Page 36 of Chaos Unleashed

H winces, “Pretty much. I’m going to help you as much as I can. I’ll give you as much of my magic as I can, but it won’t work unless you are the one who breaks the seal around your magic; no one else will be able to do it. Only you.”

I nod and then remember he can’t see me; he’s doing such a good job of actually talking to me that I kind of forgot that he couldn’t actually see me. I guess feeling where my face is has helped him know where I am.

“Got it,” I reply, a thread of determination; I then add, “I already know how painful this is going to be. Whatever you do, don’t pull me out of it; I have a feeling that I’ve got one shot to get this right, and if I’m pulled out, I won't be able to go back in.”

His throat bobs as he swallows thickly, and his eyes darken with shadows, but he nods. “Got it, don’t die.”

I smile, “I’ll try not to.”

I move my hand to another wound to help ground myself and then take a deep breath, sinking into my Centre. Even sinking into it is more effort than it should be, but I push away all of my nerves.

As I reach the dark and desolate place where my magic resides, all I can see is a tangled and barbed ball of spells wrapping around my magic, the glow of which I can barely see through the layers. I reach out to it and immediately get zapped, a jolt of pain shooting through me. Yeah, this is going to more than simply hurt. I can’t even tell if my magic is still trying to pick apart the spells from the inside or not, and I’d be willing to bet that it’s because I’m so much weaker than when I last tried to get to my magic.

I feel H’s magic wrap around my physical body like a blanket, warmth, and comfort that I’m grateful for and that I utilise while I still can since I’m not sure that I’ll be able to in a minute.

I have to admit that I take a moment just to enjoy the feeling before I push it away. I call on that darkness that I love to help me and lend me the strength that I’m going to need to get through this.

I push forward, reaching toward my magic and gritting my teeth as the spells attack me; I tear at them, snapping the strands and watching the magic fizzle out, attacking me as it does. Clenching my teeth, I carry on, working my way through the spells as each one attacks me. I feel H’s magic surge as he tries to help me as much as he can; there’s only so much that he can do. Just knowing that he’s still with me is enough though, since I’m no longer able to feel my physical body and would have no idea if he left me or not otherwise. After what feels like hours, I can no longer keep my screams of pain inside, and with each shred of magic against my already battered self, I scream, I holler. I know that I writhe in pain, but still, I keep going; I have to keep going; I need to get to my guys, my safety, and the first people to make me feel that way. I want to meet H in the real world, this mysterious supernatural that’s become my lifeline while I’ve been living in this hell.

I slow in my attack of the spells as a lilting lullaby. No, it's not soft enough to be a lullaby; it's a war song. It comforts me; it goads me; it lends me strength and stokes the flames of fight that were starting to wane. The voice that sings it is deep, soulful, and unlike anything that I’ve ever heard before; somehow, even in this state, I can feel goosebumps rise all over my body. It’s intense and strengthens me in a way that I didn’t even think was possible.

With renewed vigour, I speed up, tearing the spells apart and getting a tiny bit closer to my magic. I know it can feel me coming for it because I can feel it start to pull apart the spells from its side. The problem is, my magic is exactly that, mine, so I’m getting double the amount of pain, and for a second, it takes my breath away.

The strength of that song increases and echoes around me, soothing my hurt and helping me to ride it out; as soon as I’m able, I pick up the pace again. Renewed hope lights my heart as my guys, Poca, Meri, and my uncle; all flash through my mind as I imagine them screaming words of encouragement at me.

Bring it on, you bitch arse fucking spells.

H

She’s been at it for hours. Each scream, each whimper that leaves her, stabs my heart, and I know without any doubts in my mind that they’re going to haunt me for my very long existence. It’s not just her screams but the way that she’s writhing in pain, her back arching. My magic is desperately trying to help her, but it’s barely managing to scratch the surface of her pain, and I’m not weak; I should be able to help her more than this. I hate it; I have never wanted to help someone more than I want to help her, and I can’t fucking help her.

Instead of losing my shit, I do something that I have never done before in my many years of life; I try to comfort her. I hold her as gently as I can while still ensuring that I don’t hurt her even more. I wish I could see her; for me, it’s like I’m trying to hold on to shadows. During periods of quiet, when she’s not screaming, I whisper comforting words. I highly doubt that she can hear me, but I say them anyway, just in case she can. Although I have to admit that I don’t really know if what I’m saying is comforting at all, it’s been a long time since I’ve heard any sort of soothing words, and quite frankly, I’m not sure I ever have, but I try to offer her comfort.

When I run out of words, I sing.

I haven’t sung in centuries, but for her, it’s easy; I pour my entire being into the songs and pray that somehow something is getting through to her, that somehow, I’m helping her to fight. I have never known someone to have to fight for this long before, the longest I’ve ever known is two hours, and he didn’t fucking survive. Fortunately, time works differently in the dream world, and although it's been hours in here, it won’t have been out there.

She’s been at it for so long, and I have no idea how she’s doing it. She has far more strength than even I gave her credit for, and I already thought that she was strong. I think she’s stronger than even she realises. I refuse to give up, refuse to stop comforting her, and every time a new scream tears from her, I sing louder, praying to the damn gods that it’s helping her.

Chapter Thirteen

H

Suddenly, her pain level gets impossibly higher, off the charts, and in a way that I’m sure is going to kill her. I can’t allow that to happen. It’s not that I don’t want to; it’s that there is something deep inside me on a soul level that won't allow me to let her die. It would kill me, and I can’t die easily.

It’s because of that I do something that I probably shouldn’t, something that I know I shouldn’t do while in a dreamscape, and throw as much of my magic as I can at her. It obeys me willingly, readily, as desperate to help her as I am.

Ren screams, her back arching with pain as I feel her heartbeat slow.

No, no, no.

She becomes too bright to look at, the light piercing the shadows that surround her, and yet I still can’t make out anything distinguishing about her. It grows so bright that I have absolutely no hope of seeing anything; my magic responds, growing with it until her scream reaches a crescendo and the weight of her disappears from my arms.

I jump up, my eyes squinting, trying to get used to the light, but before I can get them to adjust, I’m forcefully pulled back to the awake world.

**********

“No, what did you do? Hades, you son of a bitch send me back,” I growl before my eyes are even open.

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