Broken Wings [Completed!]

Chapter 30

They darted through the honking cars, vaulting over the engines with a grace so unhuman like passengers mistook them for a shadow of gliding pigeons above. Pigeons cooed as they scrambled for the last bits of bread thrown out by small children, waiting for the right moment to frighten the birds and send a monster of grey feathers to be splattered back into the sky.

Sebastian, hood up and blending in with the crowd of rushing humans, glanced behind his shoulder to check if anyone was following him and continued down the pavement with his hands shoved carelessly in his pockets. He glanced at the London Eye across the flowing Thames, fooling the waking world that he was just an ordinary tourist enjoying the London sights.

At last, he turned into a small alleyway into an empty church, the sunlight flitting through the arched windows and highlighting the building in gold. Surrounding the entrance were two identical blocks of wood that reached upwards to the sky, as if it were swaying its hands to the church songs within. Evira nodded at Haku, and Haku pounced behind Sebastian, mimicking his relaxed posture and smirk.

Evira palmed the axe behind her for comfort before dropping from a tree and blocking Sebastian's path inside. "Hey there," she said with a quiet danger, her voice holding back layers and layers of talons, of pain at the sight of Sebastian's hands that had held the knife to Alys' life.

Sebastian stopped in his path - and if he was surprised, he didn't show it. Haku desperately searched for the Sebastian he thought he knew - his best friend, his supporter. But it was as if that Sebastian was just a speck of dust of who the stranger was that stood in front of him. Ageless evil.

Gulping, Haku reached for the curved knife in his pocket and curled it around Sebastian's throat. "Haku," Sebastian said in a low voice of his, "I never took you as bloodthirsty."

Haku's grip tightened, so that a smear of blood erupted from under Sebastian's chin. Smirking, Sebastian's eyes flicked back to Evira's, shadows dancing in his eyes. Shadows, just like -

A boom sounded, then the harsh reeling afterpain of a punch. Evira clutched her cheek as she dropped to the floor and a clone of Sebastian appeared, his feet extended for a kick - but Evira rolled out of the way, blocking the kick with the side of her arm. The real Sebastian was freed from Haku's grip, twin daggers in his palms as he spun them around and around, his steps slow and sure as he stalked towards Haku.

The wind seemed to shift in its place, and Haku was frantically punching, kicking - but all Evira saw was air. She glanced at Sebastian, who had one of his hands pulled back, eyes calculating the best place to stab Haku.

"Haku!" Evira screamed, voice hoarse, as she elbowed the shadow clone of Sebastian and hurled herself at the real one - just as he threw the blade. They fell onto the hard floor, Sebastian's grunt pulling Evira away from her head spinning.

The other dagger in his hand glinted upwards, but Evira was quicker as she span, her foot slamming against his arm, pinning him to the floor. His knife tumbled out of his hand and Evira peered at him from above, her axe poised right underneath his chin. "Release the humans, now," she said evenly, voice laced with icy coldness.

"Why would I?" Sebastian sneered from beneath her. "I don't care if you kill me - I've already won."

Evira rubbed her temples with her other hand. "Haku," she called, but her voice faltered at the sight of Haku on the floor, blood pooling from his sides. She gave a shaky breath as the red seeped into his sleeves, his breaths uneven and shallow. She snapped her attention back to Sebastian, a smirk playing on his face.

"Heal him," she ordered, jerking her chin towards Haku.

Sebastian gave a lazy smile, binding his time. "Heal him!" Her voice broke, desperation tightening in her throat. Her vision wavered, tears beginning to pool in her eyes. Everyone she cared about were falling like a row of dominoes, uncontrollable, their fates sealed as soon as Sebastian had flicked down the first one.