He runs to help Penelope and leaves saving Katia to me. The woman is so focused on her that it gives me a sneak-attack opportunity, and I refuse to waste it. I come behind her and run the blade across her neck before she even spots me.
Katia ducks out of the hold and nods a thank you to me before running off and fighting another person.
Three of them set on me next. I pull a move that Zhavia taught me where I duck the tallest one, roll onto my feet and spring onto the easiest one – a teenage girl around my age. With the knife in hand, I plunge and plunge, with no intended body part as the target – only the need to severely injure or kill.
She drops and a fist connects with my face. I’m thrown back on my ass and the ringing in my ear makes it hard for me to stand up. There’s a moment where everything around me seems to move slower… I stay down for half a minute at most, but it feels like an hour… I’m down long enough to see Ben shot in the chest and fall to his knees, blood spilling from his body.
River’s scream is heart breaking. Hands are around her waist, holding her back from storming the shooter, but something inside of her has snapped now, and there’s no stopping her. The machete in her hand is covered in a thick crimson from the hunters she’s defeated, and this one is no different.
She moves so fast they don’t see her coming, and before they have time to do much more than blink, the arm holding the gun is severed from their body seconds before their head goes with it. I’ve never seen anybody look so powerful and broken at the same time. She lands by his body and curls into him, laying her head on his chest and sobbing.
I don’t have any more time to watch her. I can’t feel the sadness of Ben’s death – or even Maeve’s – not right now. I have to focus on getting those of us who’re still alive out of the bank.
Tavis and Knox are beating back hunters and there are officially more of us than there is of them. There are bodies littering the ground around us, mostly there’s, but a lot of ours too.
I take the machete from River’s trembling hand and advance on a tall man. He turns just in time to stop me in my tracks. Detective Jacobian is standing, covered in the blood of witches, with a smirk at his lips. He looks ready to take me on as I twirl the blade in my hand, but there’s an uncertainty in his eyes that I can’t figure out. The other ten remaining hunters look to him and that’s when I understand – he’s the leader, and he doesn’t want to die yet.
My face is as hard as stone, my eyes are on fire, there’s blood on my skin, a machete in my hand and as Maeve’s body lays motionless on the ground, I have nothing left to lose – that makes me dangerous.
He smirks and holds out his hand. This was his B-team, I realize, as the remaining hunters swallow down their fear and place their talismans in his palm.
“Don’t think this is over yet, bitch,” he tells me, backing out of the bank and leaving the rest to face their death.
Tavis, Penelope, Max, Katia, Knox, Zhavia, River, Jonah and I… we’re the only ones still on our feet. The others – including Amalie and Cleo – are all wounded, down and out. They drop their weapons and fall to the floor for a rest. Now that the talismans are gone, the only threat in the room is gone.
“Why would he leave them to us? It makes no sense.” Jonah says, dropping his knife with a clatter and taking Zhavia in his arms. “Are you okay?”
She nods, curling into him. “I agree… Why not take the remaining ten with him?”
“I don’t care why, so long as I get to kill them.” Tavis’ body is puffed up. He’s sweating, bloody, injured and angry. He raises his hand, pushing his power through him and –
“Stop! Let them go!” I shout. My eyes meet theirs and I scowl. “Go! Get the hell out of here!”
“Are you serious?” Knox spits as they scarper. “Theo they –”
“If he left them here to die, it was for a reason. We’re beaten, we’re broken, and some of us are dead! The only thing we have left is our power… and we’re not exhausting it on killing ten lackeys. They’re more of them out there where their talismans don’t work. If we don’t go out, they’re coming in, and none of us are surviving. We’re keeping our power, because we have to escape this place… We have to run.”
***
“How much time do you think we have?” Tavis asks.
“Not enough,” Zhavia limps forward. “Check the bodies, some of them might still be alive.”
