Kiya pursed her lips together and released a sharp exhale through her nose. “I’m not sure if wipes would get rid of it all, Nurse Raye.” She replied in a monotonous, deadpanned tone, unlike her normal.
Nurse Raye tried her best to give the woman a reassuring smile, even though she didn’t return it. “It wouldn’t hurt to try. After you get some of it off, I can take you to a room to get examined.”
“I don’t need an examination.”
“We’re under Alpha Neron’s orders to examine everyone who took part in the battle. He specifically requested that you get examined as well.”
Kiya wanted to argue, but her energy dissipated like smoke. The adrenaline from the fight faded as the world grew in color. Heaving out a sigh carrying her inner anguish, she followed Nurse Raye to an empty examination room.
She sat on the bed and allowed the nurse to test her range of motion, inspect her skin, and listen to her heart and lungs for any abnormal sounds. Through the whole examination, Kiya was like a robot; following orders without much resistance.
When asked to stretch out her arms, she did. When asked to bend her knees, she did. She did everything while her mind was occupied with the person whose blood marred her hands.
After five minutes, Nurse Raye smiled and draped her purple stethoscope over her neck. “Well, Kiya, everything looks normal. Your lungs are clear, your heart is strong, and your muscle strength is at its best.” She walked to the sink and opened the top cabinets to pull out several wipes. “These should take care of your hands.”
“When will I get news about the surgery?” Kiya blurted out.
The nurse paused. The sigh that left her lips didn’t do anything but make Kiya’s insides stir with her worry. “She’s being operated on as we speak. I wish I could tell you more, but that’s all I know now.”
“Will she be okay?”
“It’s too early to tell.” Nurse Raye handed her the wipes. “We’re remaining optimistic. The damage done was extensive and, coupled with the poison in her bloodstream, only time will tell.”
“She can’t die. She can’t…”
“Hey, don’t think that Kiya. You must keep hope as well.”
“She didn’t want me to heal her. We could’ve avoided all of this.” Nurse Raye looked into Kiya’s eyes and, for the first time since they’d been together, her browns weren’t void and empty, but filled with light, exposing the war within. Her lips quivered. “Why? Why wouldn’t she let me heal her?”
***
**One Hour Earlier***
When evil is bested, it will try to strike back harder to compensate for its loss. No matter the casualties of the battle or the puppets to do its bidding, the taste of victory is coveted more than the finest treasure trove filled with gold and precious jewels.
Moments after Neron was freed from the dark curse, he knew the struggle refused to surrender when he threw his body over his girlfriend and sister to protect them from the projectiles slicing through the air. Sharp whistles were the calling cards of the infiltrators, daring to taint the air with their presence. Windows, once strong and sturdy, shattered from the might of violent, long- shafted projectiles marred by red. Reflective glass flew outward as they were joined by the many other shards from other windows, falling with the grace of snow onto the summer glass.
Asim managed to shield Violetta and Phoebe with his body, protecting their heads from the rain of danger. Sounds of alarm, not from them but from the pack, melted with the deep rumbling of the earth shaking beneath their bodies. Gusts of harsh wind flogged their cheeks just as tendrils of black mapped out the concaves of the dirt, like snakes in the grass. The setting sun seemed to have taken its warmth and gone into hiding from the evil that stepped foot on a land once pure.
Once the rain of glass stopped, the alpha pushed himself off of the women and turned to the trees. Their sweet maple smell was soured by the presence of hatred. Asim raised himself off his fellow avatars and offered them his hands, pulling them upright. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple while Phoebe’s body quaked and Violetta dropped her lips in a half-frown, half-scowl.
“I thought it was over. I thought this was *fucking* over.” Nuria’s whispered words carried her frustration from her lips.
“With him, it never ends.” Neron muttered as he turned around to help his sister and girlfriend on their feet. The air grew dense. He craned his neck around them to check for bruising and injuries, but found none. “You two look alright.”
“We are.” Kiya confirmed, nodding her head towards the trees. “They’re coming fast and they’re coming hot. We can push them out, but you and Nuria can—”
“If my father wants to fight me, then I’ll give him a fight.” Neron interrupted with a headshake.” I’ll teach him a lesson for bringing his filthy ass onto my land.”
“He has company. A lot of it.” Phoebe called out, expelling a shaky breath. “What are you going to do, Neron? They’ll trash your lands if nothing is done.”
Neron closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. A beat went by. Two beats. Shuffling was heard around and behind the pack house. Seconds later, it went still. The alpha shot his eyes open, his blues aglow with a mix of anger and determination. “Defense protocols are in place. Through experience, I’ve learned that it is to be prepared for anything.”
Nuria crossed her arms over her chest. “Since you’re fighting, I am too, and don’t either of you say shit about it.”
Kiya exhaled through her nose. “Fine. It’s not like I can talk you out of anything you set your mind toward.”
“And that is how Phoebe and I ended up in bed last night.”
“Nuria!” Phoebe gasped, blushing bright pink.
“Gosh, even in danger, she doesn’t stop flirting.” Violetta gasped, turning to the alpha female. ” Don’t you have any sense of self-preservation?”
“Not after four o’clock.”
Before the banter could continue, a massive sphere filled with forbidden energy hurdled toward them. A translucent, violet wall stretched above the group, forcing the sphere to bounce off the magic barrier with a crash, exploding into dozens of electric beams upon impact against the tainted earth.
The hairs on the back of Asim’s neck stood in full salute. His throat went dry. A familiar sensation, teetering on the edge of nostalgia, swallowed his senses whole. It couldn’t be from the darkness, right? He swallowed a lump in his throat after failing to pinpoint exactly where it came from.
“*No, that doesn’t matter now,” He thought to himself, shaking the thoughts from his head. What mattered was defeating the impending doom coming toward them with menacing enthusiasm.
The dark army spouted from the trees with blackened bodies and outwardly features that one would think had sprung from the darkest recesses of children’s nightmares. Their knife-like claws and hunger, combined with their pointed teeth, gave them the appearance of demons crawling from the lowest pits of hell.
Just like the demon army Apophis was known for unleashing on the gods and mortals of the living world.