Links to previous chapters: Chapter One: Homo Fuge, Chapter Two: What Happened After Sunrise, Chapter Three: Arrangements, Chapter Four: Mother Returns, Chapter Five: The Next Day, Chapter Six: Hannah, Chapter Seven: A Subtle Yes, Chapter Eight: I Will, Chapter Nine: Him, Chapter Ten: Old Wives' Tales, Chapter Eleven: The List, Chapter Twelve: Noah's Ark, Chapter Thirteen: Cheikos, Chapter Fourteen: Is It Him?, Chapter Fifteen: The Other Wolf

We talked like that for hours. Tobias heard of everything that happened before the castles and before the fire, as well as our adventure with Koinb and Cheikos. I heard what caused the advisors to hack each other to death.

“Nathan did some…research. When your mother fled, she put a spell on those she saw as a threat: your father, your brother, the advisors, her brother,” he took a breath, “And you. When your mother got within a certain distance of these people, that phrase ‘Homo Fuge’ would appear somewhere on their bodies.”

“She didn’t know when she’d be back, so she made sure to mark those she might not recognize upon her return,” Khoda added.

“My father?” I wondered. Khoda bobbed in what I assumed was a shrug. “My mother had a brother?”

Tobias nodded. “The undertaker. His body was found among the advisors.”

I swore. “What about your mother? Has she been reached?”

“They haven’t been able to find her yet,” he shifted to lay back on his elbow, “But that’s expected with her.” He looked hard into the fire. “Anyways. Your mother’s life was tied to the lives of those she marked. When you – when she died, something in them snapped; they went after each other like animals.”

“Except for me,” I drew my knees to my chin.

“Except for you,” Tobias echoed.

“Because I killed her?” I asked.

Tobias nodded. A log shifted and embers wove their way upwards. Wind screeched outside the windows.

“You two should get some rest,” Khoda said.

“It’s barely evening,” Tobias objected.

“You both need sleep and rest.” Khoda rose, expecting us to follow suit.

Tobias stood and offered my sword hilt with one hand, holding out his other to help me up. I took it and he lifted me to my feet. I buckled the strap around my waist and flinched as the sheath hit the bruise that formed on the ride in the basement. His boots were worn and fit almost perfectly to my feet, but their soles didn’t keep out the chill from the stone floor. Tobias opened the door and Khoda trotted toward the Gate.

“We should check on the other wolf before we go to bed,” I suggested.

Tobias nodded and we walked past our door. A breath of cold air curled from under the door; we shivered. Nathan and Orius passed us on our way.

“Are you going to see the wolf?” Orius asked.

“Yes, can you tell us anything?” I answered.

“He’ll be asleep until morning, according to the veterinarian,” he replied.

Tobias nodded. “We won’t see him tonight, then.”

The four of us returned down the hallway. When we neared our door, Orius grabbed at his bandaged ear as if in pain. The air thickened and the temperature plummeted.

“Don’t walk into it,” I managed to gasp in an attempt to warn the others.

The door was blasted from its hinges out at Tobias. He ducked; Nathan and I stopped the door before it hit him, then flung it back at Cheikos, who easily stepped out of the way.

“Tobias! Take Orius and get Khoda!” Nathan shouted.

They ran towards the Gate, Tobias following Orius. The air around us began to thicken again. I pushed against it, telling Nathan to do the same. It still condensed, but slower than before. Cheikos’ sleeves were rolled up, revealing thick black letters that crawled up his left forearm: Homo Fuge.

“I’m done with that phrase!” I screamed.

I launched a blast of energy to his chest. He sliced through it with the daggers. Nathan blanched and wavered for a moment.

“How the hell did he get those blades?” He asked, repositioning himself.

“How should I know? Just get him back into the room so we don’t accidentally hurt someone!” I ordered.

Cheikos redoubled his will against ours. Soon we wouldn’t be able to hear, and our sight would vanish not long after that. Perhaps my blade could reach him before those were lost. I grabbed the hilt and immediately felt my energy pulse out to its tip. It cut through his energy like butter. We advanced toward each other, metal and energy screeching against each other in collision. I was a more skilled swordsman, but he had strength and weight favoring him.

The blade in his right hand twisted from his grip and clattered dully on the carpeted stone inside the door’s threshold. He tossed the blade in his left hand away and pulled the broadsword from its sheath strapped on his back. I took advantage of the momentary pause and kicked him back into the room. Nathan followed us inside and put an energy block in the doorway – no one could get in or out without removing it.

“Where’s your dog to help you now?” Cheikos snarled.

I jabbed upwards, hot in anger and hoping for blade to meet flesh. It struck metal, so hard and weighty that my wrist snapped backwards. My knuckles grazed my forearm; my knees caught me as I fell. I shrieked in agony and dared not look for fear my hand was no longer attached. He chortled and raised his broadsword for the final blow.

Nathan had been using every ounce of his strength to keep Cheikos’ energy back from himself and me. He swung energy from the ceiling down at the cloaked figure over me, only for it to be sliced in two. His sword would not cut through energy. He shot blast after blast, all of them halved. He ran towards Cheikos, losing balance and falling as one of his eardrums burst. Blood trickled into his beard. He rose, stumbling, and continued to fight, but it was clear who would win. Without balance, Nathan had no chance; I had no chance. This was it. My right eardrum followed my left in a quick pop. Everything went silent.

I saw Nathan pointing at the doorway, yelling something I couldn’t hear. But he didn’t know that. I looked. The white wolf stood at the door, blocked by the wall of energy at the doorway. Nathan was too busy keeping Cheikos at bay. I looked at my hand – severed on the inside of the wrist, but still attached. Energy felt like a hot knife moving through the split skin and nerves, but it still moved through. Shaking and trying not to scream, I pushed against Nathan’s energy block. It moved an inch or so. Still shaking, but leaning into my scream, I shoved against the block again. It moved enough for the wolf to squeeze through.

The white streak shot for Cheikos, who had raised his sword to decapitate Nathan. Curved teeth latched on to his right hand and the impressive blade clanged on the floor. He shook the teeth from his skin, but in a sudden leap they were at his neck. This time, they weren’t shaken off; they stayed solidly in place until all doubt of life had left him. The wolf released his neck and the bloody gore strung itself from his skin to its lips. A few paces back and the strings mercifully broke.

I looked over just in time to see Orius and Tobias race into the energy block and sprawl backwards. They found the opening and hurried in the room. Orius ran to Nathan, Tobias ran to me. Nathan pushed his messenger back gently and pointed at me. I was lifted and set on the bed. The pain in my wrist was anguish; I couldn’t hear anything. The room spun.