The Good Ones

Chapter 28: If You Want Blood (You've Got It)

Mavis, Kevin, and Thato stood just before the clearing that exposed the metal door of the Dark Army's underground base. Their animal army was scattered strategically in the bush around them. While one half would fight the Dark Army elves inside the tunnels, the other half would lie in waiting outside for those who escaped. The larger mammals would help lead the rhinos and Aurora elves to safety after the battle was over. Mavis would take care of Lucinda, while Kevin and Thato would rescue Alex and Megan, then free the rhinos.

Mavis had never killed anyone before. She had never planned on it until she became an Invicta and knew that, someday, she would be forced to defend herself. Most of these elves were evil. They had to be if they were following Beau Tanner. However, some of them may have been forced to help him. Some of them probably had spouses and children, and Beau was using the lives of their families as an incentive to serve him. In the heat of the battle, there was no way to tell who was truly good or evil. She didn't know how she would learn to live with that, but she had to. She inhaled deeply and, for the fiftieth time in the past hour, said a silent prayer.

"I guess no one cared that we called the animals," said Kevin. "None of the Dark Army's tried to kill us yet."

"Lucinda may have killed them all already," said Mavis.

Kevin nodded. "Right."

"Kevin."

"Yeah?"

"Just in case I don't get the chance later...thank you."

Kevin looked at her. "For what?"

She was being corny, but she didn't care. Kevin needed to hear this. "For being a good mentor, and a good friend. I don't care what anyone else says, you're one of The Good Ones. Remember that, okay?"

Kevin blinked at her, then looked away. He cleared his throat. "You gonna knock first? Or just show yourself in?"

"I think I'll knock," said Mavis.

She walked into the clearing and stopped about twelve feet away from the entrance. Lions, cheetahs, hyenas, wild dogs, and monkeys emerged from the bush and stood next to her. She raised a hand and focused her magic on the metal door. Even though it had to weigh several hundred pounds, she easily ripped it off its hinges and flung it several yards off to the side, like it was as light as the door off a dollhouse.

"Knock knock!" Kevin called from the trees.

A long, strange silence followed, and it was the loudest thing Mavis had ever heard in her life. Slowly, the clouds above them became dark and angry, and it wasn't from her own magic.

Lightning cracked in the sky, and thunder shook the ground. The trees around them began to grow taller.

All the animals exchanged glances, suddenly afraid.

"Do not fear!" Thato shouted. "The Greatest One will protect you!"

Suddenly, tree branches grabbed wildly at the living beings around them. Mavis threw her arms to her sides, and every tree within a quarter mile radius was uprooted and tossed into the air. Several bolts of lightning hurtled toward the ground, but Mavis blocked them just before they struck her army. She raised her hands above her head and the thunder clouds disintegrated within a matter of seconds. Pulses of magic shot out of the open hole like bullets, but she blocked every one of them. She felt the heat of a fire starting to build among the animals and extinguished it with the wave of her hand.

"Inside!" Mavis shouted to the others. "Where the elements can't get to you!"

Before she could chicken out, she sprinted into the hole and down the stairs with supernatural speed. She sent pulses of magic out in front of her, while projecting a shield behind her to protect the others, finding it surprisingly easy. For the first time, she was thankful for Alex's persistence on multitasking and endurance in their training.