Bound to the North {Complete!}

35| True Identity

Finn POV

My sword clattered to the ground as Gemma held me against a rock, the tip of her blade pressed against my throat. "You really are trash at swordplay," she scoffed, releasing me.

Her flaming orange hair was tied into a ponytail, and her green eyes that looked more yellow glowed with power. "I have a question," I panted, overwhelmed.

"Fire away," she said, spinning her sword and sliding it into its sheath.

"Who the bloody hell did you train with to get this good?"

She laughed, throwing her head back. "You wouldn't believe me," she said. "It wasn't Amara, if that's what you're thinking. I'm out of her league."

A few minutes later, alarm bells, a sound I knew only too well, echoed through the castle into the courtyard. "Dwarves!" various people were yelling.

"It's your first battle, Gemma!" I yelled over my shoulder as we rushed to catch up with the force. "Keep a clear mind and don't panic!"

A rusty knife flew straight by my head, almost grazing an ear. The dwarves were directly attacking the palace. They really did have a death wish...

I and about twenty elves sprinted inside the castle and up a long, spiral staircase to the top of the watch towers. From there, we drew our bows, and shot down dwarf after dwarf.

Below, Ozio was locked into combat with a short, buff dwarf woman. She athletically rolled between his legs and came up behind him, about to bring her spear down on his skull.

Before I could scream a warning, Amara threw a dagger at the dwarf's spear, hitting it precisely in the middle and knocking it out of her hand. Ozio regained his posture, and delivered the final blow.

I'd lost sight of Gemma a while ago. Hoping she was okay, I went back to shooting. A few minutes
later, the dwarf general finally called a retreat. To my relief, I saw Gemma run inside with the rest of the force. What was the point of that? It was a suicide mission on their part. Get yourself a new general, mates.

***
"The total death count is only four elves," the now one-handed General Kahn announced. I couldn't stop myself from laughing when I thought about how Serena had sliced it off when she'd been captured. "That's a new low for a high combat defense. Good jo—"

"—make that five, General," Ozio called as he burst into the room. I stood up in alarm. "Gemma's dead," he said when he caught my eye.

"What?" I demanded, rising sharply. I'd just seen her. How was that possible?

I followed Ozio into the library, where her body lay slumped over on a desk behind a bookshelf. I touched her wrist. It was stone cold. Her emerald green eyes were scrunched closed. The horrible smell of death was fuming off her.

"First Felix, and now Gemma," Ozio sighed.

"She's been here...for at least two days," I said in shock. A fresh body couldn't have been that cold.

Ozio raised a shaking finger to point somewhere behind me. "Then w—who's that?"

The Gemma I'd seen earlier strutted in, grinning maniacally. "Hello!" she warbled, an insane-sounding modulation in her voice.

Her form began to change. Her orange hair darkened, and her green eye color melted into a full yellow hue. Her lips took on a deathly blue shade.

"Hmph," she grunted. "You figured it out. Unfortunately, you can't know about me. So you both have to die now! Then I can move on to Princess Serena."

She stomped her foot on the ground, and a shroud of red mist erupted from the ground, enveloping her in a foggy veil. Her teeth elongated, and her eyes glowed bright red. She let forth a ghastly screeching noise as the red mist snaked around her, and lashed at me.

"Raven!" a furious female voice screamed. My eyes were getting heavy, but right before I lost consciousness, Amara barged into the library.

With her sword in hand, Amara slashed at the...whatever it was. I heard a little poof, and the woman disappeared.

I'd heard what 'Raven' said. Serena was in trouble. I started walking out of the library, ready to go to fairy territory. This woman was not good news for anyone.

"Not. So. Fast."

I stopped in my tracks, sighing exasperatedly. "Going to try to kill me again?" I asked my sister.

"Better," she laughed. I saw a heavy book fly in my direction, and my world went black.