The Overlord Trilogy: The Light

27 • The End Is Near

Julie

I am going to murder him. When I find him I swear to God there will be nothing left of him when I am through with him! I storm out of the hotel, pissed off beyond belief, and into the moving tide of people. The military are regulating the crowd and moving it away from where the helicopter crashed, some soldiers breaking into a building and storming inside it. A soldier stops me and asks for my ID. I sigh and hand him my fake driver's license. He looks at it and then gives it back to me. I look around at the tall buildings and plan on how I'm going to find Xileth. I move through the crowd and find myself getting pushed into an alleyway. I take out a crystal and project a map of the city. Xileth couldn't have gotten far. Unless he... I don't let the thought finish. He wouldn't do that. I look at my bandaged hand. Blood Magic... I've only done it once before now... I shudder at the thought of what happened before. I turn a corner so people from the street won't be able to see.

I take a deep breath. You can control it... you don't need the crystals as a crutch... I close my eyes and take out a scrap of cloth from his disguise. I took it when he used the crystal to hide his true identity, for this purpose. I focus and can feel the energy flow through my body into the cloth. Tracker Magic... so useful in moments like these.

It takes a few moments but I soon see where he is. I can see him shouldering past people and walking. I try to pinpoint his location but the vision blurs. Come on Julie, get a grip!

"Fifth... Fifth Avenue! Got it!" I get up and run back into the crowd. I push past people despite the profanities said to me as I pass them. I sprint at full speed to Fifth Avenue. I'm coming Xileth, you can't stop me.

I suddenly feel another flow of energy flow through my body into my hands. Crap! Oh, no! Not now! I have to stay in control. I feel the energy empty out of my body, my legs buckling from underneath me. In seconds I am falling right into Xileth, appearing in the room with him.

As we crash to the ground I slide on the linoleum, my knees screaming in protest. Xileth gets up and suddenly a katana is a centimeter from my neck. I tense up and try to move back but I am already against the wall. Xileth looks at me intensely not moving the katana away.

"I warned you. I told you not to come for me." I gulp, he wouldn't kill me. Would he? Oh God! OH GOD! I take a deep breath.

"Xileth, please. It's me, Julie!" He moves that katana closer to my neck so I can feel it touching me. I can't move as he raises the katana. I feel the energy return to my body. For once I am happy for this... I raise my hands up and an energy blast launches him into a wall. His katana slides away from him. I jump up and before I can even blink Xileth has his katana again and he slices it at me. I jump back as it grazes my forearm. I feel my sleeve start to get damp with blood. Xileth is fast, physically strong, and pretty much has limitless energy. I have to use all of the magic that I have and disable him somehow... I take out my last five crystals. I put some of my mana into them and toss them into the air. Wires sprout from the crystals and attach themselves to the wall. Xileth looks at the wires that surround him.

I shoot a small energy blast a one of the crystals. It glows a bright red and the wires wrap around Xileth and explode on contact. I do that with two more crystals before waiting for the smoke to clear. Xileth just stands there unfazed. Shit. He charges at me and I jump to the side as his katana crashes into the wall. I make the other two crystals crash into him and explode. I run to the other side of the room. I look around for anything I could use. Some knocked over, and destroyed, tables are scattered around with chairs. Xileth charges at me and, before I can react, slams the butt of his katana into my stomach. I cough and fall to my knees, looking up at him breathlessly.

"Xil...eth..." He looks at me blankly.

"Nobody could help Zoey, nobody except me. It's because of everyone that she died. I am ending this Trial." He raises the katana. Screw it... if I'm going to die he has to know the truth about Zoey...