The Legend of the Eight: The Wicked (Book 2)

20: Chaos Walking

TWENTY: CHAOS WALKING
MARCH 27
PHOEBE DOMINGO

DARKS THREW THEMSELVES INTO COMBAT as the Eight navigated their way through tunnels, led by the undead Alchemist, Eva Athos. Phoebe was quick, using her size as an advantage and slipping out of the grasp of any Dark that got their hands around her. Drew was the opposite. He was a force of power and pushed his way through, never stopping for a second.

Behind them, Liam traded magic with his fists and Kate ran, letting out small shrieks whenever a Dark got too close. Any straggling Darks were quickly taken care of by Logan Rogers. Phoebe was impressed.

As she ran, Phoebe felt a pair of hands wrap around her throat and the touch was hot as fire. The hands pulled her backwards and she nearly lost her footing. Scrambling to free herself, she jabbed an elbow backwards—hard—and the hands around her throat quickly released. She stumbled forward and rubbed her throat as the burning subsided. Quickly, she turned and shot a powerful curse at the Dark behind her. As she began to run again, she heard the sound of the Dark's bones cracking and he whimpered in pain.

Ahead, three Darks jumped Drew and tried to take him but Drew threw two of them off with a simple shrug of his shoulders. The third hung onto his back, swinging his fists as he tried to land a punch on Drew. Drew grunted through the pain and then ran ahead, straight to a wall which he nearly crashed into head-first. But he spun just before the impact, crushing his back against it. The Dark fell limp of Drew's back and Liam fired a jinx at him, jumping over his weak body as they ran down the hall.

"Move!" Liam yelled at Phoebe and as she ducked, he took out another Dark in the shadows, just inches from her face.

Startled, Phoebe kept running and as she did, her violet eyes darted around the hall, peeking into the rooms they passed. She didn't know what she was searching for—an exit? Bartemius?—But when she passed one door, she stopped.

Inside was a girl, crumpled on the ground wearing a familiar violet sweatshirt. Even with the soot and blood caked on it, Phoebe recognized the design on the back—the sweatshirt came from the Academy. The girl had long, sleek hair over her face and Phoebe couldn't tell if she was alive or dead.

A single light hung from the ceiling, giving off a faint light. It spilled onto the girl's porcelain skin and could've sworn it was—

"Chloe?"

Suddenly, Phoebe felt someone tugging on her arm and she jumped back, only to see Eva there with a wide look in her golden eyes. "We need to move," Eva said. "The portal's not far."

"But it's—" Phoebe tried to argue but stopped when she saw a man appear at the end of the hall, blocking their exit. Her stomach dropped and her breath caught in the back of her throat. A chill raced through her body like she'd suddenly entered the arctic and she was met with a crooked smile full of rotten teeth.

Bartemius Thawne.

Beside him was another face she recognized though it had been weeks since she saw him last. He looked different. Older. Tired. His skin had faded to an ashy color and his lips looked brighter. Bloodier. His eyes flickered around the hall quickly, taking in every detail in a matter of seconds.

"Oh my God," Kate gasped, covering her mouth as tears flooded to her blue eyes. "I knew it was you. I knew I saw you. You're not dead. But—" Confusion twisted onto her face as she must've realized there was something wrong if he was alive but the knot in their tattoos still came undone. It wasn't possible. Not in any way she could think of, at least.