Page 50 of A Rising Hope (The Freckled Fate #3)

50

ZORA

I didn’t dare look behind me. Only forward. My muscles burned, knees shook and I no longer knew if the blood running down my face was mine or someone else’s.

“This is going to be a hell of a story to tell one day,” Gia mumbled near me, even now optimistic. She slashed through the legs of the enemy soldier in front of her. He buckled, and she dashed just in time to avoid his convulsing body slamming into the ground, before stabbing his back with her sword. “Surrounded, but never defeated.” She gave me a sheepish smile, simply yanking away the shield from the soldier advancing at her with her bare hands.

“The moment we break through their end line, we run,” I yelled to her. She nodded. No matter how many scenarios ran through my mind, scattering through the forest was our only chance to survive. We’d push forward, making a passage and then we’d run. Our only chance.

Like a spear, we pierced the enemy army, breaking their formations, tearing through their defenses as we pushed deeper into the forest.

My crescent blade tore open the neck of another soldier. I pulled and his neck twisted, his head attached by sheer bone alone as warm blood sprayed from his arteries, drenching his silver armor. Smoke from the burning trees made my eyes water, tall smoldering peaks creaking in the flames.

My body shouted in protest, muscles screamed, reflexes slowed, and exhaustion weighed heavy on my limbs. Just a little more, I told myself each second. A few more inches, a few more soldiers. Just keep going, I whispered to myself as I swung my chain again and again, dashing and darting from the rain of spears, arrows, and swords.

“Zora!” Orest shouted across from me. The panic in his voice ricocheted through my body like lightning. I sharply turned to find him. But instead of finding his familiar figure, a large body slammed into me with such force that I flew across the ground, painfully crashing into the metal armor of the bloodied corpses nearby.

My eyes rolled and my consciousness slipped in and out. My vision was in a haze, even as I tried to rub my face. Loud ringing in my ears disoriented me as I attempted to stand up. I needed to stand. I have to stand up . I told myself even as I swayed in my step. I coughed some blood, air wheezed in my lungs. Pain zinged through my body at my meager attempt to breathe. My hand lowered to my stomach, feeling the tender flesh as I realized most of the ribs on my left side were broken.

“Fuck.” I hissed through my clenched teeth, ignoring the shooting pain from the broken ribs on my side. I groaned, picking up a sword near me, letting it steady me as I struck it into the ground. I spit a few broken teeth, swallowing the rest of the blood mixed with saliva.

I had to stay awake. I had to move; I reminded myself. If I didn’t, I would be no better than the dead bodies the last few remaining creatures feasted on in the meadows behind us.

My hands were too light, missing the chains and the blades attached to them.

Right, weapons.

I winced, pulling a long dagger from my boot. My eyes skimmed the surroundings in search of my righteous weapons. I turned back to where my body stood only moments ago. Looking for the fucker responsible for my broken ribs.

I had been in battles before.

I had learned.

I had known the truth and the cruelty that they carried.

And yet nothing could have prepared me for this.

I was still alive; I knew that, but my heart was crushed, pierced by the image my eyes beheld.

There, where my body was just a moment prior, now laid Gia. A giant spear, that was intended for me, now pierced through her chest, pinning her body straight to the ground. Blood trickled from her mouth. Her eyes opened to the sky.

“NO!” A soul-rendering scream escaped from me, tearing through the crowds. I ran. The physical pain felt numb compared to the shattered soul within me. And I ran. I dashed, flying through the rain of arrows falling upon us—to her. “Gia! No!” I dropped to my knees next to her. “What have you done?!” The words choked out of me. “No, no, no!” I cried. My hands trembled as I gently cradled her head, ripping the heavy helmet off her. I never cried, and yet tears rolled down my cheeks now. “You can’t die, Gia. You can’t . No . . . no . . . don’t do this to me. Please. Please !” I sobbed as Gia’s bloodied breaths became sharp and short.

I tucked a strand of her strawberry hair behind her ear. Her eyes met mine, and she smiled. Her loving, beaming smile tore my heart apart, and I didn’t fight the tears as they drowned me.

Gia’s body shivered, but she managed to bring her hand on top of mine, squeezing it ever so lightly.

“Zora, don’t be sad. Don’t cry. . . Remember to always look on the bright side,” she stated quietly. “Because I’ll always be there.” Her hand went limp, and her chest no longer moved.

The clang of metal mixed with screams rang loudly in my ears, but I couldn’t move, holding on to her lifeless body tightly as I sobbed. Horns and screams and shouts filled the air.

