, then moves up to my throat, tightening around it until my vision is filled with stars.
The sky flashes with a bright yellow like an arrow of sunlight that has somehow reached through the Everlands, and the roots and vines instantly fall lifeless. Her magic seeps into the mud as a heaviness settles in every one of my limbs. I extend my arms and tear through the vines around my wrists, then rip the root coiled around my neck.
I suck in a deep breath, staring out from the now six-feet deep hole. The decay magic in my veins is depleted temporarily, and I think about Calista and how it will affect her ability to defend herself.
Tiredness claims me, unable to keep my eyelids open.
I shudder, and I wonder if this is what mortality feels like. Dread slides into my stomach as I sense their energized auras for the first time in over a century—my family.
TWENTY-ONECalista
It’s as if time has ceased to exist as we reach Tenenocti Island, the forest vibrant under the sudden terrain of rain. My eyes fixate on the trees, their outlines slowly emerging from the dense blanket of fog shrouding the island.
The unintelligible screams from the townspeople on the shore fade as a silence consumes the surrounding waters. Eleven torches flicker around me, illuminating the group as the docks appear before us. Wind whips around my ears, my rain-soaked, gray cloak weighing me down. Wringing out the gray skirt of my dress, I search for them through the curtain of rain.
“Ari. Drake,” I whisper-shout as I sink my oar deeper into the water, but they don’t hear me. Using the last remnants of my waning strength, I propel my boat toward them. Unlike before, when I killed the Phovus with decay magic, I am completely drained. Perhaps it’s because this time I used it on a person instead.
Every push of the oar against the thick waters aches my shoulders to the point of exhaustion. Despite the stillness of the Black Sea, I can sense the dead waiting just below the surface.
The island is a labyrinth of towering trees, their branches intertwining like a natural canopy over the ruins of an ancient civilization. A collective gasp sounds as the others lay their eyes on the first skeleton of many, tangled under the grip of vines covering the docks.
Sweat beads against my forehead as I use every ounce of my energy to stand and climb out of the boat. My satchel slips down my body with the movement, the vials clinking inside.
Footsteps pound over the docks, vibrating through the ground as two people run past me, not noticing me in their haste.
My eyes glide over my competitors, Elenore at the back, her veil lifted, tears shining under the light of the torch.
I turn my head from the sight, and I breathe out a clipped breath while Arabella and Drake wade through the shallow waters, torches in her hand, but drops of heavy rain extinguish the flames. They both look around, wild-eyed.
I quickly scan the area, my gaze sifting over the waves of ivy spilling onto the stretches of dirt where I find Alaric, his veil discarded on the ground, his robes already torn. He slips into a mountain of vines, a gleaming silver reflecting the moonlight as he produces a dagger. Fighting against the instinct to disappear under the docks, I instead reach for my onyx one, unsheathing it from my thigh. The blade, laced with poison, is etched with ancient symbols of sacrifice. Running into a bloodbath is foolish, so I plan on picking the competition off, one by one, until only Drake and Ari remain.
My heart pounds in my ears as I run, attempting to locate the seven others not accounted for. A shadow moves from within an abandoned building, barely visible under the overgrowth.
“Cali!” I whip my head around at the sound of Arabella’s voice, my eyes widening as the shadowy silhouette behind her emerges from the forest.
Rourne steps into the light, and my raspy scream breaks the silence. “Run!”
My boots hammer against the wet ground, splashing mud around my ankles while I race in their direction, my heart pounding in my ears. The scene becomes a blur, and I strain to focus on their movements. Drake steps into view, pushing Ari back, and I pause for half a second as she loses her footing, falling to the ground. Ari sits up as Drake’s arms wrap around Rourne as they wrestle. Grunts and growls fill the air until Drake lifts Rourne a few inches off the ground and hurls him down with a skull-crunching thud.
I can barely breathe as I finally reach them, my fingers sore from clutching the dagger with all my might in case of any sudden attack. For it is dark, and prey quickly becomes predator once we’re away from society, with only ourselves to depend on for survival.
Desperation clings to Rourne’s features as he continues to fight back against Drake, despite the blood leaking from the back of his head.
I hold a hand out to my sister, and she takes it without hesitation, hoisting herself up with my help. “Stay close to me, Ari,” I command when I hear footsteps nearby. Adrenaline courses through my veins, and I struggle to catch my breath as I glance around us, keen to find any other potential threats.
I can barely think.
“Stop fighting,” Drake shouts, his voice broken in parts. Rourne groans, attempting to push Drake away as he lies on his back, but being unable to, and I realize he must be paralyzed.
I fall to my knees at Rourne’s side, and Drake takes a step back.
“Tell my mom I love her.” Rourne’s voice cracks, tears slipping down his cheeks. “Tell her—Tell her I didn’t suffer. She won’t survive it otherwise,” he splutters, the haunting emptiness setting in his brown eyes as the fight leaves him altogether. “Please.”
Ari’s hands clap over her mouth, tears shining under the red moonlight. “Oh, my gods. What have we done?”
I swallow hard against the lump forming in my throat. “He attacked us first,” I point out, although he had no choice. Any of us would have done the same. Yet, it doesn’t make this any easier.
His pleading gaze finds me, and I nod slowly, seeing the boy in front of me clearly for the first time. He can’t be any older than Ari, and he has a mother in Ennismore who’s probably praying for him right now.
Drake squeezes my arm and I flinch. Rourne splutters a cough, blood foaming at his lips. His chest quakes, and a gurgling choke leaves his throat.
“I can save him,” Ari whispers, leaning forward, but I shake my head.
Drake glances at me, and I press my fingers against Rourne’s forehead.
He winces under my touch, then closes his eyes as he waits for my magic to consume him. Except nothing happens. The more I try to will the magic, the more exhausted I feel.
“What’s wrong?” Drake asks when I stare at my fingers as they refusing to darken.
“I—it’s not working.” My jaw slacks as I try again, to no avail. Rourne’s cries fly from his lips in short wails, and after a moment, I lift the hand holding my dagger.
Drake’s brusque voice disrupts the silence. “Cali, no.”
