Lok and Lyella tackled one of the biggest crazed werewolf’s on their own. Lyella was using advanced Anatomy magic to fire fragments of metal from inside her own to shoot like bullets into the wolf, whilst Lok beat the lycan with fists he’d transmuted into rock. With a tremendous groan the giant toppled, but Lok and Lyella only moved to face another demented beast in his place.
Brooke saw all of these fights in seconds, but her eyes were drawn immediately to Arantay, who was in trouble.
He had slain one of the Rakarn he’d been battling, but another still blocked his way to steps that led to the railings and Falawn. This Rakarn wielded a spear that he was intent on plunging inside Tay, but he was evading the strikes easily. But then Eskal had appeared behind Arantay and pinned his arms to his back, giving the Rakarn and his spear a clear shot.
“No!” she heard herself cry as she ran forward.
She saw Phosian at her side, running to catch her, but a crazed wereleopard came at him from the side, leaving her alone. But she didn’t care, she had to save Tay.
Eskal heard her coming. He let go of Arantay and whirled to face her, a grotesque grin painted across his face.
“Screw you,” Brooke shouted, flinging a paralysis spell at him.
Eskal ducked it fluidly, though, before moving at inhuman speed and slapping her so hard across the face that she crashed to the ground. The sting of the slap made her ears ring and Arantay’s shouting of her name was muffled. She looked up to see Tay trying to reach her, but being blocked by the Rakarn with his spear.
She stood, only to find Eskal directly behind her. Before she could turn her head an inch he’d wrapped and one arm over her arms, trapping them against her sides, and then his other arm around her neck from the back, holding her in an iron-tight headlock. Eskal used the position to lean down and whisper into her ear.
“I’m very upset with you, little miss. You didn’t want to play my game and become one of us.” Eskal snarled. “As you refuse to become a vampire, I’ll merely drain you dry instead. Goodbye, miss.”
She tried desperately to wield the spell, Voltpine, which would cause electricity to run through her body and make him let go of her, but her magic had gone completely now.
Panic overwhelmed her as Eskal’s fangs slid out of his mouth and he leaned down to bite. She struggled desperately, smashing the back of her head into his face and even stomping on his feet. It wasn’t enough to harm the vampire much, but it made Eskal lose his temper and throw her across the room with a hiss. She rolled across the blood slick floor, her skeleton jarring with the force of his throw. She landed on top of a dead werewolf. Brooke had no time to see who the wolf had been, only that he held a knife in his hand. She snatched the weapon, but only managed to roll on to her back before Eskal was on her again, this time sticking a boot in her stomach and pinning her to the ground with it.
Eskal giggled as she failed to move his leg off of her. “You frail humans, so weak.”
Eskal had failed to see the dagger she’d picked up, but he damn sure felt it as she slashed his ankle.
Blood jetted out to splash across Brooke’s face, but his scream of pain was music to her ears. Even as Eskal tried to limp away she jabbed at him again, this time sticking the dagger in his thigh.
“You sneaky bitch,” he roared, whirling to seize her hair and yank her up to sink his fangs into her neck once again. Instead she drove her dagger into his neck. He choked as blood bubbled from his mouth. She pulled back one last time and drove the dagger into his chest with a primal scream, piercing the vampire’s heart.
Eskal looked at her in shock, then at the knife sticking out of his chest. “But… no…” he croaked, as his body turned to ash
She looked up to see Tay had managed to wrench his spear away from the Rakarn and threw it back it him like a javelin. The spear shot through the blue glass over the Rakarn’s right eye and stayed there, quivering, as the Dark-Venator sagged to the floor.
Brooke made to even the odds but then a huge Lycan and Tyrell blocked her path, battling furiously, Quinn and Vore worked together on yet another maddened werewolf right beside them and there was no way Brooke could get through.
Hallia walked quietly between the two huge wolf battles, touching them both delicately as she passed. At the ancient vampire’s touch, both wolf’s crumpled simultaneously and Tyrell, Vore and Quinn were free to move towards the steps, where they cleared a path for Arantay to finally climb the steps and reach his brother.
