Lanterns In The Sky
Page 14
Defend me.
I stepped forward and conjured a shield. Sweat formed on my brow as my energy surged in protest. Andrew came to a halt before the shield, eyeing it with a scowl. Skye chuckled, watching as Andrew attempted to find a way through to me. His amber eyes were filled with desperation, and I had no idea if he could see my own, or if I was a mirror image of Valarie: lifeless and robotic.
I noticed Irma and Walter round on Chrissy, while Jason pummelled a fist into Devian's face. Valarie grabbed Jason—clearly also under Skye's control—and pinned him against the wall.
"Valarie!” Jason struggled, trying to push her off. "Val—Adrina—please! Snap out of it!"
Valarie pressed her arm against Jason's throat, using the rest of her body to pin him there. Jason grunted, pushing back with all his might and only just managing to keep his air holes clear, by the looks of it.
"Lucy!” Andrew shouted through the chaos, his hands pressed squarely against my shield. "You've got to stop—you've already cracked the barrier!”
My stomach turned to lead. He continued, "If you can hear me, push back. You're stronger than you realize."
His desperate eyes poured into mine, and I struggled against the suffocating power that Skye flooded my body with. I tried with all my might to push it out, to find a loophole—anything.
Everything was crushing and mind-numbing. All I could feel was her power dominating and controlling mine. If I could get control of it again, if only for a second, I could weaken my shield and let Andrew through. If she broke Skye's hold over both Valarie and I, we'd be free to fight back.
But I couldn't do it alone. I needed him to help me, to weaken me, before I ever stood a chance. I strained, trying my hardest to tell him that.
"Stop resisting,” Skye growled, her body tense with concentration. Andrew looked between the two of us.
"Lucy?” he pressed, his eyebrows rising. He pressed against my shield, forcing me to strengthen it. In turn, my energy recoiled.
"Come on—keep going! You can do this!"
Inside, I was screaming, trying to push away the protruding darkness that kept hurtling at me and pulling me back under.
Get out of my head!
I started chanting back. A mantra to fight by.
Get out! Get out! Get out!
Skye cried out, stumbling back a little. The shield flickered for just a moment. Just enough time—Andrew flew through and lunged at her. Skye immediately fastened the strings on my limbs, making me grab him. Andrew tried to shake me off—normally it wouldn't have even been a challenge, but Skye's strength and will was driving my own.
I heard a shout from across the room and caught a glimpse of Jason. He'd gotten free of Valarie—perhaps in the same moment I'd broken Skye's concentration—and was tackling Devian once more.
"Skye!” Chrissy roared across the room. "Get Lucy to finish the chant now!"
Andrew finally managed to shrug me off and slammed into Skye. She struggled with Andrew, until finally she'd been backed into the wall. She swore.
"Get off!” she growled, throwing him aside as hard as she could. She charged over and willed me to be still, before digging her sharp nails straight into my temples. I screamed, the pain flashing through my head.
"Finish it!” she hissed, glaring at me. I could feel my eyes glazing over—with her touch directly on me, her control was ten times stronger than before. There was no breaking this.
"With this…” my mouth said, before she was ripped from me. Andrew hurtled her into the stone wall and pinned her there with a handful of precisely aimed feathers from his wings. Skye immediately willed me to free her, and I moved toward her—
But Andrew's warm arm clamped around my waist, dragging me back.
"I've got you,” he murmured knowingly, his warm breath on my throat, and I'd never felt so much relief sag through me. Though I struggled and lashed out, his arm remained tightly around me. He made a gesture and shouted over the crowd.
"Jason! The sword!"
I saw Jason fling the starlight-infused sword our way. My heart rate spiked at the sight of the sharp blade plummeting towards us, but Andrew was swift, and grabbed it firmly in his free hand. He then turned back to Skye and took aim.
"You'll thank me later,” he promised, ignoring the way her eyes widened in fear.
"Wait!"
Her words fell on deaf ears as Andrew plunged the sword into her heart. She gasped, her eyes wide with shock.
