Chapter 41

Forty-One

My lids sprung open, my lungs gasping for air as I frantically breathed in the night. The world was out of focus, blurry and obscured. I blinked, struggling to clear my vision, my body still tingling. I tried to move my arm to rub my eyes but couldn't. My head turned, my vision slowly settling as I realized my hand was tied, bound to something. What the hell?

"Alaska!" Ruby's scream pulled my attention, my head spinning to my left. "Thank god you're alive," she cried. I had to blink, completely shocked by what I was seeing. Ruby's body was hung on a wooden cross, her arms pulled and tied, much like my own. Her face was painted in foreign symbols, her feet were bound together, the bandages around her broken ankle soaked in blood. Her eyes moved past me to my right. "Baby," she cried, "it's okay." I turned to my side to see Jinx, her face also painted and bloodied, tied the same as us. Her emerald eyes were red, tears streaming down her face as she stared at her girlfriend. "It's okay, baby. We're going to get out of here. I promise." The torment in her strained voice made my heart ache with sadness.

My arms tugged at the thick, scratchy ropes, unable to break free. I curled my fingers, attempting to use my magic, when something electrocuted me in return. The pain caused me to yell through my teeth.

"It's no use," Ruby breathed heavily. "Our magic is useless."

"How?!" I tried again, the agonizing pain returning.

"The ropes are sacred, blessed by mother nature herself." Ahote approached us, followed by a handful of his people. Alastair was with them, his mouth muzzled with layers of thick ropes tied around his neck. He whined, desperately trying to break free at the sight of me. "It protects against unnatural things—evil things."

"Our magic is not evil!" Ruby yelled, exhausted and in pain.

Ahote chuckled at her words. "Your kind is unnatural, created from evil. Witches are a plague in this world, one that stepped onto these lands long ago. It was witches' blood—your blood—that drove the Wendigos mad. There's something about it that makes them feral." He nodded to the people surrounding him, and they stepped forward, approaching Ruby with a bucket. "After all these years, you were the first witches to stumble into these parts." Ahote's man raised a blade to her left arm, piercing her skin as he dragged it along her flesh to her elbow. She screamed, fighting back tears as her blood began to drip from the deep cuts. Jinx and I screamed, calling out her name.

"You see, this is a blessing. We will use your blood to draw the Wendigos out and kill them, one by one, finally ridding our people of their kind." The man placed a bucket on the ground as Ruby's blood dripped into it.

"You're sick!" I spat, my eyes burning from crying. "You want a witch"s blood? Fine, take mine! But let Jinx go." I turned, facing her as she cried, helplessly watching her girlfriend suffer. "She's not a witch. You don't need her. Let her go!"

Ahote shrugged. "Blood is blood. The Wendigos will come, witch or not."

"Alaska!" Lazarus' voice made my heart leap as my eyes found him, running through the camp. Ahote turned, watching as his men grabbed him. "Alaska!" he screamed, the men forcing him to the ground, tying his wrists. The old hillbilly kicked Lazarus in the side, pressing his boot into his back, pinning him to the ground.

Ahote scoffed, turning back to us. "Useless." He motioned to his man as he stepped towards me, pointing the bloody knife in my direction. "You're blood is nex—"

A loud shriek filled the night as its foul odor drifted in the air. I stared out, past Ahote and his men, past Lazarus, and spied the Wendigo loitering on the outskirts of the campsite. It was huge, its red fur glistening in the misty rain as it stood on two feet, its head raised, sniffing the air.

"Humma! Quickly, prepare yourselves!" Ahote shouted, his men scrambling to defend themselves.

The Wendigo's head shot in our direction, its breath steaming from its nostrils. I yanked my arms, fumbling to break free, watching as the creature began to sprint towards us. Shit, shit, shit! I tried to use my magic once more, instantly regretting it. I glanced at Lazarus, our eyes meeting as he struggled, pinned to the ground. He turned his head, rocking as he rotated his body, swinging his legs as he knocked the old hillbilly down.

The Wendigo began to tear through the camp, its long, boney claws shredding the tents as it galloped in our direction. Ahote's men tried to shoot at the beast, their bullets almost non-existent as they desperately continued to fire. The Wendigo stopped, shrieking with hunger, attacking those around it. Various members of the Triad took advantage of the moment, circling the beast, throwing lassos onto its antlers, pulling its body down. The animal chittered, fighting back, swinging its skull as the men went flying through the air.

Lazarus rose to his feet, his hands still bound behind him as he began to sprint towards us. "Lazarus!" I tried to warn him, but my voice was hoarse from my screams. The hillbilly swung his rifle, knocking Lazarus back to the ground. He groaned as the man kicked him onto his back, his wound now bleeding from the scuffle. I fought against the ropes, pulling to break free, desperately wanting to help him.

"Alaska," Ruby called my name, forcing my focus to her. Her eyes were fixated on something, and I followed her gaze, noticing the Wendigo, its teeth now dripping with blood and flesh. It was sniffing the air, a rumble vibrating from its chest. "It smells us; it smells our blood."

Our blood. My stomach sank as I realized my blood was mixed with Lazarus'. I turned back to face him, tears falling from my eyes as the Wendigo screamed. It began to sprint in our direction on all fours, using its antlers to shove the Triad aside, ripping through the campsite like paper. It was aiming for us, for Lazarus.

"Lazarus!" I cried, my voice shaking. He continued to squirm beneath the hillbilly's boot, opening his fresh wound, exposing more of our blood. Stop! The Wendigo became crazed, its tongue hanging from its mouth as it sped towards him.

