The Gathering

Chapter Thirty Five

We walked towards each other and were about to fight. Doug had drawn his sword and I had out my daggers.

I took a step toward Doug and a circle formed around us. Kat and Isabella stepped to the inside of the circle, but Sam and Rose stayed outside, not sure what to do.

Doug raised his sword and brought it down on me and I reached to block it with my knife at the hilt of his sword.

When I raised my arm to block it though, I left my back open for attack and someone took the opportunity. I felt an incredible pain in my right shoulder right as I blocked it and I crumpled to the ground.

I heard the stretching of string as someone knocked another arrow and the scream of Kat. I heard the whoosh of the release, but I was powerless, I couldn't move.

But the pain never came.
I looked around to see Kat lying on the ground and an arrow in her chest with blood rapidly pouring from the wound.

"You've come too far Vande. Couldn't let you die now. You're a much better person to lead us. We'd be lost without you" Kat croaked out with her final breath, and then her body went limp.

"KAT NOOO!" Bex yelled as she ran up to hold Kat's lifeless body. I looked up with fury in my eyes to see who the attacker was.

Emilio did it. There was no weapon in sight, but he had a grin on his face, and there was no doubt that it was from satisfaction of seeing me in pain.

"So you think this is funny, do you" I said, anger building up in my chest. Poor, sweet, innocent, Kat. Dead.

"Isabella, it's time" Doug said.
What's that supposed to mean?!

"Isabella, what is he talking about?! Are you the Apollo girl he talked to" I said desperately.

"I'm so sorry Vande. I wasn't lying when I said he had my mom. They're going to kill her if I didn't cooperate" Isabella said with tears streaming down her face.

"We could've helped you! All you had to do was ask!" I screamed. "Please don't do this!"

Doug held his sword up to my neck. "But she does, Vande. We control her every move now. We're leaving now and there's nothing you can do about it" Doug taunted.

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch!" I heard a voice yell as an arrow knocked Doug's sword from my neck.
Two girls were flying through the air toward us. They coasted down as the rest of Doug's group stared dumbstruck.

Just as the other girls landed, I heard the scuffle of feet on soil and a hole was burned through the maze and Chris and Adrian cantered in on their horses, along with all the others.

"Not so high and mighty, are you now?" I boasted to Doug.

"As if you could still beat us. We got all the best recruits, you just got those that were given to you" Doug countered.

A bolt of lightning struck the ground right next to Doug and he jumped. "Not powerful enough for you?" One girl said.

"We're leaving now, and if you want to fight and get half of your people killed, go right ahead" Doug said, calling my bluff. He knew I wouldn't want to get anymore kids killed.

"Fine. Go. But this isn't the end, believe me" I said.

"Bex, come on" Doug called.

"As if I'm going with you monsters. You don't have anything keeping me with you" Bex spat.

"Fine, stay and die. Doesn't make a difference to me" Doug said.

He promptly turned around and walked away, and everyone else followed him. Even Isabella.
Isabella looked back at us an I could tell she already regretted it, but there was nothing she could do about it.
"See you at The Scar" Doug called back to me as he exited.