Kingdom of the Zodiac

Chapter 27

HALE

Everything was moving in slow motion. My head felt as though it weighed a thousand pounds as I turn my gaze towards the dead soldier laying next to me. Grimacing, I roll to my side and sway slightly as I get to my feet. Blood seeps past the knife and steadily drips down my hand to splash on the ground at my feet.

I glance up at Fenrir from where he loomed like a dark shadow over the lifeless body of one of the males who had tried to abduct Nova, the same one who just stabbed me in the ribs with his blade. The shadow wolf's teeth were still coated in the male's blood from where he bit down on the bastards throat to deliver the killing blow. "Good boy," I whisper, wincing as I quickly pull the knife from my side. 

Letting it drop to the ground, I stumble forwards towards my Demacia and pull out two small throwing knives from my saddle bag. I watch Fenrir through blurry eyes as he whines and licks Kamaria's white head from where she continues to whimper on the ground. "Fenrir, I know you want to take care of your mate, but I need you to go get the others." I plead, my voice wavering as I think of Nova's wide eyes as she plummets towards the ravine below. The giant wolf looks back down at his injured mate once more before he nuzzles her then takes off towards camp. 

I shuffle towards the cliffs edge, blood dripping behind me as I walk. I grip the hilt of the knives tight in each hand, ready to begin my two-hundred foot descent down the rocky cliff side. It was at times like this that I wished I still had my wings. I step off the edge and allow my body to free fall until only fifty feet remained between me and the ground. I slammed the knives into the side of the cliff, slowing my decent, screaming as the force of gravity took over. It felt like my arms were being ripped out of the socket, but I didn't care, I needed to get to her. I stopped praying to the Gods long ago but for the first time in years I found myself begging them for her life.

"Please, don't take her from me." I dropped down another ten feet before driving the knives into the rock wall again. Only forty feet remained and I closed my eyes as I let go of the knives and dropped the rest of the way down to the ground, landing with a giant splash in the icy river below. 

I gasped for air as I broke the surface and searched around frantically for that mass of red hair I knew well. "Seraphina!" I shout, my voice echoing off the canyon walls. "Little fire, answer me!" I choke on water as I struggle to keep my body above the rapids.

Im about to call out for her a third time when I spot her copper waves. I swim as fast as I can towards the shore, over to where her body lay unmoving, face down in the water. "Oh Gods, no!" I fight the current as I stand in the shallows and run to her side, gently turning her over and moving her wet strands out of her face. I tremble as I rub my thumb over her purple lips, noting the lack of color and the unusual paleness of her skin. Her eyes remained closed as if in a deep sleep. I pressed an ear to her chest, listening but hearing nothing.

"Okay," I sniff, rising on my knees above her to place my interlocked hands flat on her chest. "One, two, three, four, five..." I counted, "...six, seven, eight, nine." I bend forward, placing my mouth on hers, filling her lungs with air. "One, two, three, four, five..." I continue. "Come on," I growled. "...six, seven, eight, nine." Tears burned my eyes as I continued to compress, watching as her frail body jostles with the harsh movements.

My eyes widen when I look down and see that it was no longer Nova beneath me, but Aelia. Sweat poured down my face as I continued to work. "One, two, three, four, five..." I frantically count, my compressions becoming erratic.

"Hale." Liam's quiet voice speaks up behind us.

I ignore him and growl when I lose count. "One, two, three, four, five..." I start over.

"She's gone Hale," Liam places a hand on my shoulder.

"No! She's not gone." I turn back towards her lifeless body. "...six, seven, eight, nine."

"Hale, you need to stop. Her aura is gone, I can't feel her anymore." Liam puts his hands under my arms and begins to pull me back. 

I struggle against his iron grip as I fight to get back to her side, "Let me go!" He finally releases me and I crawl back over to her. "Wake up! Please wake up." I shake her gently as I cradle her in my arms, my blood swirling in the water around us.

"Hale, let me." Cas steps forward.

I snarl at him and pull Nova closer, out of his grasp. Cas immediately puts up his hands and takes a step back.

"Haileon, you will let Castor help." The King of House Leo demands.

I search his face for a moment before I nod. Cas takes a tentative step forward before he crouches down next to where I still hold Nova's body in my lap. He looks at me expectantly and I grumble as I gently pass her over to him. He cradles her face between his hands, causing her lips to part slightly. He leans forward and gently blows into her mouth. I could feel the oxygen being sucked out of the air as Cas called upon his elemental and forced it down Nova's throat and into her lungs. Still nothing happens. He does it a few more times before he shakes his head, "Hale, I'm so sorry." He passes her back to me before he stands and retreats.

"This is your fault." Liam glowers."If you had just listened to me!"

"Come on little fire." I ignore him, moving the hair away from her face. "Wake up, yell at me, call me an ass, tell me I'm stupid. Just wake up." I pound a fist on her chest, electricity crackling around us. "I promise I won't have your memories taken away. I promise I will help you. I promise to do whatever you want. You just need to wake up." I pound again, noting the constant buzzing in my ears and the salty tears pouring from my eyes.

My fist slows as reality sets in. "Please." I beg one last time, laying my forehead against hers. "Give her back."

"Geez, who died?" Nova stirs slightly beneath me.

I reel back to look at her and exhale in relief when her eyes flutter open. "Thank fuck." I grab the back of her neck and pull her to my chest.

"Hale," she croaks. I pull back to look her in the eye, "You're crushing me." she smiles at me weakly.

"Sorry." I release my grip but not completely, "Do you want to stand?"

She nods and I lift her from the ground, "Hale." 

"Hm?" I look down at her in my arms.

"You can put me down now." she smiles again.