Changed

Chapter Sixteen

I watched with tears welling in my eyes as Alec mouthed me a worthless 'sorry' and turned his back, becoming smaller as the distance between us grew.

I trembled underneath the Scaevus, blood seeping into the earth. In one violent motion, the Scaevus clamped its jaw down on my ankle, and I was lurched backward. The pain was unbearable, sending my body into shock as I was mercilessly dragged across the forest floor, my head brutally smashing against the stoic trees. I shook uncontrollably, quivering like a petrified animal facing the barrel of a loaded gun. I cried out to the empty wall of forestry surrounding me. A shape was moving closer as the Scaevus released my leg, and I curled into a ball, leaving my torn up calf extended.

I looked up, my eyes wide and reddened with sobs. Now there were two Scaevus, as the blurred figure became clear. They bellowed ear-shattering screeches and it became apparent that they were fighting over who would have me in their stomach. I tried to sink myself into the ground as the Scaevus nipped at each other, almost as if they were two hungry T-Rex battling it out for scraps. Their deafening shrieks grew quieter as the world around me involuntarily went black.

*

I darted through the forest, my wings catching on every single tree I passed. They were tearing my feathers but I didn't care. I didn't have time to deal with the pain of them crawling into my spine.

Where is she goddammit.

I heard her scream - where is she?!

This was my fault.

I shouldn't have let her run without me.

My legs were tiring but I couldn't give up. My chest heaved up and down continuously as a shrill Scaevus scream interrupted the sound of my thumping heart.

I shot towards the noise. Please don't let me be too late.

*

My eyes opened for a fleeting second, catching sight of blue-hued feathers. I whispered his name, knowing he couldn't hear me but soothing my frantic mind. My stomach convulsed, and the taste of blood ran through my mouth as I threw up the red liquid that I was rapidly losing already. I let out another choking sob, and felt my eyelids close once again.

*

Her cry tortured me. Why was beyond me, but as I caught sight of her pale body laying on crimson soaked ground, I filled with uncontainable rage. I clutched the chest of a lunging Scaevus and sent his heart into an internal deep freeze, while I plunged an ice spear into the other's jaws - watching the tip come out of the back of it's head. Not even verifying that they were dead, I scrambled over to her. Her leg was barely intact, and half her face was covered in a sickly dark crimson, contrasting with her pale complexion. I put my head to her chest and heard nothing. I refused to believe she was dead. I touched two fingers to her neck. Yes! A pulse! Faint, but valid. I tore off my shirt and ripped it into shreds. Tying one shred tightly above her knee to stunt the bleeding, another around her grated ankle and one around her wounded arm, I started lightly patting her face - a feeble attempt to bring her back to consciousness.

"Amara," I hissed. No it wasn't friendly, but I didn't have time to be nice. I shook her, and her dull eyes looked up at me.
She made a hoarse sound, trying to speak.

"Amara, listen to me." I held her head up, not allowing her gaze to break away from mine. "You have to cauterize your wounds."

Her eyes went wide as she realized what I was telling her to do. She frantically shook her head, but I didn't let her budge.

"Amara you have to do it now or you'll bleed out. You'll die." I propped her up against my bare chest and held her hand close to the deepest and longest gash carved into her calf.

"I can't," she croaked, barely audible. I kept holding her trembling hand, unsure of what to do next. If I flew her out of here it would kill her, and I was unsure my tattered wings would still hold us both. I desperately racked my brain, searching for any idea that would make her want to burn herself while she was fully conscious and already in immense pain.

*

He hovered my hand above the slash on my leg. He was asking me to weld my skin together. My body was exhausted and overwhelmed - I barely had the energy to stay conscious. I looked up at him, his face damp with sweat and his eyes burning. A cut ran across the outer corner of his eye, across his lip, to the bottom of his chin, reminding me of what my entire leg must look like. Did I want to die? No. Had I accepted the fact that I would? Unequivocally.
Oh no. Hail can't swoop in and save the day this time! I thought sarcastically. I was dying, but my brain was still kind of intact, squeezing out any sarcasm I had left. But I couldn't think when without any warning what so ever, Hail's mouth crushed against mine. My heart lurched as I tasted the coppery tinge of his blood combined with the sweet taste of his soft lips.

The moment vanished as I sharply inhaled and he pulled back. I writhed in pain as the smell of burning flesh accompanied the flames that left my hand. This was worse than any Scaevus bite so far - I could feel my eyes bulging and my body breaking out in cold sweat. But then the pain drastically lessened, and I felt myself fade away.