The Rising

by Terra Harmony

  Chapter Forty-Three

  "Kai!" Her scream is shrill and desperate. She thrashes on the ground under the wolf pinning her down. Her muscles give in to pure exhaustion, and Serena goes limp as she stares up into wild, red eyes. The wolf grabs Kai's trident with his teeth and tosses it aside before turning back to Serena.

  She can move now, but has no weapon. She hears Liam struggling against the tree, but her trident holds strong. With her arrows trapped in between the ground and her back, she is out of options. Saliva drips from the wolf's mouth, pinging as it hits her breastplate.

  Serena remembers her secret weapon; the miniature arrow fastened to her front. Before the next drop of saliva falls from the wolf's fangs, she grabs the arrow. Her hand is at an awkward angle, but she can't risk losing the chance. She jams the flint directly into the wolf's throat and blood splatters her face and the ground around her.

  She sits up, pushing on the wolf with one hand and pulling on her treasured last weapon with the other. She has just enough time to turn the arrow for a better grasp and thrust it out in front of her, killing another wolf that attacks. It falls to the other side of her.

  Screams ricochet across the forest when one of the guards fall under a small pack of frenzied wolves. And yet, more wolves are coming.

  Serena gets to her feet, walks to Liam, and wraps her hands around her trident. One hard and quick pull, and the trident slides out of Liam's shoulder. He falls to his knees, clutching the wound.

  "Liam!" she shakes him. His eyes roll to the back of his head, and he slumps to the ground, unconscious.

  The blood isn't seeping as bad, and his breathing is becoming steadier.

  His pack will take care of him, right?

  Serena turns, searching for Kai. A wolf stands over him, shaking his head violently back and forth.

  "Not him!" she yells, running toward Kai and grabbing his trident left stranded in the shrubbery. She approaches the mass of fur standing over him, her eyes tearing up before she can reach him. Her system has gone into pure panic.

  Straddling over the wolf, she drops Kai's trident, and grasps her own with two hands. She raises it up, then thrusts down. The center prong skips off the spine. The wolf yelps, bucking his hind legs out. Serena keeps him pinned in place and thrusts her trident down again. All three spikes spear flesh. The wolf goes still with shallow, wheezing breaths. Serena pulls her trident out, blood matting the fur around the puncture wounds. Another thrust punches through more flesh, and the wolf stops breathing.

  She swings one leg off, pivots, and kicks out. The wolf falls to the side, and Kai is splayed out on the ground, blood covering his torso.

  Serena kneels next to him. "Kai!"

  Her hands feel useless. There is so much red, she doesn't even know where to apply pressure. Kai is gurgling, and a small stream of blood trickles out of his mouth.

  "No, no." Serena shakes her head. "You said you'd wait for me. Don’t go!"

  He lifts up his head. "Until my last breath."

  "It won't come this night, Kai Forest." Tears run down her cheeks. "It won't."

  "Oh, no," Murphy says, kneeling on the other side of Kai.

  Recalling a quick explanation from Murphy during a training session on colored arrows and their codes, Serena reaches into his quiver and pulls out the arrow with red ribbons attached.

  "No…don't!" Murphy shouts.

  She nocks, aims toward the beach, and releases the arrow.

  "Shit." Murphy watches the arrow disappear out over the ocean. It's distinct buzzing sound and the red, flapping ribbons will call in reinforcements.

  She kneels back down next to Kai, looking at Murphy. "I had to."

  It is not so much the reinforcements that Serena longs for than it is Hailey, the healer, and her assistants.

  She looks down at Kai. "He needs them."

  There is another howl, spurring Serena to her feet. "Just how many reinforcements do they have?"

  If any more waves move in, this day could very well see off the last of the Undine.

  "We need to get him to the beach," Murphy says, hooking one of his arms underneath Kai.

  Serena nods, doing the same on the other side.

  They half-run, half-walk to Cliff Beach, dragging Kai through the forest then into the narrow passageway, hard rock scraping at both their shoulders. Serena's webbed feet finally hit sand as they emerge from the trail. She looks at the breakers. The first Undine reinforcements are also coming onto the beach. Serena searches for Hailey's blue-green scales.

  All she sees are scared, wide eyes. They look to Serena and Murphy for instruction, but there is no time for orders. Right behind them, werewolves emerge from the passageway.

  Serena and Murphy drop Kai. Murphy moves forward, ready to intercept as many wolves as he can. Serena stands over Kai, planting her trident into the sand, deep enough so it stands on its own. She draws from her quiver and drops two werewolves coming her way.

  But more filter out of the passageway, leaping over their dead brethren. Scattering across the beach, the wolves turn their full fury on the innocent maidens.

