ECLIPSE, grishaverse

xii. the end of something

TRIGGER WARNING: in this chapter of Eclipse there are descriptions of deaths and mutilation. Please, procede with caution.

YELENA'S HEAD WAS SPINNING with the memories of the past few months where they'd met in the Dome Room to stragetize and make plans in case of an ambush. They'd sat for hours trying to cover every damn corner for all to be ruined by Vasily's arrogance. She thought hard, searching for a way she could've seen that coming, but she couldn't. Yelena couldn't see the future as much as Vasily couldn't see past his pointy chin. But maybe if she'd befriended him, if she'd kept tabs on him.

The wound at her upper arm trobbed and burned painfully as she raced faster along the path to the Little Palace. She bursted into the open, her knees almost giving at the sight of the shadows whirring and clicking as they skitteres over the walls and swooped down on the roof. There were bodies lying on every step, cumpled on the bloody ground. Shards of broken mirror were on the path past the wide open front doors, the hulk of three of David's dishes were lying on their side and a girl's body crushed beneath it. Two nichevo'ya were close by it, crouched before the dish and gazing at their broken reflection. There was no one else, nothing else. Between sad and angry, Yelena raised her hands quickly and the light burned through both of them at the next second.

Then they heard the sound of gunfire coming from up on the roof filling the tense air. Someone was still fighting, still alive. And there was one dish left. There was a little bit of hope left.

Yelena didn't sit and wait for anyone, her feet lunged forward as they tore across the lawn and in through the door that led to the Darkling's chambers, her chambers. Monsters came shrieking down the stairs at them but the Starkov sister managed to summon light that pierced through their dark bodies without backing off.

The air was thick with the smell of blood and gunfire as they emerged on the roof, she watched as Corporalki, Materialki and Etherealki worked all together around Nikokai's guns and grenades, and in the middle of them, the last dish.

Yelena grabbed her sister by the elbow and pushed her forward as she yelled, "Aim for the dish! We'll cover," her voice caught David's ears as he looked at her while holding a rifle awkwardly, the eldest Starkov moved her hand and signaled to the dish. The Durast quickly put the artifact in position. "Now!"

The dish tilted, and all Yelena could hear was the sound of her heartbeat pounding hard on her ears. Then, the nichevo'ya started dissolving at once.

Yelena didn't hear screams this time. Nor was at all sadden by the disappearing of the black creatures. Her heart reminded intact, but her eyes were full of anger. So many deaths, by the hand of the man she could've stopped not so long ago. But there wasn't time for regrets now. No. Now, she had to act.

The Grisha cheered at the sight of stars before another mass of monsters rushed to them at once. Nadia moved and dodged the nichevo'ya as she put the dish into position and, this time, Yelena sent a quick beam of blue light that redirected to each creature in an instant, like a magnet sticking to metal.

"Go to the hall and close the doors!" The General commanded as more creatures came into view, it was like they smelled their presence from afar.

She tried holding them back with her light until they were all safe, but a yank on her arm made her turn around and start running with the Grisha. She looked at her side to find the red silks of Fedyor's kefta pulling her towards the hall behind the rest of the Grisha. But they weren't fast enough. They were coming from everywhere.

The crowd shouted as they ran, in a moment the pressure on her arm was gone and Yelena turned to the side as Fedyor was lifted from his feet and tossed from the roof, his head bumped with the floor when he fell a few meters from Yelena, a splash of blood coming from his torn body painted across her blue midnight kefta and cheek. She kept on going while ignoring the sick feeling on her stomach and her stinging eyes, trying to erase the image of one of her closest friends being murdered by a shadow creature.