Exᴛʀᴇᴍᴇ || Tʜᴇ Cʜᴏsᴇɴ Eɪɢʜᴛ Bᴏᴏᴋ Fɪᴠᴇ

Epilogue// One Long Day

Unknown
The dark swallowed all sound as I padded over the dry, cracked earth. But my ears were finely tuned, so I caught the quiet sound I was searching for. Whimpers.

I stepped lightly, avoiding the broken arrow tips and ripped scraps of fabric that remained of the battle that had raged mere hours earlier.

I crept forward, pausing to crouch. I traced my fingers over the ground. There was a trail gouged in the earth. Someone– probably the person I was looking for– had dragged themself along in a rather feeble attempt at escaping.

I followed the trail, keeping low. My fingers caressed the hilt of my sheathed saber, anticipation making them twitch.

The whimpers grew in volume as I approached. Then the stench of blood hit me, coppery and thick. I choked on my breath, reaching up to cover my mouth before I could cough.

But she must've heard me. The whimpers stopped, and a glint of moonlight off a silver blade told me she'd drawn her weapon.

"Who's there?" Her voice quavered with pain and rage.

A smile pulled on my lips. No fear. Good. She was still herself.

"It's me." I answered in a low tone. "Here to help, I promise."

"Who runs with the wolves?" She growled after a moment, distrust layered deep in the code we'd devised.

I smirked. "Only those strong enough to survive the pack."

There was a pause, then a hitch of a gasp. Her blade glinted again. It thudded onto the earth, sending up a small cloud of dust.

"You came."

I drew my hand from where it was poised over my own weapon, creeping forward again. I nearly tripped over her legs, which were stretched out in front of her.

This made her hiss.

"Sorry, sorry." I grumbled, proceeding more carefully. I crouched beside her. "You honestly think I'd leave you behind? After all you did for me?"

She was propped up against a small boulder. Her breaths were uneven, laboured. "Maybe a little bit. It's been a long day. Oh, and we do have a reputation for betraying the people who trust us."

"That's true." I laughed. "Alright, what kind of mess did you get yourself into?" I brushed a hair off her forehead, surprised to find it sticky with sweat.

Her head lolled. "A big one. Is that a good answer?" She groaned and shifted ever so slightly. "My arm."

My gaze was drawn to the limb she spoke of– or the lack thereof. I swore under my breath. It was bound in a a clumsy attempt at a tourniquet, the fabric stained dark red with blood. "Tellun. What did you do?"

"More like what didn't I do." She laughed in a weakly hysterical way.

I glanced at her face as I removed the sash from around my waist. I tied it around the stump of her arm, over the other one. She hissed at the action, but didn't complain.

"What do you mean?" I tipped her head back toward me, searching her eyes with curiosity. "What didn't you do?"

Her eyes were clouded with exhaustion and pain, barely focusing on me. "The plan."

"The plan." I echoed the two words. "You mean... you failed? They're still alive? But I thought if you didn't, Gerathon would–"

"Gerathon is dead." She spat the words harshly. I heard a buried ache under the words. "The Bile is gone. It's over. We've lost."

My hand spasmed and I closed it into a fist. No. "She said it was perfect. That it would work."

"She said a lot of things." She answered with venom in her voice. "But none of it matters now, because she's dead. She left us all."

My nails dug into my palm. "You're right. Only one thing matters now."

"What's that?"

"Getting you out of here. Come on." I slid one hand behind her back, the other under her knees. She clutched her injured arm close to her chest as I rose back to my feet. I staggered, unused to her weight.

Her head dropped onto my shoulder. I heard her breaths as they grew shallower, right beside my ear.

"Stay awake, okay? We'll be out of here in a jiffy." I gritted my teeth as I started back the way we came. "I brought a horse. And there's a boat waiting as well. We'll be off this cursed land before you can say 'Greencloaks are idiots'."

She giggled. "Greencloaks are idiots."

"Ha ha." I huffed at her, but felt relieved that she was conscious enough to be making jokes. "Just hang in there, okay?"

Her other hand came up and scratched at the tattoo on her shoulder. "Okay."

Dawn was starting to brighten the horizon, the sun beginning its slow crawl up into the sky. I could see the silhouette of my horse from where I stumbled across the battlefield.

Hope and relief sent a new bolt of energy through my legs. I adjusted my hold on the girl, glancing down.

Her eyes were half-lidded, but she smiled when my gaze met hers. Wisps of her long blonde hair stuck out from the ponytail and drifted around her head as my breath ruffled them.

"Still awake?"

Exhaustion lurked in the dark circles under her eyes and the sharp lines in her forehead, but the soft smile that loosened her lips told me she was clinging to the waking world like a lifeline.

"Just a little farther." I assured, lifting my chin determinedly.

"Thank Tellun." She mumbled, reaching over again. Her nails left red marks over the black spider symbol etched in the flesh of her shoulder.

I tried not to frown at them.

She saw my look and shifted to cover the tattoo with her hand.

I didn't mention it. Just returned my gaze to the horizon. I muttered something under my huffing breaths. "Don't worry, Lizzie. We'll get out of here. No matter what."

She lives!!!
Well, I guess that's the end of the book my lovelies! Congrats on getting this far!!
Thank you for all your support and funny comments (novaartinos I'm lookin at you)
You're all wonderful xx

And don't worry, this is not the end of the Chosen Eight! There will be a second series (eventually), so keep your eye out.

Also; I'm going back and editing all the other books, so if you reread, it'll be different (and hopefully better)

Thank you again for taking the time to read this series. Love all of you!!! xxx