Page 162 of To Free a Soul
What a waste of mana,Weldir grumbled with annoyance.She probably questioned why I would attempt it.
He yanked another soul from his stomach, from Tenebris, and waited to see if he needed to use it. He didn’t want to, despitebeing ready and willing. His mana wasn’t recuperated enough, and using a second would likely be too much for him.
If it assists Leonidas, then so be it.
This restlessness from within his shadows, where he was safe and impenetrable, was unbearable. He’d never felt more useless than being forced towitnesshis offspring and mate in danger, unable to do much about it.
Had I a physical form, I could have ended this easily,he thought, just as Jabez showed himself once more.
He stood no chance as she turned into a human, fell from the air to land on top of him before he could grab Leonidas again, and rolled them both backwards, ending with her on top of him. As if he was prepared for a random and sudden attack, he rolled forward and threw her off. As she was flying through the air, Lindiwe twisted and threw a dagger made of shadow in his direction.
He teleported away before it could land.
She chased after Leonidas, returning to her Phantom form to stay safe and be quicker. She was left behind this time, unable to catch up to one of the swiftest Mavka.
Weldir left his realm to put himself at Leonidas’ side.
“Go through the portal,” Weldir said, knowing that, even if he couldn’t be seen, he could be heard. “It will take you to Magnar’s ward.”
Leonidas turned his feline skull and white orbs in his direction, following the sound of his voice. White condensation came from his nose hole when he gave a huff in answer.
Weldir threw the second soul in front of them, tore it apart, and conjured another portal. Leonidas’ muscles bunched, his shoulders up and his head lowered in determination as he sprinted harder and headed straight for it.
He was choosing to trust the unseen voice.
Jabez materialised in front of it, and the comforting yellow of the portal suddenly glowed menacingly from behind him. His red eyes were alight with cold malice and bloodthirst. Wind gusted his hair and pants to the right, while his fingers were rigid and ready to strike with sharp claw-like nails.
Leonidas snapped out a snarl and stepped to the right, bypassing Jabez – and consequently, the portal. He was cut off by three Demons, who lunged and forced him to halt and back up.
“Fuck,” Weldir bit out, closing the portal and retreating back to his realm.
Jabez won’t let him go through them now.Their only opportune moment for that avenue was the first time.I now lack the power to help.In fact, he could feel his consciousness trying to fade, but he forced back the darkness closing in on his sight so he could at least be a set of eyes for Lindiwe.
She caught up just in time to create three tentacles and wrap them around the Demons, who darted at Leonidas one at a time to confuse him.
Lindiwe was like a beacon in the shade, her dress and cloak stark against the shadows. Her brown hair flicked behind her, and she was swift despite being a little female.
“Run!” she screamed, throwing one Demon to the side while yanking another from his leg.
He bolted, leaving her behind.
Jabez materialised behind her, grabbed her long hair, and went to slice open her neck. He missed, clawing across part of her face until she turned incorporeal to evade the end of the slash.
Every time she caught up to help, the moment she turned physical, she was forced to turn ghostly to evade Jabez. When she used shadowy tentacles or a blade, she took a little more ofWeldir’s power. His vision blurred before he forced it to sharpen again.
Then the Demons turned on her instead, managing to gouge their claws into her bit by bit. Her ability to time when to protect herself or to be human to attack was overshadowed by the chaos of the moment.
It put unwanted space between her and Leonidas.
He assisted by calling her back to his realm and then shoving her back to Earth without warning. She saved Leonidas once from Jabez before she was tackled by a Demon, who bit into the back of her neck.
But rather than lance her flesh, theytooksomething instead.
“No!” she yelled, lunging forward with her hand out, when the attacker stole one of their infant offspring. She screamed when a Demon got its claws into her chest from behind and ripped back.
Weldir was unsure of why she was so frightened. Their offspring were indestructible when they weren’t fully formed, and he experienced no worry when they were swallowed whole.
He just waited for the inevitable: the little feral Mavka would eat the Demon from the inside out.
