Joined (The Secret World Of Atlantis 4)

Chapter 7 - Attack

We are making our way back over the hill, wrapped in a torturing silence. All of us are thinking about all the possible what ifs. What if we got here faster? What if we had more time to come up with a proper plan for attacking? Hell, what if we could join our magic before and would be able to defeat Zara? Or what if … What if I actually let Flora deal with her on her own?

I shake my head at myself in frustration. No. There’s no way I would let Flora take her on by herself. I don’t particularly like her, but she is still my cousin. And you help your family, no matter what.

You do remember what I’ve once told you, right? Eros suddenly speaks up inside my mind, probably annoyed with my constant inner monologues. I do hear his as well, but I don’t really listen to them … I am too busy trying to deal with my own troubles.

I do … You said that sometimes, your family isn’t what’s best for you. But what does that have to do with me saving Flora? Are you suggesting that I should have let her get hurt? I ask, looking at him with horror written all over my face.

Of course, not. I was just trying to remind you that you’re wasting your time, worrying about her. Or do you think that someone, who doesn’t even thank you after saving their life, is even worthy of your attention? Worthy of you racking your brains? he presents his opinion, making me slowly breathe out in frustration.

I don’t want to feel that way about Flora anymore. I want us to at least be able to have a civilized conversation. But I guess that doesn’t fully depend on me, does it? I respond, my heart suddenly feeling heavy. No, scratch that. I meant heavier. Because it has already been heavy for a long time now.

No, it doesn’t. But you’re trying your best if it’s in any consolation. Now, stop thinking about Flora because, let me specify it, that part of your family isn’t what’s best for you, he repeats himself. I almost sigh in frustration when I realize something. I suddenly look at him with more understanding than ever.

When you said that … You weren’t referring to your mortal family, were you? You were talking about your Olympus family, I guess, taking him by surprise. He looks forward for a moment, a brooding expression on his face. Oh, dear. I shouldn’t have said that.

No, it’s fine, really. You were right … I guess I’m just not ready to talk about that, he responds immediately after hearing my thoughts. He turns his head again, his gaze clashing with mine in a serious way. But it’s still so full of passion, that it makes me feel as if something jumps at the bottom of my stomach.

That’s alright. I’m always here for you if you ever feel the need to … I trail off, suddenly feeling too embarrassed by his intense gaze to keep our eye contact. I suddenly don’t know where to put my hands, even whilst walking. And before I’m able to decide to tuck a stray hair behind my ear, he already reaches out, his fingers softly brushing against my cheekbone. And the touch makes goosebumps stand up all over my skin, but in a pleasant way.

Thank you, he responds shortly. I half expect him to lecture me about not looking in his eyes, since we’re still talking, but he doesn’t. Instead, he says: I’m sorry for making you feel uncomfortable. But I truly like to look at your face. I can’t hold myself back when your hair is covering those rosy cheeks from me.

Oh, Gods. If I thought this couldn’t get any worse, I was very wrong to say the least. I can feel a familiar heat reaching my face, probably making my cheeks turn from a sweet rosy tone to the colour of a freshly boiled lobster. So romantic, huh?

Eros can barely keep himself from smirking in amusement, as I shamelessly babble inside my mind about my current emotional state. Will I ever just shut up? Please don’t. I think it’s adorable when you chatter like this, Eros tells me, making me feel the need to plead the earth to open up beneath me and swallow me whole.

But just when I’m about to reply, I hear a strange sound. Strange, yet so familiar. I think I’ve heard it before. It sounds like someone is walking. Or rather, something. I look around us, suddenly alerted as I listen to the sounds. It’s like two different animals are walking. I widen my eyes in realization, when suddenly, I hear the sounds get louder and somehow mixed up. What is this now?

Not even a moment later, I freeze in my tracks, but everyone else keeps walking. Everyone except Eros. “Psst!” he hisses to get their attention. They all turn around, completely relaxed. In other words, clueless as to what is just happening.

I already see Emilia opening her mouth to say something, but I shake my head in warning way and she immediately realises I’m not playing around. She can probably tell it by the look on my face. I can see her swallowing nervously as she begins looking around, reading my expression perfectly well. Everyone else catches up soon. We are in danger.

We’re not far from the spot we can use to fly off. If we simply opened our wings, and manoeuvred between the trees, it would be an easy way out, Eros already starts planning, but I take one look at our surroundings and deem the mission impossible.

No way. The terrain is hilled on each side of our path. We would never make it. Those monsters would rip our wings to shreds before we even managed to flap them twice, I disagree, making a deep frown appear on his face.

Then what do you suggest? he asks, his voice sounding desperate, like he already knows the answer to that question. I look at him, confirming what he’s thinking about.

We fight. No matter what is waiting up there for us, it can’t be worse than Zara, I reply, looking at the others with a determined expression on my face. As I capture everyone’s attention, I offer them a gesture, that suggests kicking some arses. And despite the gravity of the situation, I at least manage to make Elena and Demitri smirk.

In the next moment, an ear-piercing howl echoes somewhere above us, making blood freeze in my veins. Oh, shoot, it’s even worse than I imagined. I thought we were surrounded by Chymaeras, not bloody werewolves! I can see the rest of the group isn’t exactly thrilled by this either. Great. Now I’ll also have to explain what are Dark ones doing inside the Gray Woods. That is, if we manage to get out of here alive.

