Avery's POV
She's running as fast as she can, I watch her from above, watch her as branches scrape softly against her skin. It's the end. She can't even take a moment to admire the nature around her, she just runs. She can feel it boiling, she can feel the earth waking up. I can feel it. I can feel it rumbling. I'm so starving. I'm fine. She's hungry. But she isn't allowed to be. There's a rumble in the distance. It's coming. The End.
She must run faster. She's so annoyingly human. She needs to run faster. She needs to save them. Run faster. Another rumble. It's over, it's all over. She will not make it in time. Her hair is knotted, face white as snow, eyes red and burning, skin flecked with cuts. She wants to scream but knows it would be a waste of energy. She hasn't slept. Energy seemed useless a few minutes ago. A few minutes ago, she was lying on the floor, praying for a quick release into the darkness. As each droplet of water trailed patterns down her skin, she prayed that they would multiply, rising over her shoulders and flooding through her nose, trapping her in a prison of flowing water.
And then she stood up. Then she ran. Now, she's almost there. Almost able to feel the sunlight on her face once again. Oh, how she craves it. It makes very little sense. Then, finally, she breaks through the curtain of leaves, feeling a branch arch its way across her skin as she does so, drawing blood. She does not care. She can't care. She must do what she intended. What I intended. She runs through the gardens as the clouds move to block the sun. As if they wanted the girl to suffer. As if they wanted me to suffer. Run faster.
And, that's when I see her. Those two bright blue eyes, that smile that seemed to always warm my heart. I had to save her. If no one else, her. I had to save her. Like she saved me.
"Avery?" I hear her cry as I appear within her eye line. She's sat with a girl. A blonde girl with kind emerald eyes. However, I do not have time to be questioning her character. I'm still running. And I'm so caught up in my head that I do not notice the beauty of the garden, let alone the beauty of the castle standing next to it. No. Not beauty. Threat.
I stop running. I'm standing before the two women, breathless. I thought I could do it.
I can do it.
"Avery... I was so worried, I thought that maybe..." My sister trails off. What she is thinking is true. I bit my lip, hard. I can hear her whispering to me. Do it. Do it. Save her. And so I do, I launch myself at her, clasping my hands around her neck, clenching tight. But she is strong. Stronger than I thought. Stronger than I remember. I guess she is not a little kid anymore. She pushes me back, gasping for air, "What... why did you do that?" She says in staggered breaths, her eyes piercing into mine. I used to give her that look when she'd avoid doing her chores, it feels like decades ago.
Tears prick at my eyes. Far too human.
"It's coming. It's coming and it's going to kill everything. It's happening again. Little Emelie, please, I must keep you safe..." I take a step towards her but she shrinks back and the blonde woman stands between us. She is annoying me now.
"Avery, please calm down. Everything is okay... nothing is going to hurt you... Please, come with me, I can bandage some of those cuts, maybe get you a bath," The blonde states, her eyes gleaming in the dull shine of daylight. I really want a bath. And maybe I could stop the pain. But there is no time. No time. I begin to shake my head, my body beginning to feel lethargic. Don't' give up on me. Not now. She's not safe.
There's another rumble and a cloud of dark mist appears on the horizon. It's terrifying, like something from a nightmare. I cannot be scared. The blonde is narrowing her eyebrows, moving towards Emelie.
"What is it?" My sister croaks, her throat still hoarse.
"We have to get inside the castle," The blonde murmurs, beginning to help Emelie to her feet, "Bad Magic..." Another rumble and the blonde is reaching for my hand. The earth begins to crack around us, fear growing in her emerald eyes, "Avery take my hand!" She yells as the ground rocks us back and forth. I want to. Everything in me wants to. No, she wants to. I am not her.
I shake my head. Maybe if I save myself, I can save her. Maybe... just maybe. I turn, gazing down into an endless hole, created by the earth. I look back, trying to capture my sister as she is.
And then I jump.
The girl is thrust into darkness. But not me. No, I watch the scene ahead of me unfold, the dark tendrils of fate clinging onto the scene beneath me. Emelie sobs, throwing her body to stare down at the hole which had devoured the broken body of her sister. Her eyes are empty and cold, as if she couldn't quite comprehend the events that had just occurred.
"Emelie, please, we have to find shelter..." Isla reaches out a hand to comfort the girl, her stance tinted with haste. The brunette begins to nod, reaching for her mate's hand. But fate has other plans. He wraps his hands around the earth, shaking it once more, desperate to see the two lovers in pain. The rock anchoring Emelie to the earth shatters, tempting her into the void below.
There is the shadow of a scream on her lips before a hand slips into her own- her real anchor. The blonde reaches to pull the other girl up but finds herself struggling. Of course, to her, this makes no sense. And as fate rattles the earth once again- the inevitable happens. Their hands part. Screams erupt. And suddenly, the darkness takes another.
Only I know that their fate is not death.
It is far worse.
A/N
So, I've been putting this chapter off for so long and finally managed to finish it! And... as the title suggests, this is the end of the book... there will be an epilogue and before you all get mad at me for ending it like this, I am officially writing a sequel. It's going to be slightly different to this and in a more, 5th wave style but I'm so incredibly excited and have so many ideas for it. I'm going to launch the first chapter nearer the end of January and am going to try and write one chapter every day as a sort of new years resolution or something. I really only planned this as a standalone book so I'm sorry if this ending seems rushed, I really couldn't let go of the characters just yet and decided to try and add a slightly ambiguous ending so that it flowed a little better.
Anyway, I do hope you enjoyed this book, the epilogue will be out either Friday or Saturday and I wish you all a brilliant day! Thank you so so much for reading and voting, I can never really express how much it means to me and goodbye for now...