Element [The Darkling]

Chapter Thirty-Eight

"Ah!" I gasped in pain, clutching my leg.

"Stay with me!" Alina shouted at Mal in panic.

"Mal!" I cried. I couldn't even army crawl to them in the state my leg was in. My only option was to heal myself and get to them so I could heal him without any distractions from my own pain.

My skin stitched itself together enough for me to tolerate it, and I scrambled to my feet with a struggle.

"Nina! Astrid!" Alina shouted. I rushed for them. I was grabbed from behind by one of the nichevo'ya, and let out a surprised scream.

"Astrid!" Inej shouted. I felt myself fly through the air before landing on my back on the sand hard. I gasped in pain, letting out a moan as the breath was knocked out of my lungs, and my entire body flared up from the pain.

Sand hurt just like dirt.

Who knew.

My eyes widened as the nichevo'ya materialized above me, looming over me. I let out a shocked scream, which pierced the air, echoing through the Fold.

"Astrid!" I heard Kirigan cry through his own pain, somewhere off to my right.

"Astrid get down!" I heard Inej shout, and I rolled over to my right, crashing into something stone with a yelp. Inej jumped over me and spun under the shadow monster, striking it down with her blade. "Astrid!" Inej ran over to me, her brown eyes filled with worry as I winced, trying to pick myself up off the ground.

Her free hand grabbed under my arm and she hauled me to my feet. "Come on." She said, and I looked around.

"Where..." I trailed off, my eyes widening as I saw a volcra flying towards us. I put my hands together and spun them, a ball of fire growing as large as a watermelon in my hands, before I threw it with excellent aim, watching it sear straight through the disgusting monster's midriff.

It fell from the sky, dead, and I turned my sights on Inej, who was in the process of dragging me backwards by my hand back to the stone steps.

"No!" I screamed, horror filling my body at what I saw on the steps. Light surrounded Alina as she plunged Mal's dagger into his chest. I was too late. She had to kill him, or he would have died from his wounds and she wouldn't have been able to tear down the Fold. "Mal!" I sobbed, tears streaming down my face.

Alina threw her head back in a distraught scream, light exploding from her as she held onto the man she loved.

My brother.

I looked down at my hands, seeing the wisps of rainbow light surrounding them, feeling power flow through my veins.

"Your eyes are glowing!" Inej exclaimed. I put my hands together.

This had to be worth it.

I threw my hands out with a scream, my body bending backwards as my knees hit the sand. My rainbow light streamed chaotically through the air in powerful surges, hitting Alina's back and coming out of her body, mixing in with her light.