Bloodtide

Part 60

The sky was darkening, casting long shadows over the island as the battle raged on. Shouts of men echoed through the trees, clashing with the sound of swords and the thunderous march of the king's soldiers closing in. The heart, the cursed heart everyone was fighting over, sat in a chest not far from where the chaos reached its peak. But the real danger wasn't the heart anymore—it was the overwhelming force of the king's men, bearing down on us from every direction.

"Bloody hell!" Jones roared, his face twisted in rage as he slashed at one of the soldiers. "We need to move, you useless rats!" He threw a wild curse at Henry holding the chest, and for a brief moment, it seemed like he might just grab it and make a run for it himself.

But it was too late.

The soldiers were everywhere now, their gleaming uniforms forming a wall around us. Jones knew it, too. He wasn't going to get caught—not today. He ducked into the trees, disappearing like a ghost into the forest, leaving the rest of us to fend for ourselves.

John was still fighting, his sword a blur as he held his ground, fending off the soldiers inching closer and closer. I was right behind him, desperately searching for a way out as more soldiers poured in from the shore.

And then it happened.

"Ella, get down!" John's voice was raw with urgency as he spun around. Before I could react, he shoved me hard, sending me tumbling to the ground behind a fallen tree. I gasped as the breath was knocked from my lungs, but I stayed hidden, my heart pounding in my chest as I watched him turn back to face the soldiers alone.

"John, no!" I tried to get up, but the soldiers were already on him. One of them grabbed his arm, another knocking the sword from his hand. John struggled, but he couldn't fight them all at once. The chains they carried rattled, and in moments, they had him restrained.

My vision blurred with panic as I scrambled to my feet. I had to help him—I couldn't just leave him there to be dragged off like some common criminal. "No!" I screamed, starting to run toward him.

But a strong hand grabbed my arm, yanking me back.

"Ella, stop!" Hallow hissed, her grip tight as she pulled me away from the scene. "You'll get yourself killed!"

"I have to save him!" I shouted, trying to pull free, my eyes never leaving John as the soldiers forced him to the ground, shackling his hands. "I can't let them take him!"

But Hallow wasn't letting go. "He pushed you out of the way for a reason! You can't help him now!" Her voice was firm, but there was an edge of desperation in it. "We need to go, now!"

I fought against her, my chest heaving as I watched John struggle against the soldiers. His eyes locked with mine for a split second, and in that look, I saw it—he wasn't fighting to escape. He was fighting to protect me.

Hallow yanked me harder, and before I knew it, we were running—away from the clearing, away from the heart, and away from John. Tears blurred my vision as I stumbled after her, my body moving on autopilot as my heart screamed to turn back. But the soldiers were already pouring into the forest, searching for more of us.

We sprinted through the trees, the sound of the soldiers' shouts growing fainter as we reached the edge of the island. The ocean lay ahead, the waves crashing against the shore like a final barrier between us and the king's men.

"We'll find another way to save him," Hallow panted, glancing back at me as we reached the beach. "But right now, we survive."

Hallow and I burst through the last line of trees, the cool air of the ocean hitting us like a wave of reality. The beach stretched out in front of us, but there was no escape in sight—just more of the king's ships, their sails blotting out the horizon as they approached.

I couldn't stop the sob that ripped through me, tears blurring my vision as I stumbled onto the sand. "They're gone," I choked out, my breath coming in ragged gasps. "We left them—John, Henry—they're still back there." My heart twisted painfully at the thought of them, chained and surrounded by the king's men. How could I have left them behind?

Hallow didn't look back, her eyes scanning the ocean. "There's nothing we can do for them right now, Ella," she said, her voice calmer than I felt. She knelt down beside me as I collapsed onto the sand, trembling with the weight of it all. "If we go back, we're just as good as caught."

My tears fell freely, sinking into the sand beneath me. "But we can't just leave them," I whispered, clutching at my chest as if that would ease the pain.

She crouched down beside me, her tone softening. "You're no good to them dead or in chains. We'll figure out how to help them, but we have to get out of here first."

I shook my head, staring out at the ships now drawing closer. Jones was gone—he'd vanished the second he saw a way out, like the selfish bastard he always was. He wasn't going to come back for us, and now John and Henry were at the mercy of the king's soldiers.

More tears spilled down my cheeks as the waves crashed on the shore, the sound only reminding me of how trapped we were. The ships would be on the beach any moment, soldiers ready to hunt down anyone left behind.

"I can't leave them," I repeated, my voice breaking.

Hallow sighed, running a hand through her hair as she stood, glancing back at the incoming ships. "Are you ready to swim?" she asked suddenly, her tone sharp with urgency.

I blinked at her through my tears, confused. "Swim? What do you mean? There's nowhere to go, and they'll spot us in the water."

Hallow turned back to me, her expression unreadable for a moment. Then she knelt down, gripping my shoulders and looking me square in the eyes. "You've done it before, Ella. You can do it again. We're not like them. We don't need a boat."

The realization hit me like a wave, cold and disorienting. She was talking about our true form. My heart raced. I'd only transformed twice in my life, both times out of sheer necessity. It was still foreign to me—unnatural. The thought of plunging into the ocean, of changing again, terrified me.

"I... I don't know if I can," I stammered, shaking my head. "What if I can't—what if I don't—"

"You can," Hallow insisted, her grip tightening on my shoulders. "You have to trust yourself. We don't have time for doubts." Her eyes flicked back to the water, then to the approaching ships. "This is the only way, Ella."

I swallowed hard, my body trembling with fear and exhaustion. The thought of leaving John and Henry behind was unbearable, but Hallow was right. I couldn't help them if I was captured—or worse. I wiped at my tear-streaked face, nodding slowly as I forced the words out. "Okay... I'll try."

"Good," Hallow said, giving me a firm nod before standing up. "Let's go."

With one last glance at the horizon, I stood, my legs shaky as we moved toward the water. The roar of the ocean filled my ears, and my heart pounded harder with every step.