The Rising

by Terra Harmony

Chapter Forty-Two

  Liam is one of the few of the clan Werich in his human form. Serena does not let that fool her—he is still just as dangerous. Kai and Murphy fight for their lives, and it looks as though they are being drawn away.

  Narrowing her eyes in distrust, Serena turns to Liam.

  "I didn't want this," Liam says. He is breathing hard, his clothes covered in dirt. Serena scrutinizes his bruised face and bleeding lip.

  "Yet you've been fighting anyway," she says.

  His fists clench shut, then open again.

  "Are you about to change?" Serena asks, taking a step back. She glances at Kai.

  He is too far away.

  "Our transformation happens whenever the Undine fear level spikes, whether there is a full moon or not. Some have better control over others—"

  "Those with certain bloodlines, like you?" asks Serena.

  "Yes, but the wolf is always difficult to suppress. That is why I changed whenever you almost fell off the cliff." Liam falls to his knees, hunched over, then takes a deep breath and stands again, like he is battling an inner demon.

  Tightening her grip around the stem of her trident, her palms squeak against the metal. She looks around, the King's Guard is hopelessly outnumbered.

  Serena shakes her head, narrowing her gaze at Liam. "Why did you burn the wolfsbane?"

  "It was Alaric; I couldn't stop him." Liam runs his hand through his hair.

  Serena can see his fingernails extend out into sharp points, then go back to normal.

  He continues, "I wasn't supposed to be talking to you. I thought I could change things…but Alaric sees a different path for our species."

  Teeth elongate past his lips and Serena remembers them practically scraping at her neck the night of the cliffs. She shivers. "I don't trust you."

  "You should. I am going to fix this."

  "So am I," says Serena.

  Liam shakes his head. "Alaric won't leave the Undine in peace, if you surrender. Even if you don't trust me—you can't trust him."

  Another wolf approaches, ears flattened back, teeth bared at Serena. Liam turns, growling at him. The wolf’s ears perk, then he tucks his tail between his legs and slinks around them.

  Serena watches him go, then turns back to Liam. "We were the same species, once," she says. Her voice is low, almost a whisper.

  Liam takes a step closer. "Listen—"

  Serena lowers her trident, pointing it directly at his chest.

  His eyes go wide. "Please, I need to tell you something."

  Serena glances at Kai out of the corner of her eye. He is moving closer to her now. If she lets Liam close the distance, Kai might get distracted. She can't risk that. "You can tell me from there."

  He swallows. "The night of the Maiden's Massacre—you don't know everything about it."

  "What don't I know?" Serena presses forward so Liam has to step back.

  He grips her trident just below the crescent moon that holds the three prongs and leans in until the tips puncture his bare chest. A small trickle of blood snakes its way down his exposed abdomen. "You weren't the only Undine to survive the Maiden's Massacre." Liam lowers his voice again. "One still lives."

  Serena freezes, but her hesitation only lasts a second. She grits her teeth, and pushes her trident forward. Liam gives resistance, now gripping the weapon for leverage as he loses balance.

  "Where?" Serena demands. The thought of one of her people in the clutches of Alaric is more maddening than watching the wolfsbane patch burn.

  Liam shakes his head.

  Serena grits her teeth. Drawing a small circle with the tip of the trident, she twists it out of his grasp. She swings it wide, rotating her hips. The stem connects with his temple. He stumbles back, barely keeping his footing as he falls against a tree. He puts his hand to his head. As soon as he pushes himself away from the tree, Serena throws her trident.

  The three points spin in the air, but the stem follows a straight path, parallel to the ground. The center prong stabs through Liam's shoulder, burying itself in the tree behind him. Liam is pinned. Another prong rests on top of his shoulder, and the third just outside of his bicep.

  He opens his mouth, wide enough to scream, but he only manages to emit a strangled whine.

  Serena stalks toward him, her stride long and quick. Her chin is tilted down, her glare so intense it could've pinned him better than the trident.

  One side of her lip curls up in a snarl. "Where?"

  "Serena—" Liam's mouth opens and closes, the shock of his wound cutting off his voice. "I am trying to help you!"

  "Where. Is. She?" Serena asks again, each word rumbles in her throat. She grasps her trident and rotates it.

  The few centimeters of give it has is enough, and Liam cries out. "Not a she!"

  Serena steps away from the trident. "Who then?"

  "It was me—I survived. I was one of the infants." He grunts in pain, sweat dripping down his pale face. "I am told that I had a twin," he looks at her, eyes pleading before they squint closed in agony again.

  Serena's gaze drop to the crescent moon mark on the side of his face, remembering the birthmark on the king's nose. "I suppose you have an affinity with the moon, too?" she whispers.

  "What?" his chest is heaving with shallow breaths.

  Serena looks at him. Behind the blood, sweat, tense muscles, and deep lines in his face as he grimaces, is a touch of innocence. He doesn't know that Serena is his sister.

  "Serena!"

  She barely has time to register Kai's voice when she is knocked aside. She hits the ground hard, ribs slamming into a large rock.

  Her breath catches in her throat and pain explodes down her side and around her back. Her gills spread open and she can feel her stomach spasm. Serena watches the wolf that slammed into her get back on his feet and she realizes she can't move her legs.

  "Liam…" Serena manages to croak out, sitting up. She doesn't take her eyes off the wolf stalking toward her. She can only hope Liam is still conscious and can hear her. "I'm so sorry."

  The wolf bares his teeth, lowering his head. Serena wiggles her fingers, keeping her breathing shallow to minimize the pain.

  "Me, too." Liam's voice is raspy and distant.

  The wolf leaps, his mouth opening. He covers the distance quickly and slams into Serena's chest, knocking her down. She feels his hot breath push against her exposed neck.

  This is it, Serena thinks. Nothing will matter after this. Not the king, not Liam, not even Kai's kisses. She stretches her neck long, hoping it will be quick.

  Before fangs tear into her, there is the sharp zing of metal against teeth.

  Looking up through the spaced prongs of a trident, and long, matted hair on the wolf, Serena sees Kai. She blinks, her lips forming the words thank you. In the next second, another blur of fur slams into Kai, and he is gone.