“We don’t have time for that!” Amalie steps up. “I’m sorry, but I’m not dying so others can live! I say those who can run, will run… and the rest –”
“Will die, Amalie!” I finish for her. “We’re not letting that happen.”
“There is no we, anymore. I am looking out for myself from this point on!” She yells at me. “I’m out of here.”
I open my mouth, but River beats me to it.
“And how far do you think you’ll get on a bum leg with powers as weak as yours? You can barely function without Tavis there to hold your hand and walk you through the day. You’re the weakest of us all, and the only reason you’re still alive right now is because you stood behind Zhavia and let her fight for you.” She scoffs. “You know what, when I first got here, I was a stuck-up little bitch with a superiority complex… but I had nothing on you. Little miss vegan-social-activist now wants to leave people for dead… what excuse have you got for that step down? The fact that you almost died? Get over it, Amalie!”
“I guess trauma changes a person!” Amalie spits back. “It makes you someone you’re not.”
“You’re wrong!” River steps forward and prods her index finger at Amalie’s chest. “I just watched my boyfriend die at the hands of people who hate us. I went from being a rich girl, having a private en-suite bathroom in an apartment sized room at a highly established academy with a wardrobe the size of Canada, to running from the people who raised me, sleeping on a rock-hard cot, showering in a hotel bathroom, wearing an outfit for three days in a row and fighting for all of our lives whenever I needed to… Trauma doesn’t make you into someone you’re not. It shows you exactly who you are when the chips are down… and you, Amalie? You’re a damn coward!”
“You know, it’s funny that you think I’m a weak coward, but I’m still standing, unlike your boyfriend –”
River’s fist flies out before Amalie has the chance to react. Blood pours from her nose, and River isn’t done yet. She pulls back again and goes for the jaw. Tavis moves to stop her, but I put an arm out to stop him.
“She needs to learn!”
Amalie grips her face and bends over, guarding her head from River’s blows.
“You know what’s funny to me, Amalie? It’s funny that you want to leave those who can’t run… but if you were one of them, you’d be singing a different song, wouldn’t you?”
Amalie doesn’t answer her question.
“Let’s find out.”
Stepping back, River pulls her knee up as high as she can and brings her foot down as hard as she can on Amalie’s injured leg. I hear the crack ring in my ears followed by her screams. The bone snaps through the skin, reminding me of the man on the bus that I killed, and Amalie passes out from pain.
“I bet when she wakes up, she won’t be so quick to leave the injured.”
River turns her back on Amalie and begins checking the pulse of those on the ground around her. I do the same, and while River moves hopefully to Ben – just in case there’s a little chance he’s alive – I move over to Maeve.
Her eyes are closed and her shirt is soaked in blood. My hand is shaking as I reach out to touch her. I bite my lip, close my eyes and clasp a hand on her wrist. Her body is cold, and I have to bite back the sob in my throat. Guilt eats away at my heart because maybe if I hadn’t tied her to a chair and beat on her, she would still be –
“Theo…”
My eyes rip open to see Maeve’s staring at me. They’re weak and glossed over, but they’re open and alive.
“Tavis!” I yell and he comes running. “H
elp me get her to Katia.”
We each take an arm and raise her from the ground. Katia is already waiting in Tavis’ room, tending to those who aren’t fatally injured, but are injured enough to need medical attention. She clears them out the second she sees us with Maeve.
“Shit!” She curses, rushing for the sutures and bandages. Before the raid, we were already running low on supplies with the extra training incidents and had planned a top-up run for next week, and now, the resources are completely depleted.
She gets to work on Maeve and leaves the flesh-wounds to Max. We don’t have time for them to treat this like a normal injury that takes a few days. Maeve has to be on her feet in less than an hour and to do that, Katia and Max will have to use up most of their magic. But one look at Katia tells me she knows that already.
