The Weight Of Remaining

CHAPTER 14

The creature's claws descended and I had enough time to realize that this was going to hurt.

A lot.

Something slammed into me. Hard. The world tilted. Stone scraped against my shoulder. For one disorienting second, I had no idea what happened. Then I realized I was on the ground.

Pinned beneath black leather and a very annoyed Hybrid.

Kaiden lifted his head.

"The way you're observing the battle is making my job harder."

"You're heavy." I scoffed.

"You almost got killed." He said narrowing his eyes. "Again."

"I noticed." I rolled my eyes.

For a second neither of us moved. His arm was still around my waist. Far too close. Close enough that I could see every detail in his eyes. Close enough to notice his relief. Then he seemed to realize the same thing and immediately let go of me. Then stood up fast.

Rowan sent another line of gold around the monster's upper body and and yanked it off balance.

The creature roared. Loud enough to shake the windows around us. Unfortunately, being thrown off balance only seemed to make it angrier.

The monster tore free from Rowan’s magic and swung one of its massive arms toward him.

Rowan immediately regretted existing.

“Little help?” he shouted.

Elias was already moving.

The creature’s fist crashed into the street where Rowan had been standing less than a second earlier. Stone exploded. Dust filled the air.

Somewhere inside the cloud, Rowan’s voice echoed.

“I would like everyone to know I survived that entirely through skill.”

“That isn’t true,” Finn replied.

A blade flashed. The creature jerked violently. Every time Finn struck the ribs, the creature flinched. Every time he struck anywhere else, it barely seemed to notice.

Once was coincidence, twice was possible.

Five times... wasn’t.

The realization settled into place. Its left side...

“Finn!” I shouted. His head snapping towards me. “The ribs!”

The creature immediately turned towards me. Which probably wasn’t a good sign.

“The left side!” I pointed. “It’s protecting something!”

For a second, nobody moved. Then Finn’s expression changed.

“Oh.”

That was all he said before disappearing beneath another swing.

Talia slammed both hands against the pavement and stone erupted around the creature’s legs. This time not to trap it, but to force it upright.

Rowan immediately understood and golden chains wrapped around two of its arms.

Elias caught the third, but the fourth still broke free.

Of course it did.

The monster roared and threw itself forward. Everything cracked as the restraints shattered.

Talia staggered.

Rowan swore.

Finn barely avoided being crushed.

And for a moment the entire formation broke apart.

The creature surged forward. Towards the river where the civilians were.

“No!” Talia shouted.

Elias lunged, but he was too far. Then Kaiden moved. Or maybe disappeared? I wasn’t entirely sure. One moment he was beside Rowan. The next he stood directly in front of the creature.

The monster swung.

Kaiden raised one hand and the creature stopped. Not completely, it wasn't frozen. Its body jerked violently. One arm tried to move forward. The other pulled back. Its legs locked, its head twisted. Like every part of it suddenly disagreed about what it was supposed to be doing.

Kaiden’s jaw clenched. Blood appeared beneath one of his fingernails.

The creature screamed.

And suddenly I understood something.

Control wasn’t effortless. He wasn’t commanding it. He was fighting it. And he was winning.

“Now!” Elias barked.

Everyone moved at once.

Rowan’s chains tightened around its shoulders.

Talia drove a spear of stone upward through its side.

Finn sprinted forward, straight towards the opening beneath the ribs. The one I’d noticed. The one the creature had been protecting the entire fight. Finn's blade disappeared into its chest.

The monster shrieked and for one impossible second remained standing. Then black glowing cracks spread across its body and the monster staggered backward. Smoke poured from its mouth. Its skin split apart. And the entire thing collapsed into ash.

Nobody moved for a while, nobody spoke.

Then Rowan pointed at the pile of ash.

“I would like to formally state,” he said between breaths, “that I hate the big ones.”

“No one asked,” Finn replied.

Talia let out a silent laugh.

Finn pulled his blade free and cleaned it on a piece of cloth. Practical as always.

Kaiden looked like he wanted to sit down for a week.

And a weird realization hit me. The creature hadn’t been defeated by the strongest person. It had been defeated by all of them.

Together.

Kaiden looked at the ash scattered across the street. Elias did too.

Something passed between them. The same kind of silent communication I’d seen earlier, only colder, more serious this time.

I glanced toward the river. The remaining creatures had been dealt with. Guards were helping civilians. The little girl I’d pulled from the stall was wrapped in someone’s coat, crying against a woman who looked like her mother.

Good, she's alive. That should have made me feel better... And it did, a little. Then I noticed Elias watching me. His expression too calm.

“What?” I asked.

“You saw her.” His gaze flicked toward the place where the child had been hiding.

It wasn’t a question.

“She was hard to miss.” I wiped dirt from my palms.

Finn looked toward the destroyed stall. Then toward the distance I’d crossed. His frown was small and annoyingly thoughtful.

“She was hidden,” he said.

“Not well.” I looked at him.

Rowan’s eyes moved between us. Then he lifted a hand.

“I personally think we should focus on the fact that she saved a child and not interrogate her in the middle of a street covered in monster dust.”

For once, I appreciated Rowan.

Elias held my gaze for another second. “Okay.” He nodded.

The word did not sound like he was letting it go. It sounded like he was postponing it.

Kaiden stepped closer, lowering his voice just enough that only I could hear him.

“You okay?”

I looked at him. There was no teasing in his expression now. Just concern. It made something in my chest pull tight.

“I’m fine.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. Apparently I wasn’t very convincing. But before he could call me out on it, Elias turned toward the team.

“Back to the estate.”

“That’s it? No dramatic victory speech?” Rowan straightened immediately.

“You survived,” Elias said. “Be grateful.”

“I am grateful. I just think morale could benefit from applause.”

“For what?” Finn looked at him.

“My survival.”

“Debatable achievement.”

All of them shared a tired laugh.

It was honestly impressive. The way they moved casually through destruction as if they’d done it too many times to count. And I found myself watching them with something dangerously close to understanding.

This was how they survived.

Not because they weren’t scared. They simply refused to let fear be the only thing left.

My gaze drifted toward the ash-covered street one last time.

A stranger attack than usual. A child who had almost died. And a look from Elias that told me my very careful life had just become significantly less careful.

Then Kaiden brushed past me, close enough for his shoulder to almost touch mine.

“Come on,” he said quietly.

And I followed.

Because apparently that was something I did now.