DARK PARADISE//Xaden Riorson

CHAPTER XV - Surviving

I swear I see Xaden tense from the corner of my eye as I hit the ground hard. I quickly jump back up, another dagger in my hand, this one coming from the sheath at my hip. I see Jack coming towards me, and as quickly as I can manage I rocket the dagger at his shoulder—and it hits true.

"She's destroyed my shoulder!" Jack cries, ripping the dagger from his skin and throwing it at the ground. He tries and fails to move it. "I can't move it!" He says as he clutches the bleeding wound.

I shrug with a smile.

"Kill her!" Jack orders as he turns and runs into the forest. Tynan and Oren charge at me.

I scowl. Jack was a coward. He couldn't even face me his self. He had been calling me weak and praying on me for weeks, and yet now he's afraid of me? Running away?

Tynan takes a swing at my side, which I dodge. I trip though, making me fall back hard, stars filling my gaze for a few moments. I push myself up even though my head still spins. Tynan is charging at me again, my dagger in his hand, the one I had thrown at Jack's shoulder. I quickly pull out my third and final dagger, dodging my squad mate and putting the blade into Tynan's side before pulling it out as I almost tumbled to the ground again.

"You fucking bitch!" Tynan bellows, clutching his hand to his side.

"Such an original"—I take advantage of the shock this whole incident had caused Oren, running into his stomach and making him fall down—"insult!"

The move costs me however, Tynan had had time to grab his sword—which he was now using to stab me in the arm. A scream escapes from my lips as I stumble back and grab my bleeding right arm.

I can feel Xaden's eyes on me as I back away from the Tynan. My right arm is busted, everything is bruised and I pant heavily, trying not to take much notice to the blood pooling down my arm.

"Behind you!" Xaden yells, making me turn my head to Oren who has his sword held up high above his head, ready to come down on my shoulder.

Before he can though, a small breath of fire direct at his body makes Oren back away and drop his sword. I look over to the golden dragon, what I swear is a smile plastered on the tiny creature's face.

"You can't interfere!" Tynan shouts at Xaden, but I don't look, don't take my eyes off of Tynan.

"No, but I can narrate," Xaden says back. I still feel his gaze directed at me, I don't think he has taken his eyes off me this entire time.

"Your arm is shot, Mairi," Tynan hisses, pointing his sword at my arm.

"I'm used to being in pain, unlike you, I didn't grow up in a warm and sheltered home. The question is, can you handle the pain?" I ask, looking down at the wound at his side which had not yet slowed its bleeding. "I know exactly where I sliced into you. If you don't get to a healer soon, you'll bleed out internally."

Rage fills Tynan's features as he charges at me, this time slower. It seemed the wound was affecting him.

I used my last dagger, it's now somewhere in the bloody grass. My arm is done, I have no hope that I will be able to out run Tynan, and even if I can, I need to have my wound on my arm dealt with soon.

Tynan's sword is about to come down on my head. I have a few things I think about as I know I may die:

1). I made Jack run away in fear. I would say that is something to celebrate.