The Thanaton Syndrome

Chapter Forty Four

Seth let out some unrecognizable sound. He'd made a number of ridiculous noises that day, but he didn't care. He pressed his forehead into Lena's, mourning in disbelief. She'd come so close, he couldn't stop thinking. So incredibly close, and she didn't make it. He couldn't even picture a world without Lena—she'd been so constant on the quest.

The battle continued to howl around him. People screamed. Metal clashed. Seth kept crying. Some vague part of him wanted to make the tears stop. Another part of him knew this, of all things, was worth crying over.

He looked up, his vision blurred by tears. Everyone fought and yelled. The questers never gave up, fighting better than he'd ever seen them fight. Some strange rush of pride filled him to the brim. Those were all his friends, he thought. He knew those people, who fought so, so hard, and he was ever indebted to all of them.

Peter fought so courageously against King Morphew, but he was older and running out of energy. Seth caught the tears on his face, too, as he fought his friend. Piper was amazing, as were Christian and Jeremiah. They fought and fought, no matter how many soldiers kept coming. Dan was also a good swordsman. He and Fletcher fought as a team, while Christian helped them. Seth watched in amazement as the soldiers kept coming, and they kept fighting. His questers never gave up.

Zaccai yelled, some distance away, cowering on the ground as someone raised a sword over him. Seth released his grip on Lena, snatching a sword from the ground, and charged at the soldier attacking Zaccai.

The soldier was dead within seconds.

"Are you okay?" Seth said, glancing at Zaccai. He felt wild. He'd just killed someone in cold blood, and he hardly cared. He hadn't even seen the soldier's face.

Zaccai nodded, a nasty cut running across his face. He looked terrified.

Seth turned back to fight all the soldiers coming his direction. Now that he'd drawn so much attention to himself, they flew to him like flies to honey. Though he may have been able to defend himself against one, or even two, when they kept coming, he stood no chance. He did his best.

Tears still streaked his vision as they surrounded him. As he fought, an immense sadness came over him. They didn't stand a chance against the armies of Fangalia. Even as he glanced back at Zaccai, he saw some men attempting to tie the boy up. Some part of Seth was relieved they didn't try to kill him, but another part flamed in anger.

He tried to get to the boy. The soldiers didn't let him. The whole time, out of the corner of his eye, he could see them binding Zaccai.

Seconds later, he choked and fell to the ground as a rope swung around his own neck. He kicked and yelled as multiple soldiers began tying him like they'd done Zaccai.

Just as he was beginning to panic, the rope loosened. In a whirl of movement, the soldiers had fallen to the ground and Zander stood over him.

"Zander," Seth breathed.

The Fae Child pulled him up, wiping his tears. "Seth, you must get the cure."

"We can't." Seth panted, leaning on Zander's arm. "They keep coming, Zander, we're never going to make it."

"I didn't say we need to. I said you need to."

Seth's head whipped up to see Zander's face. He'd already calculated the proposal and refused. "No way, you'll all get captured and—"

Zander pushed him to arm's length, gripping his shoulders painfully tight. "Stop whining! Do what you came to do! Don't be a selfish dimwit, Seth!"