Green Eyes
Chapter 66

Selene took a calming breath. She could now hear the sorcerers as they stormed across the bridge spanning the moat; they shrieked like tormented spirits. Perhaps it was just a psychological tactic, intended to unnerve their enemies. If it was, Selene noted ruefully, it was working.

Selene had a plan though, and a good one at that, or at least that’s what Jared had said. How she wished he and Mara were here. Selene had only seen them show fear once or twice in the entire time that she had known them; she had always marveled at their coolness in the face of terrifying dangers. She could really use their strength and wisdom right about now; she was shaking like a leaf.

But no, she was glad they weren’t here. This battle was beyond even their remarkable skill. Selene just hoped it wasn’t beyond hers.

Through her powers, Selene felt the first door of the inner gate shudder as the enemy launched their first salvo. She took another breath, remembering what Jared and Mara had taught her about battle. Focus on what you must do and block out all else.

“Malchians brace the gate!” Selene telepathically commanded. Since Navi who possessed telepathic powers could communicate their thoughts to other Navi, Selene had decided to use this to her advantage. Despite being still new to telepathy, Selene had adjudicated that she would be the one to coordinate the Navi because it was her plan.

Joining in with her brethren, Selene threw more of her power into strengthening the black granite gate. There was another build up of pressure, as with the outer gate, as the sorcerers made a second push.

Wait for it, Selene thought silently to herself as she felt the sorcerers assault the massive granite doors again. She counted to three before making her next move.

“Malchians release the gate!” Selene ordered as she released her mental hold on the door. “Focus your energy on the innermost gate.”

A millisecond later, the others followed suit and the sorcerers’ push blasted through. The entire gatehouse, which Selene had thought invincible, visibly shook as the door disintegrated into dust. It shook again a moment later when the sorcerers tore down the middle gate.

Gritting her teeth, Selene poured more of herself into protecting the last barrier between her and Brutus. Beside her, she could feel Andrew throwing all of his considerable power and weight into the same thing. Right on cue, they felt a shockwave of energy vibrate back to them through their connection with the gate. Selene’s entire body vibrated like she was a metal pipe that had been struck against a rock. She knew even the combined strength of the Malchian Navi wouldn’t hold off the sorcerers for long; she just prayed it would be long enough.

“Anorians attack!” Selene grunted out both mentally and verbally, hoping the command got through. The sorcerers’ battering of the final gate was taking up all of her energy and concentration.

After an eternal moment of waiting, Selene was rewarded with the sound of screams of terror and rage emanating from within the gatehouse. The pressure on the door lessened and the structure shook from explosions and telekinetic waves and whatever else the sorcerers were using to fend of the Anorian vine attack as a half dozen Navi began to fill the chamber with deadly creepers. Then there was nothing.

“We got ‘em!” Andrew shouted as the other Navi began cheering around them. “These guys weren’t so bad.”

Selene didn’t react. Something wasn’t right. The sorcerers weren’t dead; she could still feel their presence like a winter wind blowing through her gut. Instead they were just dormant, which worried her. Brutus had chased her across the world like a rabid dog, constantly nipping at her heels. Surely he wouldn’t give up just because of some plants.

And then it happened. Selene felt the sudden rush of energy through her powers before her senses picked up anything. That was followed by a terrific roar, like a thousand lions bellowing at once. The indestructible stone of the gate cracked, and then erupted outwards in a blinding flash of light.

Reflexively Selene threw up a telekinetic shield around her and Andrew, protecting them from the direct force of the explosion. Even still, they were lifted off their feet and driven through the wall of a dilapidated house a hundred yards away.

Ears ringing and vision blurred, Selene staggered back to her feet. Andrew seemed to be okay, if a little dazed. Reaching out with her telepathic powers, Selene did a quick count of her forces: 11 of the 40 Navi that were at the Temple were dead with several more badly injured. She couldn’t tell how many of the sorcerers were left, but if the feeling in her stomach was any indication, it was far more than she would’ve liked.

“Maria, Josue, and Elena,” she mentally linked with three Anorians she knew to be okay, “get the wounded and take them back to the garden now. See if you can heal them.” Out of the corner of her eye, Selene saw someone scrambling through the rubble, Maria or Elena probably.

Quickly Selene put those thoughts out of her head. As Jared and Mara had repeatedly told her, “Let others do their job; you need only worry about yours.” And her job at the moment was dealing with the sorcerers pouring through the gate.

“You good?” she inquired of Andrew who still appeared to blinking out the cobwebs.

