Signs of a Storm

Chapter Forty-Nine

A/N: You guys are going to hate me. Continue.

Chapter 49: Told By…
Nico

 

The monsters were surrounding us.

I knew what I had to do, but I feared doing so.

As I glanced at Tara, my insides cringed. She was deathly pale, and her side appeared to be bleeding badly. After one look, I knew she was fading. I had to get her out of here. Before she… never mind. Don’t think like that.

“Nico.” Her voice was frail.

I turned to look at her, and her eyes widened. Ducking quickly, a claw slashed at my arm. Not moving fast enough, a burst of pain exploded from where I guessed that I had gotten caught. Not caring or bothering to focus on anything besides Tara, I rushed by her side and held her small body close. She had been near death before, and I wasn’t going to let it happen again.

She was barely able to stand, but somehow she managed to, and I gripped her arm tight. The hoard got closer by the inch. My feet scraped at the side of the drop. We would have to jump, I knew it. As much as I hated my plan, it had to work.

We would shadow travel.

The last time I did this, I was with Reyna, and I had almost completely wasted away into the shadows. It was not a pleasant time, but I wanted us to live. Dying was not an option. “Jump.” I whispered to her. She let out a shaky breath and I felt her life force draining. It was poison, I knew it was. One of Thorn’s poisonous spikes got her.

“What?”

“Jump.” I said as my foot dangled off the side. “Trust me.”

She was unsure, but that was quickly replaced with sureness. She began to count down. “Two.” Tara said. I grabbed ahold of her and closed my eyes to focus. I loved Tara more than anyone, and she was going to be safe.

“Three.”

I held onto Tara as we fell back.

Wind rushed over me, my arm ached, and my head hurt. Time slowed.For a second I wasn’t sure what to do. Tara’s heavy breathing next to me was barely audible over the wind. My focus regained, and I jumped into shadow.

A vision of a safe haven overtook me, and I knew that wherever we landed, it would be safe. My strength left me as we landed in a soft patch of grass. My arms felt weak, and I could hardly move. Tara was next to me, and she stood on her own for about a second. Her knees buckled, and I caught her before she toppled over.

My muscles were limp, and I could hardly hold myself up. We both crashed to the ground. I tried to look at our surroundings, but Tara’s ragged breathing took up most of my attention. Looking down at her face cradled in my lap, I stroked her soft blonde hair and tucked it behind her ear, and out of her face. I wanted so badly to see her light-filled green and blue eyes that never failed to cheer anyone up. Instead, I saw an expression of pain on her face.