Page 98 of King Elijah (The Zemiran Chronicles 2)

Thirty-Five

ELIJAH STOOD ATthe front lines with the Zemiran soldiers that had now entered the city, standing along the grassy field. The hybrids and a few of Kieran’s guards lined the coastline, creating a barrier in front of the Sybil Curse.

Lincoln stood behind Elijah, keeping his eyes on the ship and Anaru hovering above. He heard someone shouting Elijah’s name, and he felt a surge of panic run down his spine. He turned toward the sound and saw two figures crossing the field toward him. It was Janelle and Tegan.

Janelle ran to him, stumbling as she went. It appeared her limbs had grown weak as she struggled to walk. The second Elijah saw her, he dropped his sword and sprinted in her direction, Lincoln following closely behind.

“What’s happening?” Janelle cried out as she fell into his arms, burying her head into his chest. She reached out to touch his face. “Is this really you?”

He knitted his brows together as she sagged into him like dead weight. “Yes, darling. Kieran was supposed to release you from that room so we could trade you. I—” Lincoln watched Elijah’s eyes turn dark as he observed blood splatter on her neck and bleeding scalp. “Is that your blood? What did that fucker do to you?”

“Kieran’s blood,” Tegan answered for her. “He attacked her wearing your face, but she fought back. The shadow came through the window, drawn by Kieran’s burst of magic, and we were both able to escape. We have no idea if Kieran is still alive or not. I need to get on that ship. Now!” Tegan said, pulling the Kroneon out of her pocket and placing it in her hand with a firm grip. “It’s time.”

Janelle looked up in a haze as Lincoln stepped beside Elijah, handing him back his sword.

“Go, Tegan,” Lincoln said. “We’ll be right behind you.”

Elijah looked down, cupping Janelle’s jaw with his hands. “Did he—”

She shook her head, opening her mouth to answer, but something wrapped around her neck and squeezed before she got the words out.

It was a thick, black fog, like Elijah’s power, but he wasn’t the one wielding it. Kieran, still behind property lines, called the power back to him with a flick of his wrist, flinging Janelle to the ground and dragging her backward over the grass. She kicked and tugged at the magic around her neck, but he was too strong. He pulled her until she was back in his tight grasp.

Kieran’s skin was covered in blood, and his injured eye was swollen shut. Red covered so much of his face he was almost unrecognizable. A large gash on his forehead oozed; it appeared that the shadow had clawed his face before it retreated into the forest.

“I’ll fucking kill you,” Elijah ground out through his teeth, taking a step toward the bloodied sorcerer. Lincoln reached out and put a hand on Elijah’s chest, attempting to push him back. Elijah wasn’t running toward Kieran yet, but dark magic dripped slowly from his fingertips as his body trembled with rage.

“Don’t use your power, Elijah,” Lincoln warned. “Calm your anger, or that thing will be drawn back here before we’re ready.”

Elijah’s jaw hardened. “He has to die.”

Lincoln nodded slightly and turned toward the coastline. He let out a sharp whistle, a signal for the soldiers of Zemira to move toward their position. It was time for the blood oath exchange.

Janelle struggled against Kieran’s dark grip on her neck and reached out to Elijah. But it was too late. He watched as the poison worked quickly, taking hold of Janelle’s body and paralyzing her limbs. She dropped to the ground and looked up as the Zemiran army advanced and formed a barrier around them, their weapons out and ready to attack. Then her eyes shut, and her body went still.

Liam, the head of Elijah’s guards, stepped forward, his sword wielded in front of him.

“Kill your former king!” Kieran called to Liam and the Zemiran army, pressing his boot into Janelle’s prone body, which lay on the ground. Lincoln saw her chest rise and fall slowly, but she didn’t stir.

She’s alive, he observed.

“What did you do to her?” Elijah asked again, power covering his eyes as the darkness consumed him.

“Elijah, drop your power,” Lincoln warned again, looking over his shoulder to see the Shadow Creature leave the forest. It moved slowly along the grass toward them, the moonlight illuminating its vapor-like form.

“Now, Elijah.” He was deviating from the plan. All he could think about was getting Janelle away from the sorcerer.

“Just a paralytic poison to make sure she couldn’t escape me,” Kieran said. “It hasn’t reached her lungs yet, so there’s time for you to fulfill the oath properly. Now that everything is in place.” He stomped down on Janelle’s stomach with his heel, but she didn’t move. She couldn’t protect herself. Her body was alive and helpless, and Kieran’s poison kept her completely immobilized.

Lincoln took in the scene and knew it would be impossible to stop Elijah from attacking once the Zemiran army was traded. All they could do now was protect themselves from the Shadow Creature and get back to the ship as quickly as possible so they could kill it.

Lincoln drew his sword and kept it by his hip, tracking the creature’s slow movements but not alerting the sorcerer to it.

“Let her go,” Elijah said carefully, his power moving along the grass until it reached Kieran. “You’re the only one threatening to sever the oath. My army is yours the moment you hand her back to me. Then we ‌fight that creature out there together. Now! Before it comes back and kills us all. Release her from your poison’s control, and the oath will be complete.”

A wicked smile crossed Kieran’s features. He bent his knee and placed his hand on Janelle’s head. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a vial, and put it to her lips. Then, he helped tilt her head back to drink the blue liquid inside. She coughed three times before rolling onto her hands and knees and looking up. Tears fell down her cheeks, and her chest heaved with the pain that wracked her stomach from Kieran’s boot.

“Do it!” Kieran said, fisting her hair, making her cry out in agony.

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