The Heart Collector (Under Editing)

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Survival

Fare managed to evade his attack, but she lost her footing. She crashed into the chair. It was then that she realized that her shoulder was still tender, and her knee radiated pain. She swallowed her scream. She remembered that she was injured back at the lake. When they were popped back into place was a mystery to her, but she could not dwell too hard on it at the moment. For all she knew, her advanced healing tried to correct it for her.

She rolled quickly to the side and aimed a swift kick to one of his knees. He recoiled long enough for Fare to scramble to her feet and make for the exit. Fare just stopped short of the hole's edge. She almost forgot how she got around the first time. She carefully got on the ledge and made her way across as quickly as possible. Her breathing was labored. She heard her blood pumping in her ears. Fare her footsteps off to her side and saw Calder eating the distance between them. His speed unnerved, but he had years of practice. Once her foot planted on the other side, she wasted no time. She took off. She quickly realized that she had no idea where she was going. All she knew was that her best bet for survival was to keep going straight. As she ran, she looked for anything she could use to defend herself. There was nothing. When she entered the long hallway once again, she still could not locate an object. The hallway was clear of any debris.

It took all Fare had to not let panic overtake her. She knew that she needed a clear mind, but the atmosphere made it hard. She not only had no idea where she was, she had no idea where she was going. For all she knew, she was into a trap. She could hear heavy footsteps behind her growing closer, but she did not look back. She pushed herself harder. She racked her brain on what her options were. As much as she disliked her Fae blood, her gaze may be her only chance of making out of this alive. At the risk of being caught, she slowed her pace slightly and reached for her right eye. She cursed herself for denying her Fae side for so long. Fare was unsure that she could activate it at will, but given the high-pressure circumstance, she hoped that she could do it subconsciously. When she plucked the lens from her eye, a leg connected with her ribs; sending her into one of the nearby walls. She heard a crack. She could not tell if it came from her or the wall.

Calder drew his fist back. Fare slumped to the floor. Dust flew from the wall. She blinked to help clear her eyes. He went for another punch. Fare blocked by placing her arms in an 'x'. He used his other arm and his fist connected with her cheekbone. Fare tasted blood. Calder grabbed Fare around the throat and raised her up enough to where she would not have any purchase. She grasped his wrist to try and dislodge it. His gripped tightened. Black spots swam in her vision. She was not sure how her ability would react to only one eye being able to function fully, but she did not have much of a choice. She relaxed as much as she was able then she felt her eyes shift. The one with the lens felt painful, but she bore with it. Fare watched as the left side of his face began to turn to stone. Calder's eyes widened and he slammed her head into the wall. Pain bloomed in her skull, but she held her eye contact. The stone slowly progressed to the right side of his face. He slammed her head again and tossed her back towards the way they came.

Fare coughed up red and felt blood trickle down the back of her neck. The world swayed around her. She tried to get her feet, but immediately dropped back down. She tried again, but dropped when a foot pushed her back.

"Not bad Fare." Calder flipped her over, "Unfortunately, using only one eye makes the ability unstable."

Fare noticed that the stone began to retreat. She took a blow to the stomach. She coughed up more red. Her vision became foggy. She could not really see clearly. Calder straddled her and pinned her forearms under his knees. Fare felt her consciousness beginning to flee. She weakly tried to free herself, but she felt like she was swimming through concrete.