a/n: what song do you think would go best with this chapter, dear readers?
The demon didn't let my hand go not even for an instant.
At least I was released from the iron shackles, that was one hurdle down.
Julian was dragged along by Asmo who also kept a firm hold on him. I could see the gears in his mind turning as he watched me. He had seemed somewhat surprised at what I had told Runith and Mal. I knew he was trying to work out what I was going to do.
"Move fast, girl," Runith said pulling on my wrist until our noses were inches apart. "Take us to the Gates, fulfill your promise."
A familiar putrid smell came from his lips. It made my head spin and my stomach lurch suddenly. His breath was rancid, and the familiarity of it hit me suddenly. His breath smelled like the Styx, like rancid death and decomposition.
I nodded quietly, trying to avoid his face. "I'll do it, we just need to huddle together."
A loud banging sound followed by cheers rang through the room, it was far away but close. The sounds of the fighting that had just moments before been announced was coming closer and Runith's violet eyes scanned the doors he had directed a mercenary to go through.
He looked like a cornered tiger caught in a cage looking at the doors and windows, calculating exit scenarios.
A small hand clasped my shoulder and when I turned, I found Mal's calculating gaze. "Take us there, now. If you specter us anywhere else we will kill your lover as soon as we arrive, understand?"
I nodded when I saw everyone was close to each other.
I let out a long breath and closed my eyes. Spectering still was difficult to do and I'd never done it in the presence of so much dark power and after being shackled with iron for so long.
Julian watched me with worry and disappointment in his grey eyes.
I tried to ignore everything that was working against me and concentrated on where I needed to go. I thought of the menacing cavernous walls of the cave where Julian and I had once been. I remembered the sounds of the empty cave, the echoing sounds of dripping water as we edged closer to the Gates.
The tug of the change pulled at my stomach like it always did.
As soon as my feet felt solid ground again, I felt the the familiar iron clasps on my wrists just as I ducked to the ground.
I screamed in pain as iron burned and blistered my skin anew. I tumbled to the ground and out of the way just as the large Hellhound leapt towards us.
The walls shook and the rocks on the walls crumbled and fell as it reacted to the sheer power being exerted by everyone in the poorly lit cavern.
Mal's heavy accent broke through the noise. "It's an ambush!"
A large heavy hand grabbed my shackles and when I looked at the man, I didn't recognize him. His violet eyes were fierce and his teeth were gritted in anger. "You led us to an ambush!"
I pulled back from him. There was only one person whose breath smelled of death. Somehow, he'd changed from Damien's appearance to someone else, someone older.
He was suddenly pushed away and as he flew through the air, the pain intensified on my shackles until I was sure I would black out from the pain.
"Leah!" Julian choked out. "Help her!"
The world was spinning, I could feel my magic spilling from me like an open faucet. I couldn't concentrate, I could barely see around me.
Shaking hands were on me quickly. "Emmy," Leah said softly despite the chaos around us. "You're going to be all right, hold on."
I felt the iron tighten further. "Leah," I gasped through my dizzy spell. "Hurry, he's tightening them."
Immediately, the sounds dulled and when I looked up. A protective shield appeared around us as Leah and I huddled on the floor. The pain subsided momentarily but I knew it wouldn't be enough to stop Runith from continuing his torture.
"Good, Damien put up a barrier. Hopefully he can distract him long enough," Leah told me quietly. She took my hands and placed them on an elevated stone on the ground between us. "Stay still."
I gritted my teeth as I watched Leah take a large saw and place it against the iron on my wrist. Without hesitation, she started sawing against the iron shackles.
Kymra had found the magic saw and given it to us in the case any of us were shackled with iron. It was a magic saw that would work faster than a regular human one. As long as Damien and Vyssen kept Mal and Runith distracted long enough, it could work.
"Who is he that appeared with you? Does he work with Mal?" Leah asked between hard breaths. Sweat was beginning to form around her brow.
"A demon," I answered biting back the bile that threatened to rise. "He's behind all of this, he's the one that started it all."
She let out a long shuddering breath. The sound of metal on metal made me grind my teeth. "Gods, this is so crazy."
Leah pushed forward placing all her strength behind the magic saw. I watched the blue metal glint in the small light of the cave as it moved back and forth against the iron on my skin.
Gods, there were two of them she had to get through, not just the one wrist...
She screamed in frustration as it slipped in her hands and grazed the skin on my hand.
I bit back a painful moan as it felt the saw nick a part of my skin.
Leah picked up the saw again and began to grind against the cuffs again. She huffed with exertion. "That freak stole Damien's father's face." Her lip curled in disgust. "Creep."
I swallowed as I watched Damien and Runith fight. Runith was using Damien's father's appearance against him? I had seen his father before when I was a child and barely remembered his features.
Runith and Damien both fought with effort. They both rebounded the other's attacks or pushed their own power against the other. Their fight was fast, moving quickly against the harsh shadows cast from the torches in the cave. Damien and two of the hounds fought fiercely against the demon, using brute force and power to defeat the demon's attacks.
A monstrous squeal echoed through the cavern distracted me.
