Marie Harte - Aftershocks

Nervous, Ellie aimed a thought at Lexa with an urgency the woman had to feel. “ Hurry up, before he becomes too weak to do the possession spell.”

“ Relax. I know what I’m doing. He’s already on his way to you, which you can see if you look with your Djinn senses.”

Ellie gaped at the rainbow of colour heading towards her at breakneck speed. Before she could utter a gasp, invasive pressure pushed through her body. Tears prickled her eyes and fell down her cheeks, mingling with the blood from her nose. She wiped her face clean and thought again how much Cadmus owed her for this . She wanted to rub away the tension gathered in her chest, but her limbs refused to obey her commands. Even her breathing slowed, the sorcerer within her stretching as he felt his way around her body.

“Just keep me in one piece,” s he mentally shouted, not expecting to be heard.

“Easy, Ellie. Try to focus on yourself and relax. This will all be over soon. Just breathe and focus on your love for Cadmus.”

“Easy for you to say.” But she did as he suggested, and to her surprise, the pain within her faded, replaced by a floating sensation as she watched the world through her own eyes that were no longer hers. It was like watching a puppet perform. Her hand wiped another trickle of blood from her nose, and she stared at the vibrant red, taken with its richness.

A loud slap startled her.

In the moonlight, Lexa brutally struck Arim across the face. He showed no response. The Dark-hide rope bound him tightly, and he looked like he suffered on the brink of death. I sure hope she’s playacting . Ellie couldn’t help feeling a twinge of doubt as she watched satisfaction bloom on her friend’s face. Lexa obviously had issues to clear with Arim. Ellie only hoped she could be patient and deal with them later.

As if the director of this little scene had yelled ‘cue the villain’, ‘Sin Garu suddenly appeared, wreathed in blackness and wearing a toothy grin.

“Sister mine, perhaps I was wrong about you.”

Lexa’s bright face turned as unreadable the clouds marring the moon’s illumination. “You’re late.”

“Ah, but I brought along some entertainment.” ‘Sin Garu snapped and three wraintu appeared with a large sack between them. Ghastly creatures, they looked like something out of a horror movie. Large heads with bat-like ears, huge black eyes, no nose and sharp, spiky teeth looked over Arim’s body with clear hunger.

Ellie cringed, knowing what to expect, but still not prepared for it.

‘Sin Garu smiled. “Arim, wake up. I’d like you to watch as the Dark swallows what you prize most dear.” He gave the wraintu a small nod, and they opened the sack to yank out Cadmus, who lay bloodied and unconscious. They took him in their skeletal arms. Their claws held him steady, piercing his flesh, and Ellie screamed inside as Arim watched with her in silence.

“I said wake,” ‘Sin Garu commanded, his voice deeper as he floated towards Arim.

Ellie’s lips muttered in a whispery voice, and Arim’s head snapped up and his eyes opened.

“Much better. Now, sister mine, why don’t you get down on your knees and beg for my forgiveness while I mull on the gift you’ve left me, hmm?” ‘Sin Garu scratched a claw-like fingernail across Arim’s cheek, and Ellie felt Arim command his body to react. His head pulled back, affecting a weak flinch, but ‘Sin Garu was too impressed with himself to notice the unnaturally jerky motion of Arim’s body.

“I won’t beg, not for you or for anyone. Not ever again,” Lexa said in a low voice, her eyes narrowed as they rested on her brother. “I think you owe me thanks. I took care of B’alen for you.” She stared at ‘Sin Garu and suddenly smiled. “He took to my compulsion to consume blood, and it vanquished him far better than you did. But then, you know of what I speak, don’t you?” She stepped closer to him, then glanced at Cadmus. “Been ingesting a little too much Storm Lord blood, brother dear ? You look a bit peaked.”

He struck her so hard and fast it looked a blur to Ellie’s eyes. She could feel her body tense and wondered when Arim thought to interfere. But he waited, not playing his part. Damn it! By now he ought to have made his move, the way she had in Cadmus’ vision.

‘Sin Garu spat at his sister, “Because of your interference, I nearly lost my life in that last battle. Surprised, Lexa? Don’t be. I carried it off well enough, didn’t I? You never suspected I had just beaten B’alen by the skin of my teeth.” He smiled, revealing a lethal mouth. “If only you’d pursued me, we might have ended this so much sooner.”

He leant down and grabbed her by the shoulder, digging into her bone and flesh until blood poured from the punctures.

“ Help her. Arim, move!” Yet Ellie’s body remained still. “ Shit. Where the hell is Jonas?”

Like an answer to her silent prayers, Jonas appeared in the air next to the wraintu and ripped the head off of one of the Netharat . He disappeared when as the Nocumat inside the wraintu consumed the body and vanished. Like watching The Blob but in a much more condensed, ugly version, Ellie thought, wishing she didn’t have to see this. But she couldn’t stop herself from watching.

The remaining two wraintu screeched. ‘Sin Garu shot blue flame from his fingertips, an impressive arch of lightning that covered the sky.

Nothing happened to Lexa or Cadmus. ‘Sin Garu leant towards his sister. “So you thought to use your puppet Djinn to distract me? What do you take me for?” With a twist of his free hand, he clenched his will around Cadmus, squeezing blood from the many bite marks on her Earth Lord’s body.

Ellie took a step in Cadmus’ direction and wanted to sob with thanks. But the more she watched her lover writhe in pain, the angrier she grew.

Ellie, keep calm , Arim warned.

She couldn’t help it. Before she knew it, she could see black flame surrounding her arm bathed in light. And then Arim finally took charge.

“Let him go.” The voice was Ellie’s, but the words belonged to Arim.

‘Sin Garu didn’t seem to notice more than what he’d been primed to see. “Ah, the affai . So good of you to join us, Darkling. Ellie al il Ruethe, as I live and breathe.” He held a hand to his heart, and his mock sincerity tempted Arim to rip the smile off his face. “How are your parents? Safe in Foreia, I trust?”

“I won’t ask you again.” Arim raised a hand and pointed a finger at one of the wraintu. Jonas appeared and struck the one next to it, while Arim felled the wraintu with a blast of combined Light and Dark energy. He watched with satisfaction as he and Jonas decimated ‘Sin Garu’s small force. But just as Jonas moved to take Cadmus into his arms, ‘Sin Garu blasted him with a Nocumat .

Jonas fell several feet out of the sky to the castle. The Nocumat tangled in his energy, and he burst in truth as he fought for his life. Through Ellie’s eyes, Arim watched the display in a new spectrum, Dark and Light, clear and surprisingly beautiful by Djinn standards.

“Do you really think I’d trust Lexa to give me Arim, the great Killer of Shadow, without a price attached?” ‘Sin Garu shook his head. “Well, now, Sister. Who would you like to lose next, Arim or Ellie?”

“How about both?” she answered coolly as if her brother didn’t have his hand stuck in her flesh.

He squeezed her shoulder, and she flinched. Arim’s rage grew. The Dark around him drew ‘Sin Garu’s gaze, and the Dark Lord frowned.

“Elliara? What is that burning in your fist? Not--”