Arya, focus please, Eros reminds me, forcing me to snap out of my zone. I grit my teeth together, glancing upwards, to check what is happening. Not even a second later, I see four gigantic paws flying above us, landing on the other side of the slope. I shoot a bolt of fire out of my wrist, not giving it any second thought. But I miss, and a split second later, dozens of werewolves rush at us from both sides, running downwards with a speed that makes me freeze for a moment. I think I just doomed us all.

“Fight them!” Eros yells instead of me, stuns already shooting from his palms, a scary expression taking over his face. And it takes me one look at him to regain my focus. It’s just in time as well, because I barely have time to dodge a snout, full of sharp teeth, that aims straight for my neck.

Without giving it a second thought, I stun the werewolf, sending it flying to the other side of the slope. But this is only the beginning. I hear everyone struggling to fight the Dark ones off, including Eros. He is growing tired after having to face Zara. We need to get away as soon as possible, before anyone gets hurt.

In that moment, I immediately regret thinking those words, because through all the growls and grunts, a sharp shriek cuts the air. One that makes my heart drop. I stun three werewolves at once, turning my head into the direction of the sound. f**k.

I rush over to Flora, who is trying her best to fight off a werewolf, that has their teeth sank deep into her thigh. There is pain written all over her face, and like in an impulse, something awakens inside me. It feels like I’m not even in control of my body, as I send a bolt of unusual magic towards the werewolf. But the moment it touches him, he pulls his teeth out of Flora’s leg, his whole body shaking like he’s being electrocuted. I stare in horror, as he suddenly transforms into a man, the pain clearly being too much for him to handle.

The werewolves seem confounded by what they just witnessed and a few of them jump to the man’s aid, dragging his unconscious body away, but I’m not paying attention to him anymore. I make my way to Flora, fighting werewolves off me and her at once, as she sits on the ground, clutching her bloodied leg like she can’t believe her eyes.

“Cover me!” I yell out, making others get closer to us, with their fronts facing the danger. Their eyes are wide with fear, probably from witnessing what just happened to Flora. I kneel to her side, noticing that her hands are trembling even as she is holding on to her already swollen leg. “We need to stop the bleeding, move your hands away and bend your knee, so I can access the wound,” I instruct her, as our gazes meet.

For once, she doesn’t have a snarky comment up her sleeve, and does as I say. I send her an apologetic look, before pulling her skirt up, so I can reach the wound. My eyes widen in horror as I see the red and purple tones of her swollen thigh. The bite itself isn’t that messy, but there is blood pouring out of it, and have I mentioned that her leg is bloody purple?! Focus, Arya. This is no time to feel sick.

Can you heal her? I quickly check in with Eros, hoping that he takes the time to respond. I send the mental image of Flora’s leg towards his mind, feeling a wave of worry coming from him.

No. A werewolf’s bite needs proper care. I am not nearly enough qualified for it. We need to take her to the healers inside the Palace as soon as possible, he replies, making my stomach knot itself once again, because of the seriousness in his voice.

I take a deep breath, taking out the rope I have tied around my waist as a belt, and tie it just above the bite, to stop the bleeding. I then conjure warm water to rinse the wound. But all I manage to do with that is wash the blood away, making the big holes in Flora’s flesh look even more terrifying. Okay. I can do this. For the love of Olympus, I need to stop being such a coward.

I rip a long piece of fabric from my undergarments, using it as bandage to wrap it around the wound. But as soon as I finish, notice the leg getting a bluish tone. “Okay, guys, we need to move!” I say in an urgent tone, turning around to see the others still trying their best to fight off the werewolves.

“How?!” Demitri simply yells back, not even having the time to look at me. I glance at our surroundings, wondering where all these werewolves are coming from.

“You and Eros need to carry Flora! She can’t fly on her own!” I say, ignoring what he just said, then stand up, taking a deep breath to gather my courage. “And leave the rest to me!” I add, breaking to the open between him and Emilia, trying to reach that strange magic inside me again, but fail miserably.

“Arya, no!” Eros yells out, his voice sounding panicky for the first time in a long while. I’m too busy fighting to answer him out loud, but I do think of my plan as loudly as I can, so he can access it.

I move amongst the werewolves, stunning one by one, whilst still hoping that the magic I used to save Flora back there, appears inside me once again. Just in that moment, one enormously big werewolf comes flying at me, managing to land on me before I’m able to stun him. We roll across the dusty ground, leaves rustling beneath us, and I try my best to keep pushing his head away. Man, those are some sharp teeth.

We come to a stop with him on top of me, and as I feel his saliva drip on my neck, I have enough. My whole body starts shaking as I feel that strange power awakening inside me again, and as I feel like I’m about to explode, I decide to let it all out.

The magic hits the werewolf on top of me first, sending him flying in the air and far away from me, but my powers don’t stop there. I again feel like I have absolutely no control over myself, whilst bolts of electricity keeps shooting out of every inch of my body, hitting only the werewolves.

By the time the show is over, all our attackers are lying on the floor motionless or groaning. Some of them in their werewolf form, some not. I breathe out in relief as I notice my friends still standing, their wings already out.

I spread mine as well, motioning with my head upwards and ignoring the stunned expressions on their faces. Demitri and Eros are both holding one end of a magical sheet, Flora lying inside it.

“That was-”

“I know, Emilia, dear. But we don’t have time for that now. Flora needs help,” I interrupt my cousin in a kind tone, before pushing myself off the ground. My hands are still trembling as I fly through the treetops, the cold air hitting my face. I have no idea how I’ve just done that, or why I don’t feel more tired. And I truly wish to find out about that. However, as I’ve said, Flora is the most important now. We need to get her to the Palace’s healers, before it’s too late.