Kyrhen's POV
I was huffing. Keeping up with them was next to impossible. My legs burned as my muscles worked to keep me going. Every now and then I'd lose sight of the others but I kept moving myself forward.
Running through tall unkept grass I finally caught sight of Fenix and Adelaide. Fenix's flight wasn't right and suddenly she dropped down from the sky. The white owl flew down and my grandmother could be seen urging Jake to hurry on.
From the other side of the overgrown pasture a tiger came into view as it sprinted out from the surrounding trees. It was running to the barn in the opposite direction from which Jakob was going to enter from. They must be coordinating an attack I thought.
Once Grandmother spotted me she urged me onwards. I knew she was more fragile than the rest of the group. It makes sense for her to tend to Fenix while we handle the rescue. The eagle falling from the sky was a bad omen though and fear gripped my heart as adrenaline pumped it's way through my veins making me forget the fatigue in my leg muscles. As I ran my chest felt tight. What if we are too late?
As I got to the door I pushed it open as far as the chain would allow and ducked inside the old building. I saw the two men fighting right away and an angry tiger clawing at David's back. His scream barely registered in my mind as I spotted my twin laying on the ground unmoving.
I ran to her, and sank to my knees beside her broken form. She had an eye swollen shut and a split lip. Purple hand prints were bruised into the skin of her neck. Her shirt was ripped open with several cigarette burns covering her chest like leopard prints. Bruising was apparent under her ribcage. Further down her pant had been cut open but her boy shorts remained intact. Her arms were bound together by chains. The wrists were purple and bleeding and she had massive cuts on one forearm. The most frightening thing was the fact that she was not breathing.
"Kalysta breathe! We are here sis just PLEASE BREATHE!" Tears ran from my eyes as I sobbed and gently tried to shake her awake. As she lay there I finally tilted her head up, pinched her nose, and blew air into mouth. I placed a hand on her burned chest and felt no beating.
I blew into her mouth again. Nothing
Pump pump pump pump
I pushed my hands into her sternum willing for the compressions to kickstart her heart. While trying to save her life I watched as Onyx ripped the throat out from under David's head as Jakob rushed to me to help save Kalysta. As the giant tiger shredded my old friend's body apart we took turns doing compressions.
Onyx roared loudly once he was satisfied with the carnage. It was a signal that brought grandmother into the barn with a limp eagle in her hands. Carrying the bird had been a struggle for her but she prevailed.
"Get back boys!" She frantically carried Fenix to Kalysta's body and carefully placed the bird over her.
Jakob sat back on his heels looking horrified at what wounds Kalysta had suffered through. I placed my hands on both sides of her battered face and placed my forehead to hers. Tears landed on her skin as I cried, begging her body for forgiveness for every single time I chose to believe her killer's lies over her word. I had failed her so tragically and in that moment I wanted to die with her.
Fenix's limp body layed on top of Kalysta and then a something magnificent happened. A shockwave of warm light blasted from the center of their bodies. The wave of supernatural power shook both Jakob and I out of our stupor and we watched as Fenix's body was absorbed into Kalysta. The light shining from them was blinding. I could barely see the smile on Grandmother Adelaide's face. It's the smile she gets when she just knows something no one else does. Nature must have whispered into her ear again for her to know to lay Fenix over Kalysta.
Then almost as suddenly as it had happened it was over and darkness engulfed us once again. Everything was silent except for the sound of soft breathing coming from my sister's lips.
Jakob and I flocked to her side quickly. Jake unchained her wrists so that each of us could hold one of her hands. We watched in astonishment as her skin began to glow. Swelling in her eye rapidly reduced and the dark bruise seemed to absorb into the light and disappeared. Bruises on her neck faded. The open cuts on her forearm began to sew themselves shut as a wink of light peaked out of the wound before it sealed leaving only faint scars behind.
Her breathing became more regular and soon she began to stir. Once her eyes opened I saw something that I'd never expect to find. Circling her grey irises was a bright ring of gold. It was beautiful and unnerving. It slowly faded and then only her natural silver eyes remained.
Jakob pulled her to his chest cradling her in his arms. I scooted towards them so I could hold onto her from the other side. Guilt and shame tore through me as I thought about how badly this could have ended.
"I'm so glad you're okay Kalysta. I was terrified we were too late," Jakob gazed down at her with wet eyes. In that moment I realized that the newcomer to our village had fallen in love with my sister. Everyone loves her. How come I couldn't until she had almost died? Shame ran through me making me shudder. Regret already thick in the air I was breathing.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I will never let you down again." The words kept leaving my lips. I said it over and over, not knowing what else to say.
"Uhm Jakob.... Can I borrow your shirt? I feel too exposed." Hearing her words he scrambled out of the garment and placed the neck hole over her head as she popped her arms into the sleeves. I looked away as he dressed her in his top.
"I don't have shoes." She looked at her feet frowning.
"I'll carry you," Jakob said.
A single tear slid down her face. "Where's Fenix?"
No one answered. Jakob and I simply didn't know the answer to her inquiry. Nan looked down and then motioned for us to head towards the exit if that old barn. After slipping back out the door we all started walking home. Jakob carried her the whole way. Her face was buried into his neck as the horror of the night finally sank in and hit her hard. Her cries caused her whole body to shake.
I didn't want to say anything but I too wondered what had happened to Fenix. Was she gone forever? What did we really see back there?
Onyx walked beside Jakob and kept giving worried looks. I could tell they were speaking to each other via the link. Were they trying to figure out where the eagle was? Nan walked beside me. She took my hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
Behind us I heard nothing. David was dead.