“You’re not tied down by rules of fate or laws of time, eternally blessed. A carrier of the key, blood of mine.” She stopped before Lanias and looked up at her. “Do you think death would not bow to you?”
“What?” Lanias felt her skin prickle as the light from her mother filled her. Her hands started to feel hot. She noticed the magic turned from black to orange before it glowed a deep purple. “What is this?”
Her mother smiled, her voice seeming to come from far away. “Gate magic wasn’t your father’s only gift.”
A hand landed on her shoulder; she half-turned and glanced up to meet the fond gaze of Eris. “Time has never been kind to humans, but as its master, I sought to fix your end.” He looked over head at her mother.
“She will guide you,” he said before disintegrating into nothing.
Her mother smiled as she too slowly started to disintegrate.
“My daughter, I will wait for the day we see each other once more. No need to rush.”
White light rushed up blocking her sight, as she felt the sensation of falling. Squeezing her eyes shut, she released a startled gasp while something slammed into her back. Her eyes popped open once more.
Thick black smoke covered the sky overhead. Confused, she brought her hand to her chest and felt the wound on her chest was closed.
Thinking about the others, she pushed up, only to feel horror engulf her as she viewed the scene below.
The Jackals were thrown here and there. Their bodies mangled and damaged. Deeply shaken, her gaze took in the destroyed sight.
Every person who’d been there to help was broken and skewered with a pipe. Her eyes stopped on two who lay below in particular.
Sabina laid a few feet from her, not moving an inch.
“Sabina.” She cried out, coming to her feet she ran toward her. Only to trip on some debris, she pushed herself up. Reaching her sister’s side, she grabbed her hand and pulled it to her chest. “Sabina, please. Please answer me!”
“Lanias.”
Hearing her name, she turned around to see Alek. His body was covered with blood and wounds. He stared at her in blank astonishment; he coughed his body falling to its knees. She looked at him in horror, as she counted the number of spikes sticking out of his body.
Her sister’s hands slid from hers as she stared at him. Rising to her feet she ran to him only to fall to her knees in front of him. Her trembling hands hovered over his body. “What happened?” she asked, trying to swallow back her tears.
He pressed a hand against her cheek, his tears blood red.
The hand that touched her was cold and shaking.
She caught it. “Alek, tell me what happened.”
His eyes searched her face hungrily.
“I killed them,” he finally admitted with tears falling from his eyes. “I lost control, and I?—”
“No.” She shook her head. “You didn’t, you wouldn’t.”
“I did.” What else he was going to say was cut short when he coughed.
Blood splattered on her shirt; he fell forward into her arms.
“I’m sorry,” he breathed out. “I really, really miss our bed.” He whispered before his shuddering came to an end, and his eyes closed.
Lanias’ eyes widened as she sat frozen. For a long moment she didn’t even breathe.
“I will guide you.”
Lowering her head, she placed a hand on Alek’s shoulder. She slowly laid his body on the ground and stood up.
Taking in everything around her, she ignored the tears that fell down her cheeks.