"What's it doing?" Ruby called out, glancing from me to him. "Why is it running towards Lazarus?" I screamed his name again, my arms yanking at the rope, pushing my magic and fighting the electric shock I endured in response. Run. Run! "Alaska, what's happening?"

"He has my blood!" I screamed as the beast closed in on him. The Wendigo opened its jaw, roaring as its skull swung, sending the hillbilly into a nearby tree. Lazarus' eyes widened with fear as the beast rose. "Lazarus!" My throat burned as I blared his name. He turned his head, his eyes locking with mine as the Wendigo's mouth clenched around his torso, biting hard. I could hear his bones breaking as blood shot from his mouth. "Dreamer!" I screamed, watching helplessly as his life faded from his eyes. I cried out, my body sinking into itself as my heart shattered. "No! No!" The Wendigo continued to bite down on his body, licking his chest wound where I had poured my blood. I killed him. It was all my fault.

My self-control completely broke, my feelings and emotions rupturing through my chest as a new anger formed within, shattering my being. Without Lazarus, I was nothing.

My bloodshot eyes glanced from Ruby to Jinx, their pain and heartbreak matching my own. I wanted to give up, to accept my fate and die here on this cross, but I knew Lazarus would want me to keep fighting, to survive. To achieve my dreams.

I took a deep breath, groaning loudly as I tugged at the ropes, using all my strength and anger. My heartbreak and pain charged me, pumping through my veins as I ripped my right hand free. Gasping, I held it close to my chest, focusing as my magic sputtered, igniting in my palm. I looked at Ruby, my hand now fully ablaze.

"Get her out," she breathed. "Get my girl out!" I nodded, using my power to burn through the ropes. My body fell onto the ground, scraping my knees. The sound of the Wendigo huffing startled me, and I glanced up to see it smelling the air. Shit.

I quickly stood, running to Jinx as I burned her restraints, catching her as her body fell into my arms. She was weak, her face injured, her body exhausted. Together we ran to Ruby as I used my magic to burn the rope around her right arm. Her good arm dropped as she exhaled, relieved. Jinx accidentally kicked the bucket over, Ruby's blood spilling onto the ground. We froze, the three of us turning to lock eyes with the Wendigo. It wasn't far, chittering as it inhaled, catching the heavy scent of her magic. Jinx and I turned, frantically trying to free Ruby when our bodies shot away from her.

We landed against a tree, our backs slamming into the trunk as we stopped, the impact weakening us. Jinx tugged at my arm, pointing to Ruby. I glanced up, noticing her hand glowing maroon. "Ruby?" I tried to stand, her magic pinning me back. "Ruby, what the fuck?" She was holding us there, refusing to let us move.

"Get her out of here, Alaska. Save her. Save my girl." Tears dripped down her cheek, streaking the paint along her battered face as the Wendigo roared, stalking closer to Ruby. "Go," she cried, her magic fading as she dropped her arm. Jinx and I stared, unable to move. "Go!"

Together, we rose, hesitating as we began to back away. Ruby moved her hand, signing to Jinx. "I love you."

Jinx sobbed, motioning back to her. "I love you too."

I grabbed her arm, desperately trying to pull her towards the woods and away from the scene, but she refused, trying to run to Ruby. I fell to the ground, holding her in my arms as she sobbed, and Ruby turned to face the approaching demon.

Her brows furrowed as her eyes glowed with her hand. "Mother of magic," her hand began to surge, growing with her words, "hear my plea. Use my body, break my bones, drain my blood. Gift me your power as I unleash my chaos and reign it down on this earth!" Her flame grew, reaching across her arm and to her torso, quickly engulfing her body in a maroon fire. The Wendigo stood directly in front of her, snarling as it positioned itself to prance, its tongue wriggling in the air. I stood, yanking Jinx to her feet as I knew what was coming.

Ruby smiled, the tension in the air thick as she mouthed her final words. "Burn, bitch." The Wendigo shrieked as Ruby screamed, her power rupturing from her, igniting all around her in maroon chaos. The impact shot through the woods, the immediate aftershock forcing us apart as our bodies flew through the trees, slamming into something hard.

I stumbled to my feet, wombling as my ears rang. Despite my disorientation, I needed to find Jinx. I wandered through the woods, desperately trying to locate her, my heartbeat pounding in my skull. "Jinx!" I hollered. My body swayed as I called her again. "Jinx!" I tripped, falling forward as someone grabbed my arms. I looked up to see Jinx's emerald eyes staring back at me, bloodshot and trembling with fear. "Jinx!" I latched onto her arms, steading myself with her wavering body. "Jinx, we need to keep going." I swallowed as the world settled around me. Blinking, my eyes fixated on her, my expression twisting in confusion. She made no noise, no sound, just remained standing, holding me with terrorized eyes. "Jinx?"

She blinked, opening her mouth as blood began to pour from her lips. Her body fell limp, her eyes rolling as she stumbled forward into my arms. I screamed, falling to the ground, catching her as a bloody knife protruded from her back.

"Jinx!" I wailed, my fingers shaking as they touched the warm handle. She choked on her own blood, dying in my arms. "No," I cried, cradling her close. "No, no, no!" I buried my face in her hair, my heart aching in my chest with sorrow. "I'm sorry." My hands stroked her long ginger hair. "I'm so sorry." My face burned with sadness as I released a harrowing scream, my body melting in despair.

"Poor, Bambi." My heart stopped at the sound of his voice.