Page 26 of Rage of the Fallen

Justice lunged again, but this time, Brody was ready. He ducked under Justice’s outstretched arms and delivered a powerful blow to his solar plexus. As Justice doubled over, Brody used the opportunity to put some distance between them.

“I’m sorry, Justice,” Brody’s voice was heavy with regret. “We’ll come back for you. I promise.” He turned and sprinted toward us. “Use the hourglass!” he shouted, urging us to retreat.

Zara picked up the backpack that had fallen behind Damon and me as we struggled. She reached into it and pulled out the hourglass.

“Use it, Sawyer. It’s our only chance,” she stated as she handed it to me.

Fresh tears slid down my cheeks. “I love you, Justice. Come back to me.”

As I clutched the hourglass, the air began to shimmer and vibrate. Suddenly, a swirling vortex of golden light erupted from the artifact, enveloping my team, including the phoenix, in its warm glow. The wind picked up, whipping our hair and clothes as the vortex grew stronger.

“Take us to Inveraray Castle,” I whispered, my words barely audible over the whooshing of the magical wind.

The world blurred into streaks of color as the vortex lifted us off our feet. We were suspended in a cocoon of swirling golden light punctuated by flecks of what looked like glittering sand. The vortex spun faster and faster, creating a tunnel of light that stretched before us.

I looked down. The last thing I saw was Justice, standing eerily still, watching us leave with those haunting, glazed eyes. Rage’s laughter echoed behind us, a chilling reminder of the battle we’d lost—but not the war.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The hourglass spun me around, and I landed on hard ground. The impact that jarred my bones was nothing compared to the shattering of my heart. My emotions were wrecked, my soul torn apart. Justice had slipped through my fingers into the enemy’s grasp, and with him went a piece of me I feared I’d never get back.

Overhead, a blanket of stars hovered, twinkling with an indifference that felt like a mockery of my pain. I dug my fingers into the thick grass beneath me, desperate for any anchor to this new reality. Tears carved hot trails down my cheeks as I gazed up at the tall pines standing sentinel around us, their silhouettes stark against the night sky. Beyond them loomed the towers of a gray castle, our supposed destination, but it felt meaningless now.

The mirror had spoken of a harp we needed to steal, a mission that had seemed so vital moments ago. Now, the weight of failure and loss pressed on me, draining every ounce of energy and hope from my body. I had lost my strength, my purpose, my other half.

I tried to push myself up, but my arms trembled and gave way. The cool grass pressed against my cheek, and I released achoked sob. The scent of earth and pine filled my nostrils, so different from the last place Justice and I had been together. It felt wrong to be here without him, wrong to breathe this air or see these stars when he was trapped in some hellish realm with Rage.

“Justice,” I whispered into the uncaring night, his name a prayer and a curse on my lips. The vastness of the Scottish landscape suddenly felt oppressive, a reminder of the impossible distance between us. How could I go on? How could I face this mission, this team, this world, knowing he was out there suffering?

Yet, even as despair threatened to swallow me whole, a tiny spark flickered in the depths of my heart. Justice wouldn’t want me to give up. He’d want me to fight, to rage against the dying of the light. With a shuddering breath, I clenched my fists in the grass, drawing strength from the solid earth beneath me.

Justice might have been possessed, but I’d find a way to save him. There had to be a way.

Soft footsteps approached behind me. I looked over my shoulder, not sure if I had the strength to fight.

My brother crouched beside me.

“Hey, Sawyer. I know you’re hurting, but we can’t stay here. We’ve got a job to do.” Warmth tinged his gruff voice.

I turned away from him, unable to bear his concern. His words, meant to motivate, only twisted the knife deeper into my wounded heart.

“A job to do?” I whispered, my voice raw with grief. “How can you talk about jobs when Justice is…” I couldn’t finish the sentence.

He paused, looking at the looming castle, then back at me. His jaw clenched, fighting his own emotions.

“Look, I get it. Losing Justice is like losing a piece of yourself. But you’re not alone in this fight. We’re gonna get him back, youhear me? We’re gonna march into whatever hell Rage is hiding in, kick his demon ass, and bring Justice home.”

Damon gripped my shoulder firmly.

Slowly, I pushed myself up to a sitting position, wrapping my arms around my knees. I stared blankly at the distant castle, its gray stones a reflection of the emptiness I felt inside.

“I failed him, Damon.” My soft words trembled. “I was right there, and I couldn’t… I couldn’t save him.” A fresh wave of tears threatened to spill over, and I blinked hard, trying to force them back.

My blood and the mirror had healed him before, but if they couldn’t heal him now, what would? Was he lost to me forever?

Damon sat fully. “Right now, we need you. That harp isn’t gonna steal itself, and every second we waste here is another second Justice is in Rage’s clutches. So, come on, sis. On your feet. We’ve got a world to save and a vampire to rescue.”

“Damon, I’m tired. We’ve been going nonstop, and I need to rest.” I gripped his arm, desperate for an anchor in the storm of my emotions. “What if we’re too late? What if Rage… What if he…” I couldn’t finish the thought, the possibilities too horrific to contemplate.

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