KotLC A New Legacy: The Next Generation

Chapter 9

Delia

Delia's  ribs cracked, and pain jolted through her body. She screamed out in pain and everything went blurry. Evila smiled and pressed harder, her heel digger deeper into Delia's chest and knocking the wind out of her lungs. Every desperate gasp for air stung her chest.

"Delia!" Rowan screamed.

Evila took her foot off Delia and turned to the group.

"This is the price you pay for your stupidity," she hissed, "So surrender now, or this will happen to every single one of your children."

She pressed down again on Delia's chest for emphasis, and black spots danced in front of her eyes. She was in agony. She wanted to scream, but there was no air left in her lungs. They were going to lose.

"Let her go!" Biana shouted.

That just made Evila pressed harder.

"STOP!" Tam yelled.

And harder.

"NO, PLEASE!" Biana begged.

Harder.

"GIVE. HER. BACK!" Tam roared.

Before Delia could blink, Tam shot an arrow at Evila's heart. Straight away, Delia knew it was a different arrow. Darker, inkier, ready to kill.

"How many times do I have to tell you, you can't penetrate my force fi-" Evila started, but stopped suddenly as the arrow pierced the shield and hit her straight in the heart.

She crumbled to the ground as the shadows spread across her body.

"Congratulations," she rasped, "You won."

From the ground, Delia rolled her eyes. Even on the verge of death, Evila just cared about her pride.

Then Evila gave one last rattling breath, and died.

Arya

'It's over,' Arya thought, 'it's actually over.'

She stared at Evila's body, and then looked at her dad. He was looking down at Evila as well. Soon, the rage faded from his eyes, and shock replaced it. He stumbled back, and collapsed into Biana arms, shaking.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong? You saved us." Biana said soothingly.

"But, I killed her." Tam whispered. "I killed a person. I'm a murderer."

"No you're not," Biana assured him, entwining their fingers together.

"You killed her, because she would have killed so many others." she said.

"So somebody is a villain because they are a murderer, and we murder them to solve it?" Tam argued, still shaking violently.

"Tam, stop. You're being silly. You weren't this shaken when we defeated the Neverseen."

"Because we didn't kill them. Elysian did." Tam pointed out. "But this time, it was me. I'm a murderer. Those shadows... they were pure evil. It wasn't shadowflux. It was something completely different, and I used it to kill."

"Tam, please. You had no choice. Don't blame yourself." Biana begged.

"Biana, I killed somebody. I have to live with that now." Tam's eyes were filled with pure remorse, and pure guilt.

Suddenly, he screamed. It was ear-piercing, and it made Arya's ears ring.

"Tam? What's wrong?" Biana asked. "Tam?"

Tam didn't answer. Then his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell unconscious.

Arya saw Sophie and Fitz share a panicked glance.

"No." Sophie murmured. "No no no no no."

"What?" Arya asked. "What is it?"

Sophie bit her lip, a very worried expression on her face. "I don't know anything for sure, but... Fitz? Should we check?"

Fitz nodded, mirroring Sophie's expression. "We have to."

Biana looked at them. "What's wrong? Tell me!" she demanded.

Sophie placed a hand on her shoulder. "This is just a guess, let me check first."

She placed her fingers on Tam's temples, and Fitz pressed his fingers against hers. Arya watched Sophie's brow furrow as she pushed her way into his mind. Sophie's breathing started getting faster and harder the longer she stayed there, and Arya's mind began to think of a hundred different terrifying scenarios. But nothing prepared her for what Sophie announced when she pulled out 5 minutes later, sweating and slightly crying.

"Sophie? What's wrong? What is it?" Biana asked, fear frozen across her face.

"Tam," she began slowly, "couldn't handle the guilt of murder."

Biana gasped. "No!" she cried. Sophie pulled her in for a hug.

But for Arya, it didn't click.

"What? What's the matter?" she asked.

Sophie took a deep breath. "Tam's mind has broken."

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