Symphony of Death
Chapter 26

Anastasia’s POV

The wind sliced past my face and darkness devoured me in its hold. I could do nothing but stare at the gigantic black wing recoiling slowly from around me.

“Cain!” I screamed when his arms loosened their hold on me and he staggered back. “No,” I was petrified to see blood oozing out of his mouth and body.

He protected me!

Cain grunted in pain when the Blue Bloods tugged the chains connected to the spears pierced in his body.

“Stop it,” I screamed when they unleashed another round of spears on him. “Stop it, please. Stop.” I couldn’t bear to look at him. It was terrible beyond comprehension.

“Have you forgotten your only weakness, oh great Dalazar Daemmone?” Sorush sneered. “The Black Phoenix ashes.”

“Cain,” I sunk to the ground with him. I didn’t dare to touch him. I didn’t want to cause him any more pain. His body convulsed whenever they tugged on the spears. If they attacked again, it would be on his head. “What did you do?” My hand shook while reaching for his face. He was panting hard and his wounds were bleeding profusely. “Cain, please.”

“I’m fine,” he rasped. “Get back.” I shook my head in denial. “Ana, just get back or you will get hurt.”

“No,” I cried. “I’m not letting you do this anymore. You are hurt so badly. I’m sorry, Cain”

“Sshh,” Cain placed his finger on my lips. “No more talking.” He smirked through pain. “I am taking you back and no amount of Black Phoenix ash can stop me.”

I grabbed his hand on my cheek.

“They can bring as many as they want, clone themselves to trillions but they won’t be able to stop me. This is not enough to take me down. Trust me,” Cain said firmly. “They don’t want me gone for nothing.” I nodded. “Step back. I promise it will be over soon.”

I let go of his hand reluctantly and stepped away from him until he signaled me to stop.

“You think this is enough to take me down?” Cain staggered back up to his feet. His form shifted and the flame in his wing became fierce and rose. “I replace your attempts worth laughing.”

“Seize him,” Sorush yelled at his army.

They released another round of spears on Cain and Logan with his cavalry charged forward at the same time.

Cain’s roar shook the sky and opened the ground to its core. The wind stirred and turned to a cyclone of death that swept their aerial forces off the peak and threw them in the pit he opened.

Cain pulled all the spears out of his body simultaneously and whirled their lines toward their holders. He made a chokehold around their necks before sending them flying to where Sorush was standing.

The sky turned black and spat fire and lightning on their land. Everything was charred and scorched. Their howls dyed the air as they got caught in the onslaught and tried to run for their lives.

“CAIN!” Sorush’s wrath reached another level when he lunged forward amidst the chaos.

But Cain didn’t stop to engage him.

I wound my arms around his neck and buried my face in his shoulder when he came upon me at lightning speed.

There was less than a second difference between us crossing the rift he opened and Sorush swinging his scythe at us.

I fell on my back when we crossed the rift with Cain on top of me. I was trying to catch my breath under his crushing weight.

We made it.

“Cain?” I touched his head. My eyes surveyed the surroundings. It was not his home. We were in a dark hallway and there was barely any light. “Cain?” I shook his shoulder slightly. He was not moving at all and his stillness sent me into a panic.

My hand moved down his back and I froze when they touched the long vertical wound.

He was struck while crossing the rift.

I twisted us around and got out from under him after much struggle. My heart started beating furiously. His condition was deteriorating. There was so much blood and he was not healing at all.

“Wake up,” I patted his cheek. “No, Cain. Please–Help.” I screamed while looking around frantically. “Someone.” I placed my head on his chest and sobbed loudly. I couldn’t hear his heartbeat. “No, no, no. Please, no. HELP. Please, someone help.”

“Anastasia!” I looked back. “Oh hell,” Aeron and Xic rushed toward us with Clarissa and Einar. “What happened?” They knelt next to him. “Cain?” Aeron shook him.

“Sta-bbe-d,” I hiccupped. “His- ba-ck-”

“Shit,” Aeron looked at Einar. He knelt by Cain’s side and began healing him with his magic.

“Black Phoenix,” Einar said grimly. “His body is overflowing with it.” He turned him slightly to examine the wound on his back. “Bastards.”

“Do something,” Clarissa yelled at him. “You can’t let him die. No, he cannot die.”

“Clarissa,” Xic held her. “Calm down.”

“I told him he shouldn’t go alone. I knew it but he never listens to us. He was just-” Clarissa looked at me. “I told him he was going to get hurt.”

I lowered my head in remorse.

“Calm down, love.” Einar tried to soothe her. “He is a tough one. He is not going to die this easily.” Einar looked at me briefly. “Shift him to the crypt. I’m going to bring the necessary ingredients and potions to make Auras. There is not enough here.”

Aeron and Xic lifted Cain.

“Keep pouring Auras on his wounds and in his mouth. The stock will last until I return.”

“Hurry,” Aeron said and disappeared along with Xic and Cain.

“I’m coming with you.”

“No, Clarissa.” Einar stopped her. “You need to stay with Anastasia. We are in Acreoterra and it’s not safe for her to be alone.”

She looked at me balefully.

“You know it’s not her fault.” Einar looked at me and smiled. “Stay in Cain’s room until I come, okay?” I nodded and he disappeared into a flash.

I stood awkwardly with Clarissa facing away from me. I couldn’t muster enough courage to talk to her but I knew I had to.

“Clary!”

“Shut up,” she snapped at me. “Just shut up, okay? I don’t want to listen to your nonsense.” Her eyes were bloodshot with anger and pain. “For a fucking moment, for one fucking moment I thought you could be different.”