  Serena watches in horror as the first of the wolves slams into a maiden with orange scales—Sasha.

  The wolf tears into her soft middle. Orange scales dot the sand around her like blood splatter. All Undine seem to pause on the beach, equally unable to process and react to the scene. Sasha's screams don't last long. They die out as a wave reaches up, lightly touching the splayed out strands of her hair. Then the tide recedes, taking her soul with it.

  The wolf turns to a group of stunned maidens.

  Serena is finally able to nock an arrow and take aim. Beside her, Murphy continues to ward off attack after attack, keeping the wolves at bay, away from Serena and Kai. She tries to block out the growls and grunts occurring a few feet from her. As she is about to let loose her arrow, Murphy stumbles back and crashes into Serena.

  She ducks as the rest of his bulky body summersaults over her, then she stands, releasing her arrow at the attacking wolf instead. The carcass slumps to the ground at her feet.

  Serena looks back at the maidens, who stare at the wolf in front of them. The creature is aiming for another maiden—Lilly, the garden apprentice.

  No, Serena thinks, stepping forward side by side with Murphy, who has regained his footing. An advancing trio of wolves distract them. Out of arrows, Serena drops her bow and picks up her trident. She and Murphy stand back to back, surrounded by werewolves once again. The enemy attacks. Murphy and Serena alternate turns parrying, thrusting, ducking, and blocking fangs and claws.

  Serena risks a glance at Lilly, who kicks a clump of sand at the wolf. Her webbed feet scoop up plenty of granules. The wolf backs away, pawing at his eyes. This emboldens the rest of the maidens, and they inch forward, holding up their knives.

  A flash of sea-green on sand catches Serena's eye. "Hailey!" she calls, waving her arms, then pointing to Kai lying on the ground.

  "Can you stand guard?" Hailey asks as soon as she reaches Kai, already pulling vials from the pouch around her waist.

  Serena nods. She faces her enemy with a new vigor alongside Murphy, yet more werewolves emerge from the passageway. Their ranks are as steady and plentiful as the waves. A lump rises in Serena's throat.

  We need more help.

  Together, Serena and Murphy thrust their tridents into another werewolf. Serena hits the midsection, twisting her weapon and ripping at his soft belly. His insides spill out onto the sand; revenge for the Sunbeam family and their fallen painted maiden. Murphy steps hard on the wolf's limp body so they can both remove their tridents.

  Behind them, Serena hears Kai cough. She turns. When he opens his eyes, they skip around—wild in panic. Finally, they rest on her. He breathes, then lays his head back down.

  "We need to get you back," Hailey says.

  Kai shakes his head. "No, I'm staying."

  "Kai, please—return to the waves," Serena pleads through heavy breaths.<
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  Kai pushes himself up, looking at Hailey. "Can you wrap my wounds?"

  Hailey glances at Serena once, then nods at Kai. "Of course." She begins digging in her pouch again.

  Serena swallows hard, turning to face Kai. "Go back. That is an order."

  Kai raises one eyebrow, along with his arms so Hailey can spin gauze around his midsection. "Last time I checked, the Werewolf Liaison doesn't outrank the Second in Command."

  "Maybe not," says Serena. "But the Maiden Heir to the throne does."

  "Serena…" Murphy's voice is strained.

  She turns to find him holding his trident parallel to the ground. Two large wolves shove their full weight against it. When Murphy lifts it up, their chests are exposed. Serena thrusts her weapon into one of them. Murphy pushes forward, able to throw them both back.

  Once she steadies herself, Serena turns, facing Kai. "Like I said, this night will not take your last breath from me. Go!"

  "No." Kai takes his trident from Murphy. Her eyes scrutinize two sets of puncture holes across his body. One curves over his shoulder, the other spans his chest.

  "Please?" she asks, voice soft.

  He takes a step closer. "Can you guarantee you will return to me?"

  Serena looks at the slow trickle of blood running down her trident, then out at the battle.

  "No," she says.

  Kai nods. "Then I'll have to stay to make sure of it." He takes position next to Serena, nodding to Murphy on the other side of her. Behind them, Hailey ties off Kai's wraps and slips away to help another fallen Undine.

  Down the beach, Lilly and five other maidens withdraw their weapons from the hide of a downed wolf.

  Just as the tides begin to turn, a fresh group of wolves arrive—led by Alaric. Serena grits her teeth at the howl he emits. But Alaric's call is answered by another. It is a deep rumble, moving in from the ocean. All eyes turn toward the water, Undine and wolf alike.

  King Merrick sits on top of the whale rock, summoning the water. The sea obliges, rising up at his command.