The Blood Wolves | Vol.3, The Eldenarian Artifacts ✓

32.

Sebastian's mouth trembled as he noticed the blackened veins underneath the pale skin of his father's neck. The started at the eye his mauvue charm was in and ran down to the base of his neck.

Huh?

"I have truly lost my patience today," Thorian spat. With a flick of his wrist, Ajax went soaring across the clearing. He zipped past Sebastian and Naidini until he hit the ground. His body skidded through the dirt like a comet falling from the earth.

He didn't get up.

Naidini rushed over to him and placed her ear over his mouth. Sighing in relief, she nodded at Sebastian.

He nodded back and faced his father. The man was scowling now as he moved forward.

One day he would be able to face the man. But today was not that day.

Turning, and nearly tripping over himself in the process, he helped Naidini pick Ajax up and made a break for the forest. His friends had still been waiting on the hill for them to join them. As they labored toward them, Sebastian ordered them to run.

Remy ignored his commands and ran down the hill.

"I got him," he said as he draped one of Ajax's arms over his shoulders. Along with Naidini, the curly-haired boy lugged the warrior along.

"Thanks, kid." Sebastian glanced over his shoulder to see Thorian gaining on them. Cursing, he took off running for the forest.

#

Sebastian kept himself at the tail end of the group. If his father managed to catch up with them, there would be no one to stand up to him. Ajax was down for the count, and Naidini was too busy helping carry him. Siren's discipline of magic resided in healing, not fighting. That just left Imogen—the halfling Ordinaire with only a few hours of casting training.

She might have shown the promise of becoming a half-decent caster, but she was far from achieving her potential.

Sebastian was truly the only one who stood a chance against the Black Lotus.

He continued running, jumping over fallen logs and gnarled roots, hoping that it wouldn't come to that.

"Get back here!" Thorian bellowed.

Spells whizzed past Sebastian's head. They collided into the trees around him. He watched as an incendis spell sent an entire tree up in flames. Its flaming branches fell from the sky, nearly landing on top of him. Covering his mouth and nose, Sebastian powered through the smoky clouds beginning to fill up the forest.

I gotta keep moving.

He was the only thing standing in between his friends and the man who wished to destroy them.

Peering through the smoke, he searched for a sign of his father. Everything was so hazy. He could barely see a few feet ahead of him. The acrid taste of burning wood filled his mouth. Smoke began to fill his lungs, choking him from the inside. Stumbling around the forest floor, he searched for the way his friends went.

His vision started to wane. He could feel himself getting lightheaded.

Not good.

"Nowhere to run." Thorian's voice echoed around him.

Even while disoriented, Sebastian knew the use of a charm when he saw it. Silhouettes of his father's figure hid beyond the black smoke. He spun around wildly, desperately trying to figure out which one was really his father.

"Face me yourself, coward!"

"Coward? I'm not the one running away."

Sebastian huffed and rolled his eyes. He held his hands up in the traditional dueling stance that had been drilled into him since he was a boy. He could barely see or stand, but he had to be ready for whatever Thorian would throw his way.