The compulsion instantly broke.
I sagged against Andrew's strong arms, my entire body drained of energy and feeling. Slowly, my senses returned, and all I could do was stare at Skye's body, expecting blood to ooze from the wound. But instead, the sword seemed to glow with golden starlight, and it flooded through her body, setting her skin alight with luminance, until the colours seemed to fill her with warmth and life once more.
Her red hair took on a beautiful shine, and her eyes lightened slightly. Even her facial features became less sharp and intimidating, taking on softer curves and lines, instead.
She was no longer a Chard. She had become human again.
Andrew plucked the sword and wiped it on his pants. There was only more dose of starlight left within it. We had to make it count.
"Can you fight?” Andrew asked, still offering me his support. I shook my head, feeling my legs wobble. Everything was too much—the pain that had returned to my nose and my wrist, my exhaustion from casting such a huge spell and being used by Skye… I was going to collapse at this rate.
Andrew grimaced, looking around at the ongoing battle, then faced me once more.
"Okay, I need you to grab Valarie and get out of here. Take her somewhere safe. We'll catch up."
"I can't leave you guys,” I insisted, but he shook his head.
"We'll be fine."
An ear-splitting screech sounded, and my gaze snapped to the source. My heart thudded in my chest at what I saw.
Chrissy had unleashed the fallen angel, her gaze locked on the two of us angrily. Nearby, Irma and Walter lay in a tangle of scratched limbs and ripped wings, leaving just the four of us to fight the monster that had prowled from its prison. I felt Andrew tense beside me. He shoved the sword into my hands and gave me a push towards Valarie.
"Get out. Now,” he said curtly, stepping in front of me and readying his wings. The monster's horrible, swirling eyes seemed to narrow in on me, and I felt all the blood drain from my swollen face.
My legs felt like lead, but my terror drove me to tear across the chamber, heading straight for Valarie's crouched figure. She looked pale and was clearly as drained as I was, if not more so. Jason was still fighting off Devian, the two of them throwing blows at each other. Jason's hair was slick with dark red blood, and Devian had a nasty bruise forming on his jaw. I couldn't help but feel smug seeing it, especially with my nose burning in pain.
"Valarie,” I said urgently, my hand gently wrapping around her arm. Her eyes were hollow with grief and regret.
"I…” she trailed off upon catching sight of me. Her green eyes sparkled with the tiniest bit of life—life I'd missed so dearly—and I had to blink back tears of relief. Another screech sounded from the fallen angel, and I glanced over to see Andrew sparring with it. He was a blur of white and gold, moving so quickly and swiftly I almost couldn't see him. The fallen angel bared its teeth, its monstrous claws swiping at him.
"Come on, we have to get out,” I said, turning back and pulling her up.
"Lucy, I'm so sorry—"
"I know,” I said briskly, but warmly, and it was all she needed to hear. Giving her hand a squeeze, I pulled her towards the exit. Valarie struggled to walk just as much as I did. Everything felt so heavy around us; our exhaustion weighing on our shoulders. But we had to push on.
"Wait,” Valarie said numbly, turning a little. "Jason…"
My heart twisted uncomfortably. I wasn't aware of what Valarie had been through—what she knew, what she didn't know—but she still wanted
to save him.
Him.
A murderer. A liar.
She looked longingly at him, watching the way he staggered, taking every blow with a grunt before returning it twice as hard. Blood and sweat dripped off of him, and he panted heavily.
I clutched her hand a little harder. I wanted to drag her away. Forget him, my mind cried. But if I left him here, despite everything he was… was I any better than Chrissy and her gang?
I gritted my teeth. Devian was our final target, after all, and with the three of us working together, maybe we could transform him too.
"Stay on your guard,” I warned, letting her hand slip from mine. I clutched the silver sword in my hand and made for the two of them. Jason was staggering, clearly out of breath. I placed a hand on his shoulder to make him pause.
