Page 85 of Forgotten Fate

More knives went flying towards Elias. Two more hit, one in his thigh and another in his upper arm. A growl, more wolf than human, escaped from Elias as he tumbled forward, falling to his hands andknees. Pulling myself out of my state of shock, I finally stood up and ran to him. He pulled the knives from his body, and I followed suit and pulled the one from his back.

The wound wasn’t healing. Why wasn’t it healing??

Volund laughed, as if he could tell by my expression what I was thinking. “Knives laced with wolfsbane,” he declared, shaking a knife back and forth in a teasing manner. “The poison is slowly seeping into your mate’s bloodstream.”

Elias panted heavily. He looked at me, eyes blazing. “Run, Aura,” he ordered.

I shook my head. “No, I’m not leaving you!” I yelled. I still held the wolfsbane-covered knife in my hand that I pulled from Elias’s back, and I launched it at one of the warriors. To my surprise, it landed right in his thigh, and he fell to the ground, screaming and squeezing the wound as blood seeped through his fingers.

Volund’s eyes widened as his warrior fell. “Get her!” he squealed to the others. “But don’t kill her yet!”

Another man and the woman warrior launched towards me, and I managed to dodge them just in time. When the woman stumbled in front of me, I brought my knee up into her head. She grunted as she went unconscious from the blow. Then the man grabbed me by my hair before I could make another move, yanking me backwards. The two others ran over and grabbed at my arms as I kicked and flailed like a wild animal.

One of them swiftly fell to the ground and I looked up to see that Elias had stabbed him from behind with one of the blades he pulled from his own body. Then Elias fell onto his hands and knees again, barely able to hold himself up. Fuck. He was poisoned, and we were outnumbered.

I was suddenly thrown to the ground by one of the men, and I fell onto my stomach. I tried to push myself up, but was kicked in theside so hard, I felt a rib crack. I screamed as I fell to the ground again, clutching at my side.

“Stop fighting, Princess Aurelia,” I heard Volund say. “You are only delaying the inevitable.”

I spat at the ground and saw a small bit of blood land with it. “Fuck you,” I coughed. I looked over at Elias, who had also fallen to his side. Oh gods no. Was he dead? Dying? I needed to get us out of here. I needed us to make it through this. I needed a miracle.

A thought flashed through my mind as another kick knocked the wind out of me. I felt another crack as bones broke beneath my skin. I gasped as I pulled the necklace out from under my shirt. I quickly dragged my hand down the delicate gold chain until I clenched the stone.

What had Trybe said? Squeeze the stone in my palm and think of something that makes me feel safe?

I clenched the stone harder, and focused all of my energy on thinking of something that had always made me feel safe. I didn’t think about Rimor or my father or my guards. I didn’t think about my mother or my uncle or my weapons. I thought of Elias. Of the time he pulled me out of Rebellia River and carried me in his arms for a mile when I couldn’t walk. Of the time he fought Horus to keep me from being dragged back to Rimor. Of the time he slaughtered a group of bandits to save me from a terrible fate.

Just then, a bright light emanated from my hand. I unclenched the stone, and it began to levitate an inch above my palm, white light beaming from its center. It was so bright, I had to squeeze my eyes shut. I heard a ringing in my ears and then everything went eerily quiet. I slowly let my eyes open, and the bright light was gone. I flinched as I looked up and saw one of the warriors about to smash my head in with their boot. I closed my eyes again, ready for impact, but opened them when nothing happened. The boot was still there –hovering over me, but unmoving.

I rolled myself backwards, pain coursing through my ribcage. I looked up and saw the Sprathian completely fixed in place, like their body had been frozen in a block of invisible ice. They were looking down where I had just been lying, and had their leg up, ready to make contact with my head. But they were unnaturally still. It would be impossible to hold that position, but there they were.

I looked around, and saw that all of the other Sprathians, including Volund, were also as still as statues. But birds still chirped overhead. The leaves on the trees still rustled as a breeze blew by. Time wasn’t frozen. Only them. Only the threat.

I looked at Volund and saw my mother’s knife still sheathed in his belt. I slowly stood and walked over to him, being mindful in case this was some sort of trick. But he didn’t move – only stood there with his mouth open in mid-yell, his cold eyes demanding. I slowly reached for my knife and pulled it from his belt.

I stared at him for a moment more. I should kill him. I should stab him right where he stood, and end his life for what he and his disgusting ancestors did to Elias. But as I raised my blade, ready to strike, I faltered. I…I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t kill a man, especially one who, in that moment, was helpless.

Elias’s words rang in my ears.I just hope there never comes a day when you’ll have to kill a person. It is not an easy thing to do.

I lowered my knife. Then I huffed out another breath, feeling overwhelmed. Did my necklace just freeze my enemies in place? I looked down at the stone, which was now full of cracks. What the hell kind of sorcery was this? Then, I heard Elias groan, bringing me back to the present.

“Elias!” I cried out. I ran over to him, ignoring the pain in my ribs. He did not appear to be frozen like the rest of them. “We need to get out of here,” I stressed.

Elias groaned again. “Aura,” he muttered. “Go. Run. Find somewhere safe.”

I stared at him, baffled. “I’m not leaving you,” I exclaimed. Even though he lied to me our entire time together, I knew that if I left him here Volund would surely make him suffer.

“The magic…the magic from the stone will not last long,” he said, sounding out of breath. “You need to go before it wears off.”

My eyes narrowed at him. “I amnotleaving you,” I repeated sternly.

Elias looked at me, pleading. Sweat dripped from his face and his eyes appeared sunken.

“Get up,” I demanded.

“I can’t,” he said with a labored breath.

“Get your ass up, Elias. I am not leaving without you. If you don’t get up, then they’ll take us both.”