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- Herausgeber: Youcanprint
- Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
Now armed with the truth, Zack decides to face the traitor alone, creating distance between him and the Resistance. However, thanks to unforeseen (and sometimes unwanted) help, Zack finds himself leading the Resistance halfway across the world, tracking the leader of the Hunters. Some unexpected allies temporarily join the Resistance, but do they really want to help the team, or weaken it? As doubts begin to surface and tension brews within their ranks once more, the Resistance finds that there might be another reason why things keep taking a turn for the worst...and Zack might just be the scapegoat.
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Title | Runaway: Warriors’ Alliance Vol. 4
Author | Kasey Infinita
Cover Design by Kasey Infinita
ISBN | 979-12-22740-75-1
© 2024 - All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author.
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Runaway: Warriors’ Alliance is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, persons, or locales is entirely coincidental.
To those who inspired me to pick up a pen,
and to those who persuaded me to keep it in my hand.
The word that best describes how I felt at that time is ‘empty’. Not sad, angry, or disappointed. Just empty, detached from everything and everyone – which wasn’t saying much since I’d been completely alone for the past week or so.
It was the beginning of May, and that day I’d finally given up on searching the neighborhood and was sitting on the railing at the edge of a dock below a sign that said Long Island, staring at the skyscrapers in front of me and wondering how much longer I’d have to wait. He’d said she’d show up here, but what if it wasn’t actually him? What if that whole conversation was just a figment of my imagination? He hadn’t even told me the exact area she’d go to. All he’d told me was to go to Hunters Point, Queens, and wait near the river. Easier said than done. A river happens to be a lot bigger than a puddle. For all I knew, I could’ve been sitting there waiting for her to show up and she’d already come and gone without me realizing it.
I couldn’t help thinking about my teammates, just a few hours away from where I was. When I’d left, I wasn’t exactly on good terms with most of them. I couldn’t blame them, but couldn’t they see how it was all connected? Maybe I should have said something different, I thought, then shrugged it off. There was nothing I could do about it now. I didn’t agree with what Karter had done when he was alive, and despised it even now that he was gone, but if going after her alone was the only way I could’ve stopped the Resistance from getting wiped out entirely, then I would’ve done so. Don’t get me wrong, I would’ve appreciated some backup but Matt was furious with me. I heard people saying Dan had disappeared the morning I left, and I hadn’t told anybody where I was headed. The chances of finding me were pretty low, especially since I’d been told there weren’t any Resisters in the area.
After an hour of waiting, nobody showed up, so I decided to move. I doubted I’d find her by staying still in one place. Knowing that there’d be a fight if and when I found her also made me restless. I was physically prepared – I’d worn the metal plaque to protect my vitals underneath my T-shirt and the holsters on my belt for my gun and dagger – but that didn’t stop me from thinking about everything that could’ve gone wrong. I dropped down from the rail and started walking back up the dock. I couldn’t stop asking myself, how did it come to this? After one conversation and one vision, I’d forced myself to finally take charge and at least try to end this…even if I had to end it alone.
……….
It all started the day after Dan had killed Lincoln, the day after I’d confronted Ava on the phone. Since some people were missing that day, I decided to wait until everybody was present. I’d called for a meeting with the remaining members of our team the first thing the next morning, before anybody could leave. I wasn’t going to keep her identity a secret like Karter had. I understood the risks. I knew she might have killed everyone I cared about. But if we all knew and got ahold of her first, there was less of a chance of that happening.
“I know I’m relatively new and haven’t stuck around much,” I started, “but I wouldn’t lie to you guys about something as important as this.” I told them about my ability, and how it allowed me to see into someone’s past if I had something that belonged to them. Then, I explained what I’d seen using Iris’ necklace: the traitor was Ava, who we’d all seen with a hood and mask, and who we all knew by the name Milady.
“Ava?” Matt demanded. “Are you nuts?”
“I’d believe it if you said it was literally anyone else,” Ash added. “Seriously, Ava? After everything she put herself through for us?”
“Wait a second,” Adonis said. “You’re sure it was her?”
“I wouldn’t have brought it up if I had any doubt,” I replied. “I don’t want to believe it myself, but Ava is the leader of the Hunters.”
“Get lost,” Dan spat. “There’s no way.”
“Karter once said this person uses magic that isn’t anything to worry about,” I reminded her. “Ava can only use her ability if someone else uses theirs first. She can’t do anything alone, which might be why the Hunters are collecting everyone’s abilities. So she can use them.”