"Jason, that's enough,” I said through clenched teeth. Devian eyed me, spitting blood from his mouth, and I raised the sword, my eyes narrowed with cold anger.
"Time to settle the score,” I said darkly, feeling my nose throb. He smirked and raised a challenging eyebrow at me.
"It's your funeral, princess,” he replied smoothly, rolling a kink out of his neck. "Better you die here anyway—you won't last after you step outside."
My stomach churned. I could only imagine what outside looked like right now.
I held the sword steady in my good hand. I'd never swung one before, but it glinted lethally in the flickering candlelight. A part of me couldn't comprehend the idea of stabbing someone, but I'd seen how the sword had changed Skye—seen how it hadn't hurt her. That memory was the only thing giving me the strength to hold it anywhere near Devian.
"Well?” he taunted, waiting for me to move. I gritted my teeth and lunged. He side-stepped fluently and shot his hand out to grab my upper leg. He pushed forward, and my leg bent under the weight of his hand, throwing me off balance.
I swung blindly at him, slicing through the air as my spine crashed into the stone floor with a thud. The air blew out of me, and I rasped. My entire body throbbed in protest—I had not thought this through. Just as I managed to gulp down air, he stomped hard on my broken wrist, making me scream in agony. Looking bored, he used his other foot to kick the sword away so far that it hit the opposite wall and clattered to a halt.
"Let her go!” Valarie demanded, shoving him hard with her shoulder. He stumbled off of my hand, and I sobbed in agony. Jason appeared at my side and helped me to my feet.
"Bastard,” he growled. I found my feet once more, my hand splintered and numb and my vision half-black from the dizzy pain. Jason lunged to help Valarie. I shook the clouding pain away, and my eyes trailed to the sword. My heart skipped a beat, and I was about to run for it when the screech of the fallen angel reverberated around the room, deafening in my ears.
"What are you doing?” Andrew thundered at us, eyes wide with horror. I noticed Walter and Irma had gotten to their feet and had joined him in combat, trying to throw off Chrissy's attacks once more.
"Lucy!” Jason shouted, ignoring Andrew as he and Valarie wrested Devian into a headlock. "The sword!"
I was already running, racing across the chamber for it. My heart was pounding in my chest, every footstep echoing in my ears. I heard the sounds of battle from behind me, but I tuned them out as I reached down for the sword.
"Lucy!"
Something smacked into my shoulder, knocking me sideways. I skidded along the stone, and the stench of rotting flesh wafted off of where I'd been hit. I caught sight of wide black wings and ghastly claws…
The fallen angel had come for me, prowling towards me like a predator. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of it approaching, watching my every move.
The sword was too far away now, and I was cornered. All I could see were those dark, inky wells it had for eyes, the razor-sharp claws that would rip me to shreds…
I knew I couldn't summon a shield. Not with my power so drained. I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut, but I couldn't seem to move.
And then someone raced behind him, grabbed the sword, and ducked under the angel's arm. The angel looked down at him, snarling viciously, but before it could so much as swipe, the sword had plunged deep into the angel's chest.
Jason was breathing heavily, his hands loosening grip on the sword. The angel roared, the sound vibrating through the floors and shaking our very bones. But then, just as Skye had transformed, the angel did too—it's skin faded to a cream colour, it's hair took on a bronze shine, and it's eyes flickered to amber, just like Andrew's. All of the darkness and evil melted through him until his wings cracked into a million shards and shattered.
At first, I was relieved to be safe, but then it hit me hard. The last dose of starlight… it had infused the wrong target.
My gaze snapped to Devian, who stood watching us, smug as ever, while Andrew's face was unreadable. His shoulders were sagged, fists clenched, and he avoided our gazes.
But now, we'd restored the hearts of two souls—and as such, had grown our numbers. It was obvious that Devian and Chrissy were outnumbered, and from the bitter glance they gave each other, they knew it too.
