The Four Protectors

Thirty Five

3rd Person POV

Cassius stood at the farthest edge of the Academy that was still protected by the wards, with Rafia at his side. She had a grim expression on her face as she surveyed the carnage before them. Cars blown up, a few smaller buildings collapsed and the rotting smell of bodies.

Most of those bodies were just humans, who hadn't even known what was happening and had no way of protecting themselves.

"We've got people out there, fighting, but they could always use more help," Rafia cautioned.

Cassius swallowed guiltily. Desmond hadn't come outside with him considering it was broad daylight. He'd begged him though, to wait for nightfall so they could face this together.

This fight might even be over before nightfall came.

"I'm only one person," Cassius said weakly.

Raphael and Laura were distributing the catalyst to everyone in the Academy's cells. Azriel was working at the temporary sick bay which had been overflowing with people the last time Cassius had gone in there. There'd been so many injured and it had only been two hours since the first car had been blown up, incinerating a family.

The battle hadn't ceased since.

"Suit yourself," Rafia said dismissively.

She stepped away from him and Cassius felt his anger rising. He'd done a lot for this mission, for these people. He'd put his neck on the line on multiple occasions. He wasn't a coward.

But a small voice in the back of his head nagged him, telling him he had a responsibility to see this all the way through. Cassius clenched his fist, already seeing Desmond's angry face behind closed lids. But he had to listen to his gut, like he always had.

"Let me through the wards," Cassius ordered.

Rafia didn't even comment as she made a hole through which Cassius stepped. While another warlock had made these wards, Rafia was the one that was still holding it together after all the damage it had suffered from. The woman hadn't even broken sweat yet as her hands glowed with silvery-black magic.

"Good luck," Cassius said.

"Remember, their weakness is that they enjoy the kill too much," she replied.

Cassius nodded, trying to process exactly how that was a weakness, before shifting into his wolf. He craned his head until he heard the first screams echoing from a burning building to his left. He raced towards them, adrenaline rushing through his veins.

He'd see this through, no matter what it cost him.

Cassius felt his strength running thin as the sun slowly began to set. His motions had become mechanical, dull even as he fought side by side with his brother. Raphael crouched and Cassius snapped an injected vampire's neck.

So many people who could have been saved had to die because Cassius had to put himself and innocent human beings first. He hadn't waited for Desmond. The least he could do was make good on the promise they'd made to each other and get back to him in one piece.

A howl pierced the air and Cassius spun to see the last injected wolf in their zone fall. The sound of the battle had dimmed now. Either that many people had died in the past couple of hours or Cassius had simply become used to the chaos of the fight.

Cassius approached a sandy wolf with an injured hind leg. He then motioned to Raphael, who crouched down. The man shifted back and clambered on to Raphael's back, tightly clutching to the fur despite the evident pain he was in.