The Year of the Tiger (Book 3 of The Almair Series) (Completed)

Chapter 72

Kalron met me in the middle like I thought he would and attacked me with such strength and energy that I was surprised and a little worried, but I didn't let him know that.

I couldn't because it could mean the death of my group and the clans that looked up to me.

"Rescue team, go," I said when I had Kalron's back turned toward them, and the rest of the group was fighting the Dark Forces. "There should be someone up there to help you get her out. Trust them. They bear my mark."

"Yes, Almair," murmurs sounded through my earpiece, and I could tell that they moved toward the building.

I kept Kalron's attention on me while the rest of my group fought the other Dark Forces. My main focus was on him and making sure that I followed this gut instinct that I had to fight him.

There were a couple of times where I had to injure him in some way that I didn't like, but I knew better to question my instincts, for it wasn't just the real Kalron's life on the line but the people that I had sworn to protect against the perils of these creatures.

I knew that some would still be alive and that they would multiply, but I prayed that whatever happened would at least stall them until I could finish whatever training I had to do before I met them again.

I knew that me getting my tiger half was not the end of it. I knew that I had to do something else, something that had to deal with Hermes and the magic that I felt in me. What I didn't know was if it would harm the people that I had sworn to protect.

Kalron nicked me with the sword he had, and I hissed in pain when it burned my skin. A malicious grin appeared on his face, and he started to attack me harder than he had, leading me to be on the defense instead of the offense like I had been.

"We got the girl," my father said, and there was a bit of relief through the groups. "She is alive."

"Start leaving once you see them," I said, blocking Kalron's hit and pushing him back a step. "Regroup at the base."

"Yes, Almair," they chorused, and they attacked the Dark Forces stronger than they had been.

I blocked Kalron from the attack he tried to get onto me and shoved him back a couple of steps. New energy filled me, and I attacked him harder than I had. I was glad that we were able to find her alive and bring her back to Shardul and Mrs. Vanessa.

"Everyone get out now," my father said. There was this urgency in his voice that I didn't like, and I pulled my gaze from Kalron and looked at the building, even though I knew that he would attack me.

"No, Dad, what are you doing?" I dodged Kalron's attack and started to run towards the building, my main focus being my dad.

"I love you, Kiddo," my father said. "Stay strong and look after your family, ya?"

"Dad, what are you doing?" I asked. I ducked the attack that Kalron sent my way and ignored his flying body as he flew over my head.

"Take care of yourself," my father said, not answering my question.

And with that, the line went dead.

***

"Noooooo," I screamed, knowing that my dad was dead. "Daddy!!!!!" I exclaimed and burst into tears. I fell to the ground, ignoring the chaos and the battle around me.

Kalron grinned and stood. Blood dripped from his wounds, but he didn't care while he looked at me through maniacal eyes. "Well," he said in a mock cheerful tone. "It looks like you lost. Poor thing," he cooed. "What can I do to make it all better?"

I didn't reply and stared at the ground in front of me. My vision was blurred by the tears, and there was this ringing in my ears that caused me not to hear what Kalron had to say.

I had failed. I had failed my family, and now, my dad was dead because of me.

I felt Kalron over me, felt the movement of a sword over my hunched body, but I didn't care. I didn't care about living or anything, and a stray thought crossed my mind of letting him end my life and the pain that I felt.

However, that thought didn't last long and was replaced with Bethany's beaming face when I came over to her house. It disappeared and then was replaced by those that still needed me, needed me as their Almair and their leader.

Clang! My sword met Kalron's above my head, and I shoved him back a few steps.

The will to live and the will to die filled my body, and I had no idea which one to listen to. So instead, I lifted my head and screamed out my frustration, anger, and pain. My scream turned into a howl, mourning the loss of my brethren, my father.

The ringing in my ears grew louder, but I ignored it and turned my gaze back to Kalron. My vision was blurry, but I could still see him standing there, looking both shocked and petrified as if I was some monster in the night that was set on killing him.

And in some way, I was.

So with one final howl of anguish, I stood and raced toward him with such ferocity that all he did was stay rooted in one spot and didn't move.

He didn't lift his sword, didn't protect himself, and with one final scream, I sliced him in half and watched his body fall to the ground, dead.

I dropped the sword at his feet and turned to the warehouse to see the rest of the group with Bethany with them. "Daddy!" I screamed and raced to the building that was now on fire for some reason. "Daddy!"

"Grab her!" I heard Faolon say over the roar of the fire and the ringing in my ears. "Don't let her go in! Everyone else, retreat! Go back to your houses now!"

I dodged a couple of people that tried to grab me after what Faolon had said. My main focus was getting to the building and seeing if there was any way to get my father's body out, no matter how much damage was caused to it.

However, as soon as I reached the doors to the building, I was pulled away by members from my clan.

"Daddy!" I screamed and tried to fight tooth and nail to get away from them to no avail. The ringing in my ears grew louder, and my vision grew blurrier and blurrier while they pulled me away from the burning building.

My breathing grew heavy, and my screams ceased when I couldn't breathe normally any longer.

I stopped fighting the people that had me in their arms and slowly let the darkness take over until I succumbed and went limp in their arms.

I'm sorry. Please forgive me.