The Bloodstone Prophecy - Book 2 (complete)

Chapter 26 - Marked

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Liam was floating, powerless to stop the swiftly flowing current from taking him. He knew he should move his head to get his bearings and figure out where he was. But he didn't care. It didn't matter anymore. There was nothing he could do to fight it. Nothing any of them could do.

He felt indifferent as he was swept deeper and deeper into an omnipresent gloom. Vaguely, he knew what was happening.

He was becoming.

How long had it been? Days? Weeks? He couldn't remember.

Liam knew he was supposed to care, but he couldn't muster the energy. Would it really be so bad to forget? His mind might not be his own, but he would still have his life. His worries would end, and he'd be safe. Better that than be pulverized by the shadow giant or eaten by shadow creatures.

He felt dark tendrils wrapping around him. They weren't real, of course, they couldn't be real. But they seemed real as they writhed around his body, covering him in a blanket of shadow. He could feel the suffocating darkness press deeper and deeper, trying to penetrate his skin, trying to consume him. He was going, almost gone.

Then unbidden and unwanted, Kami's face flashed into his mind, more beautiful than he remembered. She stared at him with pained eyes, a look of deep disappointment etched on her features. He could feel what she was thinking. She was hurting. She had believed in him, and he was letting her down. He didn't blame her for abandoning him in the cave. He'd seen the look in her eyes. She'd barely restrained herself from running to their aid.

If she was in his place, she would fight the darkness. Kami would give everything she had and never give up. She would never understand why he was succumbing to this deep and penetrating deadness.

He knew he should fight the darkness, but he had seen the shadow giant in action. It couldn't be beat. They would fight hard, no doubt, but in the end, it wouldn't make a difference. They would die. He wanted to show her and make her understand. The image of Kami turned in his head, shielding her eyes from him. She was ashamed of him, of what he was giving up and of what he was becoming. He reached a hand toward the mirage, but she melted away before he could touch her.

Liam's mind felt numb, and for a few moments he could think of nothing but the darkness. He was slipping away, but somehow a spark lit deep within reminding him for just a moment. It couldn't end this way. If he gave in he would live, but he would belong to the Shadow Queen. That wasn't really living at all. He would only be existing, a body. Nothing more than a mindless zombie. He could see what was controlling him now, what he had yielded to. Fear. He had allowed the fear to overtake him and drag him down.

Now that he knew, he didn't try to fight the fear. Somehow he knew it would only feed it. He knew the way to fight was to ignore it and redirect his focus. He summoned every last ounce of strength he had and pummeled the darkness with his thoughts.

We can do this.

We will fight. We will win.

The light will beat back the darkness.

Something hissed. The tendrils were weakening. They reached for him frantically and held him tighter. He drew courage.

I can do this.

I will fight, and I will win, or I will die trying.

I am not afraid to die if dying means saving.

I am part of the light. The light is stronger.

The tendrils quivered around Liam. They were losing power. For the first time in a long time, he started to believe. Maybe he could beat this. He let the belief wash through him, and he let the affirmations cleanse his mind. He repeated the words over and over, speaking over the darkness, and through it.