Matt started to say, “That doesn’t mean–”, but Adonis interrupted with, “Do you have any solid evidence?”
“You and Dan were with me when Karter gave us a huge hint,” I said. “The moment you see one of our so-called teammates on the brink of death, you’ll know they’re the traitor. Karter died after fighting the leader. When Dan took Karter to the infirmary, Ava showed up and Ash was just barely able to save her. By the way, Karter had a huge gash on his back. Like a giant blade had sliced him from behind. The wound wasn’t deep enough to be caused by a sword. Scythes are sharp, but lightweight. Should I go on?”
“You’re saying you trust Karter more than you trust Ava,” Ash said flatly.
“Please, go on,” River told me. “I’m sorry, but I’m not fully convinced.”
“Fully?” Matt scoffed. “You actually think there’s a chance he’s telling the truth?”
I didn’t like how aggressive Matt was becoming. He’d been one of the first to help me out and, even when we were looking for Adonis, had always given me his full support. I remembered Lincoln had once told me Matt would do anything for Ava. But, when presented with evidence, you could only be in denial for so long.
“Remember when, after fighting Melion and his wolves, you and Adonis sensed that the other squad was in danger?” I asked River. “What happened when we got there?”
River’s calm expression changed. Now, she looked distraught. “Ava was the only one that survived,” she said. “Is that a mere coincidence?”
I lifted my hands. “You tell me. It also seems kind of strange that, even though we elected her our leader, she suddenly abandoned us.”
“She didn’t ditch us,” Matt snapped. “Her family needs her!”
“Even though you had your problems with your mom, you mentioned her before,” I said. “Ava always said she lost her entire family throughout the war. Ava’s parents, brother and sister were killed. Why didn’t she ever mention her uncle, if he’s family, too?”
Elijah frowned. “Did she ever have a reason to?”
“I never mentioned I have a sister,” Tyler added. “Maybe she didn’t want him to get caught up in this whole mess.”
“Yeah, maybe you’re right,” I admitted. “But–”
“See? She’s no traitor.” Dan stood. “End of discussion. See ya.”
“Have any of you called her to ask how she’s doing?” I insisted. “Her uncle’s dying. I’d imagine at least one of you tried to contact her.”
Matt, Elijah, River and Ash raised their hands. I already knew what they were going to say and how they would respond to my accusation. “What did she say?”
“She never picked up the phone,” Elijah said.
“Zack just said it: her uncle – her only remaining family – is dying,” Matt retorted. “She’s not going to be scrolling through social media or waiting around for somebody to call her.” “Since you all feel so strongly that Ava’s not guilty, could you tell me who is?” I asked.
Dan glared at me, but didn’t say anything, nor did anybody else. I knew I might have been stooping a little low, but I turned to her and said, “Ava kicked Gwen out because we all thought she was the traitor. If you’re so sure Ava’s innocent, that means you’re just as positive Gwen is the culprit. In that case, why aren’t you going to kill her, like you should’ve done with Lincoln? Are you okay letting history repeat itself?”
I regretted saying that last part out loud the moment I said it. The look Dan was giving me made me want to run out of the room.
“Gwen isn’t the traitor,” she snarled, slowly sitting back down.
I gestured around the room. “You have nine other options to choose from. Nine options, that is, if you exclude yourself. Who do you think is the most likely to betray us?”
Drew raised her hand. “How do we know the traitor isn’t already dead?” she pointed out.
“Then who do you think it was?” I asked. “Maddox? Ian? Iris? Karter?”
She crossed her arms with a pensive look. “No…Never mind. I take it back. None of them would’ve ever betrayed us.”
“And Ava would?” Matt retorted. “What is wrong with you people? You’re the ones betraying her. After making her your leader, you have the nerve to–”
“Everything I’ve presented to you so far aren’t my observations,” I said. “Karter was the one who kept trying to drop these hints, but I never got them. I didn’t want to believe she was the one behind this, either. I didn’t know how to feel about him, but you guys knew him for much longer than me. Do you think he’d lie about something like this?”
“He constantly lied about everything,” Matt snapped. “I’m convinced he was the traitor.”
Dan jumped out of her seat and stormed over to him. “You don’t know him like I did,” she retorted. “Karter was messed up, but I know he never once lied to me.”
“So you admit there’s a small chance Ava might be the traitor?” I asked.
