Reaching Retribution(93)

I’m not going to wait for him anymore. I don’t want to be on the defensive. Besides a few rare instances, it’s the offense who wins the game. I need to be on the offense right now; I want to be the one calling the shots. Zahtri seems a little shocked at my suddenness, but doesn’t linger on that for too long. I jump in front of him and drop to the ground, knocking his feet out from under him. He falls, but rolls to the side, so I can’t do anything else. I follow his movement as he stands up and starts circling me.

He’s not using his left arm very much. His shoulder must hurt more than he’s letting on. There’s a weakness. I smile at him as I make the first move. I start calling my magic to me. Can Zahtri use his magic physically? He can transport and read minds, but can he do anything else? I don’t think I’ve seen him do anything else. He’s physically strong, but can he add magic into his limbs to make himself stronger?

Thunder rumbles above us as I start pulling more magic around me. Zahtri’s face transforms into one of anger. I’m not going to go down easily. He has another thing coming if he thinks he’ll be able to make quick work of me and move on. I can hear grunts around me of other people fighting, but I’ve learned from previous battles not to look. That’s how you get yourself killed. I have to have faith that my family is going to protect each other. Right now, this is about Zahtri and me. That’s all I can focus on.

He should look at all those times they’ve come to capture me. Did I cower in the corner? Maybe the first time…but I didn’t after that. I fought. I throw my hands up and push the winds out. Zahtri’s forward progression halts as he waits for the wind assault to end. He doesn’t fall like I intended, but this is enough to give me some more time.

I hear a familiar scream echo through the field and briefly glance at the fight behind me. Dravin is in the middle of the field, fighting Liam and Colton. Surprisingly, it seems evenly matched despite the odd number. How is that possible? Colton and Liam are strong—they should easily be able to overcome him. Emma was the one who screamed though. I try to not break my concentration when I see why she screamed. She jumps forward and grabs onto Kyril as the Gadramick in front of her pulls his sword out of the middle of his chest. Larkin blinks in behind him and twists the guy’s neck, breaking it. He slumps to the ground soundlessly, but it’s too late. Emma falls from Kyril’s sudden weight. David jumps to her side and helps Larkin move Kyril. Kyril starts convulsing. Even from this distance, I can see the tears streaming down Emma’s face.

I continue pushing wind toward Zahtri. Come on, Kyril, don’t leave us. I bite my lip as I continue sending thoughts in his direction. Larkin yells for Logan, but Logan isn’t around. I scan the clearing, but I don’t see Logan or Lily at all. Kyril whispers something to his friend and goes limp. Emma covers her mouth, turns to her soulmate, and sobs into his shoulder.

Kyril’s dead.

He’s gone. Kyril can’t be gone. Thunder rumbles again and the intensity of the wind hitting Zahtri amplifies. I’m angry now, and I’m going to let everyone know it. I return my attention to the mage responsible for all of this in front of me. He’s going to pay for this. Kyril was a good man; he shouldn’t have died here. The sky above us darkens and it slowly begins to rain. The battle sounds behind me disappear. It’s only me and Zahtri. Just the two of us. For this to end, two has to become one. Only one of us can survive. It’s been prophesized for thousands of years. This day has been predestined for that long. I’m an artist and a reader, not a writer. I’m not going to rewrite history. History is going to play out like it’s been prophesized. I’m going to make sure of it.

I stop the wind and run toward Zahtri, surprising him. He recovers quickly from the wind attack, but not quick enough. I stop running a few feet in front of him and transition into front flips. Zahtri doesn’t move. I stop and fall to the ground and swing my foot out. With my hit and magic, he falls onto his back and grunts. I stand up, but Zahtri reaches out and wraps a hand around my ankle and pulls me down beside him.

I land on my back and gasp as the air is knocked out of me. I pull my leg up and kick Zahtri, causing him to release his grip. In getting up, he’s much quicker than I am, and when I see him standing, I try to roll onto my stomach and stand, but he runs toward me before I can move. A foot connects with my stomach, lifting me into the air and depositing me back onto the ground a few feet from where I just was.

Biting my tongue to keep from crying out, I attempt to stand, ignoring the pain that radiates through my abdomen. Zahtri rushes over to me and wraps his large arm around my waist and pulls me up. Crushing me against his chest, he forces me to look out at the people fighting around us.