The Rescue

The flames burned hot and bright, consuming everything in their path.

Umbra stumbled to the other side of the room, keeping his breathing shallow to avoid inhaling a large amount of smoke. He grabbed Time, who was still wrapped in his vest, probably unconscious.

Squeezing Time against his bleeding torso, Umbra blinked, black spots blurring his sight. He could see Aunora several feet away, twitching on the ground and groaning. She was lying in a puddle of her (and possibly Finch's) blood, skin faded to a sickly tone and her eyes having lost their vitality.

There has to be a way to get out of here, Umbra thought, sweat gathering on his brow from the sweltering heat that the fire caused. He weakly moved his head, searching for any opening for escape.

But Umbra's effort was in vain. Asher's ring of fire formed an efficient and deadly trap, keeping he and Aunora confined in a room that was slowly burning to the ground. The sealing of his magic, along with the massive amount of blood he was losing from wounds, drained his energy, leaving him barely able to move from his spot on the floor.

Umbra clenched his eyes shut, feeling them burn from being on the onset of tears. Was he really going to die like this? Drained of his magic and dignity, dying next to a woman he barely knew? He was mortified! To die a death that didn't include protecting his master was a shameful predicament for a familiar.

Umbra broke out into a fit of coughing, tasting acrid smoke residue in his mouth. His mind flashed to Aunora and her impulsiveness.

That idiot! Umbra gritted his teeth, his mind having found someone to blame for his misery. She's the reason we were trapped! It's all her fault!

He glared bitterly at the struggling demon horse, wishing to inflict even more pain than she was already in.

A minimal amount of movement broke Umbra's focused rage, and he looked down to Time. Still in his ferret form, the Überdragon feebly opened his eyes, the color swirling in them growing dull.

"Time?" Umbra whispered, heart thudding. The being looked horrible. Was he dying?

Umbra brought his injured hand to Time's muzzle, touching his dry and feverish nose. The ferret's breath was harsh and shallow, as if he was struggling to inhale.

"What's going on? Did you find Clockwork?" Time's voice was a soft rasp, breaking on every other syllable.

Umbra shook his head sadly, shoulders slumped.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Umbra started to feel dizzy, blood loss finally coming to stake its claim. He swayed in his sitting position, Time squeaking in confusion. His vision grew blurry, Umbra feeling himself fall to the ground.

Time's harsh gasping sounded distant to his whirling senses as Umbra tried to keep himself awake. He heard the sound of magic crackling, possibly a portal, but he still couldn't decipher what was happening.

Several dark shapes suddenly stepped into his frame of sight, all blurry masses he couldn't identify.

"There they are!" Umbra's body twitched. Was that Matthew? "I'll get this fire out!"

Wind whistled in Umbra's ears and for a split second, he couldn't breathe. The orange flashes in his field of vision started to grow dim, the fire having been smothered by the spell Matthew was casting.

I guess...I guess we're saved, Umbra thought, consciousness slipping away second by second. Nearly every part of his body throbbed, burning with a pain he hadn't thought was imaginable.

Two sturdy hands cupped his face, a large figure covering his line of sight.

"Umbra, oh my goodness, you're bleeding..." It was Matthew again. His hands dropped to Umbra's waist, the fae feeling himself being lifted up. He clutched Time close to his chest, trying to keep him safe.

"Mr. Matthew, it is unsafe here. I highly suggest we must leave immediately, if you will. I will heal Umbra and Aunora when we reach a more stable area." This time, Esper spoke.

"Right. Let's get out of here!" Matthew replied.

Umbra was flung over Matthew's shoulder, his cheek touching the soft fabric of his coat.

"Hang in there, Umbra. I promise we'll get you better soon." Matthew sounded distant, like Umbra was hearing him from the other end of a tunnel.

Taking a deep breath, the last thing Umbra remembered before his memory faded to black was being wrapped in Matthew's sweet, comforting scent.

Author's Note- matthew smells like cookies. sweet, and vanilla-ish. like those vanilla candles you get at yankee candle. he doesnt even use cologne. he just bakes so many cookies that it just sticks on him.

Also: next book is published for your own convenience. Pls put it in your library now so you know when the new chapters come out :D i really don't want to lose readers over sequels. that kinda upsets me tbh q.q