“Katia, wait –”
“Stop!” She holds up a hand. “This is what we do, Theo… I know how this is will end for me, but if I’m going to die, I’m going to die what I love, which is saving people’s lives…”
She’s resolute in her conviction; even though she knows she’s putting her own life at risk. I have never admired anyone in this coven as much as I do her; especially in this moment. Her act of selfless bravery is giving Maeve a chance to survive.
Raven-Hill or not, I think that maybe Karelia should have chosen Katia to avenge and protect her line.
She would do a better job than I am, that’s for damn sure…
***
Maeve is barely able to walk as she hobbles out of the make-shift hospital.
“Can you run?” I ask her and she nods, but she doesn’t look too sure. “Then it’s time to go…”
The survivors of the underground massacre all crowd around us with their belongings. Katia leans her head on Max’s shoulder. She looks exhausted and overworked. My heart hurts when I look at her, knowing there’s very little chance she’ll survive the run.
Max is the only thing keeping her upright. He looks tired, too, but a lot less than the girl he loves. I can see it in his eyes; his only concern is keeping Katia on her feet and safe, and I know that if it comes down to it, he’ll sacrifice himself in exchange for her life.
“Wait, I forgot my jacket,” Zhavia says.
“Leave everything,” I tell her. “We’ll get new… somehow.”
“What about my –” Penelope starts and I hold up a hand.
“Nothing is coming with us! The only thing we need to carry is ourselves. Backpacks full of shit that we don’t need to survive do nothing but slow us down. They’re gonna start shooting the second we leave the door. They’ll be in cars too… we’re on foot. We need all the help we can get! Run in zigzags, keep your guard up, heads down, use magic if you can… just keep running! Go in whatever direction you think is necessary. The only things you can take are your phones and the absolute essentials… one bag per person, everybody clear?”
They all nod at me, and it’s time to go. We’re heading for the door, knowing that the small amount of us left would probably be even smaller by the time we find somewhere to meet up.
I count the dead as I go… bloodshed that could have been avoided if the snake in our camp had kept their mouth shut. I hope that they’re one of the dead on the ground, but in my heart I know they’re still standing.
And as I watch the people I’m about to run with, my eyes connect with theirs, and in my mind’s eye, I see the flashes of the certain truth and hear Karelia’s voice in my head. “Not all around you can be trusted, Theo… Jacobian’s descendant lies among you, and when the time comes, they will betray you.”
Looking back, it makes perfect sense that they would be the one… and as much as it’ll break my heart, I know exactly what I have to do.
CHAPTER THIRTY
“Ready?” Knox asks, holding the bank door open. “Run!”
They file two by two out of the doors. The able are carrying the wounded and Maeve and I are at the back, making sure everybody else gets out first, because I know they’re saving their heavy rounds for me. My body shakes as I hear the rounds being fired off. A scream tells me that one of ours is down and hoots sound from the hunters like they’re playing the most fun game of their lives.
Maeve twists her fingers around mine.
“Whatever happens around us, don’t let go, ok? Just keep running!” It’s something that my sister would have said to me if she were here and I nod. I feel like I’m a kid again. All of my fearless leader bullshit melts away from me, and I’m a shivering child, scared to die.
It’s a different type of scared than fighting hand-to-hand.
In a fight, one wrong move could be the end of you, but when the opponent is toting guns, there’s more than just one wrong move. Every zigzag or turn could be a mistake. Tripping over, hitting the ground, even a slight stumble… it’s all that would be needed for the hunters to get a good shot on you – then it’s too late.
Knox is still holding the door as people run and Tavis is standing in front of us.
“Mind if I get in on the hand holding?” He asks with a small laugh. “I guess fear isn’t all that manly, is it?”
“Maybe not manly, but it’s definitely human…” I smile. “I’m scared too.”
“Hell, I’m a bigger dude than anyone in this place and I’m terrified right now,” Maeve tells him, her breath shaky and her eyes coated in tears. “I think scared is a pretty accurate feeling for someone about to be shot at.”