*
As Vore and Quinn battled the two Rakarn, Arantay ran and leapt to the metal bridge, where Falawn waited for him.
Curiously, he felt no remorse at what he was about to do. Killing his brother would bring him no grief, only redemption.
Falawn stood at the centre of the bridge, his sword drawn and his lips hooked in a rictus grin. He noticed Falawn’s sword was an enchanted Rakarn blade, sharp enough to cut through his armour. Tay remembered Falawn despised Venator weapons and had chastised him for using one. More hypocrisy from his brother.
“No more running,” said Arantay. “Stop being a coward for once in your life.”
“I’m no coward,” Falawn chuckled. “I’m the only one with the courage to do what was right, to stand up to the Venators who polluted our world.”
“And our parents? Our whole elf clan?” he asked, his body trembling as he stepped forward.
“They were no true elves. They’d forgotten their own ancestry, their culture. They had become weak.”
Arantay shook his head at his brother’s delusions. He just couldn’t understand how Falawn could’ve come to these conclusions.
“Do you regret nothing?” He asked, trying to keep the hopeful desperation out of his voice. Surely there was some morsel of decency left in Falawn. Some part of him must feel shame or regret for what he’d done.”
Falawn merely raised his sword. “You won’t win little brother. But I think slaying you will be cathartic for me. Be happy that your last act will be giving back to your family.”
Arantay replied by closing the distance between them, slashing at his brother’s face violently.
Falawn reared back like a viper, and Tay’s sword clanged against the bridge’s railings instead. The blow was so hard it bit a chunk out of the railing’s stone and sent shockwaves into his hands, almost making him drop his sword. He held on, however, and writhed away, dodging Falawn’s counter-strike.
Only his inhuman reflexes saved him from Falawn’s next strike, their swords clash together as he went on the defensive.
Arantay’s arms jarred as he swung against his brother’s blows, and he was forced back across the bridge. Suddenly, Falawn dropped to a knee and thrust his sword out, attempting to stab through Tay’s spleen. He brought his knee up, lightning fast, smashing it into Falawn’s chin and throwing him back. Falawn stumbled to the side of the bridge, one hand seizing the railing to stop himself falling.
He lunged forward to capitalize, but Falawn sliced his sword up, faster than Arantay could evade. He threw his body back, but the point of Falawn’s sword still managed to scrape through his armour and across his stomach. He felt a burning scratch across the length of his stomach and felt the blood begin to drip down.
But Tay had no time to look at the wound, as a snarling Falawn swung for him again, and again. He parried the strikes as best he could, but Falawn nicked his again in the thigh, then came a millimetre away from poking his eye out.
“That tainted blood of yours is flowing freely.” Falawn laughed.
He forced Arantay back further, almost to the wall of the warehouse at the end of the bridge. Once cornered there, Arantay
Falawn let out a cry of fury and lunged at him again, his sword going high. Arantay rolled underneath the blow and behind his brother, causing them to switch places.
He jumped to his feet and began hacking into Falawn’s guard, forcing him back this time. Falawn hissed at his back hit the wall and he thrust his blade desperately, trying anything to re
gain the upper hand.
Their swords knocked together in frantic fashion, until he suddenly slipped through, plunging into Falawn’s chest, pinning him to the wall.
Falawn gasped, and flung his arm up. Arantay’s own hand shot out to stop hi brother’s sword just before it pierced his neck. Falawn struggled against him, his arm shaking. Slowly, but surely, Arantay overpowered his brother, pushing Falawn’s own blade toward him.
The cold hatred glittering in Falawn’s eyes turned to panic as he realised it was over. Arantay forced Falawn’s sword against his brothers neck and sliced it across the throat, simultaneously yanking his own sword from Falawn’s stomach.
As soon as Arantay stepped away, a flash of shock consumed him. He stared at his dying brother, appalled at what he had done.
“I only regret…” Falawn choked, blood leaking from his lips. “That you weren’t ripped to pieces by the demons… along with our parents.”
Bitter to the end. Arantay bowed his head in sorrow as Falawn slumped across the bridge and moved no more.
It was over at last.
