Darkest Death

Chapter Fourteen - Adler

The yard was dead silent until the flames erupted from Liam's body. I'd sat next to the bodies on the ground, trying to get any one of them to respond. The gang had joined me, as well as Sam and Celesté. Jordan had turned back into a human again and was sat quietly, watching Julia. Monty had used the silence to get Lukas and Celesté some medical help. Julia had screamed a couple of times. Penny had cried. Even Kali had shed a tear.

Then, after what felt like ages. Liam burst into flames. People stirred all around, as he burned. The flames stopped as suddenly as they had started. I hurried over to him, afraid that he might open his eyes. I checked his pulse, holding my breath. There was none. Shortly after, Julia started to glow as well. The flames on her, however, weren't raging as they were on Liam. They were just there, silently, until they died out. Her pulse had stopped to. I looked up to see hundreds of confused faces all around us. I met Hannah's gaze. Whatever my face must have shown, she understood it and fell back, hand over her mouth as she gasped, tears making their way into her eyes. A howl escaped Jordan. A howl that turned into a saddened roar, as his body changed from human to bear. People parted as he ran away, seemingly with no goal in mind. Noah sent a slight glance after him, and I could tell he wanted to follow but also didn't want to leave Penny. His eyes were blank. Sam was clutching Kali's hand.

"We should get them inside," I said, my voice hoarse. What if Penelope was the next person to glow? What if they'd all die, one by one? I blinked, forcing the thought away. "Whatever they're going through, it must be better to go through in a bed."

Noah nodded, his eyes distant, as tears tumbled down his face. I looked up and realized, that the castle yard was starting to empty out of people. Some of Liam's troops were being chased by others, some were sat at the ground, not caring that their hands got bound together. And some had disappeared entirely. Bodies laid all around. Had I not been exhausted and anxious for my best friends, I might have mourned them.

In a swift move, Noah reached below Penny, lifting her up. I turned towards Kali, but saw that Sam had already lifted the girl. She sent me a glance, as she staggered after Noah. Hannah followed them and I did as well. Behind me, I heard Celesté's footsteps.

"What now?" Hannah's voice was low. I looked at her. Tears covered her face, as she walked. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

"Now, we mourn."

*****

It took a day. A day of worry and panic and spontaneous tears, but then Kali woke up. She had seemed dizzy, but had explained to Sam – who hadn't left the Bringer's side – that Penelope would wake soon enough. Her explanation had brought on a new stream of tears, but these ones joyous.

Now, Noah was asleep in a chair next to Penny's bed. We were in her room. A doctor, who in the Dark World was an aquamancer, had been in and out of the room more times than you could count. Even after Kali had assured him, it just took a while for Penelope to find her way back. From where, Kali never said, and nobody asked. It didn't seem like the kind of knowledge anyone but Servants should have anyways.

I had sat down in the chair opposite Noah, whose face rested in his right hand. The left arm was in a sling. At some point during the battle he'd broken it.

A slight moan escaped Penelope's lips as she opened her eyes. Something fell from my shoulders. As I saw her eyes again, I felt comfortably at home.

"Penny?" I shot up from the chair, although keeping my voice down. Noah had been in this room the past couple of days. He deserved the rest. She blinked a few times, her blue eyes dull. She looked around slightly, before her eyes caught mine.

"Ad," her voice was hoarse as she smiled slightly. I took her hand and kissed it gently. "You made it."

I shook my head at her, still holding her hand. "Not bad for a human, huh?"