by Bailey, G.
Just as I get close, Azi slams a dagger into Cex's shoulder. He roars, blasting red power out in a shock wave that hits Azi so hard, he goes flying in the air. Cex holds him in the air, keeping him floating like a rag doll as he hits him with black magic.
"You might be able to fight me, brother, but too much of my power will make you burn. Don't worry, I will look after your sweet queen," Cex taunts, stepping close to Azi with his hands outstretched. He doesn't even notice I'm there.
"Enough, Cex!" I shout, and Cex pauses in his steps, not letting Azi go as he turns his head back to look at me. "Let him the fuck down. Now. This is between me and you."
"No, it isn't, but don't worry, I will deal with you next," he says and laughs as he turns back to Azi, increasing the waves of black magic to the point I know he might be able to kill him. Azi cries out in pain, and it feels like my heart is being ripped open from the noise alone. I pull my arm up, placing my fingers on my black mark and reaching into that bond between Cex and me, knowing this is my only chance. Suddenly, I feel the connection between us like a wave on a beach, and I slam a wall up between us, stopping the sea.
"What have you done?" Cex roars as I open my eyes and smile at him.
"You are my knight, and I am your queen. I control you, not the other way around. Don't you know how the game works?" I reply, and he screams as he tries to push me out of his head. Azi falls to the ground with a slam, and I run over to him, kneeling next to his side. I place my fingers on his neck, feeling that he has a pulse. Before I can even be relieved, I look up to see Cex staring around at the war that’s nearly over. He hasn't won this one, and he never will.
"It's over," I shout at him. "It's over now!"
"I will come back. I will win next time," Cex shouts back at me and calls a portal. He jumps through it, and before I've even said goodbye to Azi, I'm on my feet, sprinting to the portal. I jump through, knowing that Cex can't escape now. I won't let him.
Chapter 22
“It’s almost ironic that you chose to run here, Cex,” I say, crawling to my feet after I fall out the portal, and spitting out the blood in my mouth as I rise. Cex looks back at me in disgust, and I force my connection with him to make sure he cannot escape again. This is over here, now, in the very place this all started. The Protector city. Or what is left of it anyway. The city is in ruins, covered in dust and rubble. I glance at my feet, seeing what is left of the gold street we stand on.
“It’s my greatest achievement, destroying the blessed Protectors. They are finally all gone now, and when I kill you, then there will be nothing,” he spitefully says, flinching from the pain in his shoulder as he tries to stand up tall. "I'm glad you followed me. I get to kill you and take half of my power back. Then my brothers will not stand a chance."
“In what world do you think I’m going to be the one to die first tonight?” I say, laughing a little. "You are not in control, Cex. You never were, and I am going to be the one to end you."
“Silly little queen, this isn’t a fight, it’s a death sentence for you. Your sister was easy enough to kill,” Cex heartlessly says, and I shake my head. I knew he never loved Erica, and deep down, I know he killed her because she didn't win the test. It was the only reason he kept her near him.
“You talk too much...have you never seen the movies where the villain who talks too much always dies?” I say with a bored sigh. Cex narrows his eyes at me before swinging a blast of black magic at me. I simply move to the side, and he throws another one. I pull a dagger out of my belt as he tries to hit me again, and I jump on a piece of rock, avoiding the blast which smashes the rock to pieces. Dust covers the air as I jump down, using the dust to hide me long enough to throw my dagger at him. He catches the dagger with his other hand, melting it into dust with fire.
“I guess we will do this the old fashioned way then,” I say and call my holy fire into a constant stream that I throw at Cex. He quickly counters with a blast of black magic, and the two slam into each other, pushing us both back. I dig my feet into the ground, refusing point blank to give in as I call for more holy fire. I scream as my arms light up with holy fire, and it soon covers every part of my body, burning my clothes and boots. I call for every part of my rune power, all the way down to the deepest part of my soul, and still, it isn't enough. The black magic gets closer and closer, my fire can't fight it.
