The Mountains Blade

Chapter Twenty Nine

Chapter Twenty Nine- Shadows Unfolded

Elwyn continued to stare at Dane, bewildered. 

The cool air licking at her bare ankles brought her back to reality. 

Her awestruck expression sunk into a deep glare. "What are you doing here?" She asked cooly. 

Dane opened his mouth to say something but looked down shaking his head. "I came to say I'm sorry." 

Elwyn pursed her lips at him, her eyes piercing his forehead. He looked up at her from beneath a curtain of hair and without thinking she pushed the locks aside. 

Dane looked surprised at her gesture and she placed her hands in the pocket of the grey dress she wore.

Her cheeks were ruby red and she cursed herself for doing such a thing. But truth be told, she had known Dane all of her life. And despite everything, she didn't like seeing him sad. 

"I didn't mean to hurt you or Avelina. I'm really sorry Wynn." 

Elwyn chewed her lip and sighed. She might as well accept his apology. She could use an ally, especially one that didn't make her mind get clouded with fuzzy feelings that she didn't understand. 

"Okay." She said. "But you owe me." She added sharply. 

Danes face lit up and he flung himself at the warrior girl, strangling her in a hug.

"Of course, anything!" He yelled cherrily. 

Elwyn pushed him off, rubbing at her sore muscles. "Hey, I can't breathe." 

Dane nodded and shook his head in realization. 

"Take me to where your training grounds are."

Dane gave her a feline grin that she returned. "Of course, your majesty." He purred. 

Elwyn rolled her eyes. "And don't call me that."

~

Avelina Greywater was growing tired. She had not traveled much in her lifetime. She flipped through another page of the 'kids book' as Gabriella called it. The story was of a princess that got to see far off lands, much like all the other books she had accumulated and read at a bookstop on the second day. 

The journey was quickly burning her out and causing undeniable boredom. Avelina casually blew raspberries loudly enough that Gabriella flicked on the radio from where she sat in the passenger seat. 

Avelina caught her eye in the mirror and gave her a pouty frown. The dark fallen flashed teeth and a lethal smile. 
Avelina huffed and shut the book loudly.  She looked to Markarious whose eyes were focused on the road ahead. 

He had not spoken a word to her since he had seen her fresh out of the shower in a towel. She frowned at the thought and jumped as her book was taken from her lap. 

"Hey." She exclaimed. Atlas did not look at her as he rolled down the window and dropped the book over the passing bridge. 

Avelina launched herself over him to the window but Atlas roughly pushed her into Callum. She slammed into him with an audible groan. 

Markarious and Gabrielle's attention turned to the three of them and Callum held Avelina back from retaliating. 

Her attempts were futile anyways as she smacked her hand across Atlas's cheek. Regret filled her as his fiery eyes shot to her and his hand latched onto her throat. And then Callum was trying to pry the shifter males hands from her trachea.

The car skidded to the side of the dark road and Markarious slammed on the brakes hard enough for all of them to fly forward a bit. 

Before she could blink, Callum was out of the car, pulling her to the nearly dead side of the road. She gasped and coughed at her dry throat. 

Markarious and Gabrielle had pulled Atlas to the pavement and within a moment's breath, Markarious dove his fist into the shifter. 

"If you ever touch her again, I will rip you to pieces." He snarled loudly enough that Avelinas body radiated with fear. She pushed away the half dead man and stood up. It was then that she noticed the lack of sound. All that could be heard was their heavy breathing. 

Markarious's attention snapped to Avelina and suddenly he had her pushed behind him. 

Avelina stumbled, her head spinning but Markarious already had a steadying hand around her. 

"Get back in the car." He ordered. 

Avelina made to move but her head swam, and so did the world. She was falling. 

Gabrielle's arms were hooked under hers in no time and she was back in the car. The passenger seat to be specific. 

Avelina caught sight of her purpling throat in the side mirror and Markarious, Atlas and Callum standing up to a horde of three shadow people. 

Her skin paled and she jolted forward as Gabrielle, who had somehow ended up in the drivers' seat pressed onto the gas pedal. The car hurled into reverse and Avelina grabbed onto the door to brace herself. 

She turned to watch the three men, obviously trained in the art of fighting, dodge the vehicle. Unfortunately so did the shadow people, they were black blobs that made the shape of people. Their eyes made Avelina fill with an impending doom that could only be shook when looking away. 

Atlas was quick to find this out as his eyes met one of them.

While Callum and Markarious made a run for the still open back doors of the vehicle, Atlas froze. Markarious unsheathed a machette like weapon and dove it into the first shadow he could reach. The thing made a gargled, alien like wail. As Markarious pulled the blade away, Avelina watched as what should have been red blood was black shadows. Every drop of what would be blood, made shadows on the ground. 

Avelina gaped at the thing as it hurled itself as Markarious who dodged its shiny black claws. The heir did not remember them having claws last time. 

Markarious pulled something from his pocket with a hiss and coated his blade with what looked like ash. 

His hands looked freshly burned and again he sliced at the shadow person. They wailed again, more demonic sounding as they went up in flames, giving Markarious an opportunity to run.  

Atlas's eyes began to run black as he cried out. The shadows slowly walked towards him, Atlas's knees buckled and his sword clattered to the pavement as they neared. "NO, no please." He repeated the statement like a prayer. 

Markarious didn't even have time to fully turn to his ally before he was dead. 

His nose and mouth began to bleed black and then his throat as the shadows sliced it open and he lay choking on his own blood. 

"Markarious." Gabriella roared. 

The dark haired male turned, hiding the sorrow that Avelina showed. He dove into the car and Gabriella pressed the car forward. Markarious shut the door behind him and Avelina cried out as she made eye contact with the shadows again. 

Markarious pushed himself to the middle of the console and yanked Avelinas face to his. 

Her focus returned to his, her eyes haunted as if she had seen death. 

His eyes frantically searched hers and then just as suddenly, black began to bleed from her eyes.