*
Brooke didn’t notice the Dark-Venator aiming his laser rifle at her until the very last moment. She turned as the Rakarn was already pulling the trigger. A laser blast exploded from the gun’s nozzle, streaking toward her. The laser was only a metre away when Phosian stepped between them, using his magic to throw the laser back at the Rakarn. The bullet struck the Dark-Realmer’s helm, shattering one of the horns and causing the Rakarn to fall.
“Thanks,” Brooke said breathlessly.
“No problem,” Phosian replied.
She came to stand by his side as she assessed the situation. The battlefield was less chaotic now that so many had fallen. She spotted Tyrell battling a deranged wereleopard, but both Lok and Lyella were nowhere in sight.
“YOU!” Brooke and Phosian looked round as Selina screamed abhorrently.
It appeared Selina had noticed Phosian for the first time. If looks could kill, Brooke reckoned Selina’s glare would make Phosian die a deliberate and excruciating death.
She stormed forwards, a fiery whirlwind of anger and hate. “You dare to come before us,” Selina snarled, spit flying from her mouth. “You dare to stand before me!”
“Ah long time to no see,” said Phosian. He looked at Brooke sheepishly. “We used to have a thing, I guess she isn’t quite over it.”
In response, Selina gestured violently, throwing an energy orb that hit Phosian’s chest at breakneck speed. Phosian flew several feet, until he crashed against the far wall and slid down it, dazed.
Selina made to finish him off, but Brooke intercepted her.
With a shriek, Selina lashed out with her whip, but Brooke swiftly weaved a force of air, which directed the whip to slap into Selina’s face and send her sprawling.
She ran to disarm the other girl, but Selina thrashed wildly, kicking Brooke’s leg from under her. As she fell, Selina was already rolling on top of her, knocking Brooke’s sword out of her hand and pinning her to the ground by her wrists.
Brooke tried to push Selina off, but she was too strong.
“Not good enough, little girl.” Selina bared her teeth.
She writhed frantically, trying to get free, but then Selina smashed her head into Brooke’s nose. She heard a crunch a second before the pain hit and knew her nose was broken. Blood immediately gushed from her nostrils and into her mouth.
Brooke didn’t realise Selina had let go of one of her wrists, until the older girl had already plucked the dagger from her boot. She brought her hands up, just in time to stop the blade plunging into her chest.
Her hands clamped down on the dagger’s hilt and pushed up and away with all her might. She knew by the blade’s red sheen that it was an enchanted one. A weapon that could pierce straight through her armour. Selina grinned maniacally as they struggled, but the dagger was getting closer, inch by inch. Brooke couldn’t beat her. She didn’t want to die, definitely not at the hands of a Rakarn. But any moment now, the blade was going to stab through her chest and pierce her heart.
Her forearm began to burn. No, it can’t be. How can this be happening? A vein in her arm had gone black. As her vein wriggled its way up to her hand, Brooke’s need to survive overpowered her horror of using demon magic again. She’d hoped to never experience this again, but if it stopped Selina stabbing her to death, it was worth it.
The black vein morphed into what Brooke could only describe as a thick shadow as it shot out of her palm to curl around Selina’s wrist. She heard the sizzle of burning flesh a second before Selina started screaming.
Selina dropped the dagger at once and flung herself away from Brooke in terror, frantically snatching at the demon magic before it could ensnare her further.
Brooke willed the sorcery away will all her might, whilst praying Selina didn’t know what it was. No Rakarn could find out.
Selina managed to escape the hungry tendril, but it burned her fingers whenever she tried to grab hold of it.
Brooke only stared in horror as her demonic sorcery drifted softly to the floor, then dissipated. But the damage had been done. Selina held her arm against her chest, where Brooke could see an angry black welt circling her wrist. Selina’s expression showed the agony the magic had inflicted upon her, but also terror, as she gazed at Brooke.
“What are you?” she gasped. “You… you shouldn’t be able to do that. Only… are you one of them?”
She knows, the thoughts thundered in her head. She’ll expose me to everyone.
“No! That wasn’t me,” Brooke lied, scrambling to her feet and retrieving her sword.
