This pod needed our Starfish. But we would be no use to her dead.
The Overseer stopped before Victrus, his soldiers lowering their weapons at his command. Without the chaos of the fight, I could finally see him clearly. The man looked so much like Fallon, yet so different, too. The same eyes and same black hair,yet where her features added to her beauty, his made him look ruthless. Pure evil in human form.
“Leave,” Celeste commanded, her voice echoing around us. “You do not belong at the sacred House of Ascension. You have sullied the land and everything the Trials stand for.”
“The Terrulian Trials are a farce and always have been,” Victrus argued, dusting the collar of his jacket as though bored with the conversation. “A distraction for the people. The true rulers of this country have never sat on the throne, but things are going to change. It is time for those with true power to take their position as leaders of our great nation. I will not sit in the shadows whilst the unworthy play king. Terrulia needs strength, and House Jupiter weeds out the weak.”
“All your House offers is fear. You tarnish the very country you vowed to care for with your ego and greed. True Terrulians will not stand aside whilst you destroy all that this country is. The brave knights who are loyal to Terrulia will fight.”
“You mean those four?” He pointed at us, his gaze narrowed. “Hiding like puppies behind a feeble master. Do you think I’m weak enough to fear them?”
His laugh rang out in the clearing, though it was merely background noise to the blood rushing through my head. A storm made from my rage. I made to step forward, but Kayden’s arm swung out, stopping me.
“Don’t rise to his bait, Merman,” he said, his attention fixed ahead of us. “Wait until my command and then you go for that bastard. Use your nullifying magic on him. The rest of us will have your back.”
I gritted my teeth, stepping back. I didn’t know how much longer I could stand around for. Anger wasn’t the only thing making me want to go out there and kill Victrus. The guilt I felt for meeting with him and lying to Starfish and my pod was like slowly stepping along a plank, waiting to be shoved right off theedge and into the stormy seas. I needed to do something, not just to save Fallon but to prove to her that I could be trusted. That I was on her side. I also wanted to make him pay for hurting my sister. I could only hope I could squeeze some information about her whereabouts from Victrus before he died.
“Leave, Celeste.” Victrus stood tall, smirking. “Cut your losses and bow to true power.”
“I will never abandon truth and justice. This is my home. You are the one who comes uninvited,” she said, the water drawing up into a ball once more over the lake. Unlike last time, water was flicking off the orb, as though the rapids surrounding it were in a rage. “Go.”
“That’s no way to treat your guest,” Victrus replied, his smirk growing into a broad smile. He lifted a single hand as though reaching to grasp Celeste, then clenched his fist in one swift movement.
Celeste dropped to her knees, her shield dropping and the water ball crashing back into the lakebed. A scream tore from her throat as she clutched at her head.
“Now,” Kayden ordered, jostling my arm and tearing my attention from Celeste’s pain. “Go right and we’ll meet at the evil asshole.”
I took off, Ace on my heels as Noah went with Kayden, charging towards the lake. Despite his injuries, Ace was still scary. Even more so when he was fuelled by spite and revenge.
At first, the soldiers were too focused on the Overseer to notice our movement, but then shots began to fly, zooming past me as I zig-zagged towards Victrus. Even if I got hit, I wasn’t going to stop.
Sparks flew behind me, snapping in the air as they hit soldiers, dropping them to their knees where they shook violently. It was a nasty way to die, but they were nasty little needlefish. They deserved everything they got and more. I aimedmy gun at Victrus, firing shots of my own, but he kept using soldiers as human shields while he continued to torture the Overseer. There was no way to help her–nothing I could do. As long as Victrus remained standing, her pain wouldn’t stop.
Ace and I dove into the soldiers as we reached them, thrashing and slicing until bodies fell like dominoes as we fought. I let my magic loose, calming those around me until only a handful put up a fight. Blood sprayed, coating my jumpsuit and skin as I used the gun as a bat. I slammed the thing into everyone around me, clearing a path.
Celeste’s guttural scream pierced the air, and I looked back to see her stricken face. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and then suddenly her eyes burst. Blood poured from the sockets and her body rose, suspended at a distorted angle before she was tossed backwards.
Son of a salmon. I was too late.
I shoved the soldiers aside in my determination to reach Victrus, but he was backing up, retreating from the fight. And all the while he kept smiling at me, at all of us, as we fought desperately to get through.
“No!” I shouted, trying to get to the evil dude. “He’s escaping!”
Ace swore from somewhere nearby, but I didn’t look, my eyes fixed on Victrus. I had to get closer and nullify his magic so we could take him out.
I dodged fists and gunshots as I landed my own blows, knocking soldiers to their asses. My elbow collided with a nose and blood sprayed as I spun and kicked another soldier in the gut. Ducking out of the way of a shot, I knocked the pulse gun from their hand, catching it and turning it on those around me. I fired, spraying my attackers with shots that scorched flesh. It was like a summer tanning session with the amount of burnt skin around me.
“Merman!” Ace barked. He looked like seagull shit. How he was still conscious, let alone alive, was beyond my noggin power. The dude was bruised, cut, burned–and they were the visible injuries. He pointed to Victrus, and my eyes caught on the evil dude. Soldiers surrounded him and, to my horror, Fallon’s limp body appeared in his arms. “This way!”
I charged after Ace, determined to get to Starfish. I was fighting the soldiers in my attempt to reach Victrus. Now I was obliterating them. Nothing would stand between me and my starfish.
Noah and Kayden drew close, carving a path between the soldiers. They were blood-splattered and beaten, yet they were far from done with this battle. Victrus’ numbers were thinning, and soon there would be no one else to protect him from us.
I tore my gaze from them to where Fallon lay in her dad’s arms. To my horror, he caught my eye again and smirked, as if he knew something I didn’t. Then his wings spread, and I realised what he planned to do. “No!” My own scream repeated back to me as Ace, Kayden, and Noah shouted in unison.
Black feathers darker than the deepest parts of the ocean stretched out on either side of Victrus, spanning so wide they blocked out all the light. They flexed once… twice…
I reached a hand out, stretching it towards Fallon until I was mere inches away from touching that perfect face. Time seemed to slow as I held my breath and pushed my body as far as it could go. Then he launched into the air, taking Starfish with him.
A guttural roar escaped me. My chest felt as though it had been torn open, my heart stolen along with the girl in his arms. I was no longer aware of my movements, my world a blur as I fought the remaining soldiers, tearing them to pieces before I fell to my knees. Death was all around me, the rest of my pod standing amongst the destruction we’d wreaked. Not a single soldier remained breathing, yet it hadn’t been enough.
It was all my fault.
I’d been so wrapped up in wanting to help Zuri that I’d kept Victrus’ visit to the academy a secret. I should have told Fallon and the entire pod. Perhaps then we could have warned Celeste and the Masters.
We could have stuck together and not let Starfish out of our sight.
I felt hollow, like an empty clam shell.
She was gone, and it was all my fault.
