“Fine, but she’s not going to like it.” Sophia took Marcus’s blade, quickly cleaned it with her dress and made a clean cut to her palm. I watched while Sophia placed her bloodied hand onto Rhea’s bare chest. The crimson life force slowly seeped into her skin. Rhea awoke and looked at us with empty dark stares.
“What did you do?” I asked.
“It’s called blood magic.” she replied “but it’s very dangerous.”
“Rhea, can you hear me?” I asked.
Rhea’s eyes turned into pools of darkness, she wasn’t the Rhea I once knew. We all took a step back, fearing what she would do.
“Sophia, what have you done?” I said.
“What have you done?! This isn’t who I am anymore!” Rhea cried.
“Siren!” Barbus barked.
“He’s coming we need a plan quick.”
Rhea stood onto her feet and made her way towards Barbus. The two of them met face to face and Barbus took a step back, he knew what she had become.
“So you’ve embraced the darkness again?” he said.
“Only to protect the ones I love.” she replied. Rhea’s voice wasn’t the way I remembered it, it took on a darker tone.
Barbus rallied his leaches around and they charged towards Rhea. She did not move, she just stood there waiting. Closer the horde came nearer, but Rhea wasn’t fazed.
“Rhea!” I screamed.
She finally waved her hand and the leach horde exploded into black ash, leaving Barbus to fend for himself.
“Darkness suits you.” he said.
She didn’t reply. Rhea brought out her hands and pools of thick tar like darkness swirled out. It moved effortlessly throughout the hall, almost as if it was alive. Barbus ducked and dodged the approaching blackness as it flew into the air and dived straight down for him. Barbus shot off his own power, red lightning charged it’s was towards her, but Rhea blocked it and laughed at his feeble attempts. She wore a dark smile to fit the darkness that filled inside of her. Rhea enjoyed toying with Barbus, like his life meant nothing. The dark tendrils latched onto him and brought him up into the air.
Rhea then fell onto her hands and knees, struggling against her own inner darkness.
“Rhea!” Sophia rushed by her side.
“What’s wrong with her?” I asked.
“It’s draining away her life.” Sophia replied.
The tendrils disappeared from Barbus’s body and he fell to the ground. “No!” Rhea yelled.
She pushed Sophia away from her and was intent on destroying her target, no matter what.
“Marcus, take Ellie and leave, now!” shouted Sophia.
“What about you?” I asked.
“I have to stay with her, I won’t leave her.”
“No, I don’t want to lose anyone else.” I said.
“Go!” she shouted.
“Ellie, we need to go.” added Marcus.
“Sophia?” I just stared at her, she was serious. She had said her feelings on the matter, nothing I could say would change her mind.
I reluctantly followed after Marcus, but Barbus blocked our path.
“No!” growled Rhea.
A dark tendril snaked its way through Barbus’s body, picking him up on the spot and throwing him away. Marcus and I carried on ahead but something inside of me wanted to go back and help, but all of this was about trying to keep me safe. Everything that we’ve done would have been a waste. Against my judgment I didn’t look back.
Marcus and I reached the dead garden and there were more leaches waiting outside, ready to ambush us.
“There’s just no end.” I said.
They moved closer once they saw fresh prey.
“Get behind me.” I said to Marcus.
“I should be saying that to you.” Marcus replied.
I quickly ran in front of him and screamed at the oncoming leaches while Marcus slashed at them from the side.
“Let’s go!” I yelled.
I ran through the fallen leaches with Marcus on my heels. We now arrived at the entrance to the grand building. The stone wall that covered around Naaz’s residency was in ruins. We slowly walked along the bridge, hoping that it would not break and send us into a watery grave. Behind me loud bangs and explosions filled my ears. I looked back and saw the building being destroyed from within. Blasts of red and black escaped pierced from within the building. I watched as an explosion so strong that it sent ripples along the ground and tore the earth apart. I looked in horror as the building that I once took refuge in was falling off the cliff and down into the unknown.
“No!” I screamed at the scene I witnessed.
The bridge we stood on started to break away and we hurried on over to the other side. I skidded and feel to my knees in tear as I saw the building with my friends in falling apart. I felt sick to my stomach and I couldn’t make the tears stop. From within the woods were more groans that I came to hate. There were leaches lurking in the forest just waiting for easy meat. I picked myself up and stood my ground.
“I’m so sick of this!” I screamed.
My breathing was heavy and I felt like I was ready to explode with rage. I used that rage to fuel my power. I screamed at the leaches and they were uprooted like flowers in an updraft. They hit against the trees, their bones snapping in the process.
“Ellie?” whispered Marcus.
I turned my tear filled face towards him and for the first time in my life I didn’t know what to do.
“We need to go.” He softly said.
“Go, go where!?” I yelled.
“We just have to keep moving.” he replied.
“What’s the point, everyone keeps on dying, and you’ll probably be next.”
The hurtful words just kept flowing and I couldn’t stop them. I needed to vent my rage on someone, or something.
“Ellie, if I could I would comfort you.”
“But you can’t, can you. Nobody can touch me!” I yelled.
“I know.” he sadly said.
“Is this what my life has come down to, running for my life and getting everyone around me killed?” I took a deep breath “If that what life’s got in store for me then they can shove it!”
I wiped my face with the back of my hand and looked up at Marcus. I couldn’t get him killed as well, I didn’t want that. Then an awful thought popped into my head, and I didn’t know if I should do it. I walked closer towards him, almost near enough to feel the heat that radiated from his sweat filled body.
Chapter Seventeen
“I’m so sorry.” I whispered.
Marcus gave me a confused look, but before he could work it out I snatched out and took his strong hand into mine. This was the first and last time I would get to hold his hand. At first he put up a struggle but I was too strong for him. I looked deep into his mind and saw how much he thought of me and how much he wanted to protect me. But what I was doing was to protect him.
“Do not follow me, forget my name and forget me.” I said with tears in my eyes.
I let his hand drop from mine, and he wore the vacant stare that many wore before him. I took one last look at Marcus and turned my back on him, on it all. I walked away while trying not to burst into tears.
Chained (The Siren Series #2) Page 13