Page 120 of Catalyst


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I moved toward them, the urge to save her driving my body forward. Mary turned her cruel stare to me and stopped me in my tracks as she brandished a large knife. “I’m serious. I will kill her. And that will kill you, familiar.”

I whimpered. “You wouldn’t kill your girlfriend.”

Mary growled. Reaching between the magical shimmering bars, she grabbed Winnie’s hair. I felt her fear spike.

This wasn’t a trick. Winnie was scared. She feared for her life.

“You don’t know what I’ve had to sacrifice to get this far,” Mary replied and pointed her knife at Winnie. “Do not underestimate me. Do not overestimate my affection for my girlfriend.”

With my heart racing and my mind whirling, adrenaline flooded me. I looked for something, anything, that could help me save her.

Winnie shouted, “Please listen to her! Don’t let Clawdia suffer for this.”

Mary laughed. “Still so concerned for the cat.” Her eyes moved to the others. “None of you are getting out of this alive.”

“You’re crazy!” Charlie shouted. He went to take a step back.

“Don’t move!” Mary screamed.

Winnie cried, “Mary, please!”

Daithi tried to bargain. “All we want is Savida’s fire. We don’t care about anything else. Give it to me, and we will leave.”

“He is a necessary sacrifice for mankind, and I won’t feel guilty for using a ball of fire to save the world.”

“I’m not going to stand here and wait for you to try and kill me,” Charlie challenged. He moved to sprint away, Daithi ready to follow his lead.

Mary was quicker. I recognized the signs and knew she was about to cast. I also knew all this stalling meant that with every second, the chance of saving Savida grew smaller and smaller. I couldn’t let this all be for nothing. I threw myself in front of her spell, which was aimed at Charlie and Daithi.

Thrown to the ground, I was trapped in a cage just like Winnie. Zaide ran over to me, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to convince him to leave me.

“Charlie, Daithi, go find Savida’s fire. We will be okay,” I shouted.

Daithi immediately ran into the forest, but Charlie hesitated for a moment. Long enough for Winnie to scream, “Charlie, run!”

The next spell aimed at him was red. Deadly. Thankfully, he got running and dodged the spell before it hit him.

Watching their figures fade into the blackness, I sent a small prayer to God. The first in a long time. I hoped they’d find Savida’s fire and save him. I hoped they stayed safe.

“You fucking bitch!” Mary screeched, and I turned to see that our cages had vanished and Mary held the knife against Winnie’s neck. With an emotionless face, she slit Winnie’s throat.

And I felt it.

I screamed for both of us because Winnie was gargling blood, unable to make any noise. Mary dropped her and ran after Daithi and Charlie.

God, the pain. It made me dizzy. My eyes clouded as I collapsed to the ground. I felt Zaide touching me. I heard him denying, praying, pleading for help. My heart broke for him.

He just found me. And now I’m dying.

I just found him. And now I’m dying.

My eyesight, although blurred, returned, and I saw Winnie. On her own. In a pool of blood.

We are dying.

My witch, my friend, my sister was dying.

Tears streamed down my face as I crawled with one hand and held my neck with the other. As I reached her, I saw the panic, the fear, and the sorrow in her eyes. She was suffocating on her blood, inhaling it and gurgling it out. I struggled to catch my breath the same way. I moaned low in my throat, nuzzled into her check, and lay flat against her. Her fingers dug into my skin, and as we lay dying together, struggling for breath, I heard her in my mind for the first time since this all began.

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