TIMELESS - An ACOTAR Fanfiction

CHAPTER 9

The clouds covering the moon parted, illuminating them as they stood back to back at the center of the clearing. Zivia tried summoning her powers but to no avail and she felt Azriel tense behind her, probably doing the same.

There were more than a dozen of them scattered around. She felt for the dagger strapped on her thighs. No illusions could hide them now. They could make a run for it, but who knew how many more of them were there, staying hidden among the shadows of the trees. And flying was totally out of their option as it would make them an easy target. They could end up tattered in arrows before they could even reach a safe distance.

So they did nothing.

They couldn't harm these people, not if they were going to vie for their trust. They have to get out of this situation in the most non-aggressive way possible.

"It's okay," she said to no one in particular. "We bring no ill intentions. We won't do anything to you."

Silence.

"We come in peace," she tried again, taking a single step forward.

An arrow bolted through from somewhere among the bushes, missing her by a few inches.

"Doesn't seem like they can be reasoned with," muttered Azriel as he unsheathed his weapon as well.

At the same time, they leaped from where they were standing and barreled towards the trees. Arrows rained down on them but they were quick. Their powers may be gone but the heightened abilities of being a faerie were still there. As her eyes adjusted, she spotted a man hidden among the tree trunks to her right. She hurtled her dagger at him before he could nock another arrow. Her knife hit him on his chest, hard enough that he stumbled back but not enough to kill him. She went to retrieve her dagger then struck him with its hilt to knock him out.

A pain tore through her left calf and she turned to see the brute bald man from the tavern, weapons on his hands.

"I knew I wasn't just seeing things," he hissed as he threw another knife at her. She caught it easily with her hands.

"What? Still bitter about being rejected?"

"I'm going to kill you!"

The man lunged at her with all his might, but it was apparent that he wasn't used to fighting. He made so many unnecessary movements and was unsteady on his feet that it took her less than a minute to take him down.

Another group of men appeared before she could restrain him. One of them swung his sword at her and she leaped backwards, lifting her dagger just in time to deflect another attack from behind. Another one joined then another until there were ten of them in the fight. They circled her with their weapons drawn and pointed at her.

"My, my. What's a female to do when surrounded by all these men?" she said with a serious expression on her face.

"Monster!" shouted one of them and they all fell upon her.

She took every blow defensively and attacked with caution so as not to fatally injure any of them. It took longer than she expected to take them all down. Her skill was more effective when used in full force and holding back made her slower.

"You're all murderers."

The bald man was slumped against a tree, cowering in fear. He was looking at her with undiluted hatred in his eyes. "Monsters! I hope they killed your brother!"

Brother?

It took her a few seconds to process what he said. Shit.

They were separated at some point but she didn't notice as she was busy fighting off these men that she totally forgot about Azriel. She frantically looked around for any sign of him when a scream cut through the air, she hastened to where the sound came from and found about a hundred men surrounding a visibly tired Azriel, who was holding a man by the throat. A dozen bodies lay unmoving at his feet.