The Unholy Trinity

Strange (Chloey's POV)

Screams filled the air.

People were running while also trying to throw curses at Rune, who looked scared and confused. I knew he didn’t want to hurt anyone. He looked around desperately for me.

I wanted to call out for him, but I couldn’t out him like that. 

“Run away!” I screamed, hoping he would recognize my voice. 

I think he did. He ran through the crowd of scrambling people, trying to find the exit, while also trying to dodge the curses being hurled at him. I did my best to deter them all. I threw people back and tripped them so that they couldn’t hurt Rune.

I followed him out, pushing and shoving anyone who got in my way. I finally made it outside. 

“Where’s the werewolf?” I asked Simone.

“Um…I don’t know, he went that way I think! Why?”

I didn’t answer, I just took off running into the woods. Usually I would be terrified about running into a dark forest by myself, but protecting Rune erased my fears and anxiety. 

“Rune?” I called. “Rune, where are you?”

“Chlo…” I heard him choke out weakly. 

I pushed myself to run faster. I felt relief when I found him on the ground. 

That relief was replaced with horror when I saw him holding his stomach and breathing heavily.

I dropped to my knees. “What’s wrong Rune?” 

“A c-curse…” He breathed shallowly. “It got me wh-while I was t-transforming back t-to normal.”

I lifted his hand and then his shirt and almost vomited. In the dim light, I could see that his torso was turning black from whatever curse he was hit with. 

“I don’t f-feel good, Chloey.” Rune whimpered before coughing. 

“You’re fine, Rune, I swear! Just stay with me okay? I’ll get help!” I cried.

“Don’t leave me, please.” Rune begged. “I’m scared Ch-Chloey.”

So was I. I had to do something to save him. I loved Rune and I couldn’t lose him, especially like this. 

Tears were spilling from my eyes. “I love you, Rune!”

“I love you…”

I felt for his pulse desperately. It was so faint. I was losing him. 

I felt a jolt through my body as the blue energy ignited in me. For the first time ever it was expelled out of my chest, where my heart was. The mist found its way to Rune’s torso. I watched as it seeped into his skin.

Slowly, the blue overtook the blackness. It shrunk it until it was gone altogether. Rune gasped loudly as he breathed heavily. 

He looked down at his torso to see it was normal. 

“Chloey…you….you saved my life!” He exclaimed. 

“I…I did. It was the blue energy.” I stammered. 

Rune reached up to kiss me. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” I cried, still not recovered from when I thought he was dead. 

“It’s okay, babe. I’m okay.” He hugged me tightly. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“That was terrifying, Rune. They were so cruel to you. You didn’t even want to hurt anyone. Why were they like that?”

“People are scared of things they don’t understand babe. It’s okay. I have to be so much more careful. I think my anger caused me to turn.”

“It was all my fault. I should have never made you come out tonight when you didn’t want to and then I talked to Cade who I know can’t be trusted. I’m so sorry.” I whispered. 

“Chloey, no, it’s okay. This is still new, babe. We’ll learn to live with this. We’ll figure out all my triggers together…if you’re not scared of me of course.” Rune muttered. 

“I could never be afraid of you, Rune. I love you.”

“I love you too. We should um…get back to school. All the Sages will be terrified after that.”

I helped him up. Rune put his arm around me as we started walking back towards Stormine. We ended up running into some other people from school and walked with them. 

All they talked about was the werewolf and how they were scared of it and thought it would eat them. I looked at Rune who  seemed sad, hearing them talk about him like that. 

I now knew we could never tell anyone else about this. They just wouldn’t understand it at all.

--

Rune was right. 

All the Sages were freaking out when we got to the fortress.

“Chloey!” Giselle ran over to me. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” She hugged me. “Are you okay?”

I nodded. “Of course I am. Rune protected me.”

Rune laughed. “It was more like Chloey protecting me.”

“I’m just glad you’re both safe,” She sighed. “Your sisters are fine and already here. We’re gathering everyone in the Feasting Chambers, please go there.”

We nodded and made our way there. 

Everyone was talking loudly and reenacting what had happened with sounds and powerful hand gestures. 

