Chapter 35: This Means War
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Jinx sat in silence, her knees drawn to her chest, her cloak wrapped tightly around her shoulders like a second skin. The fire crackled in front of her, but she didn’t seem to notice the heat. Her eyes were wide, glassy, locked on the flames like they were whispering secrets only she could hear.
"The Kaelhi is back..." she whispered. Her voice was hoarse, barely audible as she bit her nails.
"The Kaelhi is back... the Kaelhi is back..."
The remaining minotaurs stood nearby, not moving, but even it seemed unsettled, probably because it’s second was dead... Its nostrils flared, and it shifted its weight from one hoof to the other, snorting softly.
Jinx didn’t blink as she was trembling.
Her fingers twitched against her knees, her breath was shallow and uneven.
"I saw him," she whispered again. "I saw his eyes. That light... that sword..."
She pressed her palms to her temples, squeezing her eyes shut.."He wasn’t supposed to be real...He was supposed to be a stupid legend!"
The fire popped, sending a spray of sparks into the air, and she flinched at the sound. "He wasn’t supposed to be real," she said again, louder this time. "He wasn’t supposed to be real!"
She rocked forward slightly, her voice rising with each word. "I had it under control! I had everything under control! "
Her voice cracked and she laughed suddenly, sharp and broken. "He’ll wipe us out–!"