I cry out as I push my black magic out of my body with my other hand, the two powers mixing in red and blue fire. It blasts out of me as I step forward, nothing but pain stretches through my body with every step until I'm right in front of Cex, and I see the reflection of what I look like in his eyes. My hair, face and everything are on fire, the powers of both holy fire and black magic mixing in a beautiful and deadly way. I move my hands to Cex's face and smile as he tries to push me away.
"Time to die, knight," I say, and he screams. His scream is painful even to hear as I burn him into nothing but dust and red energy that floats in the air in front of me. The red energy shapes itself into a ball, and I'm powerless to stop it as it slams into my chest. I cry out as the magic overwhelms me, feeling like waves of fire burning all over me. My soul burns as I drop to my knees in the dust and close my eyes. Dying this time is painful, pure pain that I repeatedly beg to be over, when in one moment, it just is.
Chapter 23
There is something deeply peaceful about floating, not feeling the weight of your body or the pain that can come with it. I don't feel much of anything as I float forward in the line I am in, seeing and feeling the warm glow of the gate in front of the line of souls. Memories of life are fleeting as I try to think of them, and I can only remember love. So much love in such a short life I had. My white dress is shimmery, floating around me as I move closer to the light. I know I'm in Hell, waiting to go wherever the souls go. That's what I am now, a soul. My body is gone, and my fight is over...so why does it make me so sad?
"Evelina," I hear someone shout my name. Someone so familiar...but I can't remember who. I can't pull my eyes from the light. The line is now just two souls left...I'm so close. "Stop! Evelina is mine!" I float forward once more as the last soul disappears into the golden light archway in front of me. Suddenly, an angel jumps in front of me as I try to move forward, his white wings blocking my view of the light. I feel frozen in place as I stare at his back and his white head of hair. I know him.
"I want to make a deal. My life for hers. Please talk to me," the man pleads with the golden light. Suddenly a booming voice replies, and a white light blasts into my head.
"It must be her choice to live as well. I will return her memories temporarily," the voice says as the white light disappears and I remember everything. I'm Evie, and...I died. How the hell am I here? I look up as my father turns to me, reaching his hands out with tears in his eyes only to pause because we both realise he can't touch me.
"Let me take your place. You need to say the words," he asks me, pleading with me. He is begging me, and I don’t want to say yes, but a deeper part of me wants to go back to my Protectors, to Azi, and to Hali. I want to live out the rest of my life that was cut too short.
"B-but you will die," I say, my voice is like an echo though. He lifts his hand to hover near my face, much like how he showed me affection before, but this time he can't touch me. I can see how much it breaks his heart that he can't. It hurts me, too.
"Evelina, you gave me a reason to live when I thought there was none. I'm your father, let me protect you this one last time. Let me do this," he begs, and pain shoots through my heart, crippling me as sobs leave my lips. “Let me be your father.”
"Dad, I love you. I wish we had more time," I manage to say.
"Time is something we can have in death one day. We will see each other again, but for now, you need to live. You have so much life to live," he softly says.
"Is there no other way?" I ask. “Any way to stop this?”
"Say the words, daughter," he sympathetically commands, moving to my side so I can look i
nto the golden light where there is an outline of an angel stood in the middle. "Defy death just one more time, and let me go home."
"I want to live," I say to the shadow of an angel, even though the pain it causes me to say the words makes me cry them out.
"Very well. You will be stripped of your angel blood and wings for the price of a trade," the voice tells me. "Walk into the light, Danike, and exchange your life. Come back to your home." The angel disappears, leaving nothing but the glowing wall of golden light that shines so brightly. So warmly.
I can do nothing but watch as my father walks slowly to the light and stops right before it as a figure appears.
