Growing Out of the Light

Chapter 6

I wake up in a haze. My ears are ringing and it hurts to open my eyes. I try to sit up but every muscle in my body protests. I roll onto my side coughing as I slowly peel open my eyes. The tent is foggy making it difficult to pinpoint anyone. Despite my extreme pain, I push myself up into a sitting position.

"Lawson? Brynn? Hayden?" I choke out coughing even more. I can't seem to hear properly as the ringing intensifies drowning out any responses.

I wince as I bring a hand to my forehead. I pull my hand away and notice blood coating my fingers. That would explain why I feel so woozy. I manage to stand up almost falling over from exhaustion. What the hell happened? Due to the condition of the tent, it looked like a bomb went off. All I remember is that Julius was coming at me with a dagger. I don't recall an explosion at all. I wish I could say I'm surprised by the way he played his cards but once a Hunter always a Hunter. They have no ability to change—they will always be rotten. It's the consequence of using such dark and chaotic magic.

I test my magic by muttering a simple expel spell. The air lightens and I can start to make out bodies. I rush to Lawson's side taking note of his worsened injuries.

"Lawson?" I ask, putting my fingers to his neck to feel for a heartbeat. It's there but weak. He doesn't respond. I turn, searching for Brynn and Hayden. They both seem to be waking up and Hayden blinks slowly taking in his surroundings.

"Hayden. Brynn." I hiss at them.

They look at me then at the bodies scattered around us. I don't know how many people survived so the sooner we can escape the better. I look around for Julius and don't see him or his mother.

I shake my head forcing myself to focus on our situation. You have to get everyone out of here. Clearly, we are all weak and drained of any energy, but we have to leave now.

I pull Lawson up into my arms and Hayden rushes over to help. Brynn is slow to her feet and wobbles over.

"What the hell happened?" She asks.

I shrug.

"You're bleeding a lot." Hayden points at my obvious head wound.

"I know. Head wound. We can heal it once we get Lawson out of here." I start dragging him towards the exit. We make it out of the tent, but I see Julius crouched over a body. He looks up with tears in his eyes and I notice the body on the ground is his mother. He stands up and I hand Lawson over to Brynn.

He raises his hands in surrender once he sees the fire in my eyes.

"She's dead. I don't know how many people survived but if you want any chance of living, leave before they wake up. I won't stop you." He states.

"What happened?" I can't help but ask.

"You happened Finn." His black eyes glisten in the sunlight.

Lawson groans in pain, his eyes slowly flickering open. I look up and see his eyes are glazed over and his face is clammy. He doesn't have much more time.

"Goodbye Julius." I take one last glance at his mother not fully comprehending that I killed her.

We stumble off and I take one last glance over my shoulder at Julius. He stands there heartbroken looking at us leaving.

I can't help but feel for him. Most of his coven, the people he calls family, are likely dead or severely injured. All by my hands. I look at my bloody hands taking deep breaths trying not to fall apart. Lawson comes first and foremost.

We continue to trudge through the forest the only sound coming from our tired and labored breaths. We finally make it to a clearing a safe distance away from the camp and I call us to a halt.

Brynn and Hayden set Lawson gently down on the ground. I fall to my knees and begin chanting a healing spell running my hands over his biggest wounds. I begin to feel lightheaded, but I continue to chant seeping whatever remaining energy I have left into saving Lawson. His wounds slowly start to heal but they're moving so slowly that Brynn and Hayden look at me concerned. Hayden begins a protection spell around us and Brynn joins me in the healing spell. Slowly but surely Lawson begins to brighten up. His pale skin gains some color and his lips turn his normal pink shade. The gash on his side slowly closes and though he has lost a lot of blood, his wounds are at least closed. He groans again but is able to open his eyes.

I fall back sitting on the grass closing my eyes to stop my spinning head. The outside world filters out and I rest my head in my hands. I start crying realizing the drastic effects of what just occurred by my own hands.

Brynn sets a hand on my back and slowly rubs comforting circles.

"You didn't have a choice Finn." She says exhausted.

All the people I've hurt. We're trained to fight the villains but they never prepared us for the burden of hurting people nonetheless killing someone. I'm only 17. I never asked for this burden.

My heart breaks as I continue to realize the depths of what we've just survived. A hand tilts my head up and I look into Lawson's eyes.

"Hey." He says softly.

"Hi." I sniffle.

"We'll be okay." He pulls me in a hug.

"We've survived the worse." Hayden says sitting next to me offering me a protein bar and quickly mutters a healing spell for my head. I'm absolutely exhausted. Everything hurts and the crying is not making my head feel better.

"You're right. Thank you." I pull myself together wiping the tears off my face, surely spreading blood across my face.

"It's not just your burden to carry alone." Lawson whispers standing up slowly. He pulls me up, both of us wincing at the movement. He wipes the blood off my face.

"You've looked better." He jokes.

Brynn laughs.

"Maybe we should rest?" She asks.

"No. We have to continue moving. Let's try to put some more distance between us before we call it a night."

We gather our stuff and Hayden offers to do an energy replenishing spell for me but I refuse.

"We need you guys ready to fight. Don't waste that energy on me." I respond knowing how taxing an energy replenishing spell is.

Hayden nods and we walk slowly.

I can't help but think of Julius as we walk. Why did he let us go? Could he have told me more about what happened? How did he escape unscathed? What will the coven do to him if they know he let us go? All these questions fill my head as Lawson puts his arm around me.

"Thank you, Finn. If you hadn't come, they would've killed me."

"I'll always come when you're in danger Lawson." I smile at him. He ruffles my hair messing up my ponytail causing me to scowl at him.

"Do you remember anything though?" I ask. An odd expression crosses his face.

"No, I don't. Sorry." He retracts his arm quickly turning to talk to Brynn.

I narrow my eyes at him. Curious. I shake my head clearing any thoughts about the incident. It's time to go home. All I can hope is that they'll welcome us back.