“Get up!” Orest’s voice echoed through the suffocating grief. Bloodied and wounded, he fought his way to me. But I couldn’t get up. Not anymore. “Get the fuck up Zora!” He shouted at me again, fighting the multitude of soldiers that swarmed around him.

Pain seared through my arm, a brutal force shoving my body to the ground once more. I didn’t need to look to know there was an arrow wedged in my shoulder. I extended my other arm until my hand reached hers. I’d hold her until the end would find me. More horns and warnings erupted in the air, this time ours, final warnings, fallen battalions, fallen armies.

It wouldn’t be long now.

“Get the fuck up now!” Orest appeared in front of me. His burning eyes were on me. And though I thought I couldn’t hurt more, in that moment I did. Because for the first time I saw the clear desperation in him.

“Go, Orest. Let me die and save yourself,” I uttered as he shielded me from another wave of arrows flooding the sky. “Escape and live,” I begged him.

I knew he could with his skill. I knew he would survive if he left right now, abandon us, and he would live. He would find a way to make it out of this slaughter and stay alive.

“If we have to fucking die, we die together,” he snarled, two more soldiers charged towards him. “But we have a long, blissful life ahead of us, Commander, so get the fuck up!”

“There is no point, Orest. You can survive, so go. There’s no need for both of us to die. Leave me. Go, please ,” I begged.

Orest roared, beheading both soldiers with his sword even as his other arm uselessly flopped at his side. He turned to me then, finding my broken soul.

“You don’t fucking get to give up now.”

“Let me die, Orest. I want to die.” I let the broken words rip through the loud clash of the battle. “Let me be.”

“No.” He broke the arrow in my shoulder. His only functioning hand on my chin as he jerked my head up. “Don’t make me break my promise, Zora. Because I’ll fucking do it. I’ll use my powers on you if it means you’ll get up and you’ll fucking live.” He swallowed hard. “I swore I’d never do it to you, but I’d rather break my promise than see you die.” His breaths were jagged, his beautiful silver eyes locked on mine. “Don’t do this to me, Zora. Get up and fucking fight,” he begged, turning away for just a moment as he stabbed another solider in the heart, his force strong enough to pierce through their armor. “I’ve cared for you since the first moment I saw you, Zora. And you broke my heart year after year, and I fucking lived with it. Do not destroy me now,” he pleaded. “I could have lived in a world where you were happy even if it wasn’t with me, but I cannot live in a world where you don’t exist. So, I am giving you one last chance to get up on your own or I will force you to do it.”

“I’ve made so many mistakes in my life. I have so many regrets,” I murmured through my tears. “But not marrying you earlier, when we had the chance, is my biggest one. I don’t know when I realized I couldn’t live without you, but I can’t. I love you, Orest. And I am so sorry I never told you. I am sorry I broke your heart again and again. I am so, so sorry. I’d trade my soul if I knew that would get us more time. I wish we’d have eternity.”

“Then get up and fight by my side until the very end.” Orest stretched his hand out to me, and I reached for him, my hand bloodied. With a swift motion, he jerked my body upright, close to his as our hearts met. His eyes buried deep in mine. “Zora, I promise, Soulbond or not, I shall scour the worlds to find you whenever you’ll be. No power in heaven or hell shall keep me away from you. No magic, nor human, nor god can stand in the way of me being with you for eternity and beyond. Even if your affection is just an ember, mine is that of a thousand flames. It’ll burn brightly in the darkness for the both of us.”

I wrapped my hands around his bloodied face, moving a loose curl out of his face, before pulling him closer until my lips met his. A solemn kiss. Of regret, of all the dreams, of everything that could’ve been. I kissed him and he kissed me. Bloodied, wounded and dying.

Our lips sealed the promise. One we’d carry through eternity. Through every heaven and hell. To find each other, no matter what.

Our bodies might rot and decay, but the love that we carried would survive.

It would live.

He held me tight against his body.

We’d kiss until the world ended.

And there wasn’t a better way to die.

“ELVES!” Shouts erupted around us. “Elves are here!” Loud trumpets filled the air, following the large black raven’s call. “Elves are here, and they are fighting for us!”

Orest didn’t let go of me even as both of us paused, eyeing the meadow where an army of elves had seemingly appeared out of thin air. Dressed in their black armor, they rode on large horned gray creatures, tearing through the monsters and the Destroyer armies surrounding us. Their archers cast spell bound arrows that exploded like bombs on the battlefield. Armored saber-tooth tigers roared, clawing at anyone in elves’ way at their command.

The enemy horns sounded, but their call broke mid beat as elvish magic stifled them.

I wasn’t sure how Finn did it.

But the elves had come to our rescue.

After a thousand years . . . elves fought on the same side as Destroyers.

And we lived.