Coexist: Keegan's Chronicles

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Four days came and went, each day the same as the last. Keegan carried her sword everywhere she went—all the women and children did. Each morning was colder and filled with more death.

The loss of life was staggering. Keegan saw one of her father’s best friends being carried off the battleground and it shook her to the core. She was sick of sitting back and waiting. She was tired of watching as men kept dying while she remained safe at the camp. So, she decided to get a closer look.

Keegan crossed the dew-covered valley and mounted the hill that separated the camp from the battle. She drew her sword as she approached. She wasn’t planning on getting close enough to need it, but better to be safe than sorry.

She was horrified by the destruction taking place. Following the sharp sound of blades singing through the air, body parts were flying. Screams of rage could be heard, as well as screams of agony.

She was surprised to see the three large cats. They looked majestic out there—she saw Spencer pounce and swipe his claws across someone’s neck, severing his artery. Sam’s jaw was clamped on an elf’s neck, and he thrashed the dark elf like it was a rag doll. Donald looked massive tearing through the soldiers. He took three out in the blink of an eye. They looked so fierce; she would definitely be looking at them in a new light. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from them.

A loud roar echoed, and Donald fell to the ground. Keegan didn’t think, she just ran, slashing her way through the crowd. Her sword connected with a couple men and she watched, horrified, as their bodies fell, but pushed on anyway. Her need to reach her friend outweighed anything else.

Donald was still breathing, but blood poured out of the deep wound in his chest. She didn’t think he was going to make it. Sam and Spencer’s moans filled the air, but they fought on.

Keegan was relieved when her mother pushed her aside.

“We’ll talk about your brash decision to leave the camp and walk into the middle of a battle later,” Emerald snapped. “Cover me, Keegan, and I can save him.”

Her mom knelt down and placed her hands above the tiger’s chest. She closed her eyes and lifted her face. When she looked back at Keegan, her face was relieved. “The wound would have been fatal, but we reached him in time, Keegan.”

Keegan was filled with relief. When Emerald was done with the healing, the tiger lifted his head and licked her face, and Keegan laughed thankfully. She patted the gigantic cat. The tiger got to his feet and, with one last glance at Keegan, took off back into battle.

Keegan sensed an arrow soar through the air toward her, and in an attempt to evade it, she disappeared. She jerked back, her eyes searching the sky in the split second she had before it hit. Time seemed to slow. She could feel the pounding of the battle in the ground beneath her feet and the cool air brushing across her skin. The battle silenced around her as the sharp sting of the arrow shattered her awareness. Starbursts exploded in her eyes, an array of colors that faded to black.

Emerald looked over to where her daughter had stood, relieved, but just as she was about to move forward, she heard the body drop. When she looked back at her daughter, Keegan was on the ground, an arrow through her heart.

“NO!” Emerald screamed in agony, dropping to her knees even as she knew it was too late.

Keegan would have only fallen to the ground if she were dead. A wound wouldn’t have affected her ability to hold her invisibility in place; she would have appeared at will wherever she was headed.