"Eella?" my father asks, and an arm slowly reaches out of the light. My father places his hand in hers, linking their fingers as the soul walks out. "It's you," my father whispers. I lock eyes with my mother as she comes into view, or at least her soul does as she stops at his side. My parents look at each other with nothing but pure love, and my father very slowly fades from his form to a soul. My voice catches as I realise he is gone, my blood family are all in death now.
"I missed you. I have waited," she says, resting her head on his chest. He holds her close, like nothing else matters. He looks happy. My mum smiles at me as I cry, knowing I don't have long to see them like this. This is a gift.
"Our daughter is so beautiful, so brave. Aren't we proud, my Danike?" she says so softly, just like I’ve always imagined her voice would be like. The last of my true family stand in front of me, and it’s time I will never forget.
"So proud," my father replies. "I wouldn't trade her for anything in any world."
"Be strong, this is the right way to end our story, and you will live on, keeping our memories alive. My precious baby girl, oh how much we love you," she whispers to me, before they both look at each other. "It's time for us to leave."
"I love you, too," I whisper as I watch them walk into the light. The light blasts out in a wave from the archway, hitting my chest. I close my eyes as my whole body feels warm, almost like the sun is shining on my soul, just before the world fades into golden light.
Chapter 24
I blink my crusty eyes open, looking up at the extremely close white ceiling above me, which I quickly realise is not a ceiling at all, but a lid to a box I am lying in. Emotions flood me as I remember everything and the bitter knowledge my father is gone. We just got to know each other, found each other, and now I will never see him again. My hands are holding the handle to what feels like my sword, and the world is so bitterly cold, I realise.
I push the very heavy stone lid to the side, bit by bit, which takes a hell of a long time to do until it falls to the side. I sit up, looking around at the room I'm in. It's a tomb, and the floor around the casket I’m in is covered in flowers, some old and some new. The walls are littered with runes, hundreds of them are drawn in gold ink, yet I can’t read them to know what they are.
I wipe my eyes of the tears, looking down at the white lace dress I'm in that reminds me of what my soul was wearing in Hell. My father is gone, and he is with my mum. I want to be sad, I really do, but a deeper part of me knows it is what he wanted. He never looked as happy as he did when he was holding my mum's soul. Thinking of them makes me certain of who I want to find now. My guys. They must think I'm dead, and I need to get to them.
I climb out of my casket, walking barefoot over the floors and to the door. I push it open and walk out into the field just outside of the Protector city. As I stare, I realise the city is slowly being rebuilt and is no longer the rubble it was. How long have I been dead? I thought it was only a short amount of time, but that can't be so.
I pull my arm up, placing my finger on my black mark and feeling for where Star is. My guys will be with her. I sense her and hold my hand out, calling a portal. The portal slowly burns up, and I jump into it. I walk into my old apartment in Scotland, where a shadow of a man kneels on the floor, an empty bottle of vodka near his feet and a dagger pressed into his chest. He sobs as he holds the dagger near his heart.
“She isn’t coming back,” he mutters to himself, his eyes closed. “Just end this to see her again.” I scream, running across the room and pulling the dagger out of Trex's hands before he can do anything stupid. He looks at me like I'm a ghost he can't believe is here, and I look at him just the same. Trex is a mess, broken, and I can do nothing but cry as I pull him into my arms.
"I’m here. My father saved me. It’s me. You don’t have to do this," I whisper to him, kissing the side of his face as he holds me tight. He suddenly pulls away, grabs my face with his hands, and stares at me.
"I wanted to die. To find you," he tells me. “It’s been so long.”
"Don't you ever talk about dying again. I am never leaving you again," I promise him.
"Evie," he cries and kisses me. The kiss is emotional, painful, and god, it makes me feel alive as he deepens the kiss.
"Trex, where the fuck are you?" I hear Nix shout, and the door is kicked open. “You best not have done something stupid—” Star runs in first, jumping on me as she does and knocking Trex out of the way. I hug her tightly, happy to see her.
