Her Immortal Love (Brides of the Vrakken #2)

10. Alina

10

ALINA

I 'm yanked from my cot in the middle of the night, rough hands gripping my arms. My heart races as I'm dragged through the vrakken encampment.

"What's going on?" I demand, but my captors remain silent.

We emerge at the edge of the camp, where a circle of vrakken await. Just like before…

"Alina Nakamura," a tall female with intricate wing markings addresses me. "Your magical abilities have not gone unnoticed. We require your assistance in our war efforts."

I blink, stunned. "I... I don't understand. I'm just learning to control-"

"You will learn quickly," she cuts me off. "The dark elves grow stronger by the day. We need every advantage."

Before I can protest, I'm shoved towards a makeshift table. strange artifacts litter its surface cobbled together to make a type of map. The vrakken begin discussing strategy, occasionally turning to me for input.

"Human, what do you make of these troop movements?" one asks, pointing to a section of the map.

I stare blankly. "I... I'm a biotechnology student, not a military strategist."

"But you have insight into human thinking," another argues. "And your magic... It's unpredictable, yes, but powerful. We can use that."

Hours pass in a blur of tactical discussions and magical demonstrations. They force me to channel my power into various objects, watching with keen interest as the results vary wildly. Sometimes nothing happens. Other times, the object explodes in a shower of sparks.

My head pounds from the strain, but they push me relentlessly. I catch glimpses of Alexei hovering at the edges of the crowd, his expression unreadable. When our eyes meet, he quickly looks away.

As dawn approaches, the female leader turns to me. "You will remain here, under guard. Your training begins immediately."

"But-" I start to protest.

"This is not a request," she says coldly. "You are now a valuable asset in this war. Your cooperation is expected."

I'm taken to a lone tent on the opposite side of the encampment as the other humans. Inside, I slump to the ground, exhausted and overwhelmed.

My world has shifted yet again, and I find myself longing for the relative simplicity of the human encampment. I wonder how I'll survive this new chapter in my strange journey on Protheka.

The events of the past few hours replay in an endless loop. My fists clench as anger bubbles up inside me.

But then the flap of the tent rustles and Alexei steps in. His face is a mask of concern, but I can't bring myself to care.

"Alina, I-"

"Don't," I snap, cutting him off. "Where were you? Why didn't you stop them?"

He takes a step towards me, hands raised placatingly. "I couldn't interfere. Nyx's decision was-"

"Bullshit," I spit out. "You're one of them. You could have said something, done something."

Alexei's jaw clenches. "It's not that simple. There are rules, protocols-"

"Rules?" I laugh bitterly. "You didn't seem too concerned about rules when you were sneaking around with me."

His eyes flash with hurt, but I'm too angry to care. "I thought... I thought we had something. I thought you cared."

"I do care," Alexei insists, reaching for me.

I jerk away from his touch. "If you cared, you wouldn't have let them drag me into this war. You wouldn't have stood by while they treated me like a weapon to be used."

Alexei runs a hand through his hair, frustration evident in every line of his body. "Alina, please. Try to understand. My position here is precarious. If I'd spoken up, it would have only made things worse for both of us."

"Worse than this?" I gesture wildly around the tent. "Worse than being forced to use magic I barely understand? Worse than being treated like a tool instead of a person?"

He flinches at my words, and for a moment, I see a flicker of the man I thought I knew. But then his face hardens, and he straightens his shoulders.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," he says stiffly. "But this is our reality now. We're at war, Alina. Personal feelings can't come before the survival of our people."

"Your people," I correct him coldly. "Not mine."

We stare at each other, the distance between us suddenly feeling insurmountable. The connection we'd forged, the tender moments we'd shared, all of it seems to crumble in the face of this betrayal.

He opens his mouth to say more but then a voice snaps from outside. "Alexei!"

He looks between the tent flap and me, and I wave him off. "Leave."

He gives me one last conflicted look before ducking out of the tent. I watch Alexei's back as he leaves, my anger still simmering.

The relative quiet lasts only a few hours before chaos erupts.

"Dark elves! We're under attack!" The shout pierces the night air, followed by the clash of weapons and screams of pain.

My heart races as I peek out of the tent. The camp is in turmoil, vrakken warriors engaging with shadowy figures that seem to melt in and out of the darkness. Magic crackles through the air, setting my skin tingling.

A nearby explosion sends me stumbling back. I need to do something, but what? I've never used my powers in battle before.

Suddenly, a dark elf materializes in front of me, eyes glowing with malice. I react on instinct, throwing my hands up as raw energy surges through me. A blast of pure force erupts from my palms, slamming into the elf and sending him flying backwards.

The rush of power is intoxicating, terrifying. I stare at my hands in disbelief.

"Alina! We need you!" It's the female leader from earlier, gesturing urgently.

I hesitate for a split second before racing towards her. All around me, the battle rages. Vrakken and dark elves locked in deadly combat, magic and steel flashing in the night.

"Focus your power there!" she commands, pointing to a group of elves advancing on our flank.

Drawing a deep breath, I concentrate, feeling the energy build within me. When I release it, a wave of force ripples outward, knocking the elves off their feet. The vrakken press the advantage, cutting down our stunned foes.

The tide of battle shifts, but the dark elves keep coming. I lose track of time, moving from one crisis to the next. My magic responds to my will more easily now, but the cost is high. Each blast leaves me more drained, my limbs heavy with exhaustion.

A piercing shriek cuts through the din. I turn to see a massive, winged creature descending from the sky, ridden by a dark elf in elaborate armor. Lightning crackles around them as they dive towards our position.

"Alina! Stop them!" someone yells.

Gritting my teeth, I gather every ounce of power I have left. The air around me shimmers as I unleash a beam of pure energy towards the diving pair. It strikes them head-on, enveloping both rider and mount in searing light.

When the glare fades, there's nothing left but ash drifting on the wind.

The sight of such destruction by my own hand leaves me reeling. I drop to my knees, overwhelmed by the enormity of what I've done. The battle continues to rage around me, but I barely notice, lost in the horror of my actions.

I don't know how long I kneel there before a hand on my shoulder startles me back to awareness. It's Alexei, his face streaked with blood and soot.

"It's over," he says softly. "We've won."

I look around, taking in the aftermath of the battle. The ground is scorched and littered with bodies. The air reeks of smoke and death. And I played a part in all of it.

"What have I done?" I whisper, my voice breaking.