A Love Like No Other

Part 8

Iris tossed and turned. People snoring and quiet breathing echoes through the night air. She knows she should be asleep. Falling through clouds of candy and dreaming of a better place for her life. But something keeps nagging at the back of her mind.

Go to the hot springs, her mind screams at her. Go find him.

She forces the thoughts down. It's not the time to get a conscience. Eryk is going to be fine. He has Annika and Sylvi. It's not like he is out in the woods alone in the middle of the night.

Go to him! Something is wrong and you know it! 

Iris looks up. The stars shining through the cloth. She didn't notice before, but her heart was pounding. 

Get up!

Shaking her head, she heads towards the hot springs. Its stupid that her thoughts bullied her into following nothing. She is going to get there and they are going to be fine. Playing in the warm water, Sylvi complaining about something, Annika telling her to knock it off, Eryk being silent but enjoying the company.

"Help!" a muffled voice screams out. "Help me!"

Now the panic had a reason. She should turn back. It's their fault for going off in the middle of the night. They deserve everything that is going on with them. That's what you get for being stupid.

"Help!" the same voice screeches.

She tries to turn to leave but her feet take her running towards the screams. She slides to a stop when she sees a horrific sight.

Eryk tries to get out of the water but is held in place. Water slowly lifted above his head to drown him. Annika standing on a rock, hands outstretched.

"Eryk!" Iris's voice screechs in panic. "Stop it! You're going to kill him!"

"I have to," Annika calls. "I need the power. I have to protect my family."

"He is a person! Stop it!"

"Help me," Eryk said before the water engulfed his head.

Iris's power begs to be released. She knows that she has to stop Annika. Just blind her a little bit. That'll take her focus off Eryk. Give him time to get a breath of air and hopefully get as far from the water as possible.

"Annika," Iris tries one more time. "Stop it."

"I can't, Iris. I need his bones."

Iris raises a hand. Without thinking twice, a ray of light shoots from her hand meeting Annika's eyes. She drops her hands trying to get the light to stop blocking her view. Eryk takes a deep breath as the water falls away.

Iris takes off running to the water side. Without thinking twice, she is in the warm water helping Eryk to the shore. Her shoes and pants soaking from the hot spring's water.

"It's alright," she whispered to him. "It's alright." 

Eryk coughs up some water. Taking his head between her hands, Iris runs her fingers through his wet black hair. Trying to see if there were any injuries.

"It's alright," she repeats.

"Look out," Eryk says.

But it was too late. Iris was flying through the air. Leaves and twigs snapping through the air besides her. It wasn't until she slams into a tree does the wind around her stop.