BLOODLUST - DARK SOULS (THE CURSE OF THE BLOOD SERIES #1)

part eight

Light.

She shone towards the darkness bright and strong. Laith looked at her in surprise. The brightness. It wasn't fire that devoured her darkness away. There was no heat. Her ice emitted light. Alra—was a Forbiddenchild. Just like Rez. Just like her.

Their last battle caused lots of the army to swamp towards Alra when suddenly an arm grabbed her waist and pulled, causing Laith's body to bend to the force.

"Catch them now!" Zaph yelled, he turned hysteric as he swam through the soldiers to them.

She immediately spun her head to the limit that her neck could stretch. Rez?

"Run! This way."

Laith got up on her feet while pursuing Rez, who took a turn to the right. A path to the tunnel. She thought Hyde had already sent him off to Yuva. What was he doing in here?

They both reached an oak door. He pushed, "Over here."

They ran until they met two paths. He stopped, hastily. Then he traced his hand through the wall, his eyes closed.

"Do you even know where this led us to?" Laith groaned.

"Shut up," Rez grunted. His eyebrows frowned. "Just let me do it."

"Do what?" Laith couldn't control her voice. Waiting in the darkness with only Rhys's fire lighting their space making her heartbeat race even faster. She looked around. No signs of armies or the sound of footsteps. Maybe they weren't being followed. But her rose beat wouldn't let her chest's cage rest.

A wave of heat swept her, making her flinch. She spun to Rhys; her eyes narrowed. Sensing cold outside. Genius.

"Come." He caught her arms and pulled her to the left. They both continued running until she could feel her sore legs start tearing her thighs apart. Her breath shattered in an unstable wave. She couldn't stop now. Her only chance. They must have their way from this hell.

Two tall bulks armored with gold-plated chests appeared on their path, the spears aimed. Laith stopped, while Rez already spread his arm, hiding her from being seen by the soldiers. Two more guards came in from behind, and in an instant, they were seized.

Laith narrowed her eyes, guarding their movement as her fire inside escalated to the extreme.

Don't use 'em. You'll lose more energy. '

Rez's thought echoed through her ear. And only for her to hear.

When they are all down, ran as quickly as you can.

All sudden, all the guards screamed and grunted. Two of the fronts were already on their knees, with one of them pulling his hair as if he was trying to claw his scalp away from his head. Laith hesitated.

Rez's body was already bent forward, trembling. "Go."

Laith trembled, hesitated, "But—"

"Just leave! I can't hold them any longer." Rez yelled. His arms were shaking heavily as sweat dripped from his forehead and chest.

Please, forgive her.

Laith spun to the path he pointed before and ran. Tears that blurred her golden eyes left no effect on the sight of the blackness in front. Flame poured from her hand, trailing as she ran forward. The endless path sought no hope, but the sound of the wind breathed a sign to keep aching her thigh running.

Then, a tiny star emerged from the darkest horizon. The cold breeze from the winter found its way inside the dark path, greeting her cheeks with softness and rigid promise. A little bit more.

The light became clearer, brighter. Small, white trees and the air turned bigger, colder.

Outside, hunters already waited for her, with their wolves flashed teeth and spears aimed. Laith stopped, her pupils widened. Ren hunters. Her gaze met his intense murderous azure pool in the middle of the winter blaze.

The leader pierced his glance to her. "Nowhere to go now, little monster."

Anguish bloomed and broke Laith as she fell down to her knees. The whispers were shrill, ringing in her head and she definitely couldn't fight them anymore.

The man crept closer, and yank out his knife from its sheath. Laith closed her eyes. It was her fault. Maybe it wasn't. At least she was free after this.

The sound of metal clanking shocked her, her shoulder jerked a bit.

"Yjedrah?" The leader looked besides him, his expression flashed surprised. "What in the blaze you're doing?"

The sword that aimed to her neck was shaggered, blocked by the dagger. The shadow still, and smiled beneath his hood. "Forgive me, Chiadrah, but she's mine."

You might need my help instead. As the whispers kept defeaning her, his words before landed to her head.

"Are you out of your mind?" He jeered, his lips stretched.

The shadow slashed the knife away with his sword and the weapon was hurled from his hand, burying to the white bed of snow. The leader yanked out his sword but missed as the shadow move swiftly towards him. He stunt but then fell to the snow. Blood poured from his exposed neck and mouth before his eyes turned white as if they were covered with snow and all of his skin was rooted with white webbed. He was dead.

In a blink of a second, all the remaining riders and the wolves fell too. Laith couldn't see his movement, but she could tail a dark line across the riders before they landed on the snow. The shadow had killed them only in a split second, with inexplicable speed.

The crimson-stained sword returned to its sheath, "Come with me, Laith Zurlyn." He knelt over, facing her.

Laith shook her head in disbelief. "Why?" she whispered, losing her voice.

"I need you." He replied. "Invera with the gift of darkness. I offer you a deal. A favor: with your freedom, as a return." He gave her a mysterious wry smile. "Choose. You don't have much time."

He tilted his head to the right, signing to the tunnel. That was when she heard footsteps and yells blended, braided together, thundering the air and the snow they knelt in.

She turned to the shadow, "I'll be free?" She asked.

He nodded. "After you do me the favor." He showed her his palm, "Is it a bargain?"

"Yes."

He pulled her hands, grabbed her by the waist, and injected the syringe into her neck, "Don't worry, it will reverse everything they infused in you before." As he said those words, he pulled Laith and carried her on his broad shoulder.

Before she ingested anything that happened, everything faded, a light came in bright in everything's absence. Half conscience, yet she could feel her moving in a swift direction, feeling hard wind blazed against her.