Dan stood there for a second, looking a little lost, then said, “You’re nuts.”
Elijah shook his head. “You might be right, Zack, but we’ve known Ava for much longer than we’ve known you. I’m sorry, but it’s nothing personal.”
I kept trying to convince them, but nobody was willing to listen. Even Adonis seemed skeptical. I understood Elijah’s point, but when presented with facts, how could you not see it? We’d ended the meeting back at square one: with no idea how to proceed.
As I followed the river upstream, I wondered if this was why Karter hadn’t wanted to reveal Ava’s identity to the team. Maybe he’d known how everyone would’ve taken it. However, even if nobody believed him at first, he had a way with words. Sooner or later, they would’ve listened. Why hadn’t he sweet-talked his way into their minds, the way he always did? What bothered me most was that Ava was right under our noses the entire time. We could’ve attacked her all at once and killed–
The thought made me hesitate. Kill Ava? I knew she was responsible for so much pain and suffering, for killing Iris and Karter, but those two words sounded wrong together. I still didn’t feel guilty about killing Aeron and Miles, but I never liked them to begin with. Ava, on the other hand, I’d come to admire for her strength and ability to reason in times of crisis. Plus, she was a beautiful girl inside and out. I just hoped that, if it came to it, I’d have the strength to take her down.
I passed by a park and wondered if I should’ve asked if anybody had seen Ava. She was pretty recognizable, especially since she now had a scar to the side of her mouth, but what if she was wearing a mask again? I kept walking.
There was a ramp to my left, leading to what looked like another park which overlooked the water. As I got closer, I saw short, green grass and white, concrete domes in the center forming a letter C. Strangely, there wasn’t a single person there. Those were all good signs. Even though they looked nothing alike, the area reminded me of where Karter had summoned Merlin’s amulet from – it just looked like somewhere you’d pull out a magical object from. I didn’t know why it gave me that feeling, but it made sense at the time, so I went with it.
I stayed far enough away so that I couldn’t be noticed by anybody down there and waited, keeping a hand on my belt holster.
“You better not be playing a prank on me,” I muttered, “because I’m not going to wait around all day for nothing.” I didn’t get a response, but I wasn’t really expecting one. I didn’t know if he could’ve done anything while I was awake.
The night before I’d left the Resistance, I’d had a dream. I didn’t know how it was possible, since I didn’t have anything that belonged to him, but he’d told me where to go and what to watch out for.
Karter had called out to me.
……….
The first thing I saw was a blinding white light. I didn’t know what to expect, but you can imagine how I felt when I heard a familiar voice – one that I thought I would never hear again – call my name. I turned around and Karter was standing behind me. His armor was tattered and covered in blood, just like when I’d found him after fighting Ava, but he didn’t look angry. If anything, he looked like a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. His eyes were bright and happy, unlike how they had been after Iris’ death.
“Hey,” I managed. “Is this…real?”
“Nah. Sorry, Zack, but I’m not gonna be there when you wake up.” Karter smiled apologetically. “You okay?”
I didn’t know how to react. “I…I guess?”
“That’s no way to answer somebody, Zack.” Karter shook his head. “Come on, toughen up and give me a confident answer, like a man.”
I sighed. “I watched you die, Karter. How am I supposed to feel about that?”
“I knew the risks,” he reassured me. “Everything’s going according to plan. Quit beating yourself up.”
“Are you really here?” I couldn’t help asking. “How am I seeing you right now?”
“You’re not really seeing me. You’re in dreamland, not reality.” Karter lifted his hand, and I saw that purple smoke was curling off of his fingertips. “I’m a Summoner, remember? The world of the dead is mine. Showing up in someone’s dream still isn’t easy, but thanks to your ability, it was a piece of cake.”
Talking to him felt weird, especially since I’d watched Karter die and be buried, but I ignored my disbelief and immediately started talking. I knew why he’d tried to get through to me.
“You’re here because of Ava, aren’t you?”
“Sure am.” Karter grinned. “You’re starting to understand how I think.”
“A little too late,” I said bitterly. “Why didn’t you tell us? You’d still be here.”
“How do you know? Ava was still at HQ. She would’ve killed us all the second I said something. Youwouldn’t be here, either.” He stopped. “You wouldn’t be there, I think is how it goes, since I’m dead and you’re not. Wow, that’s weird.”
