Chaos Magic • General Kirigan-Kaz Brekker

|41| hallucinations

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She walked into a room where her beloved sons lied asleep. "Billy... Tommy..." her smile reached her ears, happy to see her babies again.

She reached out to take hold of their little hands when it went black. Shadows surrounded her and her boys. Taking them in her arms, she tried to find a safe spot. She stumbled a few times but found a closet. She jumped in and tucked the children closer to her warm embrace.

She heard heavy boots stalking around the closet and the room in general. "Eva..." the new voice drawled out.

She couldn't believe it. Kirigan.

"Where are you? What did you do to our children?"

"Go away!" She cried. She held onto the boys tighter than before. She kissed their heads with trembling lips.

He pulled open the closet doors. She ran out and placed them in their cribs, turning around she spoke, "I just want my boys." Evangeline sneered at Aleskander, gritting her teeth. Her arms were out to her sides, her powers whirling.

"They're my sons too." He sneered back at her. Stepping forward, he held out his hands as well, summoning shadows to surround only the two. She spun around in an attempt to get to her boys again.

He took hold of her wrists and slammed her to the ground. "Your precious little crows can't save you. It's just you and me."

"Get off of me." Evangeline snapped. She termed mocking him off her but it was no use. He pulled out a dagger from his boot.

"Once you're out of my way I will be the strongest being and the bud will be mine. Don't worry. This won't hurt a bit." His raised his hand and-

"Eva! Thank the saints you're alright!" Inej hugged Evangeline, relieved that she woke up. "Help me wake the others."

"How did-"

"Wylan found a cure. A type of butterfly that is immune to the poison. We have to feed them to the others. Go to the door, there's a hole in it where Wylan will hand you some. Hurry!"

Eva crawled to the door. "Wylan." She breathed out. "We need three more." He handed her two butterflies. "Inej." She groaned as she crawled again. "Take it. Give it to Jesper." She did so and Eva went over to Tolya.

He started gagging.

Evangeline was now more awake so she was able to move around more. She was able to crawl easier. "One more. We need to wake Kaz."

"Is this the nightmare part?" Eva heard jesper cough. She shook her head and went over to Kaz.

She shoved the blue butterfly into his mouth. "Eat it. Please." She begged. He shook his head uncontrollably as he tried to get away from the hands that held the disgusting bug and the hands in his hallucination. He gagged as she held his mouth closed. "Wake up." She repeated those two words about three times before his eyes opened.

As soon as he gained consciousness, he sprung up. "Sorry." Eva sighed. She knew he didn't like touch but it was the only way.

"Is everyone alive?!" Wylan shouted from outside.

"We're alive." Inej spoke.

"Okay..." Wylan let out with relief.

"I owe you my life." Tolya told Evangeline.

"It was Wylan. He saved us."

"Wylan did?" Jesper asked from his position, he was crouched over with his hands on his knees.

"You're welcome." Wylan voices from outside the door.

"We almost died, didn't we?" Tolya asked no one in particular.

"I had the most incredible hallucination." Jesper said. "Did anyone else get lulled into a comforting sense of joy?"

"I didn't see anything." Kaz lied.

"Neither did I." Eva sighed.

"All right, what's the plan?" Tolya asked Kaz, seeing as he's the leader.

"You said there was another heartbeat in the house." Kaz said as he remembered what he had said moments before the hallucinations began.

"Southeast corner. The heartbeat is weak." Tolya confirmed.

"I suspect she built all of this to protect that heart." Kaz used his cane to pace. "Along with a different way in to get to it."