XF → Harry Hook [2]✔

Demigods

Shan Yu dived towards them, the leviathan of a falcon mercilessly cutting the trees in half with its wings of energy. XJ and Harry rolled out of the way, the scent of soil and earth worming up their nostrils as they hit the ground. Shan Yu's talons missed them by a hair, blowing a gale above the top of Harry's head.

"Oh my god," Harry breathed, staring up at the falcon that was already beginning to circle back towards them.

"There are no gods here," XJ spoke from beside him, although her eyes too were fixed on her father. "Only magic."

Huli Jing's yap of excitement tore his attention away from the giant airborne predator. She had simply taken a step to the side, standing tall and proud. Her eyes were slits and her hair levitated, writhing, hissing snakes around her head.

"I will not be outshined," she smirked, her face lit by the golden moon, its rays cutting shadows across her cheeks.

The same golden glow that had swallowed Shan Yu did the same to Huli Jing, only it poured not from her eyes, but from her fingertips. Her hands became gloves of pure gold, and they encased Huli Jing, travelling up the sides of her arms like creeping vines. Her body arched over until she was on all fours, nails turning to claws, skin turning to fur and the tips of her ears pointing upwards. The golden fox grew until it was twice the size of the falcon, and then it let out an earsplitting shriek, causing the mountains themselves in the distance to tremble.

Huli Jing bared her teeth with her snout up in the air. Shan Yu encircled her from up above, but it was clear that he wasn't going to stay out of reach for long. Even so, Huli Jing didn't wait. She scraped the claws of her hindlegs, carelessly knocking down a few more trees. Her muscles flexed and her body tensed, and then, like a bullet from a gun, she shot upwards.

The fox stretched its paws, but the falcon was too fast, and managed to dance away. A mocking squawk came from the golden bird, followed by an amused canine yelp. They were warming up – whatever had taken Harry's breath away before had only been stretches by the sidelines. Now the race was starting, but they were missing one competitor.

He turned to XJ, and almost stumbled at the expression on her face.

Harry saw a look that he had seen a million times in the dead-ends of the Isle's alleys, when it was the dead of the night and shadows loomed and lurked, when new screams would mix in with the old, unidentifiable in the chaos that could have echoed all the way to Auradon.

It was that of a cornered animal, and he thought he'd die before he saw it on XJ.

"Xiao?" he asked, almost afraid to speak. "What's wro - ?"

He was cut off with a brisk kiss that was too quick and too scared. XJ pulled away, eyes glassy and strange. "I love you," she muttered, trembling with either fear or grief – one of the two, Harry couldn't tell.

"I love – hey!"

XJ shoved Harry backwards. Gold streamed from her fingers, forming a semi-transparent barrier between Harry and the rest of the world. He was reminded of the Isle's prison bars, and his chest went tight.

"Lass, what are you doing?" he touched the barrier, staring at the golden spirals that snaked languorously on the surface of the shield.

XJ bit her lip. Her eyes looked haunted. "I'm keeping you safe."

"Wait, no, I can help!" Harry hit the barrier. His palm stung, but the only damage he had done was to himself – the shield remained as strong and as unshakeable as ever. "Xiao!"

She turned away, ignoring him. XJ jumped upwards, leaving no more than a cloud of dust in her wake as she took off like a rocket. Harry watched, speechless, while her figure grew smaller and smaller.