Page 112 of Woven Souls

“We need to retreat!” Theo bellows. “Kwil!”

Retreat? I stare around us in horror. While I’m all for running, I have a sinking suspicion it’s not going to be an easy task getting out of this. Before I can point this out to him, Theo is surrounded by two warlocks with spelled chains hanging in their hands and at least seven Ghosts. I’m moving before I even have a plan. Using my horns, I headbutt the nearest Ghost out of the way and then use my tail to attack another. Viktor joins me and together we fight off the newest threat. As I whip around to use my tail again, I catch sight of an Utikyierising up behind us like a devil coming up from hell.

“Theo!” I point, unable to say more.

Thankfully, that’s all he needs. The ex-Ghost charges the group of people coming at him. They see the threat behind him and scatter. The Utikyie’s fist comes slamming down. When it lifts its fist, where it landed sits a perfect crater. I don’t wait for our enemies to regroup. I charge again, slamming into bodies and whip the set of chains from a warlock’s hands with my tail before he manages to use them.

Just as I get to Theo’s side, he’s tackled to the ground by four Ghosts. Willow’s body hits the ground as Theo faces a new threat. I hesitate for a split second as I try to decide what to do.

“Get her!” Theo roars as he tussles with the Ghosts.

I leap for Willow’s body, but it’s too late. An Utikyie gets to her first.

“Willow!” I scream in horror as I race forward, scrambling over the debris to get to her. “Willow!”

I can see her stirring as she’s lifted off the ground. Her hands ball to fists as she pounds on the large hand wrapped around her. Around us, mist gathers as she tries to open the Veil. The dark cloud rushes forward and opens several feet in front of me, growing in size. If she opens the Veil to send it through, won’t she go with it?

The thought turns my skin to ice.

But while her Veil takes a moment to gather and open, a different one opens up behind the Utikyie, and it takes one step into it.

No, no, no! My heart screams with denial, and my mouth echoes it as I leap for her. Willow hears me. Our eyes meet as hers grow wide with horror. She stretches out her arm and reaches down for me. I soar through the air determined to yank her free.

Our fingertips skim one another. I try to wrap my hand around hers, but gravity isn’t on my side. As I fall back to earth, the Utikyie continues its progress into the Veil. I hit the ground on my side hard. The air is knocked from my lungs as pain flares through my shoulder and ribs. My eyes fly up to where Willow is. Just before she’s dragged through the Veil, Willow throws her power out. I feel its icy blast as it blows through what remains of the first floor of the temple.

All the sound around me dies down.

I hardly notice. Because as she disappears out of sight, I realize that the Veil Willow started to open is beginning to close. If I don’t move now, who knows what will happen to her. Scrambling to my feet, I run. There’s a ringing in my ears muffling the sound of my name being called. As the Veil begins to fade, I push off against the ground and dive straight into it.

I’m coming, Willow! I won’t let you face the warlock on your own.

As I fall through the dark gray cloud of the Veil, I understand immediately why the living can’t survive in the Realm of the Dead. The air turns cold. Too cold. I can’t breathe. This may have been a bad idea.

Does it count as an idea if I didn’t think it through?

As I tumble, my arms and legs instantly flail to try to right myself, but I lose sensation immediately. The wretched pain of my blood freezing inside of my body is almost more than I can bear. I try to scream, but as I open my mouth, my jaw freezes open, my tongue and throat following suit.

As darkness blankets my vision, the last thought I cling to is that I hope I’ll be able to find Willow when I’m dead.

* * *

“Get up!”

A deep, loud voice startles me awake. Awareness creeps over me, as does a burning ache in my chest. The first thing I notice is that I can move my limbs, and I’m no longer cold.

The thought startles me.

Cold? Why would I be cold? I push through the fog in my head, trying to come up with a reason why ‘cold’ is resonating so strongly.

Then everything comes rushing back to me.

Willow! Where is she? My eyes fly open, and I sit up instantly. The movement nearly has me headbutting the person in front of me.

“Woah…” I lean away from the stranger.

He wears a dark cloak tied with a rope around the waist to keep the fabric together. The hood over his head is large and lax. I can’t see any features of the person hidden beneath it, other than the two beady red orbs staring back at me. The twin flames get closer as the stranger peers into my face.

I swallow. “Who are—”

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