The Bloodstone Prophecy - Book 2 (complete)

Chapter 38 - Defiance

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As the prisoners pushed their way out of the cell, Kami scanned the dungeon. The only two that remained inside were Gedo and the prisoner that had been shot. Gedo's face was ashen. He wasn't moving, and blood was pooling around his body. If she were to have any chance to save him, she would need to get back to her body and use the scarab.

Kami flew from the dungeon and out into the open area of the cave. Yasmin and Neina were slowly limping up the ramp and were halfway to the dungeon. Yasmin grabbed Neina's hand and stared at her with both curiosity and fear. She knew her form produced awe, but it still felt strange to know others feared her.

She didn't have time to think about that however. She flew down and through the cave. Yasmin and Neina would have to help Gedo until she could get back with the necklace. She needed to return to the main battle to help the others. Kami thought of the Shadow Queen. With each flap of her wings, a red hot ball of rage inside grew and grew and as she reached the opening of the cave, she burst into flame.

Kami could see Liam and Haji up ahead. They were surrounding the Shadow Queen with fiercely determined faces. She was lying in the sand, half-reclined, clearly weakened, but just as defiant. Liam aimed the shadow blaster at the Queen's head and pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

The Shadow Queen threw her head back and laughed. She stretched out her hand and chanted something. Green light sparked from her fingertips, then fizzled. She looked at her hands in shock.

Grinning, Liam tossed aside the shadow blaster and pinned her arms from behind. Haji held his dagger to her throat. The Shadow Queen squirmed and closed her eyes. The volume of her chanting increased.

"This is for my father," Haji shouted. But just before he could do anything, a green light shot out, knocking Liam and Haji back. Liam lay on the ground with his eyes closed, but Haji leaped up and held out his blade.

The Shadow Queen stood and pulled out her own dagger—Alexander's blade. Haji's eyes widened, then narrowed. He came at her and their blades clashed. They both fought desperately, whirling and ducking and flipping. The Shadow Queen was weakening. Haji attacked fiercely.

He lunged and thrust and parried. It seemed he might have the upper hand, but then, in a moment Haji was flying through the air and falling to the sand, dropping his shadow blade. Kami could see what had taken him down now—a long black snake connecting Haji's ankle to the Shadow Queen's hand. Haji kicked at the whip and tried to crawl toward his Shadow Blade. He reached out for it and nearly had it in his grip when the Shadow Queen yanked and he lost his momentum and fell hard onto his back. She stepped around him and picked up his blade.

She knelt at his side and lifted both blades over Haji's chest.

This was it. Kami dove into a suicide dive straight at the Shadow Queen. She relaxed and brought her mind into a state of calm. Release, she thought. The Shadow Queen looked up and her eyes widened at Kami's rapid approach. Release, she thought with desperation. The queen was directly in front of her now. Kami closed her eyes and prepared for the impact.

But it never came.

Instead she felt that disembodied slipping feeling sweep over her and a whooshing of air whip past her. She opened her eyes and looked over to see Haji rolling away from a brilliant ball of golden flame. Kami was back in her body—she had made it out in time! She let out a deep shuddering sigh of relief.

"Kami! Help me with Samuel," Chris said unable to hold back the tears. "I tried to do CPR on him, but it didn't work."

She sat up with a groan and crawled over to Samuel.

Samuel didn't look good. As bad as the shadow wounds on his chest appeared, she suspected the internal damage was even greater. She checked for a breath or pulse. Nothing.

She applied the scarab's oil to Samuel's body as Chris held his hand tightly and rocked back and forth.

Kami watched and waited, but finally she knew she couldn't prolong it any more.

She put her hand on his shoulder.

"Chris, I'm so sorry ..."

"No, you can fix him. I saw what you did with your grandfather. He was dying. You brought him back. Do the same for Samuel. Fix him."

"I don't think..." Kami said.

"Samuel? Samuel!" a woman's urgent voice came behind her. She knelt beside Kami. "What happened to him?"

"He fell," Chris said. "He was fighting the Shadow Giant."

"Oh Christopher," the woman said, turning to him and pulling him into a hug. "I'm so sorry."

When Chris pulled back, he introduced the woman to Kami. It was Ilena, the woman from the group they had lived with that Samuel had been searching for. Her dark hair was pulled back in a messy bun and she wore a faded blue shirt and torn khakis.

"I think he knew he might die," Chris said.

"What?" Kami asked.

"Samuel knew it. He planned it all along. I should have seen it. He was acting funny ever since we stayed with Haji's family. I should have known. When he left us to get the supplies, he must have taken the jar piece. By then he already knew what he was going to do."

"The jar?"

"From the laboratory," Chris said, pointing at the sand. Kami followed it with her eyes to see a black jar fragment that lay half-buried in the sand.

"It was the only thing powerful enough to stop the giant," Chris went on. "He figured out the eye was the weak place and stabbed him with the jar piece."

Chris stared at Samuel anxiously, watching for any sign of life, a breath, a movement. Something. Anything. Kami felt sick inside. Somehow she knew this wasn't going to work, that they were too late.

"Chris," Kami said as gently as she could. "You remember the girl."

"But she was dead for awhile before you tried. Samuel was alive moments ago. I saw him."

"The fall was too much. Once they're dead, I don't think I can do anything more. It's too late. I'm so sorry."

Kami held her arms out to Chris. She was relieved when he fell into her arms, sobbing. Holding him, she rubbed his back and murmured words of consolation.

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Sad, sad chapter for me to write. The feels are pretty intense. Thoughts?

Things have been pretty slammed for me with back to school (more than I realized it would be), so I've extended the fanfiction and fan art contest deadlines forward to October 1. I hope that works for everyone. Trailer contest deadline is still October 15.

Huge congrats to the winners of the Wattpad Summer Block Party - Catherine Lu, winner of the Born of Shadow paperback, Ysa Arcangel, winner of a Born of Shadow ebook and Alana Lucero, who has requested I name a character after her son, Simon. Love the name Simon, so I'm very excited.

Dedication for this chapter goes out Bookwormgirl. I have so enjoyed her awesome comments throughout Born of Shadow and The Bloodstone Prophecy! To follow her or check out her writing (she writes about shapeshifting warriors), click on the dedi link.