Magics: Escape (Book 2)

Chapter Forty-One

Kai didn't expect the blow from Chase's spear to be trained at him. He had a fleeting moment of panicky thoughts that told him that Chase was attacking The Dark Lord, not him. That Chase was angry at Brethren and was about to go show him that Chase couldn't be so easily killed. That Chase was going to throw the spear and impale The Dark Lord or Moon. That Chase wasn't going to hurt Kai.

But with another cry of rage, Chase shoved the sharp tip of the Dark spear into the muscle right above Kai's left hip, forcing a scream of agony of the teenager. White hot pain traveled up his torso and momentarily blinded him. His stomach clenched in pain as he stumbled back a few steps. 

"Kai!" Falte's voice cried from behind him, full of terror and confusion and shock. Kai heard Falte yell again, but didn't make out the words. Someone shouted Falte's name, and though Kai expected to see his father rush to him, Falte didn't appear. 

Chase wrenched the spear sideways, dragging the tip deeper into Kai's flesh. Kai shrieked again, fighting for air afterwards. He nearly collapsed backward, but Chase yanked the spear out of him harshly, sending him doubling forward onto his hands and knees, only to collapse onto his side with another yell of pain. 

Then Amy was there, grabbing Chase's wrists and pushing him down onto his back. She plunked down on top of his stomach, gasping and staring at him in shock and confusion and betrayal. The spear vanished underneath Chase's fingertips, turning into a small dagger that he promptly drove into Amy's thigh. 

Kai's vision blurred as Amy let out a howl of pain, her left hand leaving his wrist and flying toward her injured leg. Kai took a long, shuddering breath and shoved his arms under him, forcing himself to sit up. He held back another shriek and stood sharply, trying to ignore the flaring pain that shot straight up his leg and torso. 

"What's wrong with him?!" Gabriel yelled, limp-running toward Chase, who was surging to his feet and holding Amy by the forearm, dragging her roughly across the grass. She was struggling to cover the bleeding wound in her thigh, to stanch the bleeding, but she could hardly reach it through her pain. 

Kai struggled to move forward, to protect Amy from Chase, though his mind was telling him that he didn't need to, Chase was his friend. But the sensible side of his brain won, and he forced himself to take a step forward - a step that sent him to his knees again.

"Stay down, you dolt!" Linda's voice shouted at him, and he looked up to see her rushing toward Chase but throwing a warning look at Kai. "You're too hurt to do anything right now!" She stopped in front of Chase, and suddenly his hand flew open, dropping Amy onto the grass beside him. 

"Gabriel, hold him," Linda instructed her friend firmly, gesturing to Chase's arms. "I'm going to try to fix him." She reached for Chase's head as Gabriel grabbed Chase's right arm, limped around him, and grabbed the other, pinning his hands behind his back. 

"'Fix him'?" Gabriel cried in confusion as Chase struggled madly. "What the heck do you mean?" 

Linda frowned and locked Chase's head in her hands. "There's something wrong with his brain. It's not working right. It's..." Her eyes widened as she stared into his eyes, then she stumbled back with a cry of pain, her hands leaving Chase's head. 

Gabriel was there immediately, catching her swiftly before she fell. "Linda?" he said nervously as he eased her to the ground, letting her sit down. She touched the bridge of her nose with a wince. 

Kai struggled to his feet again, taking two agonizing steps this time before collapsing forward again. He gasped in pain and felt his leg beginning to go numb, but he ignored it and shoved himself up again. His shirt was heavy with blood and his mind foggy with pain, but he would get to his friends. He would help them.