“You knew about Ava the whole time,” I said. “Did you know Lincoln wasn’t the leader, too?”
“Sure did,” Karter confirmed. “Lincoln didn’t have a mean bone in his body, and Ava didn’t have a convincing case going for her. She always talked about how her brother and father died fighting in the war. I was with the Resistance my whole life and knew almost everybody. Never once heard of a father and son with the last name Miller. Even if I didn’t know they existed, they should be buried in the cemetery in New York, right? If their bodies were lost, there’d at least be a stone with their names engraved on it somewhere. I went to the cemetery a lot for…” He swallowed harshly. “For Iris. I looked through the entire cemetery and couldn’t find the name Miller anywhere.”
“So you’re saying her entire family was with the Hunters?” I asked.
“The boys were. Her mother and sister couldn’t use magic,” Karter said. “Want to know how they died?”
I shot him a suspicious glance. “How do you know? I doubt she’d tell you, especially since she seemed to know you figured her out.”
He raised his hands. “You’re right. It’s really none of my business, anyway. About Lincoln, however, it was obvious that he was never a cruel person. He loved everybody and everybody loved him. He didn’t have it in him to kill people.”
“What are you talking about? He murdered over five hundred people.”
“Lincoln only killed one person. Zoe.” Karter smiled. “He was a sucky fighter. The real reason Zoe never stood a chance against Lincoln isn’t because he was just that good. It’s because Ava did most of the work for him. All he had to do was deliver the final blow. Her aside, he never actually ended anyone’s life. He always waited for someone else to do it for him. Most of the time, that someone was Ava.”
Then how did he almost kill Dan, one of the Resistance’s best fighters? I wondered, then remembered how shaky she’d been when she fought Lincoln a week after I joined the team. She might have known that Lincoln had always been a good person. Ava had taken advantage of that and used him until she didn’t need him anymore, then left him to die. It didn’t feel right. Ava couldn’t possibly have been that cruel. “I guess I don’t know what she’s really like,” I said. “Is she dangerous?”
Karter laughed. “Is she dangerous, he asks! I just told you she killed everyone Lincoln was accused of killing, and you ask if she’s dangerous?”
“Dan’s also killed hundreds,” I pointed out. “That doesn’t make her dangerous.”
Karter gave me a deadpan look. “I know you didn’t just say that.”
“She’d never hurt any of us,” I protested.
“Because she’s on your side,” Karter said. “She’s merciless with the Hunters and only slightly violent with you guys. Whether it’s Resisters or Hunters she’s dealing with, Ava doesn’t change. You only saw Ava a few times when she was openly on the Hunters’ side – when the others called her ‘Milady’ – but that’s nothing. She’s ruthless, heartless, morally corrupt. She’ll stop at nothing to get what she wants, even if it means killing her own family.”
“What does she want?”
Karter smirked. “No spoilers.”
I groaned. “Are you serious?”
“Yup.” Karter started and turned, like someone had called his name, and I saw his bare back through his tattered armor. It was a mess of long, jagged scars – from when the Black Shuck had attacked him and when Ava had killed him. “Hey.” He faced me again. “I’m willing to bet a lot of money that you told the others about Ava. How’d it go?”
“Not well,” I admitted. “Nobody believed me.”
“No kidding.” Karter laughed again. “Dan had her join, Matt’s obsessed with her, Elijah’s her second in command…It would’ve put everybody against me, and their faith in Ava would only increase, which is exactly what she wants. Now do you get why I didn’t say anything? ”
I decided not to answer. “What should I do?”
“You’ve got everyone against you now,” he said. “Your only option is to proceed alone.”
“Proceed where?” Then I blinked. “Wait, you actually think I stand a chance against her alone?”
“Your ability is one of the strongest there is, along with Adonis’ black magic and my Summoning,” he reminded me. “Quit selling yourself short. You could kill her in a second.”
“But she can reverse the effect of any magic that’s used against her,” I protested. “How am I supposed to work around that?”
“You’ll find a way.” He glanced behind him again. “I’m not going to say more than that because you never know who’s listening, but trust me on this. You figured out who the traitor is by yourself. You’ll figure out how to kill her, too.”
I didn’t know who could be listening in the realm of the dead (if that’s where we were), but then I remembered that Ava had sensed me when I was dreaming before. Maybe Karter had sensed someone else, too. “Can you at least tell me where I’m supposed to go?”