Why? Why was this happening? The Emerald Shade was supposed to block the demonic side buried within her.
“You’re a demon-spawn?” Selina croaked in disbelief. Her eyes were full of fear as she backed away from Brooke.
Selina was fiddling at her belt, retrieving her Rambrace.
“No!” Brooke screamed. She couldn’t let Selina escape now she knew what she really was. Velkarath couldn’t know about her. If Akirandon knew there was demon-spawn at Veneseron...
“Rakarn!” Selina’s shriek pierced the air. “We’re done here. Retreat!”
“Wait,” Brooke cried out, running toward the other girl. She had to stop her.
Selina ran back, throwing out her arm. Brooke raised her sword, prepared to cut the spell apart with her blade. Unfortunately, she didn’t see the spell until it was too late. An invisible cord of air magic flew across the ground, snagging around Brooke’s ankles and causing her to trip to the floor.
Brooke fell again as she tried to stand. Her ankles were tied together, yet she couldn’t see the cords where she could break the spell with her sword. As she writhed madly, trying to pull the spell off with her hands, Selina conjured a new portal.
“No!” she screamed desperately. “Arantay, Lok, Tyrell. Stop her. Someone, anyone, stop her.”
Selina’s fellow Rakarn ran for the portal, leaping through in a rush, some of them even shoving their peers out of the way. Vore’s pack and Hallia’s coven chased the dark-Venators, but Rath and Ragul kept them at bay with an energy barrier. Brooke couldn’t see any of her fellow Venators.
She took a huge gamble, she had too, and hacked at the small space between her boots, trying to sever the air cords apart with her sword. After several anxious swipes, she felt the invisible cords snap and fall away. She jumped to her feet and sprinted to the portal, bur as she ran Selina jumped through with one last frightened look back at her.
Brooke skidded to her knees as the portal collapsed in on itself, allowing Selina, the twins, and a handful of other Rakarn to escape. Her body wracked by throbbing breaths of anxiety as she realised the enormity of what she’d done. Now Selina was beyond her reach, with the knowledge that Brooke possessed demon magic.
“What is it?”
She felt a hand at her shoulder. Tay was there, lifting her gently to her feet.
“It’s okay, th
ey’re gone. We beat them.”
She could tell Arantay was trying to comfort her, but he was saying exactly the wrong things. But Brooke couldn’t tell him why she was so upset, either.
“Oh, Rueda. You’re covered in blood. Is your nose broken?”
She could feel that her face had swollen up, and her broken nose throbbed in time with her hammering heart. She couldn’t breathe through her nostrils or open her watering eyes fully. Through the tears of pain, Tay’s face swam before her, his scarlet eyes full of concern and care for her. Usually, such a look from him would send her quiver? but neither Tay, or her physical pain, could distract her from the implications of Selina’s escape.
The weight of what Brooke had done crushed her. Surely, if Akirandon discovered other spawn existed, the queen of Velkarath would stop at nothing to claim them. Whether to imprison or kill them, Brooke didn’t know.
“You need healing,” Arantay said gently. “Do you have any magic left?”
She shook her head wordlessly.
They were both distracted as Lok and Lyella burst back into the room, Lyella’s hair not flawless for once, but coated in grime and gore.
“Where were you?” Tyell demanded, shaking the blood from his blade as he stepped away from a fallen werewolf’s body.
“The fighting broke out into the next warehouse, that’s all.” Lok said casually.
Brooke noticed the body on the bridge above them. The last time she’d seen Arantay he’d been battling Falawn. She looked quickly to Tay, but his expression showed no signs that he’d just murdered his brother.
Now that the fight was over, the exhaustion crashed into Brooke. She staggered as Lok pulled her to him carefully.
“Wha-”
“Hold still, babe,” Lok murmured, pressing his hand to her nose.
Brooke sucked in a breath through her teeth as his touch brought a sharp stab of pain. Moments later, she felt the healing spell do its work, knitting her broken nose back together and dulling the pain.
“Thanks,” she gasped, ignoring Lyella’s glare.
Moonlight War- Act II (The Realmers Book 3) Page 32