“Yeah,” he nodded, blood trickling down a nasty looking gash in his forehead. “What was that?”

“I’m not sure what to call it,” Selene answered. “I did something similar on accident in Beth Haven. Apparently it leveled a quarter of the city. Ready to get back in there?”

“After what they did to my gate?” Andrew growled as two large rocks levitated around him. “Let’s go!”

“All Navi who are capable, prepare to attack,” she ordered, surprised at how calm she sounded. Maybe Jared and Mara had rubbed off on her after all.

As she and Andrew strode towards the waiting sorcerers, she did a quick survey of her comrades. Johann seemed to okay, as were the other Esthorians. Most of the Malchians, not that there were many to begin with, were fine as well. The Anorians had taken the brunt of the explosion, being the closest ones to the gate with their vine maneuver.

Her eyesight having cleared up, Selene did a quick count of her enemy in the growing sunlight. Thirty-three of them: more than she would have preferred but less than she feared. And standing at their fore, black and white hair thrown awry but beady black eyes as evil as ever stood Brutus.

Anger surged through Selene as she saw her greatest foe again. This man had murdered her father, murdered Jael, and now 11 of her friends had been slain by this creature. Fire blazed to life around her fists as she ignored the tingling of her body repairing itself and sprinted forward.

Behind her, the rest of the Navi followed suit. Ahead of her, the sorcerers charged to meet them.

Selene made a beeline for Brutus but was suddenly intercepted by an invisible hand that tossed her back a dozen paces. Rolling twice, Selene popped up to see a sorceress staring her down with angry brown eyes. Reigniting her hands, Selene raced towards her new opponent.

The woman picked up a large chunk of granite from the now destroyed gate and hurled it at Selene. The Navi ducked to her right and with a telekinetic shove deflected the projectile to her left and kept on running. Her enemy threw another rock but instead of dodging this one, Selene leapt high in the air, pushing off the granite with her right foot to launch herself even higher.

With a shout, Selene drove her flaming right fist down on the sorceress with all of her power and weight. She felt her fist collide with something solid as she slammed into the sorceress’s telekinetic shield. It held for a split second before shattering with a concussive explosion, knocking both combatants back.

Selene recovered first, firing a salvo of fire that enveloped the sorceress. Knowing that it hadn’t broken through, Selene followed by grasping the earth underneath the woman’s feet and shaking it like a rag doll. The sorceress lost her footing and fell to the ground. Pouncing like a cat, Selene relit her fist and ruthlessly drove it through the woman’s chest.

For a moment Selene felt sick at the brutality with which she had just taken that life. But looking at the lifeless face before her, Selene realized that little had changed. The woman had been just as inhuman before, the only spark of life in her had been the rage with which she fought but even that was swallowed up by the inhuman evil that consumed her and all other sorcerers.

No, Selene didn’t pity them like she did the soldiers that she and the twins had fought and killed. These “people” had chosen to give up their humanity for power. No one had forced them, no one had driven them here; they had chosen to become this. And that is what made them unredeemable.

Shaking off her quick musings, Selene refocused her attention on the fight. It was entirely too even for her taste. Four sorcerers, including the one at her feet had fallen while another couple of Navi had been killed. A battle of attrition Jared had called it and her side was taking the most casualties. Time to fall back.

“Fall back!” Selene commanded. “Get the wounded and fall back!”

Tapping into her telekinetic power, Selene lifted herself 20 feet in the air to survey the field. As per her orders, the Navi were quickly falling back. Some of the Malchians were tossing rocks, fire, or whatever other element they could get their hands on at the sorcerers to provide cover for their retreating comrades.

That’s when she saw Andrew who was locked in a battle with three sorcerers. He was holding his own for the moment but only for a moment. Immediately she raced to his rescue.

“Brace yourself,” she warned him before climbing another 20 feet in the air, hovering at her apex for a moment before turning and rocketing towards the earth.

As she slammed into the ground fist-first, Selene unleashed a massive telekinetic shock wave that lifted Andrew’s attackers off the ground and tossed them back well over 100 yards. One’s neck was snapped by the sudden whiplash and another’s heads was smashed to pulp as it collided with the massive inner wall. The third survived, albeit barely as he skipped across the rubble-strewn ground like a pebble across a pond.

“Thanks for the save and the warning,” Andrew said as he straightened up and shed his stony armor. “How’d you do that? It seems like only a couple days ago you could barely hover.”