“Ava’s heading to a place that’s completely under Kellerman’s control,” Karter explained. “By that I mean the Resistance has been completely kicked out. As far as politics go, he’s not very powerful, but he has a lot of authority in the Hunters’ ranks. Remember we had to drive for a couple hours to get the amulet? Ava hid her own special weapon, too. It’s in – surprise! – Hunters Point. She’s going to get it. It’s a few hours away, so you can take my bike, if you want.”
“Her own special weapon?” I repeated. “The amulet was for all of us to use…even though not many of us can. The weapon she’s going to get isn’t for the Hunters?”
“She didn’t just ditch the Resistance when she left,” Karter reminded me. “She left the Hunters, too. She’s crazy enough to do everything alone. Now, I’m not exactly sure where in Hunters Point she’s hiding it, but stay near the river. She’s bound to show up there.”
“Why?” “No spoilers.”
I rolled my eyes. “Are you sure I can pull this off? I haven’t really made myself useful yet.”
“Well, then, now’s your chance.” He placed a hand on my shoulder, and I was surprised that, even in a dream, I could feel it. “You have one of the strongest types of magic there is. You killed two Hunters before. Do it again. You don’t have anything to lose now.”
“Except for my life, which, you know, seems kind of important.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You do realize that this is your chance to single-handedly save our world, right? You have what it takes, Zack. I’ve seen the little things you’ve done, but I know what you can do. The only thing holding you back is you. Why do that to yourself?”
I wasn’t sure how – or if – I should’ve answered, but Karter took my silence as a response. He grinned. “You know I’ll be there to help you in any way I can. That’s a promise.”
“Thanks,” I managed. “Hunters Point, near the river?”
“Yep.” His smile started to fade out of sight. “You’re gonna wake up now, but this isn’t the last you’ll see of me. I’ll always be lurking in the darkness when you least expect it…‘cause that’s what friends are for, right?”
……….
That was how I ended up riding to Hunters Point on Karter’s old motorcycle all by myself, waiting for Ava to show up. The whole reason I’d left the Resistance – without even telling Adonis – was because I’d decided to trust Karter. If Ava never showed up, that could mean one of two things: either he was messing with me from the other world, or I was hallucinating. I hadn’t dreamt of him since I left, so it was hard to say if he actually wanted to help me or not. Whatever his reasons, he’d given me a chance. I didn’t want to mess it up.
I wished I’d brought a sword with me. Using a dagger against a gigantic scythe wasn’t the smartest thing I could’ve done. Unfortunately, the only weapons that were retractable were staffs and corseques, and not all of them were designed to do so. All I was left with was a pistol, a silver dagger, and Merlin’s amulet. I wasn’t sure if I should’ve taken the amulet, but I’d used it twice before. They say the third time’s a charm, so maybe something good would happen this time around.
I realize I was starting to become superstitious.
About half an hour after I sat down, I saw someone climb over the rail. I couldn’t see their face, but it couldn’t have been anyone else. If someone wanted to get down there, they would’ve walked down the ramp and passed by me, not climbed over the rail on the opposite side from the river. I slowly pulled out my gun.
As she got closer, I saw that she had a cloak on, but no mask. Maybe she didn’t think anybody would pay close attention to her (although a cloak is quite the eye-catcher). Karter was probably the only one who knew her movements, and he was dead, so she might have thought she didn’t need to be too cautious.
Ava walked to the center of the circle and glanced over her shoulder to see if anybody was watching. Then, she crouched down, placed a hand on the ground, and stayed there for a few seconds. I didn’t see any glowing purple light like when Karter had gotten us the amulet, but she must’ve been doing something similar.
She was facing me, but her head was lowered. She didn’t know I was there. I lifted my gun and aimed it at her head. I tried to pull the trigger, but my finger wouldn’t move. Seeing her in front of me made me hesitate. I was convinced that Ava was the traitor, but associating that statement with the girl in front of me didn’t feel right. Despite all the horrible things she’d done – and that, undoubtedly, she would continue to do – I couldn’t bring myself to kill her.
If ending one life can save countless others, might as well get it over with, a small voice in my head said. Make yourself useful.
I pointed the gun back at her head. I shut my eyes.
I pulled the trigger.
The gunshot echoed off the tall buildings behind me, but I didn’t open my eyes. All I could concentrate on was my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. Half of me was relieved I’d gotten it over with. The other half felt horrible. I finally forced myself to look down at Ava’s lifeless body.
