Hopeful (My Sequel to Heartless) Unfinished

Chapter 46 - Bolstered Courage

Mariah screamed as Cath felt his heart steady heartbeat in her hand and looked at it with horror. She did what she had to do, but it didn't make it any less disturbing.

Jest screamed in pain, his body writhing against the ropes that held him. His pained eyes met her wide gaze.

"I'm so sorry," She whispered.

Jest's head sank with exhaustion and pain, but he wasn't angry. "Go. Defeat her." He said meeting her gaze again with conviction.

Cath nodded and, taking a deep breath, quickly pushed the heart into her own chest cavity.

"THAT'S CHEATING!" Mariah roared.

"I'm done with your games Mariah! Come out and fight me!" Cath yelled back.

"Fine, since we're no longer playing by the rules." Mariah hissed.

Suddenly a roar sounded that rattled Cath's bones. Cath heard the sound of Penelope retching at the sight in front of them.

A huge creature the size of a building stood in front of her. A Jabberwock.

"I do love an audience. Let's give them a show." Mariah taunted, her sharp fangs gleaming.

Cath felt the adrenaline rush through her veins as her brain urged her to run at the sigh of the monster charging toward her.

"Cath! The axe!" Jest called from where he was chained.

Cath whipped her head around in search for the axe that was, unfortunately, behind Mariah.

Cath bolstered up her courage and charged forward with a battle cry. Using her momentum she slid beneath Mariah avoiding her teeth as she bolted toward the axe. She grabbed the measly weapon and strategized the best way defeat the monster in front of her. Hitting the legs first and then the neck seemed to be the best bet.

She ran toward Mariah and dodged her claws as she swung and hit the axe into Mariah's back leg. Mariah shrieked and swiped at Cath again. Cath almost rolled away in time but felt a sharp pain in her side. She hissed in pain and looked as blood dripped from her torso. She growled in anger as she grabbed her axe and charged again hitting Mariah's arm.

Mariah's roar ripped through Cath's skull as Cath coved her ears in pain.

"YOU ARE A DEAD WOMAN!" Mariah screamed as her voice vaulted Cath backward.

Cath rolled a few times, her ears ringing. She felt the edges of her sight grown fuzzy as she attempted to focus. Blood pooled on the ground around her as her friends voices rang in her ears. "Cath get up!" Someone called out. Jest?

She lifted her head as she reached for the axe and yelped as her wound sent a sharp wave of pain through her arm. Her head dropped back to the ground as she felt the fight leave her.

This was it. This is where she would die.

Mariah stalked closer, "giving up already?" She taunted, her claws clicking on the ground, "and to think you were once the most powerful woman in the world. You've now been reduced to nothing."

Cath closed her eyes. "I love you Jest." She whispered one last time.

A burning pain seared her hand as she clutched the axe. She groaned, her eyes fluttered open and she thought maybe she was hallucinating. In her hand wasn't the splintered handle to an axe but the gilded hilt to a magnificent sword.

She heard Penelope whisper from across the room.

"The Vorpal Blade." She said in reverence.

Cath felt the hope and strength rise in her chest as she pushed herself onto her hands and knees.

Mariah roared again. Cath braced herself and staggered forward on her feet as Mariah charged at her.

Cath let out a battle cry of her own before charging toward the beast before her. She arched the blade overhead and swung with the rest of her strength.

Mariah's roar stopped suddenly and was replace with an eerie gargling noise, one she had head many times in her time as an executioner. The sound of a beheading.

The head of the Jabberwock fell to the ground.

Cath's breaths were ragged as she watched the chains that held her friends fell to the ground. They rushed toward her, worry evident on their face as Cath dropped to the ground. Jest took her hand as she bled out slowly, tears running down his face.

"Cath." He said stroking her face,  "we're going to get you safe, okay?"

The room began to tremble as Mariah's madness began to crash around them. If they didn't leave fast, they would die.

Cath shook her head plunging her hand into her chest and tearing the heart from her chest, "thank you for letting me borrow this. But please take it and end this war." She said, her voice trembling.

Jest shook his head, "I won't." He said with a sob, his tears leaking on her face.

She reached up and cupped his face,  "you must, Jest. Please take care of my family. Make sure Diamond and Spade and taken care of." She said, tears streaking her face.

Penelope put her hand on Jest's shoulder, "we have to leave now." She said softly.

Jest shook his head, "you guys go, there's one more thing I must do." He said as the shadows around him seemed to closed around his form.

Penelope understood at once as she gestured for the others to follow.

Jest closed his eyes and he put his heart back in his chest and held onto her as he took them to the one place that would fix this.