Four Elements Book 3 - Sacrifice

Part 51

With those single words, Andie and Bane released everything they'd been holding. Fire and light flowed through them, meeting where their bodies did, and combined in a formidable wave of energy which swept everything around them in a perfect circle. They held on to each other tightly, though Andie had a feeling they couldn't have let go if they'd wanted to.

They couldn't see, but they could distinctly hear Zorak's howls of pain. They heard his footsteps as he tried to step out of the light, and seemed to be succeeding occasionally, as his cried seemed to be less frequent.

"You will pay, humans! I swear you will pay!"

They couldn't see the light piercing through him like daggers. Couldn't see the glow filling the room, blinding their friends who had to shield their eyes.

"No!" he screamed. "I am a Demon Lord! I cannot be defeated!"

But more light speared through him. Andie and Bane were still as frozen as statues, eyes closed, power flowing around them. Andie wasn't sure how long she would be able to hold on, the pressure was so strong, but with Bane, she felt capable of anything.

"No!" Zorak snarled again. "Stop it or I will kill you where you stand!"

Somehow that didn't worry Andie. But she and Bane opened their eyes. Zorak was covered in burn marks and his cloak had holes where it had been burned. Behind, Isabelle, Jessica and Emily – who was using her powers to divert the heat from them –, were watching over Zarias as best they could, covering their eyes from the strong light. He tried to aim black daggers at Andie and Bane, but the energy flowing around them blocked them as easily as glass would a raindrop.

Eventually, almost without thinking about it, Andie and Bane shifted so they were both facing Zorak, their hands still clasped together. They were no longer simply Andie and Bane. Their bodies were both entirely covered in a brilliant mix of fire and light, glowing in the dark room like a thousand candles.

"Andie! Bane!" Isabelle called nervously, Zarias on her lap.

Zorak continued trying to attack them, but the light was starting to affect him at last. His skin was red with burns, his howls growing hoarser. The heat was incredible, but neither Andie not Bane felt it. And then, all at once, Zorak let out one final scream and fell to the ground, stabbed by the light and fire. Bit by bit, pieces of Zorak fell away, vanishing into thin air like dust in the wind.

Bane and Andie felt the power slip away, allowing them to return to their natural appearance, though Andie's hair was slightly singed and Bane had scorch marks on his clothes. They dropped to their knees, panting, clutching each other's hands. Andie couldn't help feeling it had been like someone else had been inside her doing all the work, even though she knew it hadn't been. She glanced at Bane, who smiled tiredly at her:

"You okay?" he asked, tenderly wiping a smudge on her cheek.

Andie nodded, then let him pull her into the circle of his arms. Their grips were barely stronger than a child's, but the feeling behind them more than made up for it.

"Zarias...? Zarias! Guys, help!"

Andie and Bane looked round. Isabelle still had Zarias's head on her lap, looking down at him fearfully.

"He's barely breathing... I think his fight with Zorak and absorbing what he was doing to us was too much for him..."

"What do we do?" Bane asked.

Isabelle wiped her shining eyes, frowning thoughtfully.

"... I think I might be able to heal him, but I can't alone."

"I thought you said wounds from dark daggers weren't..." Bane began.

"But he wasn't injured by a dagger!" Andie exclaimed. "It was Zorak's electricity!"

Her hope faded instantly.

"But we have no water..." she added heavily.

"That's the point," Isabelle answered carefully. "I... I noticed I can sometimes heal using my own energy. Without using water. Or maybe I use my own body water, I'm not sure."

"You mean your power's gotten stronger?" Emily asked, awed.

"I think so... It takes a lot out of me, of course, but it works. It's just that... this time... I would need to borrow some of your energy, too."

"Isabelle..." Andie began.

"Please!" Isabelle begged. "I... I love him. For whatever reason, however weird or creepy it may sound, I do. And I would do it in a heartbeat for any of you."

"We know," Andie said gently. "And you can take as much from me as you need."

"You and Bane already used up so much... I don't–" Isabelle said, suddenly looking unsure.

"You wouldn't care about that if you were me," Andie said. "We'll be fine."

She placed her hand on Zarias's chest, then glanced at her friends. Bane followed, then Isabelle. All eyes turned to Jessica who seemed to hesitate.

"He saved your life," Andie pointed out quietly.

"Oh, all right, fine!" Jessica sighed and put her hand over theirs.

Isabelle looked gratefully at them all. Then, she lay a gentle kiss on Zarias's lips before placing her hand over her friends'. Andie felt a warm feeling go from her to Isabelle, followed by a white light glowing where their hands were joined. Slowly, it went from them to Zarias, covering his whole body with a soft light. Moments later, Andie and Bane were beginning to feel the strain. Andie's lungs burned like she's run a mile as fast as she could, her hair was drenched in sweat. A glance at Bane told her he was feeling the same. Even Jessica, Emily and Isabelle were clearly tense with the effort.

"Hold on, guys... I'm almost done... just one more minute..." Isabelle told them through her teeth. "Come on, Zarias... stay with me..."

At last, Zarias breathed deeply as his body finally relaxed.

"There..." Isabelle whispered wearily. "He should be out of the woods, now..."

She was pale and sweaty, more so than even Andie and Bane. And before Andie had finished calling her name, she had fainted.