Only to see her staring right back at me.
“Look at that.” Ava was smiling, but it wasn’t her usual sweet, encouraging smile. She was sneering disgustedly, just like when she’d killed Iris. A bullet dropped out of the air in front of her and clattered at her feet. “You really have changed, haven’t you?”
I stood, pointing my gun at her again. “You’re one to talk.”
“You never knew me, Zack. I haven’t changed. I’m just showing my true colors.”
“How did my bullet not hit you?”
“You still haven’t learned?” Ava beckoned for me to go down to her. “My ability lets me reverse the effects of any magic. That includes your magic bullets. Could you have been any more stupid? If you’d used a real gun, I probably would be dead by now.”
Moron, I scolded myself, realizing she was right. Then I thought, does the Resistance even have any normal guns? I slowly walked down the ramp toward Ava, still aiming my gun at her. I doubted I would find the courage to shoot her again, and if I did she’d stop the bullet, but I hoped it made me look a little intimidating. “Why infiltrate our ranks? Why use other people as shields?”
Ava spread her arms, still smiling. “Don’t you see how well it’s been going? I got rid of more than half of you in such a short period of time, and none of you suspected a thing. Now, I imagine you came with a friend or two, right? And while we’re talking, they’re going to stab me in the back.”
For a second, I felt excited – that meant Ava wasn’t all-knowing. Once she was outside our walls, she had no way of knowing what we were planning. “I’m all alone,” I said. “I wouldn’t stoop as low as you would. You, on the other hand, probably have your own lackeys hiding around here, don’t you?”
“You flatter yourself,” Ava scoffed. “I could kill you without even lifting a finger. I don’t need their help.” Her expression changed to one of indignant confusion. “If you’re really alone…How did you know where to find me?”
“Wasn’t hard to figure out,” I lied. The last thing she needed to know was that I’d gotten in touch with Karter. If he was going to continue helping me, that whole conversation needed to remain a secret. “Hunters Point. How much more obvious can you get? I might not know why you’re here, but like I already told you, finding you won’t be a problem for me.”
Ava glared, and for a moment, I forgot who I was talking to. It felt as though the Ava I’d met almost a year before and Ava the traitor were two different people. The old Ava could’ve never mustered so much malice into a single stare.
“I think I already told you that I can make you miserable. And I’ve already succeeded, haven’t I?” Ava curled her lip in disgust. “You and your selfless little soul, feeling like you always owe everything to anybody who even glances at you. You went and told the Resistance about me, didn’t you? And nobody believed you. I imagine they all despise the idea that their dear old Ava would try to harm them in any way. That’s why you’re alone. And you still came after me?”
“You thought I’d let you off the hook?” I demanded. “I’m dumb, not stupid.”
Ava’s right hand moved behind her, and I reached for my dagger with my free hand. “You’re gonna need a miracle to make it out alive, kid.”
“I’m full of surprises.”
She shot forward faster than I expected, swiping her hand at my throat. I pulled out my dagger and ducked, jabbing at her stomach, but Ava vanished – literally. She reappeared a second later, a safe distance away from me.
I stared at her hand. She’d pulled out a dagger out of nowhere. I realized that must’ve been her ‘own special weapon’, as Karter had called it. It didn’t appear to be anything special – it looked very similar to mine – but if she’d come all this way to retrieve it, there must’ve been something to it.
“How’d you do that?” I demanded.
“I’m full of surprises, too,” she said. “If you’d brought Excalibur, it would’ve been a much more interesting fight.”
Excalibur? I squinted. “Did that dagger belong to King Arthur?”
“Sure did.” Ava twirled the dagger. “You’re one of the few who has the honor of seeing it up close and personal. Say hello to Carnwennan.”
Unfortunately, I wasn’t a big fan of mythology or old legends, so I had no idea what kind of powers the dagger granted her – if they gave her any at all. It was possible, however, that she was using it to teleport. She vanished again, and I raised my dagger, ready for her to strike. After a few seconds, I heard footsteps, and she reappeared behind me. I turned and managed to block her strike, but she slashed at me again and again, forcing me to keep backing up until I was backed up to the edge. If I didn’t find an opening, I would topple down into the river.
“Quite impressive,” Ava mused, trying to kick me over the edge. “I haven’t put a scratch on you yet.”