“Adrenaline works wonders,” Selene shrugged. “Let’s get out of here.”

“No argument here,” the Malchian agreed as they scurried away from the advancing sorcerers into the streets and alleys of Jerel.

*******

“How we doing?” Selene asked Johann when they found him a few minutes later.

“Surviving,” the old Navi told her. “We just got reinforced by the wounded from early and I sent a few wounded back to Maria and Elena so we’re sitting at about 21 strong right now.”

“And them?”

Johann winced. “26 or 27,” he guessed. “They still have the advantage.”

“In numbers,” Selene acknowledged, “but as Jared and Mara have told me repeatedly, numbers only tell a part of the story. We have homefield advantage so let’s use it. Have everyone spread out into the streets and alleys and pick off the sorcerers one by one.”

“Wouldn’t that just let them through?” Andrew questioned. “Shouldn’t we try to hold a line or something to slow them down?”

“Hmm, good point,” Selene scratched her chin. “Have we passed Esther Rechob yet?” she asked, referring to the second of the four main roads that ran around the inside of the city.

“No, it’s another three blocks that way,” Andrew responded pointing towards the city center.

“Okay, we’ll use that as a baseline,” Selene’s mind was running full-speed as she processed the situation. “Have our people spread out along that line and pick the sorcerers off as they come through.”

“If you say so,” the Esthorian agreed although he sounded less than convinced. “What about Maria and Elena?”

“Keep them there,” Selene advised. “They’re decidedly not warriors so they’d be more of a liability than a help,” she explained, mildly entertained by the fact that Jared and Mara had said the same thing about her repeatedly. “More than that, we need someone to take care of our wounded so it’s best if they stay where they are.”

“I’ll pass that along,” Johann nodded. “And Selene?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m proud of you,” her teacher told her. “You’ve grown not just in your powers but as a person. If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t have survived this far.”

“If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t be in this mess,” Selene pointed out.

“True,” Johann didn’t bother trying to avoid that. “But you have grown from a girl with erratic powers into brave, confident, and controlled woman. You are truly a credit to your race.”

“If you ever get the chance, tell my babysitters that,” Selene tiredly smiled. The fatigue of the still young day was already wearing on her.

Johann placed a hand on her shoulder and looked into her emerald eyes. “Trust me my dear, they know it and they are more proud of you than you can possibly know,” he told her.

It was both the best and worst thing he could’ve said to her. Instantly all the memories of their adventures together rushed to the forefront of her memory and her throat tightened at the thought of never seeing them again. Despite all the cold nights on the hard ground with nothing by sort-of roasted rabbit to eat for weeks on end with legions of Kalashonian troops hunting high and low for them, despite the unmerciful training they put her through, despite the unending stream of sarcastic jabs they tossed her way, they were her family. Selene loved them like she had never loved anyone and deep down she knew that they loved her too. Unbidden yet unhindered, tears began to course down her grimy cheeks.

Johann pulled her into a hug. “They’re alright,” he told her. “Remember what you said to them and believe that you will see them again.”

“Right,” Selene acknowledged as she brought herself under control. “Sorry about that.”

“Nothing to be sorry for,” Johann replied. “Tears for absent friends are never a crime. But we do have a battle to win here, do we not?”

“Yes, of course,” Selene concurred, focusing her mind on the task at hand and blocking all else out. “Let’s go.”

*******

Selene closed her weary eyes as she leaned her back against an abandoned house. Her body was tingling as it repaired itself which was one of her stranger powers. Simultaneously it drained her power reserve and recharged her power reserve as it healed her.

She was a complete mess. Her face was smudged with dirt, dust, blood, and general grime. Her luscious blond hair (hair that she was quite proud of) had been reduced to a matted tangle of light brown. As she sat there, Selene debated whether or not to just shave her head completely when this was all over, assuming she survived. Staying awake was a constant battle as she hadn’t slept in nearly thirty hours and the constant proximity of the sorcerers was starting to make her nauseated.

They were gnawing on her nerves. For some reason, as soon as the Navi had retreated the sorcerers had just stopped. They hadn’t gone anywhere; she could still feel their presence right where she had left them but they weren’t doing anything; just hovering there. Selene felt like a rabbit in a field watching a hawk above circling and circling and circling and circling…

Kalashonian though she was, Selene did not like battle. She hated the fear, the anger, the blood, screams of agony, and especially the killing. But she hated the waiting for a fight even worse. It rubbed her nerves raw as the anticipation and fear continued to build in her. If she was going to die, then she’d just prefer to get it over with instead of sitting here alone in an abandoned neighborhood thinking about it.

