The beast squinted its eyes and growled at everyone surrounding it, slowly moving its head and watching them all, its crimson-colored eyes glowing brightly against the sun. Cahir noticed the dark, blood-drenched wounds on its scaled skin and torn wings. “It is injured. Backup!”
Cahir held his hands up and slowly approached, staring the beast in the eyes. “You have someone I care for. I need to make sure she’s okay. May I please come close and check on her?”
The beast growled menacingly, untrusting of Cahir. “I know Seda, she is my best friend. I came here from Joro to rescue her.”
The beast studied him with untrusting, crimson eyes and hesitantly released Seda from its grasp, giving a warning snap of its teeth in Cahir’s direction.
Cahir looked down at Seda, keeping his hands in the air to show the beast he meant no harm, and slowly walked up to Seda’sside. He crouched into the sand and placed his hand on her throat, checking for a pulse.
“She’s alive,” he said as he sighed in relief and ran his fingers over her flushed cheek. He looked at her arms and saw the purple streaks trailing up from her hands to her biceps.
“She has found her power,” Ferona said.
“What do you mean by ‘power’?” Benny asked. The three Corvids looked at each other, not answering.
Seda stirred, and Cahir gently picked her up. The beast loudly growled but did not move from his spot. Cahir cradled her in his arms, and she slowly opened her eyes.
“Cahir?” she wheezed. Cahir gasped when he saw her glowing eyes, but they fluttered back closed..
“She’s hurt,” he said, looking over his shoulder to the others. “Does anyone have medical supplies?”
Seren stepped forward with his hands in the air to show the beast he also meant no harm. “I have some in my bag.” He pulled out a medical kit from his backpack and handed it to Cahir.
“I’m here, Seda. I’m here.” Cahir rocked her gently in his arms
Seda drifted back to sleep as Cahir carefully bandaged the scrapes he had found, using a gentle touch. He saw her swollen ankle, so he wrapped it up tightly. When he finished, he picked her back up and turned to the rest of them and announced, “I’m taking her to Umbrea.”
“You cannot do that!” Roya yelled at him and took a step forward.
“Yes, thefuckI can!”Fuck these people, and also fuck the Corvids and what they thought the Wisps wanted.
Fuck the Wisps.
“Whoa, whoa… We’re not leaving here without my father,” Benny interjected. Both the Corvids and Cahir looked at him.
“Your father is no longer with us, Benny,” Ferona said to him.
“He might still be in there! We can’t give up. Seda got out, maybe he did, too!” he shouted as he pointed toward the Camp, where some prisoners were escaping in the opposite direction.
“They do not keep the men alive long, Benny,” Roya said to him as she took a step closer and placed her hand on his shoulder. “The men usually die within a few days at most.”
Benny crashed into his knees and cried into his sandy palms. Roya bent down and hesitantly patted his back.
“What’s Umbrea?” Askold asked as he wiped his cheeks.
“It is the kingdom of whiners and losers. She would be better in Tuath,” snarled Ojore.
Cahir looked at him sharply, but did not fall for the bait. He knew something was off about this man, and that statement made it obvious. He was holding onto Seda, and nothing was going to get him away from her now. Well, he hoped. How many days were left?
“Umbrea is the Fae realm. Seda will be safe there. We willallbe safe there,” he said instead.
“Yeah, right. You really think once the Jotnars bust down that dome and consume everyone within that, they won’t try to travel north to Umbrea?” Ojore snarled at him.
“And how exactly do you know about Umbrea?” questioned Cahir.
Ojore snarled, “The same as you do about Umbrea.”
“How far is it from here?” Seren interjected.
