(Book 6) Hayden Mackay and The Third-Eye of the Pancharatna

18.2. An Uphill Battle

Nazira

Nazira's bruised shoulder strained and her upper arm throbbed violently. Urgh! She croaked. Her body was heavy to lift. Chains heavier. Her eyes droopy. In the dim light, she could see nothing beyond the vague outline of the approaching men, and their shadows eerily extending. Where is the baby? Her mind beckoned her to rise and go search for him. She wiped her tears with the back of her good hand. From the gloom, from within one side of the bifurcated passageway, more men entered.

They came forward, four in front and four behind, slowly encircling her. The ground beneath her was damp with water and blood pooled around her. It felt like an eternity but she managed to lift herself without her feet slipping. She lacked the energy to stand but not to surge her powers.

The men charged. They soared towered her, shadows stretching out. At once the ground beneath them gave a jolt. Cracks surfaced. Then the men stopped at the spot. Nazira stood rooted to the ground, but she carefully watched the men in their sudden quest to balance themselves. The ground tore and vibrated, Nazira made sure they heard the thundering noise coming from beneath the ground. The men began to save themselves from tumbling down. They wobbled as if standing on balancing beams. A couple of them acted as if they were rolling down the cliffs of a hill when in reality they were finding their footing on the unmoved stony ground. The corners of Nazira's mouth twitched, watching them dance like crazy.

This was the moment, she thought. All the men were submerged in the illusion. It was the right time to slip away. Just run. Her legs betrayed her though, her knees buckled. She gasped against the horrifying cramping and whimpered to pick up the speed. Acting quicker may perhaps help her mind keep off the pain. She almost reached the farthest point, entered the left side of the passageway, and then...her head exploded with pain. She screamed and fell on her knees.

A man, still wobbling, had his hand pointed towards her. He's a mage! She spun around on her single knee. The man was one of the twins, she recognized.

Before she could fabricate, the man ran towards her. He bent low and held her up with his muscly arm around her neck. Nazira choked, feeling the man exerting pressure, pressing her neck in a tight chokehold, and used his other hand to cuff her bruised arm behind. A sharp stab of pain in her shoulder pulled her awareness into darkness. At that moment she thought she was indeed dead. Being a human Third-Eye did not matter. Then there was a dragging sensation. He was taking her towards the water, just like Shashi had. They know! She thought. They knew that she lacked the skill at swimming and they were taking advantage of it. The thought of dealing with the creature once again sent a shudder down her nimble spine.

She grunted, retrieving strength from the ground, and surged her powers with whatever energy she was left to muster. The man twitched, while she gave him the horrid sensation of falling into the abyss. Others were huddled in a dark corner, trying to be in a safe zone. But this very man turned out to be resilient. He wouldn't let go too easily. The hold around her neck felt slightly loosened, and Nazira, at once, burst his mind with the lethal fire. She snuck a look into his mind.

Her instincts raged. The man was a dark magic user and had defiled numerous women for his benefit. One of them was...Leena. She gasped seeing the man beating her badly, her insides soaring with anger.

The man released his grip. Taking a few steps away, and keeping her illusion intact, she spun around and reversed their positions. She encircled the chain around the man's neck and pushed him down to his knees. She pressed. Pressed harder. Pressed with intense force, until the sharp spikes dug into his throat. Her strength was fueled with rage. He writhed and twisted. Blood leaked from his neck. He held his hand up, in an attempt to call help from other men. Two of them tried, but dare they cross over the rocking, shaking, thundering ground.