A terrible thought crossed his mind then. What if Robert and Max had been telling the truth and the killer mark really did work? Surely it wouldn’t have enough power to make him kill the woman he loved?
Determined to prove the Hunters wrong Jon ran faster and fell to his knees beside Aisling. He pulled her up onto his lap and cradled her there. She lifted her head and looked directly at him and for a moment Jon thought everything would be alright. Her screams of pain made him jump but they also seemed to switch something deep inside him. She was no longer the woman he loved. What lay before him was an animal, a wounded animal that screamed and begged for his help. He needed to help it to put it out of its misery. He placed one hand over her mouth in an attempt to silence the screams. It annoyed him to listen to her constant wailing.
He pulled the curved blade from his belt. The handle was ornate and the black steel was covered in rune marks and other symbols that he didn’t recognise. Jon sneered as Aisling’s eyes widened in fear. It would take someone as weak as her to be afraid of the end.
“I’ll make it quick, I promise.” The smile he gave her as he lifted the dagger was chilling. She bit down hard on his hand. With a yelp, he yanked his hand away from her mouth.
“Jon, don’t do this. You don’t have to, it’s me, it’s Aisling!”
With a growl, Jon lifted the knife and prepared to bring it down on her.
Time slowed to a crawl as Jon brought his arm down. A bubble of pure white light enveloped Aisling’s body. It disappeared inside her as time froze completely. When the power burst out through Aisling’s skin her body arched upwards. The power flowed into Jon and washed the marks from his body. It filled them both searching through each of their bodies for wounds to heal. Aisling gasped for air as the power filled her body to the brim. Her very body glowed with the white light as it danced beneath the surface of her skin.
When the first flush of her power receded it left Aisling and Jon struggling to comprehend the true extent of what had happened.
Jon dropped the knife and it fell harmlessly to the forest floor. Shock and guilt fought within him. He had come within seconds of killing the woman he loved. If her coming into her power had happened a moment later, she wouldn’t have been alive to receive it.
“Aisling, I’m so sorry...” His voice grew choked with emotion as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace.
“It wasn’t you, Jon, I know that.” She hugged him back and Jon drank in the scent of her hair. He ran his hands up and down the length of her back searching for the arrow but it wasn’t there.
“Ais, the arrow... it’s gone.” Jon couldn’t hide the surprise from his voice.
“I know. I felt my body absorb it.” Jon looked at her strangely. “It felt weirder than it sounds.” She said whilst beginning to laugh.
The sound of many people running and crashing through the trees startled them both from their happy reunion.
“Shit, they’re here. We need to go.” Jon jumped to his feet and pulled Aisling with him.
“We need to find an open space. I can take them out in the open. I know I can.” Aisling grabbed Jon’s hand and it was then he felt it. The connection that allowed them to tap into a pure power. It stunned him and left him struggling for air. He smiled at her and took off at a run.
“The Hunt is on!” Max’s voice resonated through the trees. Jon held Aisling’s hand tightly and ran through the woods faster.
* * *
I gripped his hand as we raced through the woods. I had never felt so strong or powerful in my entire life. I could feel it racing through my veins and it exhilarated me. I felt so alive, and now that I had Jon back by my side anything was possible.
We ran into the clearing and stood waiting in the middle. It wasn’t long before the hunters entered the space after us. I smiled in satisfaction as confusion crossed their faces. They hadn’t expected us to stand and face them. The power built within me as they began to fan out and slowly advance on us. The archer who had shot me earlier loaded his bow and prepared to fire. He was the first to go. It didn’t even take that much thought. One second he was preparing to fire on us the next he was crumbling to the ground, his body merely a dry withered husk.
The power lashed outwards at three of the hunters that were closest to us. Their bodies erupting in a blue flame that left their skin unscathed; instead it stripped them of their very life essences. I drank in the lives I took. It was easy, like breathing. Together, Jon and I were an unstoppable force. The power flowed out from me, it was hungry for more and who was I to deny it?
I felt a pain between my shoulder blades and turned to Jon in shock. Pain marred his face. Max stood behind him his hand on his shoulder. I could tell from the gleeful look on his face that Max had thrust a blade of some sort up through Jon’s back. The only thing that was keeping Jon on his feet was the knife Max had buried in his back. I howled in anguish as I felt Max turn the blade and bury it in Jon’s heart. The power within me lashed out wiping the look of happiness from Max’s face. The power was hungry it ached to take the lives of both Max and Jon but I reined it in.
