All the mages tossed their spells at me at once, but my fires formed a shield.
“Don’t kill her,” a mage called. “Trap her and grab her.”
My fires pushed back at them, but the dark mages raised their shields collectively and chanted like maniacs. My flames were no longer as strong as before since I had used so much of them when I shattered the windows on the bus. Also, I was still learning the nature of my magic with baby steps.
“Now!” shouted the lead mage.
The dark mages all trained their wards at me, shooting out all sorts of dark light.
A black orb weaved around me. At the same time, I dropped to my knees, but not because I was being hit by the enemies’ spells.
An agonizing pain surged through me, and I screamed, feeling my flesh being torn.
Cold sweat broke all over my body.
Vaguely I heard the sentinels and my friends shouting my name. They must be trying to get to me despite how I’d warned them to flee and preserve themselves.
The demons were too many. We couldn’t overcome them, not while we didn’t have a demigod in our ranks.
I stretched a trembling hand forward, hoping to grab something to anchor me so I wouldn’t fall apart, while in my mind I was trying to reach Héctor.
The tearing pain came from him, and I felt it through our bond.
Terror struck me with paralyzing force. Even though he was the demigod of death, Héctor could die. After all, he wasn’t a death god. He wasn’t Hades.
If he died, my world would end at the same time.
A roar thundered beside me.
In a flash, Axel materialized in front of me. His wind tore though the orb around me, shattering it.
“Cookie, I’m sorry I was delayed,” he called, two longswords appearing in his hands.
The Demigod of War tore into the enemy ranks like a force of nature, cutting through them like they were rough grass.
“Protect Marigold,” he shouted at the Dominions.
Héctor’s pain still slammed into me, but it no longer affected me at full force. Axel had come, which meant my friends and the other students had a chance of surviving.
“Axel, guard them,” I shouted. “I have to go to Héctor. He’s wounded. He needs me.”
“Cookie, no,” Axel shouted back as he impaled a demon. “I need to get you to safety.”
I didn’t have time to tell him that I was the target. Once I left, the demon troop would have no reason to keep slaughtering my friends and the other students. They’d abandon this site and try to come after me.
Before they got to me, I could leave with Héctor, and Axel would also join us.
Teleport to Héctor,I commanded.
My magic obeyed my urgent, desperate need.
Shadows swallowed the light, and the stars blurred by. I flew through the vortex of wind and reached for my beloved.