Kael watched as his opponent tossed a small ball of fire between his hands, the alchemic symbols wrapping up his fingers and hands aglow with the same colour as the fire. He was unharmed, while Kael still sported a few cuts and bruises that were slow to heal from his previous match with a knife-wielding ex-Immortal.
The rogue Alchemist appeared to enjoy drawing out the match, only ever aiming his fire strikes close enough to singe Kael's clothing or blanket him with a heat that made it difficult to breathe. Because of his ability to conjure and manipulate fire at will, Kael struggled to get close to him, which meant the match had been dragged on for almost ten minutes now.
Even the crowd was growing impatient.
'You're not giving them much of a show,' said Kael, glancing up at the restless crowd. 'Why don't you—'
There was a roar of air and Kael jerked to the side as the fireball launched past him, the heat ghosting his face. Kael took the opportunity and dashed toward the Alchemist before he had a chance to conjure another fireball, his hand snapping out to grapple the Alchemist around the neck and slam him into the ground.
Dirt lifted in a plume around them and Kael felt a sudden heat at his chest. He threw himself away just as the Alchemist released a fountain of flame from both his hands, the heat so fierce Kael had to turn away while the spectators cheered, their enthusiasm renewed.
Kael twisted back to his feet just as the Alchemist lunged, his hands gloved by fire. He ducked under the first punch that swung toward him and drove his elbow into the Alchemist's gut, pushing him backward, but the Alchemist lashed out with his other hand and clasped Kael's shoulder.
Kael let out a shout of pain as the fire devoured his shoulder, searing through his clothing and skin, but he knocked away the Alchemist's arm and retaliated with a swift upper-cut that smashed his knuckles up against the Alchemist's chin. The Alchemist's head snapped back, and the whiplash knocked him out cold.
He dropped to the ground like a dead weight.
The crowd roared, but Kael didn't pause to revel in the applause. He went straight toward the exit as the door rolled open, and from the corner of his eye he saw Tank speaking into someone's ear. Their whispers were out of place against the sea of shouting and cheering and although Kael didn't look for long, he was positive the conversation had been about him.
Kael wasn't sure how many rounds were left; he wasn't even sure how much time had passed since Tank forced him to compete. But the tournament took place over twenty-four hours, and although that didn't give Kael a lot of time to recover between each match he at least knew that a full day hadn't gone by yet. Each hour he was here, however, meant an hour not searching for Taryn.
Drake was waiting in Kael's room, counting cash. Without looking up from his winnings he said, 'How you holding up, mate?'
'That depends. Are you offering to take my place?'
'Hell no.'
'Then don't ask,' Kael snapped.
There was a glass of water sitting by one of the lanterns, but rather than drinking it Kael pulled off his tattered shirt and poured the water over the burns across his body. The water soothed the pain, if only temporarily, but also helped clean them as well. The last thing he needed was an infection.
Since his shirt was already ruined, Kael used it to dab dry his wounds and clean any blood off his skin. The pain of his burns was already starting to ease, which meant his body had begun to heal, but whether they would be healed fully by the time the next match came Kael didn't know.
The other door opened with a groan, letting in Tank. He clapped as he entered, a slow and deliberate clap that Kael didn't believe was genuine.
'You're doing quite well for your first time in the Brawls, Animas,' said Tank, his arms crossing over his broad chest. 'Are you sure you haven't done this before?'
'I'm sure,' Kael said, tossing aside his shirt. 'You owe me a new one, by the way.'
Tank smirked. 'I could give you a new shirt, but then you'll have to forfeit the information you want.'
'Typical.'
'I do have to say though—'
'Do you?' Kael quipped.
'—that my audience was expecting more... excitement from you. Where is the Animas we all know and fear? Surely it hasn't disappeared completely.'
'That's none of your business,' he replied.
'Oh, but now I'm just more curious, Animas.'
Kael regarded Tank coolly, refusing to rise to the bait. 'Didn't you hear what happened to the cat? You know, when it was curious.'
'I suppose you're better known for your sharp tongue than your sharp claws these days, aren't you?' Tank returned, his smirk widening. He turned toward the door, glancing at Drake who was attempting to blend in with the wall, and then left the room.
Kael turned away, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists.
'Just out of curiosity – and there's no need to give me the cat analogy – but say you were at your full strength,' said Drake, pausing as the suggestion settled, 'could you break free of that cuff?'
'I could,' said Kael.
Drake whistled. 'Well, that'd be handy.'
'And I'd kill Tank, too.'
'Well, no need to go that far,' said Drake. 'Tank's a right jerk but—'
'I wouldn't just kill Tank,' added Kael, his voice lowering. 'I'd kill everyone in this arena, including you, and I'd enjoy it.'
Drake fell silent. He didn't bring up the topic again.
*****
A mirror shattered.
Taryn flinched, her head ducking to her chest as she felt shards rain down around her. They didn't cut her, the shards too small to cause any harm, but she felt them as if they were large stones pelted at her, thrown until she gave in and let Asina take Fury. A part of her wondered if she should; it'd be over, wouldn't it? Asina wouldn't want anything from her after that.
