Dana Ilic and the Shadow Door (Lightwielder Chronicles #1) | ✔️

15 | I Throw A Stick

As the Shades charged us, and our two armies collided, I could see the eagles and canaries ripping the shadow matter apart with their illuminated beaks, and rusalki biting into them with lit teeth. As soon as their limbs, fueled by my light, touched a dark soldier, it would hiss and evaporate in a cloud of a foul-smelling smoke.

I was throwing as many balls of light as I could, left and right, making the shadows explode and disappear.

Zhara and Ivana tag-teamed against Blake, not allowing him a moment of respite. He fought them alternatively on the ground and in the air, flapping his bat wings and encasing them in shadow matter thicker than any of the other shades could produce.

I chastised myself for even thinking if that traitor was okay and focused on the battle.

Max stood by my side all along, using his powers to help the defense. He produced glittery waves that carried the rusalki towards the enemies, encasing them in water shields for protection.

But each time he'd use water bombs on a dark figure, they would simply bounce off.

"I'm totally useless here, Dana!" He complained, ducking from under a ball of light I had just sent into another shade.

A thought came to my mind.

"Max!" I yelled at him. "When Chernobog talked to us, he called us light wielder and ice wielder! Remember?" Beads of sweat dripped down my forehead from the effort of maintaining the light shield.

"But I never used ice before."

"Max. You're literally the son of the goddess of winter! Who else would be able to wield ice if not you!"

"I'll try!" he yelled, and closed his eyes. 

Then the weirdest thing happened. Max's cap rose, hovering in the air above his head, and the husky drawing on it howled, unleashing a torrent of ice on the shades before us from its jaw.

Where it touched an enemy, the shadow froze, becoming easy prey for Zhara's birds as well as the rusalki.

Soon, everything was a blurry mass of shades, birds, naiads, light, water, and ice flashes. As the time slowly trickled away, I was growing more and more tired. I could barely keep my eyes open, and I was drenched in my own sweat.

My light shield flickered in and out of existence. Through the tears in its fabric, dark warriors entered. One of them struck into a flock of birds, scattering them. Another one rolled over a rusalka, and she screamed in agony as she died.

And new shades kept and kept and kept coming through that blasted keyhole.

If I could just have a moment of peace. Just a little break. 

A thud shook the ground next to me. Then another one.

Birds were falling from the sky, overpowered by shades.

A tiny fallen sparrow lay peacefully on the ground, its eyes closed forever.

So much death. So much unnecessary destruction.

A beak pecked at my ankle, and I glanced downwards, slightly annoyed at the pain.

It was that white rooster I'd noticed before. He tilted his head, staring at me expectantly with his keen intelligent eyes.

"I'm sorry," I said as if he could understand me. "I... I'm just so tired." I managed to get the shield up again, but the effort brought me to my knees, and I was now gasping for air.

"When things are looking down..." The rooster spoke in perfect English. "Look up."

A wooden stick materialised in his beak, and he placed it on my palm.