The Cycle by A R Knight

Author:A R Knight [Knight, A R]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781946554116
Publisher: Black Key Books
Published: 2017-06-28T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 33

I wanted to ask a thousand questions. A thousand things I wanted to say in that instant when I saw his face. When I saw that Piotr had been behind all of the attacks, the binding and suffering of my parents, and the threats to my friends. Before I could voice any of them, though, I heard Anna cry behind me.

“There’s too many!” Anna sounded frantic and I turned. They were overwhelmed. Five spirits were driving Selena and Anna back, all of them bearing multiple wounds, strikes that should have wrangled the spirits. Instead, the cuts meant nothing to those already dead. Using the blue fire, though, would only make Piotr stronger.

I had to make a call. If we stayed and didn’t finish Piotr in a minute, we’d be overwhelmed. If we left, assuming we made it out, who knew when we’d make it back here.

Behind me, Graham continued his desperate defense, Piotr’s toothy smile growing with every swing. In front of me, Selena yelped as a spirit raked her forearm. We couldn’t win.

“We have to run,” I said. “Use the fire!”

Selena and Anna didn’t hesitate, once more cloaking their weapons in blue flame and slashing their way through the spirits. I pushed Nicholas after them.

“Carver,” I heard my father yell. “Get them out of here!”

“Working on it,” I replied. Not that I was doing much. What I wouldn’t have given for my lash. For those knives right now. Selena and Anna, they were doing work. Ducking underneath scratching nails and sidestepping shoulder charges to deliver stabs and jabs, crushing hits with Anna’s spiked mace, and sending one spirit after another to blue burning doom.

I followed Selena, Anna, and Nicholas up the stairs towards the exit. Glanced back to my parents, still holding Piotr on the stairwell. Piotr looked like he was playing, testing the reach of the hammer. My mother was on the floor, holding her injured leg. Unable to move. Unable to run.

“Keep going,” I said the Nicholas and the others. “Keep running until you’re outside and then keep running still.”

“What are you doing?” Selena asked, turning back.

“I can’t leave them,” I said.

“I can help you.”

“Protect Nicholas,” I said. “He’ll need you.”

Selena nodded, then reached inside her coat and pulled out her long knife. It seemed pitifully small next to the great sword, but I counted one weapon better than none. So when she tossed it my way, I caught it and nodded my thanks.

“Remember Carver,” Selena said. “We need you too.”

I took the comment and started back down the steps. I didn’t have any intention of dying here. I didn’t plan to let my parents die either.

Back in the circle, Graham and Piotr engaged in a deadly dance. As I stepped into the clearing, I saw my mother make another move. Darting with her remaining baton, dragging her left leg, she lunged at Piotr’s back. The strike a second slower than she used to be. Piotr caught the motion and continued his swing, turning with the blade back to catch my mother’s baton.

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