One of the hounds crashed against one of the large walls making it howl and scream out in pain. The deafening wail reverberated through my chest and drilled down on my senses.
Leah gasped in triumph just as I felt the shackle on my left wrist give and break apart.
I breathed a sigh of relief as the pressure I had just been feeling disappeared and a cool refreshing breeze replaced it.
"Gods," Leah's tone was slightly disgusted. I saw her swallow and look away from my wrist quickly. "He really is tightening them on you."
I looked away as soon as I saw my exposed left wrist. Muscle and sinew was exposed, my skin had melted away and though I was fae and I knew I would heal, it wasn't doing it very fast.
She wiped her brow with the back of her arm and started on the next wrist.
Damien let out a growl of frustration making me turn towards him. I tried to gather any power I could with my free hand but couldn't. I was powerless as long as I had iron in my skin.
Damien and two of the Hounds fought against Runith. Their strong muscles rippled under their dark coats. Their large teeth glinted against the torch light that illuminated the space.
Snarls and growls echoed through the space as they tried to catch Runith with their massive jaws.
The Hounds snapped their large teeth in Runith's direction. He pushed his hand towards one of them and a large deafening snap echoed through the room.
I gasped in pain. A sudden burst of power cracking through my insides, making me bring my knees to my chest in sudden intense pain.
The Hound was instantly dead. I could feel the Hound's death reverberate through me and seep into my bones.
A sickening thud followed as the Hound suddenly collapsed onto the ground.
Vyssen let out an anguished scream.
Leah's effort intensified against the saw. Not once did she divert her attention from the saw in her bloodied, raw hands. She remained solely focused on her task though I could see her shoulders tense with realization at what happened.
A heartbreaking whine broke through the sudden silence but the hounds didn't stop their fight.
One of them snapped their large teeth and jumped towards Runith.
Julian and Asmo fought against each other, pushing power against power, sword against sword. My heart caught as they fought, fearing for Julian's safety. Where Asmo used his power, Julian used strength and misdirection.
Vyssen fought Mal with the remaining Hound, she moved swiftly, light on her feet with a pair of knives in her hands. She attacked Mal viciously, jumping towards her with all of her might, spectering when Mal moved to push her power in her direction.
Mal did not seem to know how to move with an advantage. She seemed lost as she fought Vyssen and the Hound. She looked overwhelmed, like a small child. All she could do was push her power towards her and try to anticipate her moves with the Hound close behind. She deflected the Hound, and moved out of Vyssen's way but neither could land any blows.
A deep, shuddering groan rippled through the air and Vyssen, despite the show of strength and resilience before buckled and fell to her knees, her hands on her ears.
The Hound that fought with Vyssen stopped fighting against Mal and lunged towards Runith.
Runith moved away, a hand held high in Vy's direction. "Get the Light Fae!"
Mal stopped fighting and looked towards me with a smile.
No one was standing between her and us.
"Leah," I told her quietly. "You need to work faster."
Mal took a step towards us, her smile growing as she approached.
"Faster, Leah." I looked at the the cuff still on my wrist. There was still a small piece left. We were almost there. "Break it."
Leah shook her head huffing loudly. Her eyes were turning black like I had seen Damien's had done once. "I'm trying."
Mal placed a hand against an invisible barrier. The air rippled where she touched, giving off different rainbow of colors.
My heart pounded widely, inching away as I watched Mal. "She's breaking through the barrier."
Mal frowned and placed both hands against the barrier. The barrier, while invisible, was giving way under her strength. I could see the air around her fingers begin to crack with blue electricity.
The shackle was becoming heavier as she forced the barrier to yield under her touch.
"Break it now, Leah," hysteria was in my voice. If she made it through - if she actually made it to us...
Shards of glass cracked and fell around her as she finally broke through the barrier.
She smiled wickedly as she approached faster still.
My breathing was labored. "DO IT NOW, LEAH!"
Leah was screaming as she put all of her weight and effort against the saw.
Mal approached closer still, her smile wider than before.
We were done. She'd catch up to me and...
The last of the iron broke free and in the same breath, Leah stood, leaping between both myself and Mal and unleashing force of power so strong that I felt the air itself stopped.
The world stopped for a heart beat and I watched Leah bravely unleash a tirade of power towards Mal. The veins under her pale skin of her arms and hands were turning black with her power and effort.
Mal stumbled, her feet faltering under her until she was on her knees. Her blue eyes fixed on Leah and before I could form a word, Leah was pushed back towards the ceiling so hard, the stone she was pushed against cracked under her.
Leah lifted her hand towards Mal and screamed loudly, her fingers flexing with insurmountable effort. I could see power ripple around her, her eyes still the dark onyx full to the brim of dark power. She released it and as she did, there was a blast of power so strong that I was knocked back against the floor, cracking my head against the stone.
Stars danced in my vision. I tried to get up but fell back again against my arms, scraping them.
I could hear voices around me. Far away and under water.
Hands pressed around my neck and the familiar blue eyes that had once terrorized my dreams came into view.
Mal's lip curled in disgust and hate. "I'll finally kill you once and for all."
I should probably proofread before posting but I get too excited to post cause I haven't written in so dang long.
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