Rhen
I screamed his name, a paralyzing fear of losing my only friend piercing my heart. With every ounce of energy I had, I pushed myself forward through the melting snow, desperately running towards the opening where a raging inferno welcomed me with its heat. The searing heat scorched my skin and almost caused me to take an involuntary step backward.
“Elm!” I screamed fervently into the inferno; my voice drowned out by the roar of the fire. I felt heat radiating into my skin as I swallowed down the acrid smoke filling my lungs.
No.
He couldn’t leave me.
NO! NO! NO!
He’d made me a promise, a solemn vow that he would never hurt me. I couldn’t even bring myself to be angry with him for rushing into a burning building, because he so willingly sacrificed himself to protect someone else. My heart ached when I realized what his selfless act could cost him. His courage and compassion inspired me, but I truly doubted I could ever be that selfless. Offering myself up for another life.
Phyre had managed to get all the remaining villagers to the south gate. I turned my attention back to the fire that engulfed everything in its red and orange flames. Standing there motionless, I could do nothing against this powerful force of destruction. All I could do was hope he could make it out before his skin melted away. The heat emanating from the fire felt like it was blocking my breathing as I watched on helplessly.
I heard the loud, thunderous flapping of Kol’s muscled wings above me as he called out to me, but kept my eyes fixed on the building, holding out what bit of hope I had left.
“Where is he?” Kol’s voice echoed from above.
The building’s frame creaked and groaned under the pressure of the raging inferno. Time stood still as Kol dropped out of the sky, not even taking a moment to neaten up his silky, silver feathers.
My throat was dry, constricting any ability I had to speak as he stood in front of me with perfect poise and grace. His presence was daunting yet somehow comforting at the same time, filling me with an indescribable emotion that I could not place.
“Where. Is. He?” he hissed again, fingers digging into my shoulder.
I could do nothing but point a quivering finger at the raging wild flames, my mouth too full of fear to utter words. The roof creaked again and slowly caved in, sending shards of burning wood cascading down toward me. Dire thoughts ran through my mind, and I could not help but feel that this may be the end.
No.
Kol muttered something, but the world disintegrated before me, blocking out all my senses at once. The sylph heaved me up off my knees, but I was so heavy with despair that I sank down into the mush.
Elm wasn’t coming out.
He had left me behind for good, and I would never see him again. A bolt of pain ran through my chest as reality crashed down over me. Tears stung my eyes as the grief took hold.
“Get up!” Kol shouted in my ear. “For the love of god, get up!”
But I’d already succumbed to the fear dampening my crushed soul. Without Elm, the journey ahead was hopeless. I hadn’t even realized the grasp the fey prince held over me until the building’s collapse sealed his fate.
Was that what had propelled me after him during the scorn attack on Edelweiss all those weeks ago? Before, I hadn’t known what had forced me to do something so incredibly reckless. I wasn’t sure now, but I knew I couldn’t let his death ruin what was left of me, so I bit down on my tongue in hopes the pain—or the taste of blood coating my throat—would force my body to react.
Sure enough, my blurred vision cleared, though not fast enough. Kol’s massive wings curled around me protectively, and I noticed the pool of dark liquid along with a heap of feathers at my feet. He released a deafening bellow. How had I not heard his screams?
Despite the obvious injuries to his body, he did not move, even as the hellhound ripped at his flesh. I had a fraction of a second to think before I moved. Sliding my sword in my hands, I shoved Kol off of me.
He winced at my touch, then reached out to me again, attempting to slide his dripping bird-like appendages back around me. Tears of blood spurted down his face like warpaint as he shouted at me. “Jules, no!”
The name distracted me only slightly as I pushed through the protection of his wings again with ease. With no time to assess the damage the wolf had already done, I heaved the sword overhead. I could only assume by his weak attempt to stop me, it was bad.
Metal sliced through the air and bared down into the canine’s thick neck. There was a sickening crack followed by an agonizing howl from the animal as it stumbled backwards, but only for a moment. Before I could even blink, it released another menacing growl before rushing towards me with certain death in its sights.
I was ready — my feet spread slightly, and each foot firmly planted on the ground, while I held steady the weight of my weapon. Elm’s words echoed in my mind like a beacon, guiding me to take action. I had been trained well for this battle, yet nerves still flittered through my veins.
Name it, pet. It doesn’t matter what name you give it as long as you feel it in your heart.
Sharp teeth grazed against my leg, slicing into thin flesh, but I was faster, dodging it before it had a chance to do any serious damage.
The more you believe in its name, the stronger the blade will become.
Without thinking, I shouted a name into the whispering autumn wind. “Bethelar, don’t fail me now!” Shining bright blue and ready for the taste of blood, I drove the tip of the blade into the hound’s heart. It yelped, ramming into it harder by its own perpetual motion, and twitched violently before collapsing to the ground. Inky, nearly black, liquid oozed from the deep wound. I’d driven it so far into its body, I had to step on the corpse to leverage Bethelar from its rib cage.
Triumphantly, I surveyed the dead demon wolf and grinned. Perhaps my training was paying off after all.
Shit.
Training.
Kol!
I quickly pivoted on my heels toward the large bundle of feathers and body. My vision was obscured by a mass of black hair, so I forcefully threw my neck back to get a better look.
There, leaning over the half-dead sylph, stood Elm with singed white locks, holes burned into his clothes.
All the air was knocked out of me as my heart pounded in my chest at the sight of him alive. But I quickly shoved away any feelings of joy and relief, knowing that this was no time to celebrate his survival. Kol’s body lay before me, covered in deep red blood from head to toe. There were no parts left unmarred - it was almost like he had been dipped into a vat of the sticky liquid. I felt sick at the sight, tears spilling down my cheeks.
Oh gods.
It was worse than I imagined.
Rushing to his side, I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out a roll of gauze. I’d started keeping it on me when I’d nicked Elm with my knife for the first time during a training session. He’d laughed himself silly when I insisted on keeping a roll on me, attempting to wrap it around his forearm. But he wasn’t laughing now as I messily corded the mesh over the deep gashes on Kol.
“It’s not enough,” I said, panicked. “You have to glimmer him out of here. I’ll find Phyre. You just go.”
He shook his head vehemently, his pale hair sweeping across his forehead. “I’m not leaving your side. If there are more of them coming—” His voice faltered as he cut himself off, although the implication of what he was about to say lingered in the air between us.
“He’s dying, Elm.” I snapped, blood coating my hands. “Go.”
I’d never spoken so authoritatively before, and it was apparent in the way my hands quivered. But Elm didn’t waste time arguing with me. The putrid scent of charred flesh lingered in the air as he securely clasped a hand on Kol’s mutilated shoulder. They vanished within a cloud of smoke, leaving nothing behind except the puddle of rich crimson liquid that soaked the dirt.