Heroes and Wolves [book 1]

Chapter fifty-nine

Layla

I gasp for air as there's a pulling sensation in my arm. The white light around me slowly clears in patches and solidifies into colour. I'm on the floor near Leo's. 

I sit up. The view of the surrounding buildings, benches and destruction become crystal clear. The broken chairs and upturned tables outside of Leo's push reality back to me - more so by the sights of civilians laid across the tables within. Civilians that are cut deeply. Their blood still pools on the floor of what was once the best café in Lakeintown. All those people had lives and families that they won't see again. Lives of such promise were cut too short and too soon. 

     "Hey, it's okay. You're out now." I suddenly hear Maylock. His voice is full of care. 

    "Maylock?" I frown confused as he crouches beside me. He's in his armour and has his helmet over him so I can't see his face. "Can't you see it?" I point behind to where the civilians still lay inside Leo's. 

     "Yeah, I can. They are the Mavlins I defeated. They haven't disintegrated yet." 

     "What? I thought..." I deepen my frown as I am lost in a mixture of shock and bewilderment. 

I turn around and Mavlins are laid in the same positions as the civilians were prior. Each robotic body then sparks and convert into particles that float upwards. Leo's is now a vacant and destroyed shell. 

     "Trixala attacked you" he shows me the long purple tentacle. "Steady breaths" 

I still cannot comprehend what I saw. The extent of injuries and blood are etched in my mind. I'm no monster. 

I bring my hands out in front of me. They are shaking but are clean of blood and my fingernails are short. 

     "Layla?" I feel a hand on my shoulder, taking me out of my trance. "Are you alright?" No, not really. I nod anyway as Maylock helps me up. I wobble a little unbalanced but I manage to stable myself. "Go slow, activate your angel as the armour will help to reduce the symptoms..." 

Maylock's words muffles and have no definition to them. Just sounds making no sense. I can't focus. My mind is undergoing a constant slideshow of what I witnessed, each flashback of horror is repeated. 

I glance back into Leo's a few times just to make sure that it really is empty because I don't ever want to see that again. 

     "...so we will do that and get you out of here" Maylock's voice is clearer but I have no idea what he said before. "Layla? Did you hear me?" 

     "I would be lying if I said yes to be honest" I glance back at Leo's once more and Maylock comes in view, blocking Leo's out from my focus. 

He presses the button on his angel to deactivate his helmet. His face has a couple of small grazes but it is in no way as extensive as before. Looking at his face causes me to flinch and I curse myself for remembering what happened again. 

     "Hey" he grips both of my arms but I shake away from him. 

I back off but he steps forward, making my retreat pointless. 

     "Are you okay? Do you want to talk about what happened?" His sparkling blue eyes study my face and reaction which makes me uneasy but I am stuck, frozen in body and mind because of what I saw and a little from his eyes scanning over every inch of my face. 

His eyes. 

Eyes are windows to a person's soul and in Maylock's there's calm, care and kindness. Such soft eyes that harden at the alert of danger and threat. Eyes that hold such responsibility for this city. 

      "Mavlins are probably still out here" I ignore his ask of explaining. I don't want to repeat it. What would I even say? I couldn't explain it if I wanted to because he doesn't know the one fact that came to be last night. I am a werewolf. Now isn't the time to tell him that either. 

     "Jordan has got rid of the last ones while Abbey and Zack are fighting Trixala" he tells me and I have to repeat what he says in my mind to process this reality compared to the Trixala sim. Jordan is alive and the others are healthy and unscathed. 

     "Okay" I mumble.

     "That Trixala attack has really affected you this time hasn't it?" his voice is low as he pins down my reality entirely. "I would escort you back to Miscellania but I can't risk it with Mechon lurking. He could deactivate your angel when you're in the air and I'm sure you would not like that" 

     "I would hate that" I respond quickly. 

     "As soon as we have a location for Mechon, leave the city. You can't stay here any longer"  

     "I know. I will go back to Miscellania Maylock" I have to agree with him. I should have gone back the first time he asked me. I was just so pumped to be involved in something. I didn't want to leave then, but I will do once Mechon is found. I wouldn't have been affected by Trixala had I left so I will leave as soon as I can. 

     "Alright. Activate your angel armour" I push and twist my angel and my armour and helmet come over me. As soon as I'm cocooned with my helmet and visor, my head is clear from any thoughts from Trixala. I'm more stable on my feet too. I'm glad for this relief. 

The rim of Maylock's angel glows a solid white so he presses it which causes his helmet to materialise over him. 

     "Yes, what is it Jordan?" he pauses. "Damn hopefully he sorts it. Yeah. Alright we will be careful thank you" 

     "What's the matter?" 

     "Trixala has left the city but Abbey's angel got tapped into by Mechon. Zack is trying to fix it but while that's going on, both of them are unable to fight and there are now Mavlins near the library. It seems like everywhere we search, Mavlins will spawn there later. Jordan is scouting the city in search of Mechon so that means the Mavlins at the library will need to be taken out by us. I'll take most of the flack when we fight. Stay behind me and pick off the weakened Mavlins okay?"

      "Sounds like a plan"