Suddenly her heart jumped as she sensed the sorcerers moving. They were spreading out and moving through the streets toward the Temple, right at the line Selene had established. Her senses told her that they were moving much more carefully this time than with the reckless abandon they’d displayed at the gate. Well it was too much to hope that they were total morons.

One of them was coming straight for her. Standing up, Selene pressed herself against the wall of the house, hiding herself from the street. Since training with the Navi, her senses had become much more acute to the point that she could pinpoint exactly where the sorcerers were and even count them if they spread out enough. She wondered if their senses were equally attuned.

Selene felt it before she saw or heard anything. The air around her suddenly compressed and her ears popped. It was enough warning, barely. She jumped back from the wall and raised a shield around herself as the stone and cement erupted around her. Apparently their senses were sharp enough.

It was like standing in a hurricane as the telekinetic wave tore through the wall and slammed into her but she stood her ground as debris rained around her. When the dust cleared, Selene found herself looking across a flattened building at a sorcerer 20 yards away. The second push for Jerel had begun.

Adrenaline surged through her veins, fine-tuning her senses to an almost painful sharpness. In the distance she could hear explosions firing off all over the city, the sorcerers attacking all at once. Wherever her friends were, they were on their own now.

Exerting control over herself, Selene blocked out the rest and zeroed in on her opponent. He hadn’t followed up his first attack, instead standing there as if daring Selene to make the next move. She didn’t even hesitate.

Sprinting forward, Selene ran her hand out as if she were drawing a line in the air. Tracing the path, the earth suddenly shifted, jutting out a raised row of rock driving straight at the sorcerer.

He jumped aside easily but Selene had been anticipating that. Months of rigorous training with the twins had taught her to think two moves ahead. As the sorcerer stepped to the side, Selene mentally grabbed a piece of rubble and flung it at his legs. Caught off-guard and off-balance, the man’s knees were crushed and he started to topple to the earth. Condensing the moisture in the air, Selene turned it into a sheet of ice that she swung up and through the sorcerer’s head.

Selene took a moment to catch her breath before scanning for another target. No one was in her immediate vicinity but she could sense a battle going on between an Anorian and a sorceress and the Anorian was losing. She dashed towards them.

Ducking through a pair of alleyways, she came up just in time to see Alejandro get tossed through a wall, collapsing the house on top of him.

“Hey!” she shouted, causing the sorceress to turn.

“Well, if it isn’t the big prize herself?” the sorceress greeted with a sneer. “Brutus will pay well for your head.”

“Take your best shot,” Selene retorted as she ignited her fists.

“I believe I will,” her opponent replied and shot a bolt of electricity at Selene.

Selene deflected it harmlessly away into what had been a shop at one point. The lightning exploded into the stone wall, bringing it down and igniting the weeds and vines into a blazing fire.

The Kalashonian Navi responded with a fiery salvo of her own which the sorceress brushed aside. But that was only Selene’s first move and she prepared for her follow-up punch.

But the sorceress was a step ahead of her. Just as Selene moved to fire a TK blast, she felt a massive boulder bear down on her. Leaping high, she cleared the hurtling projectile and then rocketed forward.

As she flew towards her opponent, Selene sensed the presence of an acorn buried within the street. Stretching out with her power, Selene grabbed the life within the seed and burst it open, pulling it to the surface with her. She shot over the surprised sorceress who turned to track her only to be impaled from behind by the living spear.

Dropping back down to earth, Selene scrambled over the rubble to where Alejandro had been blasted. Tapping into her telekinesis, she lifted the debris off of him and gently levitated him to the street. His body was gruesomely smashed but he was alive, barely. Weakly, he opened his eyes and looked at Selene.

“Thanks for the save,” he whispered.

“I’m not done yet,” Selene reached out her hand to heal him.

“No, don’t,” he stopped her, suddenly grabbing her wrist. “My body will heal itself. Save your strength.”

“I don’t like it, but you’re right,” Selene admitted. “But I can get you to the garden where Maria and Elena can patch you up.”

“Alright,” croaked Alejandro.

Wrapping him in a telekinetic bubble, Selene levitated the wounded Navi off the ground and started to head for the Temple where the garden was. Suddenly she felt hair her stand up all over her body and the air turn dry. She had been so focused on Alejandro that she hadn’t noticed the sorcerer sneak up from behind.

