I listen hard. The sirens are still fighting. Leaf, Ronit, Canto, Reed, and Lirin go round and round, but they aren’t touching him, he’s evading them easily.
He rushes towards me, feet pounding the ground, and gets past their line. I sit on the ground, looking pathetic and weak. When he gets close, I sketch a rune in the air. It’s all I’ve got, there’s nothing left after this.
The rune hits him in the chest, causing him to huff and sending him flying into the lake. I stand up on shaking legs while my mind goes white. I stand there by sheer willpower and then I tilt sideways.
I hit the ground hard. In the distance, I hear him crawl out of the lake, coming straight for me. His furious slapping of his hands as he comes towards me has me wishing I could have moved Brio.
He huffs, the sound of rage exploding out of him as he gets closer and closer.
“You cunt!” he howls and charges at me.
I’m going to die. There’s nothing I can do. I’m not strong enough, and neither are they.
How am I going to…
I’m not. I’m going to die.
He’s slapped away and into a tree. Kit flares bright in my mind, letting out a hiss as his tentacles grow bigger and larger.
Can all of these sea creatures change their shape?
Kit charges in, followed by Ronit and Lirin. I want to call out and tell them to stop, but there’s not even enough strength in my lungs to make the sound.Stupid, Mei, really stupid. This is how you end up dead.
But Brio would be alive.
Maybe, but right now, you are both helpless, and he might die, too.
That gets me up. I crawl to him, grab his arms, and start dragging him backwards, towards the bushes I can hear shifting in the breeze.
Inch by slow, painful inch, I get him there, and then I move away, making myself a target somewhere else. Brio is safely hidden in the cold shade of something with thick and heavy leaves.
Deux won’t bother about him.
My lungs hurt, and I ache so badly.
My head tilts to the side as I hear him coming towards me. There’s no sound from the others, and for one moment, I wonder if he’s killed them all, but I refuse to let myself believe that.
Leaf roars, and the relief that floods me leaves me shaking.
“Rowanee,” he whispers from just behind me. “It’s almost no fun when you can’t fight back, but maybe…maybe this can be just as fun.”
He reaches for me, his arm lifting making his clothing shift quietly, but is suddenly peeled away with an angry growl.
The Sirens approach, but there’s something else. Massive wings beat hard.
“Will you look at this thing? It's even uglier than your last boyfriend, Isla.”
“Fuck you, Raz!”
Annileo helps me sit up. “Healer, are you okay?”
“Tired.”
“Did you heal the Siren? There’s so much blood?”
I swallow hard, knowing I’m covered in it.
“Yes.”
