The Elite (Completed!)

The Elite - Chapter Twenty-One.

  It was Hannah. Hannah was creating the fire, just as she had the night Jude and I had first kissed.

  She was keeping us safe.

  For now.

  I couldn’t help but watch Lily through the flames, her beautiful red ringlets seeming to blend in with the darkness. Her scars were there, though one or two seemed to be ripped open.  I flinched as her hard gaze fell upon me, the cause of all this destruction.

  “Your fire won’t hold for long. I can see that your fire art is already fading. Fading and fading and fading and fading and oops, it’s gone.” Just as she said this, the fire fell to the floor, leaving a nasty ash ring around. I swivelled slightly, not wanting to turn my back fully to Lily and gave a scared look at Hannah who was in a bad state. Her hands where now jumping up and down in a wild motion, her eyes dim and a trickle of blood dripping from her noise. She gave me a flat look, her blue eyes boring into mine before falling at Jude’s feet.

  “Cassy! Look out!”

  I span around in time to see Lily smile, those lips that had looked so motherly only a few weeks ago so cruel. So evil and full of spite that I cringed under the pressure. A tingle, so small and minute that I almost didn’t feel it, started in the base of my spine. I frowned, having never experienced any kind of cramp in the back and rubbed at the spot. It spread slowly, the sensation moving and pushing further up my spine until it hit my shoulder blades. I shivered, suddenly feeling the cold but couldn’t move. The feeling was spreading like wildfire, through my arms and down my legs. Only, now it was getting a little painful. Like needles being pressed deep into my skin and piercing my nerves.

  I hissed, my mouth moving fine and tried to move again, to no avail.

  The piercing continued, never drawing blood but it didn’t need to. It wasn’t physical. This was mental. She had created a bridge between our minds and had slowly wormed her way across it, like grandfather had said those who used dark magic could.

  The pain was almost unbearable and I found myself struggling to stand. My hands – which where now on fire – shook and I felt myself start to crumble. The prickling was getting too intense, the sensation scorching my lungs. I struggled to breathe; feeling like someone had placed a cloth over my mouth. I coughed, my spit black from the smoke before falling to my knees, my hands clasped over my mouth to stop me from screaming out in pain. My mind exploded, harsh bright lights filled my vision and I knew I was going to pass out. I needed to pass out. 

  But I couldn’t. I couldn’t let the people I loved fight my fight.

  I struggled to move my leg into a standing position but the pricking only got more painful and I soon gave up, tears washing away the black soot on my ashen face. Letting my head flop back, I stared up at the ceiling, begging the Lord for help. Couldn’t he see what was happening here? Couldn’t he feel the evil that was trying to destroy me? Destroy us?

  The situation was dangerous. I could fell others fighting around me, their anger and pain visible through colours and blurred shapes. My eyes had closed over and the pain hadn’t subsided. It was horrible. So painful. I had never experienced anything like it in my life.

  Am I going to die?

  But wouldn’t that spoil her plan? She wanted me, not me dead. She wouldn’t kill me.

  Is dying this painful?

  My ears split in agony when someone screamed. I didn’t know whether that someone was on my side or not but I sincerely hoped not. I prayed that it wasn’t.