Arnold led the way through the thick dark forest, the sun was rising, but the Citadel's high walls kept the morning light away. Bettina was still dragging Erich, but the effort was killing her. Every breath burned in her lungs and her shoulders ached from her the heavy weight of the triple Hybrid.
Arnold ran ahead, he kept stopping every few steps to check the path. He was still healing from the injuries he got from the fight with the guards, but he seemed to forget his own pain.
"we have to keep moving", Arnold whispered, his voice rough, "they will be send scent trackers werewolves and witches after us. They will be looking for his strong werewolf scent, but he's too drained to leave one. They will look for my vampire trail, but won't expect It weak human leading".
Erich was almost totally unconscious, his skin already a pale gray, it was now clammy and cold, but his body was still burning from the inside.
Bettina, continually kept replacing the soaked blanket strips on his head, whenever she found a patch of wet moss or a clear puddle. It was a small thing, but she is focused only on that, to keep him cool. Keep him breathing.
After what felt like a hundred times miles, Arnold stopped under a groy of huge, thick leafed trees. "we rest for ten minutes", Arnold whispered, looking up at the school sky. "I need to check for magic signs".
They lowered Erich gently onto a bed of soft moss. While resting Bettina decided to walk in the area, she worked quickly. She found a small clear stream nearby and used it to clean the cuts and bruises Erich had gotten from the test of Brute force. His wounds were not healing. A normal one triple Hybrid would be have healed instantly, but Erich's magical life force, the engine of his power was gone.
She sat next to him and held his face in her hands. His skin was so soft, not the hard cold skin of a vampire but the warm, familiar skin of a human.
"He needs water", she told Arnold, not asking but stating a fact.
Arnold pulled out a small flask he looked at Erich with worry in his eyes. "he has nevered been this weak. He can't even swallow".
Bettina knelt and carefully tipped the flask to Erich's lips letting the water drip into his mouth she saw a small movement in his throat, a tiny effort to swallow.
"Good Erich", she whispered, her voice soft and filled with encouragement, "just a little more, you fought too hard to end now".
As she cared for him, Bettina could see the man underneath the Hybrid. She was not touching a dangerous, powerful triple Hybrid, she was caring for someone deeply hurt and vulnerable. She was stronger than him now. The fears was completely replaced by fierce protective love.
Erich's eyelids fluttered open, his eyes were dull, almost white, but he looked right at her. He couldn't speak but his eyes were asking one question.
Bettina leaned closer. "I am here, Erich. I am safe you won. Now you just have to go to live for us".
A flicker of a smile, painful and quick appeared on his lips and then his eyes closed again.
Suddenly, Arnold hissed. "Incoming, tracker witches! They found our trail".
Arnold quickly covered Bettina and Erich with a pile of dead leaves and moss. He drew his sword and melted into the shadows of the trees.
Bettina heard soft footsteps and strange, rustling sounds. Then, she heard a witch 's voice, cold and high pitched. "look for the trail of powerful magic", another witch answered. "That must be the Hybrid".
Bettina felt a sharp pain in her ankle, a prick from a magic needle meant to fine pure magic blood. She stayed perfectly still, holding her breanth.
The witches continued to move slowly, looking for the trail of a powerful creature. They could not imagine that the only powerful magic, was a weak human's determination to hide a dying man.
After a terrifying minute, the footsteps faded. Arnold returned, his breath shaky. "They are moving on. They didn't see you, they are looking for a king not a broken man. But they will send more.
We are close, I can feel the shift in the energy. The Sanctuary is near".
Arnold and Bettina pulled Erich up for the final push, the forest floor began to change. The trees became ancient and massive, and the air grew colder and Stiller, feeling both wild and calm at the same time. "look", Arnold pointed through the trees.
Up ahead, a line of thin, bright blue light was drawn in the air between two huge, moss covered stones, it was not a physical
Walls but a clean shining line of magical.
"There is the border", Arnold whispered, his voice full of relief, as he explained to Bettina" "That is the nature magic boundary. Sybils forces can not step over it, the instant we cross that line, we are safe".
But getting there was the hardest part. The last few yards felt like miles. Bettina stumbled, her muscles cramping she felt herself giving up.
Erich suddenly put his arm around Bettina 'so neck, a small movement of his own, he looked at her and his eye though dull focused completely. He gave her a weak nod, telling her, just a little more. That small sign of life, that tiny act of relying she needed.
She pulled, pushing her legs forward Arnold pulled on his side. With a final desperate effort, they tumbled across the blue line.
The second they crossed, Bettina felt the cold, dry air and of the forest vanished, replacing by a warm, peaceful wave of energy that seemed sooth her bones, she was safe.
Erich finally, relaxed. His body went completely limp, and a soft warm light seemed to pulse from his skin not a dengerous light, but a gentle, healing glow. He was now within. The protection of the sanctuary.
Bettina collapsed next to him, breathing deeply completely spent but fiercely relieve. She looked at the man who sacrificed his power and the world he rule for her love. She knew their fight was far from over but for now they were alive, and they were together.