(I remembered back when Lucah and I had been granted our status as mages and received our Crest of Jebiah. Once one achieved the status of a mage or sorcerer, it was common practice for one to receive the Crest of Jebiah engraved into their akri. Many treated it like a badge of honor, but Jebiah's Crest served a much more formidable purpose. It was a spell designed to protect the mages from the evil forces that they fought against. However, in the event that the mage failed and fell victim to these evil forces -willingly or not- the spell would kill them in an effort to preserve the purity of akri and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. )
I knew that this was it; I was going to die. I barely felt the prick of the creature's fangs against my skin when a searing pain exploded in my head. I screamed out, burning from the inside out. I felt the vampire immediately release me and try to escape. My vision blurred and I fell to the ground, unable to stand with waves of dizziness and nausea hitting me.
"Naveah!" Lucah shouted as he ran to me. He paused a few steps ahead of me and held up his hands cautiously.
"Whoa, Navi… Y-you're bleeding everywhere." He said worriedly. He immediately took his robe and ripped strips of cloth off. I groaned, wishing that I would just die already.
"It's okay, you're okay." He reassured me, trying to hide the panic in his voice. "Whatever you just did scared them off pretty good." Lucah worked quickly to wrap my head with the cloth.
"What I did…?" I mumbled, confused.
"Your akri... It was as if you detonated a bomb." Lucah breathed, patting the blood running down my nose. "Now… Let me see your neck." He said in a strained voice. His brows pulled together as he swept my long, knotted hair back.
I stretched my head out to the side weakly and waited for him to affirm my near time of death. Instead I heard him sigh of relief.
"You're okay… Thank goodness, I swore I felt my own heart stop." Lucah looked as if he were about to cry. He brought my head to his shoulder and hugged me tightly. My body began to tremble, but I couldn't tell whether it was from relief or because I was on the brink of dying.
"Naveah! Lucah!" A gruff voice called out to us. It was Hester, followed by Kaylani and Jace. He rushed over and knelt down beside us, examining Lucah and my gruesome state. Kaylani and Jace stood guard, prepared to take on any possible attacks. Hester looked at me with an indecipherable expression and reached his fingers out to my forehead. I winced.
"Naveah, were you bitten?" He asked in a low voice.
"Nearly." I wheezed. Hester pulled his hand back and appeared puzzled. "What?" I demanded breathlessly.
"Your Crest- it's completely obliterated." He speculated with a frown. "By a miracle, it looks like you'll pull through but we can't afford to have you fighting."
I let out a harsh laugh, blood gurgling in the back of my throat. As if I could fight anyway in my condition right now. Hester ignored me and continued.
"We set up a barricade in the Grand Tower and are moving as many people as we can. Jace will heal you and help you get there." He rose to his feet and motioned Jace to come. "Lucah, I'll need you to help Kaylani and the others in getting civilians to the tower safely. There are at least six of these creatures lurking around here." Hester said darkly.
Lucah nodded somberly and gave me one last squeeze before his arms slipped away. My body felt cold without his embrace, and a part of me wanted to pull him back. I had a deep pit in my stomach, and I feebly grabbed his hand before he walked away. Lucah looked back at me and smiled gently.
"I'll see you again soon. I promise." He murmured. I held onto every word he said and slowly released his hand. Lucah then followed Hester and Kaylani and briskly disappeared into the streets.
Jace wordlessly placed his hand on my forehead and I flinched as his akri reignited some of the burning pain in my head. Little by little, the pain and nausea began to subside. I sighed, feeling somewhat like myself again. I tried standing but to my embarrassment, Jace swiftly lifted me onto his back.
"I-I think I can walk now, Jace." I stammered uncomfortably.
"Save your energy." Jace replied curtly.
I slumped in chagrin, but I could tell Jace was in no mood to argue. As we walked deeper into Elmire, more and more people were clamoring into the road leading up to the Grand Tower. Hooded sorcerers stood in every corner, gesturing people to move quickly. I lifted my head as high up as I could, hoping to see my family somewhere in the midst.
"Your family was one of the first to enter the tower. They were one of the few townspeople who heeded our warning quite quickly." Jace said, understanding what I was searching for. Hearing that made me feel as if a weight was lifted off of me.
"What about Lucah's?" I asked. I knew Lucah's parents and his younger brother lived farther from the center of town, and it could take them longer to reach the tower. Jace's body suddenly became rigid and he remained silent. I felt a cold shiver run down my spine.
"Jace, they're okay, right?" I demanded.