Page 91 of Living Legend

They looked at Jonah as if they either didn’t hear anything he said, or they didn’t care.

“They have no interest in what you say or who you are,” Dani explained, the ropes around her arms widening and pulsing, the shadowy magic dripping from her fingertips. “They don’t even care whotheyare anymore.”

One of them looked over to Dani, its eyes locking on her. Its eyes gradually became unclouded for a moment, letting me see a deep green. No matter the color, its eyes were blank, as if it was moving through motions. Dani didn’t seem fazed by it, as if she knew what was happening but had no way to explain it now.

“Oh shit,” Elise repeated. “I think this meeting is over.”

“What have you brought here?” Ariel shouted, and I realized he was speaking to Dani.

Dani cocked her head toward him and squinted her eyes but said nothing. Ariel wasn’t worth it; he never had been.

One of the shadow figures lunged towards Dani, who propelled one of her black ropes at it, wrapping around its neck and yanking back. The cracking sound it made had me cringing as one of them came in my direction. I held my sword tight, and I watched as a sword manifested itself from the shadowy creature’s hands. My fears were affirmed when it slashed the sword and created a rip in the front of my shirt, nicking my skin the smallest amount.

The figures started to move in all directions. Gold magic pulsed out of Jonah’s fingers as he shot streams towards two of the intruders, causing them to shield themselves but also shoot a few of their own streams, pushing him back a few feet.

Reese shot arrow after arrow, piercing them one by one, but where a few fell to the ground, turning to a shadowy dust, others seemed to pull the arrows out and move forward. He shot another when one of the figures caught it and pointed it towards him, seeming to pull back an invisible bow, and the arrow went flying. Reese shot out his wings, ascending towards the ceiling, avoiding his own arrow and shooting another, hitting the figure right in the head.

I fought back and forth with my sword, meeting my opponent at every turn. Our swords blocked one another, and I turned to see Markus and Ariel aiming white magic at a few of the clusters, watching them fall one by one. Natalia had rainbows coming out of her hands. Her back was turned to me, and I saw how her crown tattoo glowed as she propelled her own magic forward. Elise grabbed one of them by the neck with her bare hands and threw them up in the air while Natalia grabbed them with a stream of blue light and burned right through their chest.I buried my sword into my opponent and watched as they slumped to the ground.

“Nick!” I heard Reese above me as he shot an arrow that looked like it was in my direction but was made for the shadow lunging for my back. I turned around to see another one barreling at me, a shadowy sword in its hand with a sweeping motion, causing me to jump back. I pivoted to the right and moved forward, using the hilt of my sword to strike its back. It staggered forward but turned around, lunging for me again. It was as if it didn’t even need to take a breath. I swung downward and caught its shoulder, then spun around when it tried to pierce me directly, ramming my blade into its side. I pulled my sword out as they descended to the floor.

“What the fuck are they?” I yelled.

“Hell if I know!” Reese shouted, having tucked away his wings and was now back on the ground. He plucked one of his arrows and used it to plunge into a neck.

“Why don’t you ask your trusted friend?” Ariel shouted as he shot out his own wings and nearly missed a pitch-black wave of magic two figures shot in his direction.

Dani looked over to me as she laced two thick, pulsing ribbons of magic around one of the figures' legs and yanked them off their feet, hoisting them upside down and bringing them over to her. She shot out two more, plowing through two faces. I watched as the magic surges connected with their face but pushed past it and through the back of their skulls.The now upside-down creature was in front of her. She tilted her head to the side, almost examining them. “They’re demons, Nicholas.”

The answer didn’t shock me, but the way she said it did. It was so casual, as if the answer was obvious and we should have known this would happen.

I bent backwards as a long, shadowy sword moved towards my face. I kicked the demon at its feet, causing it to fall backwards, piercing my sword through its chest as I stood over it.

“Did you know this would happen?” I wasn’t asking Dani -- I was asking Jonah. He pulsed out magic that launched a demon towards the wall with a crack.

“Nicholas, I promise I had nothing to do with any of this!” His voice was breathless from fighting. Jonah looked as if he was trying to expel all the magic that came with his status and upbringing, the kind of magic that could likely end this. Puffs of golden light threaded through his fingers but were snuffed out in an instant, as if something was clogging his magic, letting him use only the bare minimum.

“She is sending you a message, you idiots. She has you right where she wants you. At any time. Anywhere,” Elise pointed out, shooting one of the demons towards the ceiling and then clasping her red tinged ropes around it, lunging it over to collide with its friends. She quickly turned to face us. “From the looks of it, you’ll ruin each other before she gets the chance.”

An arrow flew by her head, causing her to blink a few times, but she didn’t flinch. I heard flapping wings above my head as I slashed the neck of another demon. Reese relaxed his arm as he nodded towards Elise; she turned around, seeing a demon laid out on the ground.

“You’re welcome,” Reese said, descending to the ground.

Elise rolled her eyes but looked past me. Dani was surrounded. I knew she could take care of herself, but I didn’twanther to. I didn’t think she should have to. A sound came from outside the room, out in the hall: a scream and then another. They were all over The Skies. Natalia looked back, giving me a look as if she understood my concern.

I raced to Dani, thrusting my sword into anyone in my way. I watched as different demons were pushed back by magic, the way their bones would crack from whatever pressure she was laying on them. When I got through, she looked at me, but not with eyes of discontent. She looked at me as if she was stunned I had come to help her. These things seemed to want her, to be drawn to her, and in a fucked-up way, I couldn’t blame them.

“We have to help the others!” Markus shouted as he made his way to the open doorway.

We had eliminated most of the demons in our room, but there were still enough to keep us here for another hour or so. I plunged my sword into the only other demon in my way when I felt a brutal pain at my side. I grabbed Dani’s arm and yanked her away from the four or five that were left. Natalia turned around and flung what looked like indigo darts at the group, and they fell one by one.I pressed my hand to my side and watched as crimson liquid decorated my fingertips. The cut was deep enough that my shirt was quickly soaked. Dani looked down and noticed my fingers, her face contorted into concern.

“Nicholas…” Jonah called from the other side of the room, helping Ariel with his hoard of demons. He saw my blood-stained hand and shuddered.

“It's just a cut, I’m fine.” I held my sword steady and was ready for more. I could patch myself up later. I could feel myself getting woozy, as if more blood was leaving my body than I had imagined. I looked down to see blood dripping on the floor. I felt Dani start to steady me.

Elise released a rush of deep red magic caught by one of the demons, who slashed it back to her, slapping her in the face and pushing her back towards the table. Reese shot an arrow, catching a demon in the leg and then another in the thigh. I watched as Natalia glanced over at Jonah and then at me, as if she was deciding something for herself.

“Get him out of here!” Jonah yelled to her. “We’ve got it from here.”

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