A Girl Who Does Bad Things

Chapter Twenty Eight

Sophie POV
As soon as the sky opened up, Fintan shoved me behind him. I watched in awe as Black Swan members poured in like grains of sand in an hourglass. Fintan's hands burst in flames and he ran into the growing fight. More Neverseen members joined in but it was clear within the first few seconds that neither group was outnumbered. I slid a few goblin stars into my hands and scoured the crowd for the unmissable wrinkles of Mr. Forkle.
Unfortunately, I was not the only one. The Vacker boy and girl were already by his side and Ruy was already attacking them.
I let out a frustrated grunt and threw myself into the fight. Bodies jostled around me and I tried to focus on the center of the battle, where the most action was.
I found it in a seven foot tall gray goblin. My lips curled back with joy and I pulled out another goblin star for good luck. My small form darted in between fights but I don't hesitate to throw an elbow into a Black Swan member's face whenever I could.
I reached the goblin faster than expected. As soon as he caught a look fo my face I watched his arms droop and his eyes blur with held in tears. I didn't understand, what was he doing?
"Move!" A Neverseen member yelled out to me and I dove to the side as a red headed woman rolls my way, her head almost black with dried blood. Her face is frozen in fear and recognize her as the woman shot rid to hug em a few weeks ago. Edaline, I think her name was.
I use the distraction to my advantage and while the goblin is still looking at the elf on the floor, a friend I presume, I start sprinting towards him. He looks up just as I jump. My body hurtles past his shoulder and I slice his cheek open three times like a clawed animal with the goblin stars in my hand. I grab his shoulder to spin myself around and slam onto his back. I wheeze but manage to stay on.
Arms as large as barrels lurch back and I try to avoid them but they latch on to my upper arms.
The goblin throws me over his head and I watch as the ground come hurdling to my face, squeezing my eyes shut like I tasted a lemon. Yet it stops just before and I find myself suspended in air, the goblin still holding me with a pained look on his face.
I look him directly in the eye and spit, "Yelibe"
His face is shocked with my goblin curse and my leg comes crashing into his chin. The goblin drops me and I scramble to my feet, sprinting away from his coughing figure to find an easier battle.
Suddenly a Neverseen member and a Black Swan member comes crashing on either side of me. Bodies press into my sides and my eyes water as air is choked out of my. I can't breathe I can't see....
"Sophie?"
Gethen.
He drags me out of the crushing pair and I hug him, clinging to his strict form. Gethen pulls us towards the wall and nobody seems to notice, giving us time to prepare.
"You need to go!" He hissed.
I shake my vehemently, he was not getting rid of me that easily. "This is my fight as much as yours."
Gethen glances around nervously, "We're losing. Ruy and Lady Gisela have already left. They wanted me to collect you and tell you to follow the black hallway. If you know what that means..."
His voice trails away and my ears ring harshly, blocking out any sounds of the battle. Cowards I think in my mind. Another thought bubbles up and I try to shake it away. If Ruy and Gisela know that only me and a few others not including Gethen know what the Black Hallway is, then that would mean they never meant for him to leave this base.
I was not going to let that happen. Gethen was the only one I really cared about. I yanked a blue leap crystal from my pocket and shoved it towards him. Gethen's face hangs open with the realization that it is a Forbidden Cities crystal.
"Take this and go. I'll follow Ruy and Gisela, but this will take you somewhere safer. An old safe house of mine. I'll try to meet you there tomorrow, but there should be enough supplies to keep you alive for a while."
Gethen's mouth opens and I stop him, "Before you protest, relax, I'll be right behind you."
He looks to the crystal and back up at me. I know he wants to go. Telepaths aren't usually too eager to jump into battle. They much prefer a controlled environment where their ability can be more useful.
"Go." I add once more, hoping he can't hear the waver and crack in my voice.
I half heartedly shove him away and Gethen sprints along the wall, disappearing behind the mass of bodies. I bit my lip and pray the tears don't return. Please, I think, let him live.
"Sophie!"
I recognize this voice too well. The Sencen boy. I can't let him distract me right now. Ducking under a man and woman with their arms locked together I embrace the fight again. A fire sparks in the corner of my eyes and I follow it to Fintan. He's battling one of the Collective members, the Froster one.
Whoever they are, they're good. Fintan tries to light another flame but the figure has their hands around Fintan's, encasing their clasped fingers in ice. I can only imagine how badly Fintan is burning the figure's hands right now, but they manage to keep the ice form melting.
Sneaking up from the back I lift my elbow and bring it down on the nape of their neck. The top of their spine cracks painfully and the Froster falls to the ground. Fintan melts the ice
holding them together in seconds and I shiver as I see the delicate hands of the Collective member now reduced to ash and char, barely recognizable.
"Thank you." Fintan huffs, though I know he doesn't like to thank people.
Glancing around at the losing battle I say, "Don't thank me yet."
Before Fintan can try to persuade me to leave, I throw a goblin star towards someone and pin them to the wall, striding towards them. I smell the immediate scent of fresh smoke and smile.
Fintan, of course.
The figure I pinned is struggling to pull the goblin star from the back of their shirt. Based off the pinpricks of blood staining their cape, I would say I barely nicked them. I grab a dagger from my waist and hold it to their neck, their face still turned to the wall, away from me.
"Look at me." I whisper.
The figure stops moving at the feeling of cold steel on their neck and slowly turns around. Both of our mouths gape open in shock and I almost slice his neck right there. I should have. It would have completed my mission.
But I still couldn't kill the Vacker boy.