"Evie?" Nix whispers, coming over and pushing Star out of the way to pick me up into his arms. "I knew your father could do it. I knew you would come back."
"I'm sorry," I whisper to them both, even Star who sticks her butt close to my back, making it clear she isn't leaving. Azi and Connor run in the room next, followed closely by Hali who cries out in joy. They all run to me at the same time, making my old apartment pretty cramped as they hold me close. We don't need to say anything.
"Can you be the Protector that defied death just twice? I don't think I can take it anymore," Hali says, and we all laugh—and cry—a little. I may have lost my father, but I have my family.
Chapter 25
"I don't love dresses usually, especially not ones that look like a Disney princess should be wearing it, but I love this dress," I tell Hali as I stare at myself in the full length mirror. The dress is made of several layers of dark blue fabric, and some of the layers have white stars embroidered so it looks like the night sky. The top has high shoulders, a low v-cut, and a blue train falls from the top of the shoulders. My hair is up in a bun filled with numerous plaits that have taken Cheri ages to do. Turns out she is one hell of a hairdresser in training. I lift my crown off the side, putting it in place on my head and smiling at Hali.
"I know it's silly, but I wish my parents were alive to see this day," I tell her, and she comes to my side, her long purple dress is just beautiful on her.
"They will be watching, so will my mum," she replies to me. There are a few knocks on the bedroom door, and I look around our new bedroom in the first tower rebuilt in the city. It has been a year since the war, and five months since I came back to life. I learnt the keepers changed the law while I was gone. They invited demons to come and live in and help rebuild the city. With money and a bit of magic help along the way, we have new houses built in over half the city and new wards up that protect everyone. As humans are now aware of the city, they have come to help us, almost like they could sense we saved the world for them. Or more like they love the money they get paid.
The tomb I woke up in was also the final resting place for anyone that died in the war, and so many did. We resealed the tomb, and I made a vow to make sure no one will ever forget what they died for.
"I guess it is time," I say, feeling nervous.
"You've waited long enough to take your mates. I mean you guys already live together and do everything together," she chuckles.
"You have a point," I say, pulling the door open to see two guards outside. That is another law the keepers made me agree to. With demons being in the city, we can't guarantee they are all okay with having a new queen and leaders. So, I have guards that follow me around and stand outside my private apartments. The guards follow us down the glass corridor that has shiny dark blue floors. I made a bit of a change to the gold colour scheme the
y had in here. I think midnight blue is a much nicer colour.
"I can't wait to see the throne room. You know it's going to be cool," Hali says, grinning widely. I love seeing her so happy, so relaxed and chilled. I've made it officially known to the witches that Hali is my charge and an attack on her would be an attack on me. I may have suggested I'd make the witches wish they never existed if they touched Hali, and they sent back a simple agreement to stay away. Hali is finally as safe and free as she can ever be. The witches are a small race, and they couldn't fight an army like mine off. I hope one day they will be more accepting of Hali, but I very much doubt it.
"Have you been having any more dreams?" I quietly ask her, watching her eyes as she shifts them away from me.
"No," she answers.
"So that means yes. When you're ready, I'm here to talk about them," I tell her.
"They are real, aren't they?" she asks.
"Your mum could see the future in her dreams sometimes. She said they come true unless she interfered with them," I tell her. "It was a family gift, and only your bloodline can do it."
"Then I don't want to talk about my dreams," she firmly tells me. "They aren't all bad anyway." I spot the blush on her cheeks, and I laugh, guessing why she doesn't want to talk about it.
"They are about a boy, aren't they?" I ask.
"No!" she quickly says, looking away from me. I chuckle and wrap an arm around her shoulders for a second, squeezing tight as we get to the other side of the building. The guards rush ahead and open the glass doors, where I can see Azi stood on the other side in front of the restored large stone statue of my mum. Azi has on a black suit that stretches gorgeously against his body. Holy hell.
