Divine Destiny: Serendipity Saga Book Two

Chapter Sixteen

The two figures behind us surged forward. One waved a long silver blade, lunging at the wolves, step by step, driving them away. The other had hands raised, chanting in a language I didn't understand. The flames enraged, growing higher and higher until we, like the enemy on its other side, could barely quell its violent light with a raised hand, protecting our eyes.

The figures stepped closer, revealing themselves with the light of the fire. I was surprised to find the two women from earlier in the night coming to our rescue. Mailene, sidled up to Eolis, stabbing her long sword out where his blades had stopped most of the oncoming fighters. She danced before him, her sword not allowing any to crowd nearer.

The other woman, Akalya--if I remembered correctly--stepped forward, her hands still high, her voice carrying over the fray.

"If you do not wish to die here, I would implore you to seek solace elsewhere," she called in thickly accented English. I couldn't place the origin of the accent but her words were curved with the slurring sound.

Growls erupted from the crowd in the other side of the wave of flames but after a moment, they began to fade, the figures they belonged to turning and retreating back into the forest.

Akalya sighed as the last one took refuge, snapping her fingers together on one hand and waving her other in the air. The flames dissipated with a hiss that had me look for water. The air felt heavy and thick as the light diminished.

"Thank you," I said, turning to her. She pushed a lock of bright red hair behind her ear, her freckles laced with a maroon blush. She nodded to me, shoving her hands into pockets on her dress.

"I haven't likely given you long," she said, her eyes peering into the sudden darkness. She looked thoughtful for a long moment before continuing. "You may want to run before they decide to return."

I nodded at her, looking at the decimation the creatures had left across the village. "What about them?" I asked, jerking my head towards the huts lining the outer edge. Akalya and Mailene looked over their shoulders, beaming narrowed eyes at the destruction.

"We'll take care of it," Mailene said.

Akalya was already lifting her hands, a thrum of silent rain falling from the cloudless sky. It coated the huts, dousing the majority of the flames at a touch. I turned back to Eolis, satisfied that the village's people were safe. He was breathing hard, his hands braced on his knees. He staggered forward, pulling his blades from corpses lining the ground and tucking them back into their hiding place amongst his robes.

"I'll help her get home," he said, jutting a thumb in my direction. "You ladies protect the village."

Mailene and Akalya nodded, trading farewells with me before making their way through the village, putting out any remaining fires and checking in on citizens who remained hidden behind grey clouds of solid smoke. I noticed that despite the raging flames there only a moment before, the only buildings that had been touched were the few vacant ones that had been targeted first.

Eolis wrapped his hand around my wrist, tugging me toward the trees. I followed and he dropped his hand. It was nearly a tangible relief. I held nothing against Eolis and owed him quite a lot actually, but Carson's touch was still fresh on my skin and I worried that if I never received it again, its remnenants would fade away completely.

I could still feel him, though the pain in my chest had waned. No. I couldn't address that yet. I couldn't yet consider that all-encompassing pain or the thought burrowing into the back of my brain that I had lost him.

Eolis led me into the trees, leaving behind this mysterious village and its inhabitants. He was an expert at this forest. That much was obvious. He knew when to duck or when to lift his feet higher, stepping over and under fallen structures, guiding me farther and farther away.