Awakened (Bloodline, #1)

Chapter 16

16: Mages Should Just Leave Me Alone

Everything happened so quickly that it took me a moment to understand what had just transpired.

Irus and Moria engaged the three mages while Kei was shielding me from the horde of other undead. Besides Leone, there were two lanky figures fighting against my retainers, each looked as strong as her. What was worrying me was how they were put into an unfavorable position as Irus did not have any magic prowess.

"Khmer!" yelled Moria, her gaze not leaving Leone and the other mage. "Take the lady to Vrivarya! That takes precedence over everything else!"

Kei gritted his teeth. He must have wanted to help them, but he had to protect me. I wanted to tell him that we should help them, but I knew I would just be a burden if I started moving.

Walang nagawa si Kei kundi sundin si Moria. He held my wrist and was about to night-travel us, when an invisible force shoved us backward, several meters away from our comrades.

I could hear his voice calling my name but it sounded so far away. It felt like someone hurled a boulder at me, crushing my body. I lay dazed, white orbs dancing in front of me.

My mind was still fuzzy when a face came into my view. His alluring red eyes bore into mine. A sneering smile escaped his lips as he pulled a strange-looking knife. I wanted to run away, but my body wasn't listening to me.

"Perish, Stryzyga," he uttered. "In the name of Her Grace of Lilith clan."

He swung his knife toward my head, but another metal clanged against it. Kei's djall fended off the mage's attack and he used that moment to night-travel the both of us.

"I'm sorry, lady," she whispered, and the next thing I knew, the world had already blurred behind us.

***

My head hurt so much that I wanted to slam it against a wall. My eyes fluttered open, but a sword swinging straight at me was the first thing I saw. My instincts kicked into gear, and lurched sideways, avoiding a potentially deadly attack from the mage who lunged at me earlier. I still felt queasy, but my condition seemed better than a while ago.

"L-lady . . ."

Agad akong napatingin sa gilid at napasinghap ako nang makita ko ang kalagayan ni Kei. He was soaked in his own blood, struggling to stand up as he glared at the mage who just attacked me. I rushed to his direction, and tried to shield him from our attacker.

The mage chuckled in amusement. The fog was slowly receding, and for the first time, I saw his face clearly. His appearance was as unearthly as Moria. His red eyes complemented his porcelain skin, but he looked more intimidating because he was significantly taller than the both of us.

"Her Grace will be delighted to have your head," he said, his eyes gleaming with malice.

Her Grace? He mentioned that epithet earlier, too, along with the Lilith clan. Was she the undead they were serving?

Kei groaned in pain as he pulled me closer to him. "This is against the ancient laws, Alfonse."

The mage, whom he called as Alfonse, shot a dirty look at him. "Silence, Abhkim," he hissed threateningly.

I glanced at Kei. "Ancient laws?"

Before he could answer my question, Alfonse lurched toward us again. Kei pushed me away, and met the enemy with his knife. But Alfonse thrust his hand and vines started sprouting from the ground, restricting Kei's movements.