Page 16 of Catatonic


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“We need to get out the back, and then I’ll portal us—”

Guards charged toward us. “Stop!”

“Damn!” I thrust a hand out toward them, stopping the blood in their veins to halt them in their tracks, and then pulled, causing blood to pour from their mouth, nose, ears and eyes. They collapsed. Dead. The calls of freedom turned to shrieks of horror. "We need to go now!" I shouted at my newly freed soldiers, who were staring at me and looking slightly nauseous.

I ran toward the back entrance, and the titans followed so closely behind that I could hear their blood thumping in their hearts and count the beats. My fangs brushed against my tongue as hunger hit me, bloodlust combining with the adrenaline as we raced into the backstreet of the market.

"Block that door!" I shouted. "Make sure they can't open it to get to us."

The males moved quickly to gather large items in the alley. Discarded furniture. Old carts and wood from stands.

"Where now?" one of the titans asked.

"Portal," I said as I focused my attention on creating a portal back home. I pushed all my energy into it faster than I should have. Portal magic was the most difficult, which meant it could be dangerously draining when trying to create one quickly. It was also the most sought out magic in all the realms, and I could easily have been drawing unwanted attention our way if I wasn’t careful.

"Stop them!" I heard from the bottom of the alley.

I cursed and called, "Find a weapon and fight for your life."

Leaving my portal half formed, I moved out of the way as a guard charged toward me, his sword ready to strike. I did the same trick, stopping, then pulling his blood again, and with a quick check to see that all my escaped slaves were still alive, I turned back to my portal.

"Hurry," a titan female whispered. "There are more coming."

"Then it's time to prove your use. Take my sword and fight," I growled and pushed harder, magic pouring from me in waves. The clash of swords against wood sounded loudly in my ears.

The suns, already bright, hot, and uncomfortable for me, became unbearable. I started feeling dizzy and so hungry that when a guard slipped past the fighting titans and headed toward me, the smell of blood awoke my akari nature.

An akari could be on the brink of death and still heal, still survive, because in that moment of almost death, the part of them that would be concerned with morals or dignity or other social constructs shuts down. It makes them do whatever they must to live.

It was something I knew well.

The final pieces of the portal came together and formed a swirling slit in the air. I twirled just as a sword hit my leg, but I didn't feel it. Blood poured from me in crimson waves as the guard’s sword slashed against my body, but it didn't slow me.

I moved toward him, my eyes assessing. My instincts were powerful, homing in on the weakness in the guard and automatically fighting to take advantage of it. His throat wasn't covered. His wrists were weak since his cuts were not as deep as they could have been.

I knew the sight I made. Flashing red eyes, fangs, and strength despite the injuries. He knew I was death and that I would take him. I saw his thoughts in his panicked eyes as I smiled, dodged out of the way of his repetitive swing, and grabbed his wrist, snapping it in half.

There’s something to be said about the satisfaction of fighting without using my blood thread power. He howled in pain, dropping his sword, and I jumped onto his throat, ripping the skin with my fangs. Blood poured from the wound, and at the taste of his blood, I shuddered.

Licking my lips, I lusted for more but forced my thoughts to remain clear and focused.

Stop playing around. Get the titans out of here before they die.

I pushed away from him as a scream echoed across the alley. I looked up from my prey to see one of my titans captured by her hair, a knife at her throat.

"Don't kill her. She's valuable," someone shouted from further down the alley.

When the guard gripping her hair turned to see who had called him, I leapt to my feet, and like a flash, I was on him. I took his head in my hand and snapped his neck.

The titan female screamed again, but this time, her fear was aimed at me. I couldn't feel anything as she stared up at me, her eyes glued to the blood dripping from my fangs. I was hungry and was unashamed even though it scared her.

"We need to go," I shouted. "The portal is ready. Go."

Continuing to face their opponents, the three titans began stepping back toward the portal. I grinned at the sight of the five guards trying to detain us. I would enjoy killing them. And it would be easy once I wasn't looking after the titans.

I moved to the fight but stopped when I saw the female still on the floor, crying and refusing to move. I poked her. "You need to get up."

"I c-can't," she stuttered. She showed me the cut across her hamstring. She couldn't move.

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