Intangible - An ACOTAR story

Six: You Make Me Want to Speak

Ellius felt like his lungs were on fire. His feet ached and he knew they were likely covered in blisters. His sweat-soaked hair tangled across his eyes, and he swatted it away, deciding he didn't much feel like colliding with a tree.

"Hurry up weakling. The Spymaster is probably trying to lose you."

A curl of shadow hissed in his ear, and he scowled. The damn things wouldn't leave him alone tonight. He'd only had just enough strength to break out of their hold moments earlier, and the black bolts of energy had drained him. The shadows had rested back control of his power, and now all Ellius could do was run.

He kept his eyes trained on the Spymaster's back. His wings. Gods, those wings.

"Stop fawning over him you pathetic fool. Just run!"

"Oh, shut up." He muttered.

Ellius couldn't shake the feeling that he was dreaming. Despite the pain and the horribly familiar heat snapping at his heels, his heart was full of... well, hope. He wasn't the only one. He wasn't alone!

Ellius had panicked at first. He'd been so close to the Serebor's nest, and he'd thought the Illyrian had spotted him. When the handsome male had simply stood there though, transfixed by the creature's deadly gaze... And then those shadows had started crawling, reaching for him, as if the male controlled them. Ellius had just acted. He'd shoved off the haze and veil of his own whispering shadows. His mind felt clearer than it had in years as he burst into that clearing. He just couldn't let it slip away. The hope.

Ellius didn't know where the Illyrian was running to, and he was about to open his mouth and ask when, he felt the flames surge and rally behind him.

"Look out!" he screamed, knowing what was about to happen and trying to hear his own voice over the roaring in his head. He knew the fire wouldn't damage him. Well, not physically at least, but the other male... The spymaster turned, his eyes going wide. Then he stopped. Why wasn't the fool running?

"Well, he is an idiot. Say goodbye weakling." Ellius's heart dropped as his shadows snickered.

The wave of green fire descended and Ellius was about to yell at the male again when a wall of shadow and cobalt light arced over him. The wave of fire crashed into it and his companion grunted, but the wall held. Two stones glowed a bright blue on the backs of the Illyrian's hands. Siphons.

"Your turn to run." He panted, his voice strained and rasping. Ellius did no such thing. He strode over to stand alongside him, raising his own arms to try and channel his shadows.

"Give up weakling! You'll never-"

"Get out of my gods dammed head!" he growled into his mind. The ever-present, hissing voices dispersed, leaving his mind open to the Serebor's power, but also giving him access to his own. As the full force of the otherworldly serpent's influence rushed in, Ellius grabbed the loose thread that he knew gave him control, and slammed his own shadows into that wall. His darkness mixed with the swirling black and blue of the spymaster, and the male beside him shot Ellius an unreadable glance.

"I'm not going anywhere," Ellius said, not quite sure if the Illyrian heard him. Together, they bombarded the sickly flames, the young serpent within, slowly constricting its available space. They smothered it with darkness and swirling, blue light, until the green flames winked out entirely. All that was left was the shrivelled corpse of the creature, laying limply on the dead leaves. The second the light was gone, Ellius let out a shuddering breath. He surrendered control back to the hissing shadows and they swept into his mind, binding him, holding him. At least the Serebor wasn't spitting the voices of his past into his head anymore. Well, for now at least.