I spotted my sisters in the corner and ran over to them. 

“There you are!” Zoey hugged me. “You had me so worried! You were so close to it!”

“It didn’t even try to hurt me,” I assured her.

“I tried to tell you she was fine,” Joey rolled her eyes. “Zoey was having a full on freak out.”

“I’m okay.”

“Rune are you okay?” Joey asked. There was genuine concern in her eyes. “It was a madhouse in there.”

“So you’re worried about Rune but not our sister?” Zoey questioned. 

“I know Chloey can take care of herself.”

“I’m okay,” Rune nodded. “Thanks for asking.”

He seemed overcome with emotion and hugged Joey. I think he had been worried she would think he was a monster after that. Now he knew that Joey didn’t see him that way and it was more than a relief to him.

Joey rubbed his back soothingly while hugging him back.

“Um…do you need a hug too?” Marsden offered me.

I nodded. Marsden gave really nice hugs. I could see why Joey liked them so much. He felt warm and the little squeeze he gave was so comforting. 

We pulled away from each other and Marsden was smiling. 

Sometimes I couldn’t believe he was a Dark Vampiric Warlock. He was so soft and sweet a lot of the time. 

“What is going on with you guys?” Tate asked. 

“Traumatic experiences make people act strangely.” Joey shrugged as she pulled away from Rune.

She turned her attention to Marsden, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him as though she never had before. When she pulled away from him she simply nodded. 

“Yeah?” He whispered. Joey smiled and nodded again. “I love you!”

He kissed her again, lifting her off of her feet this time. 

“You guys are strange,” Zoey commented. 

I grabbed Rune’s hand. “Love is strange.”

--

I had to talk to Magnus before I went to sleep. 

My sisters too. They’re the only other people who would understand what happened in the woods with Rune.

It was late, but there was no other time to talk about it with tomorrow probably being the busiest day ever. 

We went to Magnus’ office and I explained what happened, but with a bit of a lie. I said that Rune was hit with a stray curse and was dying and the blue energy somehow saved him. 

Joey, of course, knew the truth. 

“It’s like when I saved Marsden,” Joey whispered. “I didn’t have any control over it.”

“Yeah, me neither. I mean I wanted to save him so badly, but I didn’t think I really could.” I stated. “Director Magnus, what does it mean that we can use it on our own?”

“It means that the feelings you have for Marsden and Rune are incredibly deep. Almost as deep as your feelings for each other. The blue energy clearly wants to protect you girls, but I think it wants to protect anyone who means something to you.”

“Is it bad that I haven’t been able to conjure it on my own?” Zoey asked. 

“Not at all,” Magnus assured her. “It just means you haven’t had to use it yet. That’s good, I’d say, seeing as your sisters were in times of distress when they used it.”

“At first I was kind of afraid of the blue energy,” Joey admitted. “Now, I think it’s the best thing to ever happen to us.”

“It’s so strange that we have all this untapped power. Like what do we need it for?” I asked. 

“To save each other and the people we love?” Zoey shrugged. “That’s not a bad thing.”

“It’s a very good thing,” Magnus smiled. “Is Rune okay, Chloey?”

“He’s perfectly fine now,” I nodded. “I just wanted to tell you guys about it. It freaked me out, but I’m so grateful for it.”

“You saved his life Chloey. You did well. Now ladies, it’s quite late and we all have a big day tomorrow. Try to get some sleep, huh?”

“Yes, Director Magnus.” We chorused. 

“I’m very proud of what you ladies have accomplished this year. You are three brilliant young women and you’re going to change the world.” Magnus said sincerely. 

“Thank you,” Joey whispered. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”

He nodded and we exited his office. 

“This night has been insane.” Zoey laughed. 

“So has this year!” I chuckled. 

“It’s been completely life changing,” Joey sighed happily. “Hey tomorrow we should meet before the ceremony. One last meeting here.”

“Definitely,” I smiled. 

“Good, I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

She hugged us and skipped away. 

“What do you think tomorrow will be like?” I asked Zoey.

“Oh, it’ll probably be so uneventful,” Zoey laughed as she walked away. “I mean it’s just a graduation ceremony. What’s the worst that could happen?”