"Don't think you've won, little princess,” Chrissy hissed, glaring at me. "A whole new world awaits you up there… and with a cracked barrier, the magic will continue to fade until it is no more. Your world will change soon enough, and your loyalties with it. I'll make sure of that when you're begging for death at my feet."
With that, she and Devian stormed out of the chamber, and I momentarily realised that Kale was still missing. Where was he? Why hadn’t he been here helping them?
The thought concerned me for a moment, but Skye and the angels had collapsed with relief in light of the danger passing, and I eventually did too. We were safe… for now.
Valarie slumped to the ground, burying her face in her hands. Jason went to her side, looking nervous and unsure of how to approach her. With a grimace, I averted my eyes, instead focusing on the angels.
All four of them, now.
My cheeks burned as Walter glared daggers at me—I'd almost forgotten that I'd run away from him. Irma and the newly transformed angel, however, wore soft smiles of approval… as if they were proud, or thankful.
I didn't know why. Because of me, the barrier was broken, and now the world was going to see chaos like no other.
"I messed up,” I said to them, my voice tiny. "I'll make it right, no matter what I have to do—"
"It's too late,” Andrew said quietly, his eyes filled with a strange sense of detachment. "It wouldn't matter if you didn't complete the spell— he moment you started, you caused the barrier to crack. And it's like Chrissy said… eventually, it will completely break. The magic will drain away, and the universe will be exposed for every unkind being to wreak havoc upon."
He sighed deeply, almost wistfully. "I spent centuries trying to prevent this."
Irma's eyes settled upon him.
"Don't be so negative!” she said firmly, crossing over to him. "There is always another way—and Lucy is still with us. Perhaps there is something more she can do."
"Hasn't she done enough?” Walter asked bitterly, clearly siding with Andrew. I bit back a bad-mouthed retort—after all, he was right. This was all my fault.
"Let's not stay here arguing about it,” Jason piped up, folding his arms. "Valarie and Lucy need rest before we can do anything else. We should discuss this later."
After a moment, everyone agreed. We all made our way towards the stairs and climbed up.
Into the horrors that awaited.
Thirteen
When we emerged onto the street, my breath was taken away at the sight before me.
The black night sky was filled with glowing cracks—the Starlight Barrier was indeed breaking, and sections of the sky were no longer filled with the tiny, glowing lanterns that had once kept us all safe. There were so many people outside staring at it, wondering what it meant. I even spotted a news crew nearby, hauling microphones and video cameras with them.
I had done this.
All of these lives were in danger because of me.
All of us, including Skye and the now restored angel, made the decision to return to my house. Without the observatory, it was the only other safe place right now. And at least that way I could make sure my family had gotten home safe.
When we got to my doorstep, the door was locked, so I rang the doorbell. I was ready to fall asleep. My dad opened the door a crack and peered around it, a baseball bat clenched in his trembling fist, but then he saw me.
"Oh, thank God,” he breathed, the bat clattering to the ground as he practically yanked the door open to let me in. He wrapped his arms around me tightly. But then he saw my face, my bruises, and his face contorted angrily.
"Rachel!” he boomed over his shoulder. "We need to go to the hospital!"
I almost laughed at the simplicity of it. The hospital? I mean yeah, I probably should go, but it seemed so stupid after everything I'd been through. I’ll admit, my broken bones hurt like hell, but I had two priorities on my list right now: sleep and food.
The hospital could wait.
"I'll go in the morning,” I told him firmly as we headed inside. I barely made it to the kitchen before my mum and sister found me and crushed me with hugs. I humoured them for a moment, savouring their warm embrace. I'd been so scared I'd never get to see them again.
But when they finally stepped back, I grabbed a bottle of painkillers and two bottles of water from the kitchen before trudging back to the stairwell.
"Mum, Dad,” I said, gesturing to the others. "Let these guys stay here, please. They'll explain anything you want to know."
I met Valarie's equally weary expression and added,
"We need to take a nap."
I slept in until almost midday, and when I woke up, I still didn't feel fully rested. But at least I could keep my heavy eyes open.