She wiped her lone tear furiously.

“I curse myself now. How could I have thought of trusting you when I knew you would do this sooner or later?”

“I’m sorry, Clary,” I sniffed. “I didn’t know–”

“Cain’s room is at the end of this hallway,” Clarissa pointed to the left. “Try to stay there if possible. Don’t trouble my brother anymore if you can.”

She disappeared as well and left me alone.

I fell to the floor and cried my heart out. I couldn’t bear the pain piercing my heart. There was so much anguish that it was hard to breathe.

“Please be okay,” I prayed with all my might. “I beg you.”

****

I counted every second I waited in Cain’s room. No one came to me and I had no idea where to look or what was going on. My stomach twisted into painful knots with worry.

It was so agonizing to wait.

It was all dark like he said so I couldn’t tell at what hour of the day we were at or what day it was.

“Anastasia?” I stood up when the door knocked. Einar came inside and looked at me with a deep frown. “You didn’t sleep?”

“How is he?” I asked impatiently. “I’m sorry, Einar but please tell me how he is doing.”

“Sit down for now,” Einar pushed me down on the couch and sat next to me. “I need you to answer a few questions, okay?” I nodded. “Did they give you kazaar?”

“Yes,” I answered honestly. “They were feeding it to me through the tea thrice a day. I don’t know if they were adding it to my meals or not.”

“When did you break free?” Einar asked.

“I don’t know exactly when,” I shook my head. “I just remember Sorush came to my room and asked me to have dinner. I dropped the cup when he left and then I accidentally overheard his conversation outside my room.” Einar nodded. “It was so painful when the effects wore off. I thought I was going to die.”

“It’s not over yet, Anastasia” Einar placed his palm to my forehead. “Kazaar is one of the most lethal and potent enchantments.”

I grunted when my head began to throb.

“You are temporarily out of influence. We need to take it out of your system completely.” I gripped the armrest when the pain increased. “Bear with the pain, okay? I need to take it out right now or it will kill you.”

I closed my eyes and sealed my mouth. I felt thorns in my veins and nerves and my body felt on fire.

“You did great,” Einar said proudly. I couldn’t even respond to him verbally. “I’ve taken every last drop of it out of you. You are fine now.” He patted my hand. “Sleep. You will feel better. I can’t believe you have been sitting here for two days straight.”

“Two days?” I was shocked. “But I thought it was just two hours.”

“You couldn’t tell because there is no day and night concept here.” He chuckled at my muddled expressions. “I’m sorry. We should have told you.”

He raised his hand to my neck but I stopped him.

“No,” I shook my head. “Not this.” Einar nodded and produced a first aid box out of air.

“Let me patch it up,” he got to work.

“So, you were treating him for two days straight?” This piece of information filled me with every kind of negative feeling.

“It was bad. We barely made it in time.” Einar said gravely. “I’ve taken Black Phoenix ashes out of his body but we won’t know for sure until he wakes up. His healing process is paralyzed for now.” Einar informed me. “I have never seen him sleep so deeply before. It’s kind of scary and annoying at the same time.”

“He will be fine, right?” I asked. “I know it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have trusted Logan but believe me, Einar” I wiped my tears. “I didn’t want to hurt him or get him hurt.”

“I know,” Einar patted at my hand again once he was done treating my wound. “Don’t worry, Cain is going to be alright. He is out of danger. We just need him to rest enough.” I nodded. “Aeron and Xic will bring him up shortly. You can see him then.”

“Thank you,” I whispered. “For everything.”

“It’s going to be alright, Anastasia,” Einar smiled at me. “I’m going to replace a break to this curse so none of you get hurt.”

“Einar?” I called him when he turned to leave. “Can I ask you something?” He nodded in response. “Do birthmarks tell how a person died in their previous life?”

“Where did you hear it?” Einar faced me fully.

“Is it true?” The desperation was evident in my tone.

“No,” Einar replied. “At one time, it was believed that they were but it’s just a myth. It holds no truth.”

“Thank you,” I said gratefully. “Thank you for everything.”

“You should rest as well. You may not keep the check of time but your body will suffer from it.” I nodded.

Einar left and Aeron and Xic came a few moments later with Cain.

“His bandages need to be changed every hour,” Aeron said without looking at me. They laid him carefully on the bed. “I–”

“I will do it,” I said quickly. “Please.” They looked at each other.

Their silence hiked my guilt. I would have felt much better if they had lashed at me like Clarissa.

“I will bring you the necessary things,” Aeron said with zero emotion and left with Xic.

I couldn’t bring myself to go near Cain. His body was wrapped in thick bandages that were soaking with something black. The truth that I was the reason he was lying here like this was eating me from inside.

Aeron came back with a trolley packed with new bandages and different potions and ointments.

“Here,” he handed me a strange-looking clock. “The time flow here is different. You will need it.” I nodded. “Do you want me to arrange something for you to eat?” He asked.

“No,” I refused. “I’m not hungry.” Aeron didn’t press further. He gave me the instructions and then left.

I dragged the chaise lounge near Cain’s bed and sat on it. My hands shook every time I applied medicine to his wounds. They were acid to my soul.

His still form churned my insides and pierced my heart.

“I’m sorry, Cain,” I whispered to his sleeping face. “I didn’t want this for you,” a single tear rolled down my cheek. “Please, wake up.”

I lied down and tucked my hands under my head.

“I want to talk to you. I want to tell you everything. I will do anything you say. Please, just come back to me.”