Chapter 299 The wake

Chapter 299: Chapter 299 The wake

Kaelen’s POV

I ran through the darkness, and my lungs were burning.

Each breath was a struggle, each step a battle. The silver was still eating away at my skin, and I could feel my arms trembling beneath Talia’s weight. But I did not stop.

The guards were behind us. I could hear their footsteps, their shouts, and their torches flickering in the darkness.

"Talia," I whispered. "Please. Please wake up." I looked at her face. "I have been carrying you for what feels like hours, Talia," I whispered, and my voice began to crack from exhaustion. "And I will carry you for hours more if I have to, but I need you to open your eyes, Talia. I need to see that you are still in there, that you are still fighting, and that you are still with me.”

But Talia did not respond.

Seraphina stumbled beside me, and I caught her with my free hand. "Keep going," I said. "We are almost there."

She looked at me, and I saw the exhaustion in her eyes. "Are we?"

I did not answer, because I really did not know.

Then I felt a movement in my arms, like a small shift.

I looked down, and I saw Talia’s eyes fluttering open.

"Talia?" I said, my voice cracking with hope. "Talia, can you hear me?"

She blinked, and I saw the confusion in her eyes. It looked like her head was pounding, because she was rubbing it weakly before her hand dropped again, and I could see the pain on her face.

"Kaelen?" she whispered, her voice weak and hoarse. "Where... where are we?"

"We are in the tunnel," I said. "We are escaping. Your mother is with us."

Seraphina moved closer, with her hand reaching for Talia’s face. Her fingers trembled as they brushed against her daughter’s cheek.

"Talia," Seraphina said, her voice cracking with emotion. "My daughter. You are awake."

Talia blinked, and I saw the recognition in her tired eyes. "Mother? Is it really you?"

"Yes, Talia. It is me." Seraphina’s tears fell onto Talia’s face. "You saved me, my brave baby girl. You came for me."

Talia tried to smile, but her face was too pale. "I told you I would, Mother. I told you I would find you."

"Shh," Seraphina said. "Save your strength. We are getting out of here.”

She looked behind me, and I saw her eyes widen. The guards’ torches were flickering in the distance, and they were still coming.

"Talia, look at me," I said. "I need you to stay awake. Do you understand?"

She nodded, but I could see the exhaustion in her eyes, and she was barely holding on.

I let out a deep breath. “I guess I will have to keep carrying you anyways.”

"I am so tired," Talia whispered.

"I know," I said. "But you have to stay awake. We are almost there."

She looked at her hand, and at the wound on her palm. It was still bleeding, and I could see the raw flesh beneath the blood.

"Kaelen," she said. "I can hear noises. Are those malachai’s guards."

I nodded. "They are behind us. But we are going to make it."

She looked at me, and I saw the fear in her eyes. "What if we do not?"

"Then we fight," I said. "Together."

She nodded, and I saw the determination flicker in her eyes. It was weak, but it was there.

"Keep going," she said. "I am with you."

I held her closer, and I ran faster.

The tunnel stretched before us, dark and endless, but I did not stop.

Talia pressed her hand to her head again. “I think you can put me down now, Kaelen.” she said.

I pretended like I could not hear what she said.

"I know you think you can walk," I said after a moment, with my voice firm but gentle. "But right now, you can barely hold your head up, Talia. And I am not going to let you push yourself any further than you already have. So you are going to stay in my arms, and I am going to carry you out of this tunnel, whether you like it or not.”

I increased my steps, and gave Talia no room to argue. Because if I put her down in her current state, she would slow us down. And with the guards gaining on us fast, I could not stop.

We rounded a corner, and I saw a narrow passage ahead. The walls were closer here, and the ceiling was lower. It would be harder for the guards to follow us faster, unless they went in single file, which would slow them down a lot.

Seraphina stopped, and she looked back at the tunnel behind us. The torches were getting closer.

"Child, keep going," she said. "I can slow them down."

I looked at her. "What?"

She pointed to the walls. "There are loose stones here. If I can bring them down, and it will block the passage."

I shook my head. "We do not have time."

"It will only take a moment," she said.

"Seraphina..." I called.

"Kaelen," she said, with her voice firm. "I was in a cage for fifteen years. Let me do something please. You are both here because of me, so let me help."

I looked at Talia, who was still weak in my arms, and I looked at Seraphina, and I saw the determination in her eyes, that she needed to do this. She needed to fight.

"Fine," I said. "But make it fast, please."

Seraphina nodded, and pressed her hands against the wall, and I saw her fingers glow faintly. She was using the old language, and I felt a bit of Talia’s kind of magic, stirring in the air, even though it was very weak.

The stones began to shift. I heard them grinding against each other, and I saw cracks forming in the wall.

"Come on," she whispered. "Come on."

The guards were getting closer. I could hear their shouts, their footsteps, and their heavy breathing.

"Seraphina," I said. "We need to go."

"Almost there," she said.

The stones began to fall. They crashed into the passage, blocking the path behind us. Dust filled the air, and I heard the guards shouting.

"What was that?" one of them yelled.

"The tunnel is blocked!" Another voice answered.

"Find another way!" One of them yelled again.

I grabbed Seraphina’s arm. "We need to move."

She nodded weakly, and we ran.

The tunnel stretched before us, dark and endless, but we did not stop.