I knew the moment Jon’s spirit left his body. I ensured the power stripped Max of his physical form and their bodies collapsed to the ground. I still held Jon’s hand in mine as his body fell. I looked into Jon’s eyes as his spirit grew stronger.
“Save me!” His voice roared through my mind and I let my natural instinct take over. I knew what the power was going to do even before it began. Power poured out through me as if I was an open door, engulfing Jon and Max’s spirit and then they were gone. All I had left was Jon’s hand in mine and his cold dead body.
Tears blurred my vision as I lay down on the ground beside him. I didn’t care anymore, without him I was nothing. I closed my eyes and waited for the rest of the Hunters to finish me off.
Their blows never came and after a few minutes I opened my eyes and realised I was alone. The sound of my name being called made me want to curl up and become invisible.
“Save me.” The words were barely a whisper but still I heard them. I turned to Jon’s body but he was cold and still. The words had not come from his physical body.
“Aisling, save me.” The words whispered through the trees as a light breeze ruffled my hair. He was still here. He wasn’t gone. I opened my mind and allowed my senses to take over. It was then I felt it. It was a perfect box of power, it pulsed as I ran my hands over the surface. I knew Jon’s spirit was inside. He hadn’t moved on he was trapped within the box. Forever held in the moment of his death. I had done this to him. If I could do this much, then perhaps I could bring him back.
I closed my eyes as the voices drew nearer. I just needed a few minutes. I poured my power out against the box but nothing happened. I pushed against the box until the colour of my power changed to red. I wouldn’t let him go.
The feel of someone’s hand on my shoulder broke my concentration and the power left me in a surge. Collapsing to my knees, Natasha broke my fall and held me.
“Aisling, what have you done.” She brushed her hand across my face. I watched weakly as she showed the blood smeared across her palm. “You’re bleeding from everywhere.” Fear strained her voice.
“Jon...” My voice sounded bubbly as though I was underwater I knew it wasn’t water because I could taste the metallic tang of blood in my mouth.
“Hang on, Aisling.” She faded from my sight as I closed my eyes and gave into the red haze. I didn’t feel any pain as I floated on the haze and it made me happy.
Epilogue
“Don’t give up, Ais, you have to save me. You’re the only one.”
“Jon, don’t leave me!” I screamed at him as he grew fainter and fainter until there was nothing left.
I sat up abruptly and looked around. I was sitting back in my bed in the house of the Croí. There was a soft knock at the door and Natasha poked her head around the door frame.
“You’re awake.” She sounded genuinely
happy to see me up.
“How did I get here? Where is Jon?” I couldn’t stop my barrage of questions, the last thing I remembered was collapsing in the forest. Natasha lifted her hands as though to ward off my questioning.
“You must be hungry?” She asked hopefully and I knew she was simply trying to change the subject.
“How did I get here? And where is Jon?” I narrowed my eyes at her.
“Aisling, you know Jon is dead, right?”
I swallowed back tears and nodded. “I know he is not in his body anymore. He’s not gone though.”
Natasha smiled sympathetically. “I thought that way at first when Jason...” she swallowed hard, “died.”
“It’s not the same thing. Jon really isn’t dead. I did something to him. I sealed him in the moment of his death. I think I can bring him back...”
“But how?”
“Right now, I don’t know. I don’t understand enough about my power to do it. I need to know more.”
Natasha nodded and folded her arms. “We can teach you all you need to know.”
I grinned and moved to climb out of the bed. “Let’s go.”
“Not so fast. You need to rest, and eat, and regain your strength. You gave too much of your power. We almost couldn’t bring you back. Until you get back into shape, power wise you won’t be fit for anything.”
I began to protest but Natasha lifted her hand and silenced me. “Not another word. If you want to learn and stand a chance at saving Jon, then I’m afraid it’s my way or nothing.”
I sat back in the bed and sighed. I didn’t like it but if it meant getting Jon back then I would do anything. Natasha offered her hand, “do we have a deal?” I nodded and took her hand in mine. I had a feeling that Natasha would be a hard teacher.
Don’t worry, Jon, I’m coming. I thought to myself as I shook Natasha’s hand and she left me alone to find some food. I will save you.
#
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