Chapter 14 The storm
Outside, the battle between the ghouls and hunters still rages on. Rowan feels helpless in this situation. His eyes scan over the horde of ghouls and the hunters who are holding them back. "Daphne, tell me, what am I supposed to do right now?" he asks the elf, her eyes following the battles all around them. "Nothing you can do." She answers with a sigh. "You can just wait," Owen says, jumping out of the hoard to take a breather next to his sister. "Bastards are annoying. The werewolves can't even help us; the ghouls blood will poison them if they bite." Owen spits it out.
Rowan's attention turns back to the war as hunters and ghouls alike fall to the ground. "All of this to get me?" he mutters, his eyes clouded by guilt and sadness, looking at all of the death around him. "We are soldiers; we fight for the council. You do not blame yourself for this; you didn't ask for it." Daphne replies to his thoughts, "Yeah, but if it weren't for me, you wouldn't be in the middle of all of this," he replies helplessly. "Look, it's just part of the job; we all knew there was a chance to die when we joined up as hunters and scouts." Owen says as he cracks his knuckles, readying himself to dive back into the fight.
Rowan's heart is beating in his chest. "Let me help," he pleads to the brother and sister holding his small dagger. "No, that is suicide. I get that you want to feel useful, but right now, the only thing you can do is stay alive, Rowan." Daphne says sternly as she shoots her crossbow at a ghoul that is coming closer to them, his eyes drifting back to the building, hoping to see Selena coming out.
The inside of the abandoned construction site is filled with the sounds of chaos as Selena struggles against the shadows that are slowly crushing her throat as her claws dig into the warlock's back as she struggles to find a way to free herself. Zarek grins at the panther shapeshifter's helplessness as the shadows constrict tighter.
Rowan's eyes widen when he sees Selena through a crack in the wall of the construction site. "No, Selena," he shouts out, unable to just stand there anymore, taking off and running to the site, catching the elves off guard. "Fucking love struck, kid," Daphne mutters, chasing after him past the horde of ghouls and into the building. "Get back here! You stupid human," she growls out as she grabs his shoulder. "Please, Daphne, I have to save her," he cries out while Daphne snorts. "You would just get in the way," she retorts as a ghoul jumps out of a corner, swinging at Daphne as Rowan ducks and runs further into the building. "Damn idiot, you will get yourself killed," Daphne yells after him, too busy to chase dealing with the ghoul as more show up.
Selena's claws are starting to lose strength as they drop down from the warlock's back onto the floor. Her chest is raising slower as her breath gets more strained while her windpipe is slowly being crushed. "Dammit, let her go!" Draven roars as he struggles to keep his wife and daughter down as their maws sink into his shoulders with inhuman strength. The darkness covering their eyes, the only light shining from their eyes, has turned dull as they are consumed by the black mist. Selena's vision starts to fade as the pressure on her throat keeps increasing. "Should have just given me the boy," Zarek whispers in her ear as her vision starts to fade to darkness as her world becomes muffled by the pressure of the darkness on her windpipe.
Rowan runs as fast as he can, his lungs burning as his legs push him forward, his mind filled with one goal: to save Selena. He pushes himself to the limits of his body, ignoring the pain shooting through his limbs as he forces himself to continue running, his eyes scanning the room until he sees her. Her body limps against the black mass holding her in place as the warlock smiles sadistically at her struggle. "Let her go!" Rowan screams as he rushes at the warlock, his dagger stabbing out and catching Zarek by surprise. The warlock's eyes widened as the dagger pierced his side. He whirled around, his eyes flashing with rage at the teenager who dared to attack him. His hand shot out, sending Selena flying across the room as the shadows released her throat. Her body flew through the air before slamming into the hard concrete floor, skidding to a halt as her body lay motionless.
"You insolent whelp!" Zarek hissed as he gripped his injured side, his blood trickling down his waist as he pulled the dagger out of himself with a grunt of pain. Rowan stares at the wounded warlock in front of him, his hands shaking from the adrenaline rushing through his body. Before he knows it, he's throwing a punch at the warlock with a clenched fist. The impact sends a shockwave through his hand as Zarek catches it in his own, gripping it tightly as black shadows spread from his fingers along Rowan's arm. Rowan screams out in pain as the shadows tighten around his limb. Zarek snarls at the young man as he backhands him, sending him tumbling to the floor.
"You are going to pay for that boy!" Zarek threatens as he approaches Rowan. "We could have done this the easy way." The warlock taunts as Rowan scrambles backwards, trying to put as much distance as possible between him and the enraged warlock. Shadows creep up from the floor to hold Rowan, still halting his retreat as the warlock towers over him. Zarek raises his broken cane, bringing it down hard on Rowans stomach, his lungs expelling all of their contents at the impact. His head reels as he gasps for breath, tears streaming down his face as the warlock delivers another blow to his ribs. Blood splatters on the ground as Rowan coughs up blood from the force of the strike. "You should have just come with me!" Zarek roars as his blows land over and over again on the helpless young man, breaking his body with each strike.
After what feels like forever to Rowan Zarek, he pulls back out of breath. "Calm down. Calm down can't kill the boy." He mutters to himself, running a hand through his dark hair and looking down at Rowans broken form. "You're lucky, boy. You have a greater purpose than dying under my feet." He states that as the shadows lift Rowan's beaten form off the ground, his body hangs in the air as he struggles to breathe.
"Rowan," Selena thinks, a low growl coming out of her as she shakily gets up, her vision blurred as she staggers to her paws. "Stop Zarek, you Bastard," her mind roars as she launches herself at the warlock, her teeth bared as she sinks them into his unguarded back. He yells out in pain as she digs her fangs deeper into his flesh, trying to draw out as much of the bastard's black blood as she can with the last of her strength.
"ENOUGH OF YOU, PEST," Zarek growls as a burst of blackness engulfs them, shoving everyone away. With a sickening crunch, Rowan's body crashes into the concrete, his body laying still and his chest barely moving as his consciousness fades from the overwhelming pain. With a whine, Selena collapses on top of him, her body bruised and battered. Selena's eyes meet Rowan's, her gaze filled with pain and sadness as she nuzzles the boy, a low purr emanating from her bruised throat. She rests her head against his as she looks up at the approaching shadow of the warlock.
"It's time to end this." Zarek's voice rings out in her fading consciousness. She closes her eyes, her head resting on Rowan's as she accepts her fate, darkness creeping into her vision as the shadow of the warlock looms over her. Her form changing back to human as her hands reach around Rowans head, pulling him in for a kiss as tears stream down her face. "How cute," Zarek's voice calls out, walking slowly to them, limping from the bites she got in. "A shapeshift and a human, how rare!" he snorts.