Scarlet Eclipse [Temporarily on Hold]

Chapter 6

Lucy

The Moine huffed and its eyes glinted rage. It raked the ground with its hooves again, as if ready to charge. If it did, its hooves would practically destroy the bridge. We’d all die, and maybe that’s what Lord Moon plans. 

“I can’t get a hold on him!” Lily suddenly whispered. “His thoughts are too jumbled for me to read. All I can get from him is murder. It’s like… we did something to anger him.” 

It took one step forward, towards Alyxa. She sat frozen, her eyes wide as she stared at the creature. It met her eyes and took another step. She began to wave her hands slowly without breaking eye contact. 

“He thinks we shot him!” Lily murmured fearfully. “Alyxa… be careful! He’s dangerous.” 

It was like she was in a trance. She stood and swayed as she waved her hands in the air. She danced to an invisible music and it was as if time slowed. She never broke eye contact and the boar swayed with her, mesmerized. She suddenly stopped and grabbed both his horns roughly. I raised a hand frantically, trying to warn her that that wasn’t the best idea around a Moine boar. She had her own idea and shoved him. 

He toppled backwards, off the bridge and back on the ledge with a dazed look. He groaned, a long wailing sound, and fell with a thump onto the steaming grass. He was down, just like that. Unfortunately, whatever she did was only temporary.

“Alyxa?” I asked tentatively. Time seemed to really slow for her and she was frozen in the position when she pushed the Moine. I pushed passed the gaping others and tapped her shoulder hesitantly. As if she had been defrosted, she blinked and shook her head dazedly. I turned her around, needing to tip-toe to push her properly. “We’ll discuss what just happened later. For now, let’s just concentrate on getting off this stinking bridge,” I grumbled gruffly. 

We continued on. I glanced back at Alyxa occasionally to check to see if she was okay, but she seemed fine. Mostly just surprised, I suppose. About a hundred feet left, my head shot up instantly as I cast a sharp glance at the end of the bridge. 

Two people stood there, both wearing silver hoods. One had their hood up and the other, down. The one with the hood down was a young woman, perhaps in her early twenties. Her silky smooth hair fell over her left shoulder and down to her hips in elegant green-blue waves. Her sparkling blue eyes were cold, frosty even. A black crescent was tattooed under her right eye, next to it but slightly lower. Her skin was blemish-free and white, nearly blue in color. She wore a darker, long silvery dress under her cloak that complimented her blue eyes. She was tall, beautiful, and most importantly, dangerous. 

This must be Naiira Marina. 

Naiira’s story was that a long, long time ago, she once belonged to a set that was guided by my eldest brother, Darios. He died a decade ago, at the ripe age of seventy-six. Naiira, who was a lovely and young, but spoiled, water nymph, fell in love with Darios, but he would not have it. He loved no one by our mother and did not wish to love anyone else. Seeing the love Darios had for his mother, Naiira grew angry and enraged at Luna. She despised Luna and later, Darios too. Before the others of the set were to return to Earth, she left, ran away, never to be seen again. 

And she was here now. Clearly, she’d joined Moon after years, maybe decades of wandering the island. 

Naiira looked on coldly at us, especially at me, the youngest sister of her former first love. Without looking away, she jerked the thick rope she held in her hand that tied the hands of the other person. The person behind her was thrust forward, the sudden movement pushing the hood from their head. Another female. 

This one looked ratty, despairing. She must have been captured by Moon before she could return. Her hair, long and a bright, fiery red, was knotty and messy. It covered her face, though her eyes peeked from between her bangs. They were red as well, a bright, yet dimmed, sorrowful color. I spotted a tear streak down her dirty cheeks like a shooting star before her hands lifted, pointed at us, and a burning globe of flame appeared. It shot at us and we all ducked, watching as it flew… and smashed into the ropes of the other side. 

Several screamed as the bridge swung down along the cliff. “Climb, climb, climb!” I shouted as I forced myself to crawl up the now-vertical bridge. 

When I was nearly to the top, and hopefully the others were close, we slammed against the  rocky wall, scraping my fingers. Someone at the end screamed, Reily I think, as a burst of flamed grazed the swinging ends of the bridge and sparked. I looked down hurriedly as I scrambled to the top. Markus came up next, then the others, until only Reily and Jaymes were left. 

They were slow, only three quarters of the way up. Jaymes was ahead of her and I could hear him urging her on to climb. The fire was burning the old bridge fast and if they didn’t hurry, they might not make it. “Reily!” Jaymes screamed as he reached the top. She was almost there and he reached out. I, Lily, Devin, and Carter did as well, in case one of us could catch her if Jaymes could not. 

Their hands were almost a foot apart. “Jump,” Jaymes pleaded. The rope was straining. It was frayed badly and fraying further. “Jump.”

Reily squeezed her eyes tightly and she jumped as the bridge fell into the burning chasm below in a small extra-large light of fire. Jaymes caught her small hands in his and began to pull her up. We all backed away from the side of the cliff, relieved. I heard the crumble before the fall. Damn, I was so stupid! 

“No!” I roared as I jumped at them. The cliff that Jaymes stood on collapsed as Jaymes pulled Reily up. I watched as they all stared in horror at the cliff as they fell. 

I was too far off and skidded by the grass, inches away from the edge. I buried my face in my hands. Damn. Damn, damn, damn. How could I be so stupid? Of course Naiira would put an extra something to ensure some of us would die, if we didn’t already. Stupid! 

“Look!” Devin gasped. I lifted my head and saw a glorious flash of light that spread warmth over me. Jaymes floated over the cliff wearing… hot pink wings. He seemed pretty out of it himself as he rose over the edge and onto the ground. Was he dead? 

His feet touched the ground— he was missing a shoe— and he collapsed to his knees as the pink wings POOFed to dust. His eyes were wide and unblinking and we watched him for a minute, wary of what he would do. What had happened there?

I closed my eyes, breathing shallowly. No. It can’t be. It was too soon. Moon must have stepped up his game. He never struck this fast. Something’s wrong, different about this time. 

But what?