By Samantha Cook
Chapter Ten Memento Mori
Finn raced towards her in terror, but even his impressive physical strength was nothing for the darkened magic that Derribus controlled. "Izzy... No!" he wailed as the callous Demon flicked his feet from under him. Finn hit the ground, struggling to stand under the Demon's magic. "No," he cried again and again, struggling against the force that bound him. "Isadora!"He aborted his efforts and buried his head in the grass. Derribus lifted his hand again and Finns head shot up so he had no choice but to watch what was coming.
Isadora gazed in his direction, but her eyes never settled on one spot. Her life blood trickled from her mouth while more gushed from her wound. Her hands were shaking, her face stunned by Derribus's hand inside her stomach. The ground around her burst into a ring of fire while the blood that poured to the ground froze into a ruby icicle.
"Memento mori," Derribus hissed into her ear, loud enough for the field of onlookers to hear. Then he tossed her aside like a rag doll.
No one uttered as much as a word.
Derribus lifted his head and gave a wink that Feya swore was to her despite the throng of terrified children huddled around her. Then the night took over his body and he was gone before anyone could challenge him. Finn rushed to her body, but it was already far too late.
Kelsey rose from the ground, gripping her arm in pain and leaning on Feya. "Your shield's wavering." Feya instantly focused, although it was hard to grasp control when her whole system was rerouting itself.
The death of their last hope, the one who was to bring them the resistance that could give their future generations a chance at life - and she was lying lifeless on the ground in a frozen pool of her own blood. Her eyes were open, cold and staring back at the bunker so that everyone could take one last look at her cracked irises.
There was no reason to make their thoughts vocal, even psychically. Their last hope at everlasting good magical was dead, but a chance at life was sitting on the horizon, temping Feya and Kelsey in ways they would have never predicted.
***
It took a while before the cleaning began. The deaths were becoming overwhelming, even for those who were not close to the victims. The Demons had targeted more than just Isadora - anyone who had a fire of water based gift were first in line to see Stacy, and in no condition to restore the bunker. This included Skyrah, the mentor of water gifts, but she ignored her dislocated shoulder and singed hand for the greater good. The only other help was a young boy who had recently discovered his gift was related to oxygen. With Kiyo beside him, they ventured into the bunker. He looked over his shoulder several times with his large, green eyes searching, but there was no one to replace him.
The majority who lived in the bunker were children. Defenceless, scared and naïve children who hung close to each other under Feya shield, bundling near to the remaining adults: Martell, Artie, Larissa and three that were practically human for tutoring purposes or caring for the orphanage ward. Stacy was rapidly losing energy as she prioritised the bleeding and unconscious over the broken and burnt. She apologised to Kelsey who was panting in pain, and without a second thought she was healing Elle, who had a thick cut across her face from where the ceiling had hit her.
Eventually a small boy who looked to be only twelve offered to heal Kelsey's arm. He put his hands on where it had snapped and scrunched up his face until the throbbing pain subsided. She gave him a surprised thanks and the boy rubbed his freckled nose with a yawn. It wasn't perfect, but the pain seemed to have gone and the bone was whole again. That seemed enough for now. Time could deal with the rest.
