The Realm Protectors

Chapter 38 - Lyra

Everyone screams as glass rains down on us like a demented meteor shower. Space dust blows past us, tangling my hair and making it hard to see.

"Run!" Enya screams from somewhere. We all start to run towards the hill in the distance, jumping over broken pieces of the buildings around us. Someone groans as they hit the ground behind me.

"Carter!" I call out. "Are you all right?"

He groans in reply. I turn away from my friends to help him up. His face is pale and covered in sweat, small cuts from the glass cover his skin. His eyes flutter closed.

"Carter, stay awake," I order him. "We need to get out of here!"

He opens his eyes, nodding. "I know," He pushes himself up to a sitting position, holding out his hand. I help him get to his feet when the gateway erupts with a loud boom behind us. Wind kicks up around us, roaring and tearing at clothes and hair.

More screaming erupts from my friends and I as we're sucked towards the gateway. I cry out as my hands and legs scrape against the ground, tearing off layers of skin. Tucker scrambles against the pavement, looking for anything to grab onto. Avani roars, pulling rock after rock from the ground with her ability. Each one breaks off, and we get dangerously close to the gateway. The wind is so loud I can barely hear myself think. Avani finally manages to rip a chunk of concrete from the ground that seems strong enough to hold our weight. Tucker grabs onto it and Avani grabs his ankles.

"Grab on!" She yells. Everyone reaches for her, attempting to hang on. Nikolina latches onto Avani's ankles, and Ciana and Faris each manage to catch one of hers. Nile and Enya grab hold of their ankles. Carter grabs my hand before grabbing one of Nile's ankles. He swings me over and I grab Enya's ankles. Tucker roars with each added weight.

"Man, you kids are heavy!" Tucker yells from where he's anchoring us to the rock.

"Not the time!" Enya yells back. Pieces of buildings fly past us, getting sucked into the black hole of the gateway. We are so close that I can see the core shimmering deep inside.

"Is there any way to stop this thing?" Nile asks over the roar of the wind.

"I may be able to attempt to stitch the gateway closed," I call back. "But I need my hands free!"

"How are you supposed to have your hands free if you're busy hanging on for dear life?" Tucker asks.

Enya grunts. "Climb up my legs if you can, I'll wrap my legs around your waist and try to hold on to you."

"Is that even possible?" Carter asks, looking at me with fear.

"We have to try!" Ciana yells from up the line. "And quickly please, I feel like my ankles are going to be pulled from their sockets!"

I reach up Enya's slim calves, pulling myself up higher until my hips are right between her thighs.

"I promise I'm not trying to do this in a weird way," Enya says to me before wrapping her legs around my thighs, creating a harness around me. Carter watches in fear as I let go of Enya, putting my life in her hands. Or rather, I suppose, her legs.

"Quickly now," Enya grunts. "I haven't had a leg day in the gym for a while."

I raise my hands, turning my attention to the gateway. The seam of it glows a bright, angry purple, cuts of darkness lining it. I bite my lip as I focus, drawing my ability into a line. I move my hands back and forth, as if I was stitching up a piece of fabric, slowly closing the hole from top to bottom. The wind begins to die down around us, chunks of buildings not moving as fast. The world becomes quieter as I finish the last stitch. The wind cuts off, and my friends and I all sag against the ground.