The Dark Side of the Moon

F I F T Y - F O U R

The sounds all blur together. Maybe my mind is on overload, or maybe I'm just too devastated with grief to distinguish between Elle's screams and the growls emanating from behind the forcefield. Axel and Grayson continue beating on the shield, using their strength to push past the magic to get to their mates. They make no progress- Elina is too strong.

She just showed her true power as she held the shield while she killed Eli. Right in front of me and his twin sister. The more I think about it, the more anger I feel. This woman has taken my sister, threatened my life, and now murdered her son- my friend. 

I stare down into his lifeless brown eyes- no shine of mischief or friendship remains. I place a shaky hand on his cheek as tears cloud my vision. I know he's gone, but I can't help but shake his shoulders and say his name. I don't try to stop the tears. 

Elle and Elina are screaming at each other while bright blue magic swirls between the two witches. My focus isn't on them at the moment, but on my friend's body that lay in front of me. I press two fingers to his eyelids and lower them so he looks as if he's sleeping- it's much easier to manage like that. Cooper only holds my hand like Grayson would have done if he could get to me.

I don't know how I'm going to get close to her, but I know that plan A of a quick rescue is ruined. I can grieve later, but right now I need to pull my shit together and get to Elina for the backup plan the pack and I created.

Elina is currently distracted by Elle who is screaming a plethora of vulgar terms as she attacks her mother with everything she has. 

"You fucking bitch! You killed my brother, your fucking son!" Elle continues to mutter spells which Elina seems to easily deflect with her own magic. She seems unstoppable right now.

"It had to be done! He was never going to be loyal to this coven. I did you a favor," Elina says.

This only makes Elle more furious, and she screams as she thrusts her hands out and a wave of powerful magic streams out. It manages to knock Elina back a few steps. I can see the start of some sweat forming on her forehead. She's weakening.

Elle looks completely out of her mind with sorrow. Her blonde hair is whipping back and forth from the strong magical currents while her face is streaked with tears and mascara. The anger within her is almost given a physical form.

Cooper's hand around my wrist brings me back to the present. With his pale face and bloody abdomen, he still needs medical attention. Eli died trying to save him, and I'm not going to let his sacrifice go to waste. Still, Cooper seems to be the one trying to save me.

"We need to get you out of here before their attention switches to you," he pants. He grunts in pain from the slight movement he made while trying to sit up.

"We need to get us out of here, Cooper. I'm not leaving you behind."

"I'm too heavy for you to carry, and Axel and Grayson are still trapped, and there's no way I can even walk-"

"Cooper? Listen to me very carefully," I say. "I'm not leaving without you. So we try to go now, or we stay here together."

I don't listen to his response because I bend down and use all of my strength- which isn't much- to lift Cooper off of the ground. He groans and gasps in pain, and I feel terrible that he's in so much discomfort but there's no other way for me to save Gray and Axel with him here. Cooper needs to be at a safe distance for me to carry out the plan.

Cooper leans heavily on me, and we fall to the side a bit before I can right us. We make it down the hall before his weight is too much for me and we collapse to the ground. I cushion his fall a bit, but I know that he won't be able to get up again. Crimson stains the floor at our feet.