It happened so fast that Selene didn’t have time to process it. There was a sharp crack as lightning arced towards her while simultaneously a high-pitched whistle blew past her. A millisecond later, another explosion sounded just behind her head and rock fragments rained down around her.

Selene turned to see Andrew racing out of an alley towards the astonished sorcerer. The Malchian threw up a stone wall which he then shoved at his opponent. There was another explosion as the sorcerer blew the wall apart only to be met with a sudden blast of wind that tossed him into the air. Andrew then sent another gust of wind that drove the sorcerer onto a suddenly constructed earthen spike.

“Thanks for the save,” Selene said as Andrew came up to her.

“Eh, I owed you,” he gave her a lopsided grin before seeing Selene’s cargo. “Is he…”

“No, but close to it,” Selene answered. “I’m taking him back to the garden to be—”

“Selene, Selene! Can you hear me?” Johann’s voice sounded in her head. It was almost frantic.

“Yes, what?” she responded telepathically.

“Some sorcerers broke through and are attacking the garden,” he told her. “I don’t know how, but Maria and Elena are badly outnumbered.”

Horror seized Selene. If they got to the garden… Steeling herself, Selene knew she had to do something.

“Alright, I’m on my way,” she responded. “Hold the line as long as you can.”

There was a general sense of acknowledgement which told Selene the Esthorian was otherwise occupied.

Refocusing on the here and now, Selene extended her hand over Alejandro and transferred some energy to him.

“What’d you do?” Andrew demanded.

“I didn’t heal him,” Selene informed. “Just gave him enough of a boost to stabilize him. For now.”

“I got that,” Andrew retorted. “But you should save your strength; we have Maria and Elena for that.”

“Not for long,” Selene replied. “Sorcerers have attacked the garden.”

“What? How?” Andrew blinked hard.

“I don’t know,” Selene sighed. “I’m going to help them if I can.”

“I’m coming with you,” Andrew declared.

“No,” Selene shook her head, tired of having to turn down help. “I have to fly and you can’t keep up on foot. Can you hold the line here?”

“Yeah, I will,” Andrew promised. “It’ll be here for you when you get back.”

“Thanks again for the save,” Selene gave him a tired smile. Her body couldn’t handle much more of this.

“Hey, wait,” the Malchian grabbed Selene and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “For luck.”

“For luck,” Selene returned the nod and took off.

*******

The garden, like much of the city, was in flames. Selene had to rely almost entirely on her senses to where the fight was taking place the smoke so obscured her view. There were three sorcerers, she that she could sense, which were more than enough for Maria and Elena; she couldn’t tell how the Navi were doing. As she narrowed in, one presence stood out in particular.

Brutus.

A fresh charge of energy surged through her tired body as she dived for it. Selene blew the smoke and fire away around as she slammed into the ground, looking for her arch nemesis.

He was standing in the middle of three Navi bodies. One, Elena, was clearly dead, her head had melted. The other two Selene couldn’t tell but she wasn’t holding her breath. Their bodies were badly mangled.

Maria Brutus held aloft, her body slack but her eyes still opened. Her dress was torn, her body badly burned, and her limbs broken in ways that Selene hadn’t conceived possible. But he didn’t finish her off. Instead the Viceroy of Kalashon held her there as if savoring his victim’s last moments of agony.

“Let her go,” Selene demanded.

“Ah, Selene,” Brutus turned to face her, still suspending his prey. “I was wondering when we would cross paths. A pity really that you and I always seem to meet the same way. You charging to the rescue and me killing someone you care about.”

“I said let her go!” Selene snarled as she raised her fiery fists.

“Very well, as you wish,” Brutus sighed and casually tossed Maria aside. She landed on the ground with a sickening crunch. “Are you sure you wish to do this? You are awfully tired after all.”

“Bring it,” Selene snarled. She was tired but so was he. Despite his casual front, the Viceroy was worn out from the day’s battle. They all were.

“Your move,” he challenged.

In response, Selene reached out to the grass at Brutus’s feet. Channeling her energy into the grass, she accelerated its growth, weaving it around the Viceroy’s ankles. He tried to jerk free but the green strands held him firm.

“You’ve learned a new trick, I see,” he commented.

“You have no idea,” Selene retorted.

“Unfortunately for you,” Brutus gave her a cruel grin, “it is not enough.” He swept his hand over his feet, turning the grass to dust as he did so to Selene’s astonishment and horror. “Now,” he sneered at her, “it’s my turn.”

