Daughter of Tide and Illusion

Chapter 40

Chapter 40

He wished it was all a dream. A nightmare, really. Then it at least wouldn't have been real.

Jai couldn't even scream for Lyv as Mik approached, black sword raised before he plunged it straight into her back, since the shadows all but strangled him. And as long as he lived, he would never forget the sounds of the following moments that seemed to drag on for several lifetimes.

The shattering of her spine.

The three heartbeat pause before she took a shuttering breath and looked down at the sword sticking out from her Chest.

The sound of it leaving her body as Mik pulled it back out with a dark chuckle.

"She's going to be very pleased with this," he stated after Lyv's strength completely left her and she collapsed into the sand. "But she will always want more."

More breaking bones as he crushed her chest.

"Still not enough," Mik sighed, shaking his head as he knelt down to Lyv's mangled body.

And then a deep slice across her throat that created a river of blood down the side of her neck, pressing that obsidian stone into it to draw out every bit of her magic it could and leaving only a kernel of light inside her.

In all his years, Jai had never seen so much blood as he did then. Or had such a pure, enormous amount of fear and rage rush through him as Mik stood back up.

Mik lifted his hand toward Allel then, who suddenly went rigid and clutched at her throat. "You. Come here," he demanded, though he used his magic to drag her up on her feet. "She'll deal with you later."

"Please, don't! What have you done?" Allel choked out, dark eyes wide as he continued to pull her toward him. "No, just let me go."

But he merely chuckled, wrapping his hand around the cuff Lyv had somehow managed to create a crack in, and mended it. "Oh, no, we can't do that...now, shift."

She, of course, had no choice with the command, crying out as her whole body shimmered and morphed back into the silver dragon.

And then they were gone, taking off into the skies with the shadows lingering before they started following.

No matter how much Jai wanted to follow now that he was free, Lyv was so much more important.

"Lyv!"

The broken scream of her name didn't sound like it came from him then, but it did. Boots kicking up the sand as he lunged forward and dove to her side, he was finally beside her, leaning over as her shattered chest barely lifted with every broke breath. Her eyes were wild, looking every which way in search of something as blood continued to gush from the wound to her chest and her throat.

"Lyv, you've got to stay when me," Jai begged her, hands going to both sides of her face to keep her steady. Tears burned in his eyes, rushing down his face to land on hers. She blinked once, twice as they did, watching him as her mouth moved with incoherent words. Gods...the blood. It coated his hands, puddled beneath her. There was too much. Too much. "You can't leave now, so stay, all right? Please!"

The others were finally free from the shadows as well, but Jai didn't notice until their yelling sounded close by. Still holding Lyv steady, he looked up and saw Alberich first, then Bridget and Gideon close behind.

"Help me!" Jai screamed, the words breaking from his chest as he drew up every little bit of healing magic he could from within.

But he knew it wouldn't be nearly enough. Not without Alberich to help.