I dodged to the left, trying to take advantage of her unstable position to trip her. Ava staggered, but she grabbed my arm and dragged me down with her. As I fell, I tried to take a jab at her, but she flipped over so that she was kneeling on top of me, and slammed her foot down onto my chest, effectively knocking the wind out of me. Before she could grab my left arm, I pulled my gun back out and aimed at her face. For a microsecond, Ava looked panicked. That gave me the courage to fire a shot. Her head flew back, but she didn’t fall off of me. Instead, she lowered her head again and grabbed my hand. I’d caught her off-guard, so she hadn’t been able to stop the bullet before it hit her, but she’d managed to stop it from completely going through her skull. There was a dent in the middle of her forehead and blood had started to drip down to her nose. It made the look she was giving me a lot creepier.
“Do that again,” she snarled, “and I will make you eat your bullet.”
“Someone’s a sore loser.” I yanked my gun back, but Ava didn’t let go. She got yanked close to my face, and I head-butted her in the nose. Something cracked, and it wasn’t my forehead. I was expecting Ava’s hand to fly off of mine and to her face, but her grip on the gun handle – and my hand – tightened, and she dug her heel harder against my chest. Even if I wanted to roll to the side, she had a strong grip on both of my hands, and I was trapped under her. There was no way I was going to use any magic, either, since she could easily reverse the effects, and I’d end up killing myself instead.
Ava was stronger than I’d expected, but not stronger than me. I didn’t hesitate. I pushed up against her arm, lifting my dagger and jabbing it into her side. Now that she was off-balance, I dropped my gun, pulled the dagger out of her side and rolled over so I was kneeling on top of her. I pointed the dagger at her throat and wrapped my free hand around her wrists, lifting them above her head. I pressed the dagger against her throat, but before slitting it, I made the mistake of looking at her face. My first thought was, how?
She’d just been shot, stabbed, and had her nose broken, but Ava didn’t appear to be in any kind of pain. She was struggling to pull her arms out from my grip, but I held on fast. There was only one emotion I could see in her eyes: pure hatred.
“I’m sorry, Ava,” I said, “but after everything you’ve done, I just can’t let this slide.”
I shut my eyes and shakily pressed further on her throat, then quickly yanked the dagger to the side. I felt Ava’s body go limp below me, but I didn’t want to open my eyes to see for myself. A small question nagged in the back of my mind: if this was all it took to kill her, how had countless others died fighting her?
Ava’s voice made me jump. “Gotcha.”
My eyes snapped open, and I saw that the blood had turned from liquid to a more solid state, like jelly, and quickly slipped under my hand that was holding Ava’s wrists, allowing her to pull out of my grip. I tried to push myself off of her, but Ava was quicker. Her hand was covered in blood, and she made a fist. I barely managed to see the blood form into something on her knuckles – almost like brass knuckles – and she punched me in the face.
I wasn’t expecting the burst of power that came from a single punch. It was enough to send me flying backward, and I hit the grass with a painful thud. I knew she’d broken my nose both because the pain was unbearable and because the lower half of my face was slowly getting wetter. I tried to sit up, but Ava’s boot came back into view, slamming back down on my chest, and I felt her hand wrap around my neck. Her dagger came down next, driving into my shoulder like thousands of needles at once and preventing me from lifting my own. I hazily remembered what Iris had told us about the Hunters’ leader – they were probably using their victim’s blood to create an all-powerful being, capable of using countless people’s abilities. It was stupid of me to forget that Ava was the leader and that she’d killed Ian, who could manipulate blood. She’d allowed herself to get caught. She’d been waiting for this.
“You’re adorable, Zack,” she sneered, twisting the dagger in my shoulder, causing it to burn horribly, then squeezing my neck. “Did you actually think you could kill me?”
She was right. I couldn’t beat her – not like this. My vision was swimming and my head was pounding. I couldn’t lift one arm because she’d stabbed my shoulder, and the other was trapped under her leg. My last option was to use the amulet. Wiggling my left arm out from under her leg, I reached into my pocket and grabbed it.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Ava pulled Carnwennan out of my shoulder, causing pain to shoot all the way to my fingertips, and lifted it above my head. “Don’t move, and I’ll make your death quick and painless.”
At first, I thought I was hallucinating from lack of oxygen, but I could’ve sworn I saw someone move behind Ava. There’s no way someone actually found me, I thought. It wasn’t possible. Then who could be running in our direction? No sane person would try to interrupt a knife fight alone. I decided I’d take the risk.
