Exᴛʀᴇᴍᴇ || Tʜᴇ Cʜᴏsᴇɴ Eɪɢʜᴛ Bᴏᴏᴋ Fɪᴠᴇ

Chapter eleven// Losing to Lies

Zay
"Zay!"

I finished with my current opponents and turned, searching for the speaker. Nobody was around, except Olraz and Xavier.

The vipers curled around my ankles.

I looked down at them. "You two didn't learn to talk, did you?" I asked, feeling silly as I did so.

They merely flicked their tongues out at me.

"I'll take that as a no." I bent and wiped my knives clean on the shirt of a Conqueror who lay on the ground beside me.

I twirled the hilts in my palms and got into a battle stance, looking around for my next opponent. Three Conquerors broke off the group that was attacking Tyler and Niko nearby, rushing over when they saw that I wasn't fighting anyone.

I smirked. "So eager." I met their attacks head-on, using their significant size against them. All those training sessions with Sasha had paid off after all, I thought, maneuvering under a wild swipe and stabbing one of them in his abdomen.

I pulled my knife out and whirled on the others as he stumbled away. Olraz and Xavier were taking care of the camel and raccoon that accompanied them, leaving the soldiers to me.

They were clearly not experienced fighters. Their techniques were all over the place, and they had no defence at all.

Gosh, I sound like Sasha. I laughed at the thought, finishing off one of the Conquerors.

"Watch your head!"

I ducked at the call and a black mace swung past, clubbing the other in the face. She fell and didn't get up.

I straightened. "Lizzie?"

The Amayan grinned. "Hi."

"I had it handled." I bristled.

"I know, but I don't!" She jerked a thumb over her shoulder, toward the mass of Conquerors that seemed to be following her. "A little help would be appreciated."

I cracked my neck. "I'd be happy to help." I grinned. Olraz and Xavier slithered over to my side, and Widow joined them.

Lizzie rolled her mace in her hands. "That's what I was hoping for."

Together we attacked the mass. I lost sight of her almost immediately, but figured she'd be able to handle herself. I took out soldiers and animals alike as I went. Someone was shooting a crossbow at them, taking them down around me as well. I sincerely hoped it was one of ours.

Olraz stayed close, focusing mostly on using his venom to take out small animals and people if it was called for.

Xavier vanished into the throng. I wasn't worried about him, figuring he'd be fine on his own. Besides, it wasn't like I had a leash to keep him close or anything.

I finished dealing with a Conqueror accompanied by a red fox, kicking them to the ground, and paused for a breather.

"Zay! Look out!"

There it was again! I looked upward, as that was where the voice had come from this time. Who was yelling at me? Couldn't they see I was–

Agony tore through me.

I screamed. It felt like every bone in my bone was being broken, all at once. Every beat of my heart sent a new wave of pain washing over me.

Dimly, I became aware that I was on the ground. Each breath hurt as I gasped for air. My nerves grated over each other. I stared at the sky, eyes blurred. It felt like I was dying.

I wished I was dying.

A shadow fell over me. I watched, paralyzed. Somehow, I made out that it was Lizzie. I couldn't hear what she was saying, but I saw her lips move.

What was she saying?!

Static roared in my head, pounding my eardrums. I tried to shift, but a heavy weight on my chest kept me still. I tried to make out what it was, but my eyes were refusing to focus again.

A drop of red splattered on the ground beside me. I tasted blood. Was it mine?

I mustered the will and struggled to turn my head.

Beside me lay something I'd never be able to get out of my mind ever again.

Xavier's body lay about a pace away from me. His head was closer, a mere few inches away. They weren't attached anymore.

His eyes, which had been so beautifully full of life, now were dull as they stared into mine.

The pain howled in me and I wanted to sob.

"Xavier!" The anguished cry echoed in my ears, and it took me a moment to realize it had come from my own lips.

Everything was getting fuzzy.

No! I desperately tried to cling to consciousness. For what reason, though, I wasn't sure. Slipping into oblivion would've been the easy choice.

But I never took the easy way out.

My muscles screamed and my vision tilted drastically as I grasped for my knife.

I dragged myself to my hands and knees. I spat out blood, having been biting my tongue. I painstakingly lifted my head and forced my distorted gaze to focus on Lizzie.

She stood over me, her mace rested on one shoulder. The hilt of a knife poked out of her boot. That was what she'd killed him with.

The thought fuelled me into staggering to my knees.  I glared up at her, feeling myself sway. Waves of white-hot pain threatened to push me down again.

"Tellun, you're a fighter." Lizzie's lips quirked into a cruel grin. Her eyes flashed gold-yellow. "Good. I didn't want 'the team' to think I'd killed you." She made air quotes around the words. "That would be embarrassing for you, wouldn't it?"

"Shut. Up." I gritted out. Agony pulsed through my veins. My body was filled to the bursting with it. Hate, cold and pure, surged suddenly. "I'll kill you."

"No." Lizzie crouched to my level. She tilted her head and smiled. "You won't." She straightened again, and walked around to stand behind me. "You know why?"

I tried to follow her, hissing and tumbling back onto my hands.

Lizzie crouched again. She tipped my head up with a finger. "Because you're weak. You always have been. Your father was right. You're nothing but a weak, good for nothing, little girl."

I whipped my head to the side. "No."

She laughed and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look deep into her gold eyes. "Oh, Zay. Stop trying to deny it. Everyone knows it. Even the team. You thought they liked you? They pity you. You're just a poor, helpless girl. Weak."

I spat in her face. "You're lying."

Lizzie wiped the blood of her face and smirked. "Am I?"

Dun dun dunnn

Hahaha I love evil characters
You all have permission to curse Lizzie out in the comments :)
Stay safe y'all! xx