Exactly, said Fury. She sounded in pain. The Alchemist will want nothing from you and so she will kill you. Do you really think she will let you live to run off and warn everyone?
Why do you want to stay with me? Taryn asked then, hearing the sounds of Asina's chanting behind her.
Consider yourself the lesser of two evils.
Taryn laughed out loud and Asina stumbled over her words, her chant pausing for a moment. I've never been called that before, Fury.
Am I not the lesser evil to Asina, Little Wings?
I guess you are.
There is always one.
The connection between them snapped, Fury ripped away as Asina threw more power into the exorcism. Instinctively Taryn reached for her, as if Fury had been right at her side, but she grasped only air and slumped back to the ground.
Three mirrors remained, but Taryn wasn't fully aware of reality. She was caught between her thoughts, Fury's thoughts, hallucinations, and the terrifying exorcism Asina had forced her into. But she wasn't in pain, no; the pain came after, when she was alone in her confines. In the centre of the exorcism Taryn felt as if she was chained to the floor, but someone was trying to wrench her up at the same time, her body wanted in two different directions – or her mind, she wasn't sure.
Another mirror shattered, and it felt as if something inside her broke too.
Was she dying?
Maybe there would be nothing left of her once the exorcism was complete. Maybe there would be nothing worth Asina killing.
Asina was still chanting in a language Taryn couldn't understand and didn't try to, while the diagram on the floor had a deep, venomous green glow igniting it. The shattered shards of mirror littering the floor reflected the light, like emeralds were scattered around Taryn. She tried to focus on them, tried to count each individual piece in the hope it would distract her while Asina continued to work on the next mirror – the next wall caging Fury – because Taryn could do nothing else.
She pressed her cheek into the cement floor, but the floor was warm. It didn't comfort her.
Fury? Taryn called silently, because she felt alone. She felt alone inside her own head. Was she actually... trying to seek solace with a demon inside her? The thought made her laugh.
Asina's chanting stopped and the light of the ritual dimmed in response. 'Are you losing your sanity, Taryn? Well, I can't say I'm surprised.'
Maybe she was, but when she didn't reply Asina began again and the green light flared. Taryn closed her eyes against it, and closed her mind too. She thought of something else; she thought of Emmy and Seth, of how she despised sitting through lectures at the university – and how she would give anything to sit through one now – of how Emmy chastised her about her lack of sleep and lack of study, and of how Seth would smile while they bickered. She wanted Kael to be here.
She wanted Kael to be here so badly, her heart hurt at the thought.
Another mirror shattered.
Taryn kept thinking of everyone, despite the swell of panic filling her chest. She remembered staying up late with her uncle as they watched ridiculous soap operas just so they could mock the actors. She remembered sitting by the banks of the Yarra River, her head on Seth's shoulder as they watched the sunset. She thought she remembered her parents, hair like gold sand and eyes to match.
Then she remembered red eyes – but not Fury's. She remembered the darkness in her room, remembered the tangle of shadows that reached out, and remembered the metallic taste of blood on her tongue.
The memories crashed over Taryn like waves, one after the other as if a ferocious storm bated them until she could no longer keep her head above the surface. Words weaved into her thoughts, between the flashes of memories that were bright and sharp like bursts of fluorescent light.
Then everything stopped.
Even Asina's chanting had come to an end; there was silence.
Taryn opened her eyes, surprised to find that the green light filling the room had disappeared. There was only a shallow darkness, but shadows converged in the crevices of the room as if only a deep, endless void waited beyond.
The shattered glass was gone too and Taryn realised she could stand. The weight pressing her down had been lifted, and as she shakily pushed herself to her feet she realised Asina wasn't in the room either. She was alone.
Remembering the last mirror, Taryn turned toward it – and found Fury standing in its reflection, her eyes like burning coals.
'This is it,' she said. 'This is where you choose.'
'I'm not choosing,' Taryn replied, exasperated.
'That you have no choice in, Little Wings. Look behind you.'
Regarding Fury for a moment, Taryn drew in a breath and looked back over her shoulder. Her eyes widened as she saw herself on the ground, her cheek pressed to the cement floor and blood leaking from her wide, fearful eyes like tear tracks.
'You're dying, Taryn.'
It was Fury's use of her name that made her turn back around, not the realisation she was dying.
Maybe because she already knew.
'You either let the Alchemists extract me and use me for their own gain, killing you in the process, or you let me free,' Fury told her. 'I have no intention of letting you die, nor—'
'Because you'll die, right?' Taryn cut in. 'If I die, you die, so long as we're connected.'
'And if we're not, as Asina intends, then you will die and I will live. I will live as nothing more than a weapon, but I will still live.'
A crack appeared in the mirror and Fury flinched. Taryn ran toward the mirror, her panic returning. 'I don't—' But she stopped herself, not even certain what words she had been about to say.
Fury lifted a hand, pressing it to her surface of the mirror. 'Last chance, my little wings.'
Taryn's eyes widened at the gentleness in Fury's voice and inside her resolve began to break.
Another crack appeared, fracturing Fury's image in half.
Taryn had to choose.