The numbers are dwindling down and the shots are coming faster. It’s almost time for us to go.
“Maeve, I don’t think we should hold hands right now! Of all people here, I have a target on my back the size of Texas… In your state, it’ll get you killed.”
“Well I was sent to kill you, T. Dying by your side seems to be a pretty acceptable substitute.” She tightens her grip. “We go down? We go down together.”
There’re just us four left in the bank and I know the hunters are waiting for us.
“You two go first,” I tell the boys. “Get to wherever you can, recollect the team, the ones who’re left, and go somewhere safe.”
“Good luck, girls.” Tavis pulls me in for a tight hug and all I want to do is stay there but I can’t let myself, knowing what I know.
He pulls away and moves onto Maeve, and I onto Knox.
“Stay safe, please!” He begs me. “I can’t lose you now… not when we’re –”
I cut him off by placing my lips to his for a long, sweet kiss.
“Stay with Tavis. Don’t deviate if you can help it, ok? There’s strength in numbers. Watch his back and make sure he watches yours!”
He nods, and then places a kiss on the button part of my nose.
“I’m falling for you, Theo. Really falling…”
I want to make a joke and tell him he can fall for me all he wants, so long as he stays on his feet out there, but the situation demands that I stay serious – this could be the last time I ever see him.
“Me too,” I whisper… and it’s true, which is why it hurts so much to stand here and look at him when we could both die at any moment. “Good luck.”
The boys are out of the door and next it’s our turn. Our hands entwine again and I look at her – my best friend who became a sister to me when I needed one. I don’t care if she’s hit by a million bullets out there, I decide pretty quickly that I’d carry her if I had to, because I refuse to leave her to the hunters – even if it means that I die alongside of her.
“T, I’m so sorry about everything, I was –”
“I love you, Maeve.” I grip her hand tighter. “ All we need to focus on is getting somewhere safe in one piece.”
She lets her tears out and pulls my body to hers. “I love you…”
I use my free hand to wipe my own tears and take a deep breath.
“Are you ready?” I ask her and she nods.
“Hell yeah!”
We bounce on the balls of our feet.
“Three… two… one!”
<
br /> Busting through the door, we take off in a random direction and our feet hit the concrete hard enough to break them, but we keep running.
“There she is!” I hear a cold, callous voice ring out. “Get her!”
The only good thing about their focus on me is that it takes the heat off of the rest of the underground. I hear a shot ring out and a searing pain shoots through my arm. I yell out, feeling the blood pouring down my arm.
“Down there,” I tell Maeve as we come up on a dark, cobbled alley. It’s harder to run, and I fear I’ve made a fatal mistake, but it cuts off into three more streets and the hunters are too far behind us to see which one we take. I let Maeve decide and we take the one in the middle with the lowest lighting. It’s a good strategy, but it takes us into a neighbourhood and I worry about casualties.
Luckily, it seems to be late enough that there’s nobody on the streets and even if there was they wouldn’t –
I stop running.
“What’re you doing? If they catch us, they’ll shoot us!”
“No they won’t.” I take a deep breath, panting and drop her hand. “We’re in a neighbourhood. Their whole mission statement is about protecting humans from us and keeping their whole deal a secret! If the mortals hear shots, they’ll call the cops, and if they get arrested with firearms, they’re screwed, meaning that –”
“If they want to fight us, they’d have to do it hand-to-hand in a wide-spread place where their talisman’s don’t work!” She finishes.
“What control over magic do you have?”
“Well, it was a rule that I wasn’t allowed to train my magic as a kid… But even then, I was a rule-breaker.” She smiles. “I don’t have any official training or anything, but I can hold my own.”
“Good!” I say, hearing the thumping of footsteps approaching us. “Because they’re here.”
***
It was an unfair fight, and that made me feel a little guilty, but not enough to stop ripping them to shreds.
SACRIFICIUM (THE UNDERGROUND Book 1) Page 25