Zira could feel herself floating in the air until her feet touched solid ground. She reached out a hand to feel the soft fur underneath it. She turned to see Nina next to her. She looked different. Her light gray fur had streaks of white and one of her eyes was a light shade of silver. Their bodies were glowing, but it was a small light compared to the darkness around them.
“Nina, where are we?”
“Our mind,” Nina said, moving around but staying close to Zira. “He’s trapped us here to drain us.
The darkness turned to shadows spreading around them like a raging river, blotting out every little thing that brought light into their lives. The whistling sound they made as they moved around them almost sounded like laughter. It was rejoicing in its victory over them. Some dove in, pulling at her clothes, trying to pull Zira into the darkness. Every touch seemed to burn her skin like a poisoned mist. Nina snapped and lunged at the ones coming from behind Zira.
“Just give in, Zira,” Finnick’s voice echoed in her head. “It wouldn’t hurt so much if you let go and let the darkness in.”
“That will never happen,” she yelled at him.
“Even if it would allow you to be with those you love,” his voice echoed.
The shadows moved back enough for her to see two other figures, left and right of her, fighting away the shadows before cowering down to the ground. She looked at Nina, who already knew what to do as she ran towards the left and Zira to the right. She ran towards the figure until his face became familiar. When she got close, he stood in a defensive stance.
“Isaiah?”
He looked at her with a confused expression. She instinctively reached out and grabbed his wrist, only for both of them to pull back from the pain. He moved a few feet away from her while growling. The shadows moved between them, determined to keep them apart, and Zira realized they carried the faces of the white wolves. Nina appeared next to her.
“It’s Percy,” Nina said. “He seems lost and afraid.”
“These are all the souls the demon stole,” Zira told her. “Why are they here in my mind?”
“It’s not just our minds anymore,” Nina said. “We are somehow linked with Clary, no…Finnick. Can’t you feel it?”
Zira touched the side of her neck and could feel the bond Nina spoke of. She touched the other side of her neck and looked at Isaiah doing the same. He looked even more confused while moving further into the dark.
“We have to save them.” Zira touched Nina's forehead with her own. “We have to save all of them, Nina.” She couldn’t help but groan while rubbing her face with frustration. “This is going to hurt a lot, isn’t it?”
Nina huffed at her. “As if this pain would ever scare me. Childbirth will forever be imprinted on my mind and your eating habits. Let’s do this.”
They split ways, as Nina went towards Percy and lunged at him. Zira could hear his screams along with Nina's growls, but Nina kept her weight on him. The pain was instant, and Nina took it while Percy tried fighting, but soon his dark spirit filled with light. Nina waited for him to stop moving before getting off of him. He got to his feet and looked around.
“Nina? You saved me.”
“Of course, I did,” Nina said while rubbing her body against him. “You are mine after all.”
“What-” Percy’s shadow disappeared before he could question her.
“One down,” Nina said, before turning towards Zira and Isaiah.
She watched as Isaiah dodged Zira's every attempt to grab him. Nina ran up behind him just as he turned her way. She used her body to nudge him closer to Zira, who jumped and wrapped her arms around his neck. They both growled in pain, but Zira kept her arms wrapped around him tight until his dark spirit filled with light. It only took a moment before Zira felt Isaiah wrap his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.
“Zi,” he breathed into her hair.
The moment only lasted a second before Isaiah disappeared. Nina and Zira took a moment to breathe before setting their sights on the other shadows. They raced to touch the other shadows, watching as the light filled them and they also disappeared.
*****
On the outside, Isaiah and Percy returned to their bodies. They were standing next to Zira who was still being held by Clary. Even the demon floating behind her seemed to be in a trance. They turned to see all the werewolves standing like an assembly, with black eyes and looking straight ahead. Zira’s face scrunched up in pain and every once in a while, Clary displayed the same face. Isaiah went to grab Clary to pull her away from Zira, only to be blasted away from a forcefield. Determined to help, Isaiah went to pull Zira away.
“Don’t,” Percy said, blocking him. “Look.”
Percy pointed to the light coming from Clary’s back where the demon was attached, and it was slowly creeping up into it. Then they heard groans coming from the crowd as some of the soulless came alive.
“Whatever she’s doing, she needs to stay there,” Percy finished. “She’s bringing them back like she did with us.”
“He’s right,” Lana said, making her way through the crowd. “She’s freeing us somehow.”
“I can’t leave her in there by herself. She’s fighting that thing alone,” Isaiah said, reaching for her. “She might need our help.”
“Wait, I have an idea,” Percy said as Isaiah glared at him. “Look if we want to help her. We have to do it right or risk being put back under his control. We are going to help her, Isaiah,” Percy said, looking at the werewolves that were waking up, “but first we are going to need an army.”
*****
Zira and Nina worked tirelessly, trying to capture as many shadows as they could get. Even Mary kept slipping through her fingers until Zira and Nina cornered her. When she found Malachi and Ezekiel, she hesitated only for a moment before realizing it was the right thing to do. Besides, the fewer souls trapped here, the weaker the demon would get.
“Don’t worry, Zira. I’ll keep an eye on him,” Ezekiel said before disappearing.
Slowly but surely the darkness surrounding them started to lose its hold. Zira felt hopeful for the first time in a long time, then she came upon Clary. Her shadow was erratic as if it was confused about where to go until Zira got closer.
“Clary, let me help you,” Zira said, holding out a hand. “This couldn’t have been what you wanted. You just wanted your pack to be safe, the ones you loved safe. Let me help you do just that. Come to me.”
“I can’t go back, Zira. I have no control over him,” Clary whispered. “It’s too late.”
“It’s never too late, Clary. We can beat him, together. I promise. All you have to do is meet me halfway.” Clary looked unsure at first, looking around her as Zira held out her hand. Clary slowly reached out for her, and Zira felt hopeful until a roar echoed around them.
“Stop!” Finnick appeared from the shadows, placing a hand on Clary’s shoulder. “What…what are you doing,” Finnick yelled at Clary, but Zira could hear a bit of panic in his voice. “You’re going to ruin everything we have accomplished over some lame promise. Don’t you want to create a safe haven for Malachi, Ezekiel, and all the other white wolves? They are still here with us.”
“He’s afraid,” Zira said to Clary, ignoring Finnick’s glares. “I’ve already freed most of the white wolves he had trapped here, including Malachi and Ezekiel. He has no hold over them anymore.”
Zira could see Clary leaning on her words, wanting to come to her side. Zira held out her hand and Clary started to move toward her.
“I said stop,” Finnick screamed, pulling Clary back.
Finnick threw a tidal wave of darkness toward Zira as Nina jumped to her rescue. They pushed back as much as they could but there were still many under his control. It was way too much for them to bear. She pushed with all her might. To the point her dark curly hair started to change, going white from the roots all through to the tips. Finnick laughed as Zira bent under the pressure. Soon she will be at his side.