The Peregrines

Chapter 35

Suddenly, I felt a sharp blow to my stomach. "Arg! . . . Bastard!" I whispered under my breath, pressing my hand against my stomach, while we all caught the sound of a fierce snarl that wasn't from the hollow, accompanied by a strong, booming bark.

Addison.

The courageous little boxer was gripping the leg of an unseen foe, or so I imagined. I could hear his growls and yelps as he bravely engaged in a fight with this invisible adversary.

Next, I noticed someone gently calling out for Jake in the distance. "Jake," In the dim light, a gentle voice floated through the air just a few feet away. I turned to see Miss Peregrine on the floor, surrounded by scattered pieces. She looked battered and bound, trying to speak despite the haze of pain or medication clouding her words, yet her striking blue eyes were fixed on me.

Memories rushed back to me in an instant, and I found myself crawling backwards and into Bryce, only to be hit with a sudden blackout. It felt as if I couldn't catch my breath, completely losing control of my body, almost like I was frozen in place. The only sensation I could grasp was my heart racing at over 200 beats per minute.

"Kira?! Kira!" I heard Bryce's distressed voice. 

Without thinking, I began to try and shift and squirm, desperate to do something, feel anything. After a minute had gone by, I finally opened my eyes and realized how drained I felt, as if all my strength and energy had completely vanished. "Oh god, Kira," Bryce wrapped me in a warm embrace, and I found my chin comfortably resting on his shoulder.

As I embraced Bryce, my eyes wandered around the room and landed on Jake, who was already on his feet, gripping a wooden stake tightly. On the other side, I spotted Addison, his teeth sunk deep into one of the hollow's limbs, riding it like a rodeo star, holding on fiercely and growling as the hollow tossed him around. 

Emma had freed Miss Wren from the rope that had held her captive and was now keeping watch, her hands ablaze and swinging wildly in the air. The hollow sent Addison crashing into a pole, causing the dog to be thrown free. Jake dashed toward the hollow, sprinting swiftly through a maze of outstretched branches and fallen limbs.

"Hey! Over here!" Jake yelled in English, but after that, he said something in hollowspeak. He picked up the closest thing at hand—which happened to be a hand—and threw it. It bounced off the hollow's back.

I pushed off of Bryce and sprinted toward Emma, but first, I had to maneuver around Jake, who might be battling the Hollow at that moment. My priority was reaching Addison, who lay unconscious on the floor. So, I charged ahead as Jake plunged the stake into the creature, striking it once, twice, before sending it crashing to the ground.

Just when I believed I had successfully slipped past that ridiculous creature, I found myself lifted off the ground, and this time, I was soaring even higher than before. I could hear Emma yelling at it to let me go, along with Caul's voice joining in.

"Don't you eat her!" he screeched over the PA. "She's mine!"

I found myself ensnared in its jaws, my knees to my chest held tightly by its teeth, which began to slice into my skin as I screamed in pain. In a final effort to gather my strength for a bolt of energy, I felt a sharp sting in my hand. I managed to summon a flicker of light, but it wasn't enough to create a bolt. As I glanced down, the light quickly dimmed, exposing a pool of blood collecting in both of my hands. Shit . . .

"KIRA, I'M GOING TO THROW THIS FINGER AT YOU, CRUSH IT AND SHOVE IT DOWN IT'S THROAT!!" Jake yelled. 

I spun around just in time to see him throw something shimmering and golden into the air. With my hands now free, I managed to catch it, crush it in my grip, and force it down what I hoped was the creature's throat. Emma was attacking it, setting it ablaze—and then, right before it could snap its jaws and slice me in two, the beast started to gag.

It staggered away from Emma, choking and singed, making its way back to the grate in the floor from which it had emerged. It hurried back to its lair, where it could take its time to feast on me.

There we were, at the grate, descending into it. We were plummeting, plummeting, struggling to breathe, but somehow, I remained alive.

When we finally reached the bottom, it came with a loud, jarring thud that knocked the breath out of us and sent all the dust I had packed into the hollow swirling into the air. As it settled around us, I could feel it taking effect, easing my pain and clouding my thoughts. The hollow seemed to be affected too, as its grip loosened and it barely nipped at me anymore.

As we settled into a dazed and peaceful heap, drifting off to sleep, I noticed a dark, shadowy tunnel emerging through the swirling white mist, filled with a pile of bones.

* * *

"Kira, sweetheart, it's time to wake up now," A voice reached my ears, one that felt somewhat recognizable, but I couldn't determine who it was. It was smooth and gentle, exuding kindness and wisdom, yet there was a subtle hint of sorrow woven into its sound. "Kira, I really need you to wake up now."

I felt a sudden jolt as someone shook my shoulders, and instinctively, fear washed over me. My first thought was that I was about to be attacked. I sprang up, my eyes wide with alarm, prepared to defend myself if they tried to strike or restrain me. 

I focused on the figure before me and realized it was a hurt and bruised Miss Raven. Without hesitation, I rushed over and wrapped my arms around her in a warm embrace.

As I withdrew from the hug and surveyed the scene, I spotted the ymbrynes—pale, anxious faces peering along the walls and sitting on office chairs. But before I could make a move, my brother stood in my way, preventing me from proceeding.

He wrapped his arms around me, supporting my unsteady body with his warm embrace. "Kira, oh my god!!" My brother said in a hushed tone. Then, Addison made his way toward me, trying to walk as proudly as he could on his two hurt paws, and I rushed to greet him.

"That's twice now you've saved me," I said, putting a hand on his furry head. "I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

"You can start by getting us out of this bloody loop," he growled. "I'm sorry I ever crossed that bridge!" People who listened to him couldn't help but chuckle. Perhaps it was his dog-like personality, but Addison had a way of speaking his mind without holding back; he always expressed exactly what he felt.

"That stunt you pulled with the truck was one of the bravest things I ever saw," I said.

"I was captured the minute I got inside the compound. I'm afraid I let you all down."

A loud explosion echoed from beyond the sturdy door, causing the room to tremble. Little objects fell from their places on the shelves. "The wights are trying to blow in the door," I heard Miss Peregrine explain. "They've been at it for some time." 

As soon as my mother's voice reached my ears, I found myself in a defensive stance, my wounded hands—each with a significant gash—held out in front of me, prepared to react. Out of nowhere, Bryce came up behind me, took hold of my hands, and pinned them behind my back, reminding me that this was our real mother and that I wasn't lost in a hallucination again.

"We'll deal with them," Jake said. "But first I want to know who's unaccounted for. Things will get out of hand when we open that door, so if there are peculiars elsewhere in this compound who need rescuing, I want to keep them in mind as we go into battle."