FOREVER KNIGHTS: #12 Primal Intent

Chavias’ head tossed back as he roared in pain.

“Not your heart.” Rhyers gasped, punctured lung whistling. “A small mercy until Bast is here.”

“Your mercy does no one any kindness!” Chavias yelled bitterly. Wincing against the pain blooming around the blade.

What would they do with me? Take me back to WaterRose to torture me for information on Radix? What an unbearable twist that’d be.

“Does it hurt, Old Friend?” Rhyers was still leaned over him. Reaching between them to twist the blade. Making Chavias rear up in agony. “Bloody Hell, Rhyers!”

You bastard!

“That’s directly where you’ll go, if you don’t return to us.”

That can never happen. Radix would kill you all in retaliation.

“They wouldn’t have me!” He was in too much pain to utilize his usual careful control.

“Sadly,” Rhyers muttered as he fell back onto his side next to Chavias. “We would.”

The feral roar told them Sebastian was entering the woods at full tilt. Chavias could already smell the freshly churned dirt, Bast’s claws were tearing up.

I’ve got to get out of here.

I need to go heal. Wrenching in pain, Chavias yanked his own blade from his chest and lurched to his feet stumbling through the woods. His body was already forcing the change but his wound was life-threatening, so it would take more than those adjustments to fix what was punctured inside him. Changing now would use too much energy.

Energy I need to heal before I bleed out.

The wound had severed his stomach and had indeed skimmed his heart. He was bleeding into his throat.

He heard Sebastian roar again behind him and knew he had found Rhyers.

I’m still on your side. He’d wanted to tell Rhyers. Wanted them all to know.

But who’d believe me?

But what Rhyers had told him gave him some hope. Some cold comfort. He swallowed the thick fluid filling his throat. His hand clutching his chest, he emerged from the denser part of the woods and found Okine and several Targue waiting.

Okine looked at him gleefully. “You kill one. A fair start, from look.” Okine cackled.

He hefted Chavias over his shoulder.

Don’t come out Sebastian. He urged. Knowing if Okine spotted the panther, he would follow it and might indeed, finally be able to tell Radix where the Castle of Water was cradled.

Don’t come out. His eyes were riveted on the trees.

Blood and sputum were pooling from between his lips and trailing to the ground. Chavias choked and felt his body going weak.

Chavias’ eyes were red from the blood pooling in them when he looked up. Meeting Sebastian’s gold gaze from the shadows of the trees, he shook his head. Don’t.

Sebastian shifted in the shadows, moving parallel to them. Considering emerging to try and finish Chavias.

Not now. He tried to tell him. They’ll see you. He vomited a pool of fluid on the brown grass.

Sebastian reared back, freezing where he stood. Why should I?

Chavias heard the question echoing in his mind. Nearly painful as it ripped through in a way he was no longer used to. They’ll kill you or follow you home. They want WaterRose. Chavias was shocked he could still hear Sebastian telepathically.

We haven’t communicated like this in a long time.

Sebastian hadn’t heard his cries all those years in the caves. Years he’d begged Sebastian to meet him on his missions and cut his throat.

He hadn’t come then.

Don’t let him now. Chavias willed.