Until the Last Drop of My Blood (The Legends Saga #1)

Chapter 7

This chapter is dedicated to Katekrissan, whose anger issues could give Talin a run for his money-if they were ever in a 'who can fume the loudest' contest!
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The hair tried to chase after us, but the one carrying me was fast. It felt as though we were flying due to the speed, but I knew we were not. The wind whipped my hair around, making me even drowsier.

I immediately recognized the familiar presence. My instincts told me to flee, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. I fought to keep my eyes open, the darkness at the edges of my sight pressing in, threatening to pull me under.

“Don’t try to resist, or I will leave you here to die,” he warned, as if reading my thoughts. His voice was harsh, making me hold back any sarcastic remarks.

He abruptly stopped and gently set me on the ground. In moments, I felt the water leaving my body, and I started coughing uncontrollably.

When I managed to open my eyes, I saw that unlike our previous encounter, he was no longer in a cloak but in attire that made him look less distinguished. His clothes were torn and disheveled, exposing parts of his skin.

His hands were on my chest, glowing with golden energy. I kept coughing until it eventually subsided.

We seemed to be still in the mountains, but I could no longer sense the swamp spirit’s magic or the presence of pixies—only his anger that seemed to wither the trees around us.

I nearly forgot the panther standing behind him. When I glanced at it, the beast growled softly.

I turned my gaze back to Talin. Our eyes met, and his were filled with anger.

I joked, “What’s my nemesis doing here?” though there was some truth to my words.

His lips twitched. His magic still mending me, and I realized he had multiple powers. Descendants usually had only one, so I wondered what he had done to himself. It might be something the Terrestrial Realm would disapprove of, and perhaps I could use that against him later.

“You summoned me,” he answered. Oh, right. I had called for him. Embarrassment washed over me.

I was about to speak but stopped myself. He looked away after healing me, though I could sense he was holding back words.

He helped me to my feet and then faced a withered tree behind him. Raising his hands, a blinding light formed a portal in the tree.

“Go in.” I raised an eyebrow at him, prompting an irritated sigh. “Or would you prefer to be forced to—”

“Enough with the threats.” My body was still weak from the magic, but I managed to walk.

Despite my distrust, I considered his act of healing. Even if he had dangerous plans, it was clear he wasn’t planning to kill me yet. I might have time to come up with an escape plan while I recovered. Given his ability to use multiple types of magic, I needed a better strategy to confront him.

I walked through the portal without looking back and found myself in front of a cave that appeared empty. But when Talin extended his hand and a plant sprouted from his palm, pressing it against the ancient stone, the plant wove into the rock like tendrils, revealing a hidden stone door. The noise was loud enough to make me look around, wary of attracting any dangerous creatures, but nothing followed us.

My jaw dropped upon seeing the interior, but I didn’t have time to examine it. Talin walked fast into a chamber, and I followed closely.

But it wasn’t just a chamber. It was a throne room. The ceiling was vaulted with a canopy of intertwined branches and sparkling crystal leaves. The walls were made of living wood, casting a warm glow throughout the room. Then, columns wrapped in fragrant vines and carved from ancient trees lined the hall. The floor was a mosaic of polished stones in shades of green, brown, and gold—and at the end of the hall stood the throne, carved from a single piece of oak, with a high back adorned with celestial symbols and armrests shaped like outstretched eagle wings with glowing emerald tips.

Familiar faces greeted me, but shock was evident in their expressions. Wooden chairs lined one side of the chamber.

A familiar female nymph, who had previously escorted me out, whispered as I sat beside her, “What happened to you? You look…”

“A mess, I know.”

“Have you been in a fight? Your dress is stained with blood, and I can smell that it’s yours. Did someone stab you?”

“I stabbed myself.”

I glanced around and saw descendants from other kingdoms. I was even more surprised to see a descendant from Selena’s kingdom.

What were they doing here, in the Kingdom of Valor?

Talin paced in front of his throne and met my gaze.

“You were incompetent,” he said, clearly referring to me.

Anger surged through me. How dare he speak to me like that in front of these people?

“I didn’t ask you to come for me.” I shot back. I had mentally called for his help, but did he really read my thoughts? For all I know, it was just a coincidence, and he decided to play the hero.

“Had I not come for you, you would be under her magic, dying, and she might have discovered our hiding place!”

“Oh, so you didn’t save me out of kindness? Thank you, truly.”

“Well, you’re welcome. Next time, try not to make saving you a full-time job. Now you will join us and pledge your allegiance, or you won’t leave here at all.”

“You don’t control my will.”

He smiled sardonically. “Is that why you fell into the spirit’s trap so easily?”

“I did not—”

“Not only are you weak physically. You are weak mentally. Your first reaction was to harm yourself to perform Necroportation when you could have simply accepted our offer!” he growled.

I summoned shadows to encircle me like serpents. My arrow flew through the air, sending shadows to ensnare his legs, but he leaped to avoid the attack.

I heard gasps from the onlookers, but no one intervened, not even his panther.

“My brother is in danger. What would you have me do? Sit idly?”

“Sit idly? That’s one way to handle it. Or you could actually use your head to make nice decisions and reduce the need for my involvement. Just a thought.”

Suddenly, a surge of earth rose from the ground, sharp as daggers. I rolled to the side, feeling it slice through the air.

“We could have provided reinforcements to go to that mountain, but you acted recklessly and endangered many lives here.”

Rising to one knee, I drew another arrow and infused it with magic, drawing from my remaining strength. Smoke curled from my fingers, scorching my skin as I forced the magic. Despite my weakened state from the spirit’s power, I pressed on.

This time, I aimed for his leg, and the arrow grazed it, though he did not flinch.

Tears filled my eyes.

He retaliated with a blast of energy that split the ground between us, and I was thrown back. My bow slipped from my grasp.

“I am impressed by your pride. Do you really think you can handle this alone? You’re mistaken. Did you gain anything from the spirit? No?” With my last bit of strength, I rose and launched a barrage of dark bolts toward him, aiming to incapacitate him. My skin felt like it was burning.

He conjured a wall of earth, blocking the attack. Not only did it shield against the bolts, but it also deflected them back toward me.

But they suddenly stopped mid-air, inches from me.

Gently, he kicked my bow back to me.

I collapsed to my knees, exhausted.

Thoughts of my brother made a tear fall silently from my eye, which I quickly wiped away.

He might be right. I gained nothing from that swamp spirit, only riddles and empty stories.

Talin sighed in frustration. He snapped his fingers and the dark bolts vanished into the air. “Astrid, take her to her chamber and mend her.”

I did not resist. I allowed the female nymph to guide me, and we left the room in silence.