“Kade, help him!” Jerah's voice echoed through the chamber, but the snarling of the wolf didn't seem to get any closer to him.
He couldn't look back, couldn't afford to stop—his lungs burned as he sprinted, making a running jump across the water. But it was wide enough that he couldn't quite make it, splashing into the cold pool with a gasp. And there were more splashes behind him, then a sharp pain in his shoulder, his arm—he cried out in pain, more dogs leaping into the water after him.
The dogs that had bit him were latched on to him now, weighing him down. The water was just shallow enough that his feet could touch the bottom of the pool, but the dogs were thrashing against him—pulling him under—and he couldn't speak for the water that filled his mouth.
“Get away from him!” Jerah roared, the magic rocking into Florian like another wave; and the air quivered for a moment before the dogs released him, braying as they splashed back to shore. Gasping for breath, he swam the last few feet to the far side of the pool, but as he pulled himself up out of the water, a shriek pierced the air—his father's voice, full of agony.
He looked back. The dogs had swarmed Jerah, and he could barely make out Kade trying to fight through the pack of dogs that blocked Jerah entirely from his sight. His heart froze. The screaming continued. They were going to rip him apart.
He looked up. The magic of the Arrow was making the dogs stronger, or something, somehow, he just knew it. They were ripping his father apart. If he could just reach it—
“I'm already at the top,” he said, and with a strange popping sensation, he was at the top of the towering formation. With a startled shout he clung harder to the rocks, his feet slipping, as he tried to ignore the horrific sounds from below. At this angle, he could see it now—a thin golden sliver of metal and fletching barely sticking up and out of the rock. One shaky hand reached out to grab it, but it was stuck fast. He had to get it before—before—
“Come on,” he groaned, and pulling with all his strength, the magic in the air around him seemed to surge into his hand all at once. Finally, the Arrow slipped free. The light engulfed his vision for a moment, and he turned back toward where the dogs were swarming over his father.
“Die!” he shouted, his voice cracking with fear. His command ripped through the room like a thunderbolt, golden light bursting from the Arrow in his hand and pulsing along the ground in a visible wave. Instantly, every one of the spiky dogs fell limp and collapsed to the ground. He could barely make out the shape of Jerah underneath them, bloodied and unmoving. At the edge of the pack, Kade glowed with magic as his wolf form fell away, and he scrambled to his feet to run toward Jerah.
“Dad,” Florian whispered, every inch of his skin growing cold all at once. “Dad!” Heedless of the danger, he leapt from the rocks into the pool below, wincing as his feet hit the bottom of the shallow water. Ignoring the pain, he pushed himself off from the impact and swam for the opposite end.
Kade had pulled Jerah out from underneath the dead dogs. His eyes were open, frantically looking around the room, but his face was pale and covered in blood.
“Dad,” Florian gasped as he stumbled over to him, barely noticing Kade shrink away from him as he approached. “You're hurt. You're hurt.”
Up close, it was far worse than it had looked from a distance. It seemed like there was no part of his body that wasn't covered in blood and bite marks. He was trembling violently, as Florian wrapped his arms around him, dropping the Arrow onto the ground next to him and pulling Jerah into his lap.
“Florian,” he groaned, his eyes squeezing shut, but that was all he could manage to get out. Blood gushed from his torso as Florian pulled him up, and with a shuddering gasp, he realized one of the dog's spikes had gone right through his lower abdomen, leaving a sickening hole in his skin. Bile rose in his throat, and he wrenched his eyes away, unable to bear the sight.
“Heal,” Florian whimpered, moving his hand across Jerah's chest. The magic surged from his hands, still thick in the air, though he could feel it beginning to dissipate now. Some of the smaller wounds knit, but there were so many—so many still bleeding—and the big gaping wound in his belly didn't budge. Florian couldn't breathe. It felt like his whole chest had caved in. “Heal. Heal!”
“Florian,” Jerah rasped again, grabbing one of his wrists. His eyes were wide open now, looking panicked. “The Arrow? You got the Arrow?”
Florian blinked, his mind going blank. The Arrow. He grabbed it from where it was next to him, holding it up so Jerah could see it.
“I got it,” he replied, his voice hoarse. “See? I got it. I told you I could do it.” Tears flooded his eyes, and a sob escaped him before he realized that he was crying. “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I'll listen better, I swear. I'll do exactly what you tell me from now on. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Dad.”
“You got it,” Jerah breathed, releasing Florian's wrist to touch a shaking hand to the warm metal of the Arrow. “Good. Good boy. God, I'm cold.” He hesitated, then with a groan moved to wrap one arm around Florian's torso, trying to hug him. “It's alright. You're alright, Florian. You’ll be okay.”
Blood had soaked through Florian's pants where he knelt in the dirt, forming a dark pool around them. There were still so many wounds untouched by his healing words, and blood still poured from his stomach. He couldn't stop it fast enough.
“Heal,” he sobbed, running his hands over Jerah's torso again. A few more wounds started to close, but it did not stop the blood. “It's not working. I don't—I don't know why it's not working.”
“Look at me,” Jerah said, his voice suddenly forceful, as he brought his free hand up to Florian's face. They locked eyes. Jerah's face was ashen, his lips turning blue, and in the pit of his stomach Florian knew that this was it. “My son. I love you so much. You’ll be okay. My son.”
“Stop,” Florian begged. He could barely breathe, despite the cold air that filled his lungs between his sobs. “Please, you have to stay awake. Please.”
“My son,” Jerah repeated faintly, and he closed his eyes. A long, slow exhale escaped his lungs, his head tipped back, and his hand fell away from Florian's back.
