The Hykahs had spread themselves out, putting maybe ten feet of space between each other. None of them looked at us. They all stared into the forest, like they were waiting for something.
“If we can group them together, I can blast them with starlight.”
Sebastian nodded as he peered through the archway. He took my hand and pulled me alongside him through the opening, then pushed me back against the brick, securing at least one side of my body from harm's way.
“Stay here and prepare yourself. I’m going to try and herd them. Once you think they’re close enough and I’m out of the way, go for it. Okay?”
Biting my lip, I agreed, disregarding my apprehension.
He planted a kiss on my lips, granted me a quickI love you, then ran towards the towering hybrids.
Sebastian was strategic when time allowed, so he began with the left most Hykah. I could almost see the cold front surrounding him as he summoned his magic, releasing an arsenal of ice picks into the creature's thigh.
The Hykah howled, spit flying from its ragged teeth as it jerked its body around. Pebbly black eyes fixated on Sebastian, and just as he picked up a sprint to go for the next Hykah, the injured one lunged after him.
Sebastian ran faster than I’d ever seen him, eating up the ten foot gap between the two Hykahs, then taunting this one in the same manner. It roared, its decaying, disfigured leg bending at an abnormal angle in response to the shards of ice embedded in it.
Sebastian went for the next monster in line?—
Metal slashed through my cheek, tearing my flesh and ripping a gurgling scream from my throat.
Instinctively, I drew my dagger, not even aiming before throwing it in the direction of whatever struck me.
Someone croaked out in agony, so I pulled on the threads of my magic, putting every ounce of energy into cracking their mental barriers, then commanding my target to, “Freeze.”
When my vision focused, a Draemornian stood before me, legs spread wide and one arm raised with a blade in hand—longer than a dagger, but shorter than any sword I’d ever seen.
His eyes bulged as I wiped the blood that had spilled into the crack of my lips.
My blade had secured itself in the back of his hand, nearly hitting his topaz jewel. The dagger prevented the wound from bleeding, but when I stomped forward and yanked it out of his flesh without a morsel of mercy, crimson fluid began to drip.
I allowed myself three seconds to glance towards Sebastian. He had four Hykahs left to gather, then it was my turn.
Turning back to the Draemornian, I raised my blade to the space between his helmet and chest blade, preparing to mutilate his throat.
Sawyer beat me to the punch. He seemingly appeared out of thin air, kicking the soldier mid back with the heel of his boot.
The Draemornian face planted, and still a victim to my order, he didn’t so much as flinch when Sawyer decapitated him with his sword.
“That probably hurt,” he said matter of factly, then darted his vision towards Sebastian. “What the hell is he doing?”
Looking over, I recognized it was my time to shine.
“Move,” I demanded Sawyer, disregarding his question.
I shifted around him, running closer to the collections of Hykahs Sebastian had gathered. They howled as he kept themunder wraps by the force of his power, though they were much too close to him for my liking.
My hands cupped around my mouth. “Seb!”
Only his head turned towards me, and I was able to make out the blue in his eyes from here.
With my hand, I ushered him to the side, and as soon as he jumped out of the way, the cosmos captivated my vessel. I drank them in hungrily, absorbing every drop of power that my body could hold.
My skin buzzed. My muscles quaked. My head felt like it was a balloon about to pop.
Though control had never been my strong suit, I seized whatever volume of it I could, and just before breaching my breaking point, I set it free.
The sky around me brightened to a pale silver as the stars within my soul scorched me from the inside out, setting the surface of my skin ablaze.
