DARKNESS

DARKNESS | Chapter 36

           

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Like a shooting star rocketing through the night sky, an army stands upon the hill to the right of the battlefield. It would appear our wish for a miracle has been granted.

I soon learn the army are, in fact, The Illuminants; the third group of Immortals I have been warned against since the moment I stepped foot out of my house.

Just as quickly as they arrived, the mass descends, attacking the Shadow soldiers from the side. The battle is resumed, minus the atmosphere of hopelessness the Rebellion had been experiencing only moments prior. With the Shadows being attacked on two fronts, the Rebellion eagerly adopt a newly-fuelled determination to push forward, to make our presence known, to emerge as victors.

As the battle rages on like a severe thunderstorm, I find myself gravitating towards the Illuminants as I develop a need to fight alongside them. Curiosity and intrigue draw me in; why have I been warned against them when they have come to our aid? The consuming need to expose the heart of the stigma surrounding the Illuminants draws me in, as though by fighting amongst them I'll be able to discover a truth.

Instead, I stumble across a different truth entirely.

A familiar blonde-haired renegade hesitantly raises his sword, gliding it around in an elegant arc. He hits the target stood before him; a Shadow soldier who had been openly staring at him in shock, weapon held passively by his side. The pain at carrying out the deed is evident on the blonde-haired boy's face as it becomes too much for him. With a cautious glance around him, the guy weaves his way through all of the Illuminants still pushing to join the fight and is about to make a break for the cover of the forest when I stop him, a strong grip on his upper arm. Caught by surprise, Blake shoves me to the side and aims his sword at my throat, face a cold, undecipherable mask.

"Blake..."

"Harper," he registers, lowering his sword a few inches yet still maintaining its raised position. I hold my hands up in a gesture of surrender, however it can't be too convincing with my sword still held firmly in my grip. "You shouldn't be here. It's too dangerous."

"You left Kale and I in the forest. Why?" I ask with genuine interest, looking directly into his eyes with complete disregard to his statements.

"I had my reasons."

"The same reasons for why you're fighting against the Shadows?"

"Why would you think-"

"I just watched you cut down one of your father's soldiers," I interrupt, "don't feign innocence."

"Just mind your own business, Harper."

"This is my business, Blake. It's my business to know whose side you're on; are you enemy or ally?" At this, I raise my own blood-spattered sword to show him I'm serious about my question.

"I..."

"Time to choose, Anderson. You can't fight for both."

"You're right- but I can fight for neither." He turns away, shoes crunching against the fallen, shrivelled leaves coating the ground.

"Don't walk away from me." My serious and level tone halts him mid-stride. His hesitation is apparent, radiating off of him as powerfully as the smell emitted by a freshly-sliced orange.

Observing the way his free hand fidgets before he brings it up to brush the hair from his face, I can sense he's nervous in supplying an answer. Slowly, Blake turns around to face me once more.