Dominions

Chapter 34: Jayden

Jayden wasn't entirely sure how the night got to this point. One second they were sitting around a bonfire and enjoying the night, and the next Elle is going postal and Asher is working with the bad guy?

It hadn't escaped Jayden that they were in a war. It was something that he was well aware of. Tonight though, the reality of what they're dealing with hit him in the face with the force of a freight train.

"You bastard!" Elle screamed as she lunged at Asher on the ground. Judah held her and she pushed him off of her. She turned around and faced the wall. A loud thump filled the room. Jayden turned abruptly, only to see Elora on the ground. Her body fell in a ragdoll, limbs sprawled out every which way position. It sent shivers down his spine.

"Guys!"

Selena threw herself to the ground and sat on her knees. She picked Elora's head up and laid it on her lap. "We need to get her to the bed," Selena pointed to the window where a small cot was placed underneath.

Judah and Jayden dropped Asher's arms and walked over to Elora. Jayden grabbed her feet and Judah grabbed her arms. They lifted her to the cot. When they settled Elora into her bed, Jayden turned and saw Asher sprawled out on the floor. He wept into the floor as Elle looked at him in disgust from across the room.

"This is royally fucked," Selena said. She grabbed Judah's arm and took deep breaths to calm herself. "We have no idea what is going on or how to fight this woman. She snapped her fingers and almost transported us to Gedeon's evil lair."

It sounded rudimentary to Jayden. An evil bad guy with strong henchmen. A lair they attempted to bring the good guys to, but that was only rudimentary in the movies. This is real life. As much as Jayden wanted to shake himself awake from this dream he had to come to face reality.

The battle was just getting started.

"We're the only ones acting rationally at the moment," Judah whispered to Selena and Jayden. "There's a lot we need to process, but the first thing we have to do is decide where we are going to go. It shouldn't take long for them to realize where we are."

A soft moan came from the cot. Selena scurried across the room and knelt quickly so that she was at eye level with Elora. She grabbed Selena's hand and whispered to her while choking out words. "That took a lot of my magic," Elora finally managed to mutter. "I'm afraid that is all I'm going to be able to help you with."

"Wait what?!" Jayden said. "You can't just leave us! We don't even know where we are or where to go!"

Elora gave a soft encouraging smile to the kids. Her voice was raspy and sounded as if she was at a level of exhaustion that Jayden didn't know possible. "I should have trusted you to fight all those years ago. Now, we are in the exact situation. Make no mistake, they'll be here shortly."

Jayden felt his heart begin to thump fiercely and rapidly in his chest. He was distraught.

"You have to unify your bond," Elora choked out. "I know that there was betrayal and distrust, but to even have the chance you have to link your magic and fight back. Down the hall is your old playroom. Go there and make a plan. Under the table in the middle of the red seat is a secret passage that will lead you out of the castle. If things get messy that is what I want you to do." "What about you?" Judah asked.

"They won't harm me," said Elora. "They need me."

Jayden was surprised at the assured tone she had in her voice. He nodded before he turned around to see Elle looking out the window of the tower and Asher had remained in the same position on the ground.

"I'm so sorry," he repeated over and over. "They were going to hurt her. They were going to kill her and I couldn't let her die!"

"Shut up!" Jayden said to Asher.