Violet Eden Chapters 04 - Endless

arrow, Lilith was on her feet. The exile spectators had started hollering. Lilith came right up to me, yanking a few of the arrows from my body, twisting them as she pulled them away. I cried out. She smiled.
    ‘Youare just mortal. You think you have purpose? You do not. You think you are powerful? You are not. Are you watching, Evelyn? Are you proud ?’
    Evelyn struggled under the hold of the exiles restraining her. ‘Look at her, Lilith. Take a long hard look at the mere mortal who is going to destroy you for good.’ Evelyn spat out the words.
    Lilith’s composure slipped and she spun to Phoenix. ‘Speed things up!’
    He nodded and loaded another arrow.
    ‘Not that way!’ she snapped. ‘Bring forward her wounds.’
    I struggled feebly against the restraints.
    Oh God. I can’t. This is it.
    Lincoln’s strength flowed into me, holding me together. Blood now covered my body and poured from my mouth and nose.
    Phoenix moved a step closer to me, his eyes closing briefly. I could feel his sadness and regret at what he must do.
    I looked up at him and ground out, ‘Do it!’
    And he did.
    Onyx’s first shocking wound to me, after I’d embraced – the sword in my back that went right through me – returned. Phoenix did his best to minimise the pain, but he couldn’t do much in the face of such a horrific wound. Blood poured from me as I watched him – my vision blurring again – reload the bow, and aim.
    Fire.
    Fire.
    Fire.
    Fire.
    Ichoked on blood. I suffocated in Lincoln’s power, pouring – no, hammering – into me. I couldn’t imagine how he had anything left to send, but it kept coming. So I took it, and I used it. My body convulsed against conflicting urges; my human body wanting to give up, my soul demanding me to go on, and my angelic ability forcing my warrior to fight.
    I thought of Tom, singing with his divine voice. I thought of Simon, the warrior he would become. If this was my purpose in life – if this was why I had been created, made Grigori, given this power … If this was why I was Lincoln’s soulmate – to survive these arrows – I could live with that. Or die with it.
    Arrow number fifty-six.
    There was little space left on my body that was not marked and bleeding. I hiccupped through short trembling breaths.
    At least one of the arrows had punctured a lung.
    I tried to heal it.
    Arrow fifty-eight.
    I coughed. Blood splattered. I couldn’t draw on any more power.
    I refused to close my eyes. I looked at Lincoln, my love. He was crying, his face twisted in agony as four exiles held him back.
    I let him see the truth. It was time. He screamed till there was no breath left in him.
    Phoenix turned to Lincoln. Then back to me. Lincoln started shouting at him, ‘No! No! No more! Phoenix, no more!’
    Phoenix reloaded.
    I held on. He fired.
    One more child.
    Eachbreath more shallow, more broken. I was afraid.
    Still refusing to close my eyes, I began to mentally say my goodbyes, first to Dad, then Evelyn. I thought of Steph and Salvatore, of Dapper and Onyx, of Griffin, Zoe and Spence. My family.
    I looked to Phoenix and sent him my apology, my forgiveness, too. He blocked me and reloaded. But it was okay. Every arrow equalled one more life.
    Finally, I looked back to Lincoln and let my heart go to him. With the last of what I had, I whispered, ‘I love you.’
    Another arrow jolted my body.
    Good. One more life.
    Lincoln pushed against the exiles restraining him and screamed, ‘I’m yours! Always. Always!’
    Then he sent me everything he had. I saw him fall to the ground as the rest of his power fed into me, helping me to survive a few more arrows.
    Arrow sixty-four hit.
    Arrow sixty-five.
    Arrow sixty-six.
    Evelyn cried out.
    Arrow sixty-seven.
    I was sinking.
    Finally, I let myself go to that place. I forced my eyes to stay open, but I let myself shut down and go to that place I’d taught myself to seek. The place that locks the rest of the world out, the place that created the rules.
    I will not run from you. I will not hide from you. I will endure anything you give to me. I do not believe in fairy-tale endings. I will stand and I will fight. I will … I will … I will …
    Arrow …
    Arrow…
    I didn’t know if my eyes were open any more. It didn’t matter. Eventually, there was only darkness.
    No tunnel.
    No light.
    Only the promise of nothingness.
    And yet, suddenly, in those final moments, a sharp wave of fear lurched up and penetrated every part of me. I was