No More Choices (Void and Light Book One)

Chapter Twenty

~Akiriya~

    Dust and debris coated the room and the air. Growling and scratching were the only sounds that I could hear. I was curled in the fetal position on the floor under a warm body. I opened my eyes to find Yama there; bits and pieces of concrete on his back that I can only assume would have hit me if not in for him putting himself in the way.

    I met his eyes with mine and I felt the warmth in his eyes all over and it made my heart squeeze. For just a second he wasn't giving me a look like he hated me, but as if he didn't know what he would do without me.

He grunted as another part of the broken ceiling fell on him. "Are you okay?" he whispered to me. I nodded not having any words to give.

The growling grew louder and evidently closer than it had been before. The room, I realized, was eerily vacant. I pushed Yama off of me and searched around noticing that we were hidden from view behind a set of desks. Yama was breathing hard and gripping the strands of his grey hair when I looked back at him.

I scooted closer to him and was about to ask what was wrong when the sounds of breaking desks demanded my attention. My head whipped at break-neck speed and I peered over the desks to see a beautiful ash colored wolf, pacing and sniffing as if looking for something.

Blood coated the floors of the room and dark splotches of color tainted the smoky hues of the fur that looked so soft and plush. The sight should have disgusted me, I should have been trembling with fear but as the beast's head lifted and its sunset eyes me mine I could only keep hold of its gaze, utterly enraptured by the intelligence that I saw beyond the gore that surrounded me. I began to stand and walk around the desks only to be dragged down by Yama.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He whisper yelled.

"'I'm going to it, It won't hurt me." I replied, trying in earnest to relieve myself of the pressure he was putting on my wrist.

"No, you know what that is?" I shook my head, "That is a Lianian Wolf Sentinel."

I stared at him blankly and shake my head, "I don't know what that is."

He rolled his eyes but the wolf cut him off with a tackle and I watched in horror as Yama struggled and thrashed with his chest tightly clutched in the jaws of the wolf. Yama let out a grunt and I looked at the mark on my wrist as it began to glow dual colors. Silver lines crawled their way up my forearm and runes in a language that I don't recognize, but at the same time felt familiar.

Yama was thrown across the room and I quickly ran to him, somehow getting there before he made contact with what was left of the drywall. I looked at the wolf as it began to charge towards us just about three feet away, eyes like fire trained solely on Yama, until it was subsumed in flame.

Blue flame.

I looked over and saw the others at the door, eyes flashing and what looked like runes and symbols covering their hands and arms. Jarek and Emory ran over to Yama and me and it was only then that I realized that he was out cold, black veins scaled their way up his chest and the deep holes in his flesh oozing blood.

Jarek cursed looking to Emory and she nodded as if they had conducted a full conversation wordlessly. They began to move Yama and supported his body with their own and I watched in awe as the others completely annihilated the wolf, It's unmoving form being swallowed by flames. Saffron ran over to me and grabbed my hand.

"Are you alright?"

I nodded and looked at the wolf, a tear escaping my eye. I squeezed her hand and let go, moving over to the hot body of the wolf and seeing something hanging from its throat.

I pull it off when I see that, engraved on it, is my name beside a crescent moon. It was a silver box attached to the collar. I went to show Saffron but something told me not to and so I slipped it into my pocket and ran to the others.

I walked out of the classroom, or at least what was left of it, and found them in the hall speaking to one another.

". . . No choice." Zelisa whispers.

"Of course there is a choice, but we have to be smart."Calvin Stressed.

"Fine." Emory huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and when she noticed me she looked at me pained.

"What's going on? What's the plan?"

They all looked at each other and Jarek took a deep breath, "We're going to Helios, Now."