Chapter 25

Nuala

I was a goner. I knew that. I was scared but I couldn't close my eyes. I watched its dirty claw come at me. I didn't have time to move. I was on the ground already. I said my quiet goodbyes to everybody and I saw the trees lean forward as if they would try to stop that thing. The claw was gonna hit me now. I hope Daemon closes his eyes… Then a shadow covered me. And the claw went through it, never touching me.

'Daemon!' Lyra screamed and the monster pulled back its bloody claw as my friends ran to fight it. Blood splashed on my arms. I sat stunned and I caught him when he fell back. I knew it was him. I tried so hard to believe it wasn't but he looked at me and smiled. I heard Grey come to us, whining and crying.

There was blood all over his torn up body and some trickled from the corner of his mouth. I fumbled with spells in my head, putting my hands over his chest and pouring out my powers. I never healed something this bad before. My hands were shaking now, tears were falling into his blood but I didn't stop. I couldn't heal when I was so messed up! Nothing changed. He was still… A warm hand touched my face. It was wet with blood.

'Nuala, stay safe.' He murmured and his hand fell from my face. His eyes didn't see me anymore. His skin was as white as mine…

'Stay awake!' I demanded in my shivering voice, I heard the monster roar but it didn't scare me. What scared me was my brother… I was holding him in my arms, dead… No! I pushed more power into his wounds but they weren't healing. The trees groaned as they bent, sending me comfort and their feelings of sadness.

I screamed. I didn't need comfort! I didn't need pity! I need my brother. I need Daemon! And everything was useless if he wasn't here! What was the point of having powers if I can't save him?! I'm so weak I couldn't protect him and now he's dead and I can't bring him back! Suddenly, I was angry. I was so angry. Because I thought being Nature's Princess was something special but it meant nothing…

'Useless!' I screamed, holding Daemon's body close to me. 'I don't want to be Nature's Princess anymore! I won't be! Useless!' I sobbed, my body was shaking but I held onto him tight. Grey howled as the monster who killed my brother fell dead and the others looked at me, tears on their faces.

'Nuala, you can't…' Wolf started softly. But I won't listen to him!

'I can! I can and I will! I'll stop being the Princess of Nature!' I screamed as loud as I could and suddenly the trees began to shake violently. It made a loud sound. They were scared. I was scaring them but they were sad for me. Then I felt life begin to leave one tree, it travelled in the ground, right into Daemon… I waited but nothing happened.

The tree turned white, its leaves froze. I held onto to Daemon and cried into him. My big brother… I thought for a moment. He was gonna come back. But that was stupid. He was never coming back. He had to save me because I couldn't save myself. I killed him. I killed Daemon.

'God help us.' Vira whispered. I wasn't ready for the impact I felt. So many lives! So many lives just whizzed in the ground past me, faster than anything I've seen, it shot straight into Daemon. And his body jerked. I lifted my head in shock, staring at him but I noticed too… what the others had. The forest had gone white and frozen. Every tree, every blade of grass, the birds in their nests… The whole forest had died.

Daemon coughed a wet sound. I looked down. And he blinked at me and looked around at the forest that gave him life. They loved him just like they loved me. 'God, Nuala, what did you do now?' He asked softly, his voice scratchy. He's… alive…

I wrapped my arms around him and cried like the child I was. 'Daemon!' I choked, Grey nuzzling him.

'Daemon!' The others echoed, crashing to their knees around us.

'Calm down. Stop crying.' He protested while petting my hair. 'We need to get back to Camelot.'

'You can't even move, stupid.' Lyra said with a smile but there were tears on her face. I let him go and started healing, breathing evenly. I used my magic to fix him up slowly, making sure to keep calm. I need to make sure not to waste the gift the forest gave him. He needs to stay alive. The others explained what happened to him while I worked.

After a while… I couldn't hear them anymore but I ignored it and kept working. I was so tired. I blinked my eyes and my shoulder shook. I looked up at Wolf. 'Nuala, are you okay?' I smiled at him so he wouldn't worry and closed my eyes to blink away the tiredness… but I don't remember opening them again.

Mordred

'Send out a team of knights and a team of protectors. Split up, follow all routes to where King Arthur was heading. Hurry!' I told the knights and protectors in the room. Gwen and Morgana wrung their hands, nodding their heads and trying to follow them out. 'You can't go!'

'He's right, Gwen. You're the Queen of Camelot.' Morgana agreed with me, clueless. Gwen glared at her, indignant.

'I was talking about you too, Morgana. You're the King's sister. Neither of you can go.' I stated.

'We've been on quests before, Mordred, these are our children!' Gwen insisted.

'I know, that's why I sent out such a large team of knights and protectors! There is something in the forest that we're still trying to figure out what it is. I can't let you go in there. My queen, you need to take over for me and Morgana, you need to help her.' I told them honestly.

'And where are you going?' Akira asked, coming into the room.

'I'm going to go get the kids back.'

'We're trusting you, Mordred.' Morgana spoke for the both of them. I nodded. Those kids were important to me too.

'Akira, can you prepare your healers with Gaius and Alice? We might have injuries.' I asked of my own leannan.

'Don't worry, we'll be ready.' She assured, I moved to leave the room but her hand closed around my wrist, yanking me back. My face heated up as her lips crushed against mine in a short, firm kiss. 'Be safe, okay?' I nodded wordlessly, blushing as I exited the room, hearing several sets of girlish giggles all the way out.