Selene braced herself with a psychic shield as Brutus unleashed his barrage. With a mixture of fire, lightning, and pure force, he assaulted her but Selene stood firm.

“Impressive,” he acknowledged when the smoke cleared and she was standing there.

“I’m just getting warmed up,” she rejoined.

With a slice of her hand, Selene literally ripped the earth from underneath the Viceroy’s feet. As he toppled, she fired off a TK blast that shot Brutus into a tree 20 feet behind him. She didn’t wait for him to get back up as she charged him, both fists flaming.

She was caught by the sudden mental wall Brutus erected, knocking her back a couple of paces. Behind it the Viceroy stumbled to his feet, his onyx eyes almost sparking with rage.

“Fool,” he rasped venomously. “What you could’ve been had you joined me willingly. But now you must die.”

“Like to see you try,” Selene taunted as she slammed her fist into the wall, pouring all of her power into the blow. The shield shattered like glass. “I’m going to finish you once and for all.”

With a hiss, Brutus retreated a couple of paces. “Not today child,” he answered with a flick of his wrist. Two sorcerers suddenly materialized between them. “I warn you that I will not underestimate you next time we meet, child,” he spat out.

“Stand and fight coward,” shouted Selene but it was too late.

The two sorcerers unleashed a gout of flame that surrounded Selene. She bent the inferno around her but when the smoke cleared, Brutus was gone. Robbed of her archenemy, Selene turned her growing rage and anger on his two lackeys.

“Come on boys,” she demanded, noting in the back of her mind that she was starting to sound like Mara, “let’s finish this.”

They didn’t answer but charged towards her. Selene grabbed the root of an orange tree and ripped it from the earth, tripping one of the sorcerers. He tried to catch himself but was unprepared for the abrupt pinnacle of rock that materialized through his chest.

The other tried to sweep Selene’s feet out from under her, but she just hovered in the air before firing off her counter, a telekinetic shot at his chest that the drove him to his knees. Landing, Selene prepared for her coup de grace only to have an invisible hand grab her and toss in the air.

Catching her moment, Selene shot up higher and then dove for him. Seeing her coming, the sorcerer fired off a bolt of lightning. This time Selene didn’t try to dodge or deflect it. Instead she caught it midair and redirected it back at the source.

It hit home with a boom, spraying dirt, grass, and a few worms into the air leaving the twitching body of the sorcerer in the bottom of a crater. Not wanting to take any chances, as soon as she was in range, Selene unleashed a river of fire that reduced her enemy to ashes in seconds.

Landing shakily, Selene stumbled over to where Maria had been thrown. Her body was contorted into ways that made Selene sick. Maria’s arms seemed to be where her legs were supposed to be and vice-versa. But her chest was rising and falling.

“Maria, Maria,” Selene panted out as she came to her friend’s side. There was no response.

Ignoring the warning in her head, Selene tried to tap into her healing powers. She knew it would probably cost her life, but she had to do something. It was because of her that Maria was dying.

A weak and cold hand clapped around her wrist, stopping Selene cold. Looking up, Selene saw Maria’s green eyes, clouded and barely focused looking back.

“No, don’t,” the Anorian rasped out. “You don’t have the strength.”

“I have to,” Selene answered. “You’ll die if I don’t.”

“It’s too late for that,” Maria told her softly. “You can’t save me.”

“I have to,” Selene fought back the tears that were threatening to break forth. “It’s my fault that they came; it’s my fault that this happened to you. I can’t lose another. My father died because of me; Jael died because of me. I have to save you.”

“Powerful as you are, you can’t save everyone,” Maria replied gently and tightened her grip on Selene’s wrist. “This is my gift to you.”

“What?” Selene started when suddenly Maria’s hand began to glow. A jolt of energy and warmth coursed through Selene as she realized what Maria was doing. “No, stop,” she begged her friend. “Please, you have to live.”

“Goodbye, my friend,” Maria’s face relaxed into a smile but her grip didn’t slacken as she poured the last of her power into Selene. She took one last gasp, her emerald eyes going wide and then dimming as she exhaled her final breath. Her hand went limp.

“Maria? Maria?” Selene called to her friend but the green eyes stared lifelessly at nothing. She was gone.

With every ounce of her being, Selene let loose a piercing scream of anguish as grief and rage engulfed her. For what seemed like an eternity, Selene held her friend’s body, rocking back and forth while the tears poured unhindered.

“Everyone pull back to the Temple,” she reached out the others. “Everyone pull back.”

*******

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