Divine Destiny

by Hayley Todd

  I rose to my feet, struggling less now as the healing pulsed down my limbs. The man’s expression shifted, a faint trace of interest leaking through. He had one hand shoved in his pocket, which infuriated me. He acted as though it took so little effort to dominate me that he didn’t even need his other arm.

  I dove forward, leaving trailing streams of light behind me and tackled the man around the hips. The only indication that my attack had affected him was a small puff of breath he expelled as I slammed him backward. Magick flickered and sparked off my skin, cascading harmlessly to the floor below.

  I stopped midway across the arena, the Aeronyx, however, soared through the air, crashing into the brick wall behind him. He flew over the protective padding and cracked into the white brick, sending a cloud of dust and debris through the air, showering the hardwood with flecks of stone.

  I didn’t see him emerge but could see the tips of black feathers stab through the dust. A silvery cord burst from the mess, racing across the arena and slamming into my belly. I heard shouts from my microscopic section of fans before I realized what had happened. Anton roared in fury and Damien slumped into his seat. Will went unnervingly still.

  The pain hit me next, having been dwarfed by my adrenaline. I peered down at myself, stunned to see a swelling stain of red blossom across my abdomen. It soaked my shirt and the upper edge of my pants. And in its midst, was a long silvery strand, sharp and hard like steel, protruding from my stomach. I fell to my knees, clutching at the weapon but unable to dislodge it.

  The wound wouldn’t heal with the thing still inside me. I crashed to my knees, the weapon following me down. The man emerged from the other side of the arena, visible as the debris dissipated. He was smiling, a dark, demented expression. It was the first real show of emotion that I had seen and it sent chills through my bones.

  He stepped casually closer, watching me, and I could see that the line of power actually came from him. The fingers of one hand were outstretched, the strange thin strand appearing from each finger, coalescing into one long spear the width of a dime.

  Don’t you dare let him take you.

  I whipped my head to the side, peering at my audience. Anton stood between Will and Damien, absolutely still. His eyes were hard on me, screwed up in concentration. I couldn’t help but smile, despite the pain in my torso. He had figured this new ability out and he was taking every advantage of it.

  A pulse began in my chest. It was a comforting, rhythmic thing, emanating out and along my chest, burning down my limbs and exploding within me. It carried a resurgence of power and confidence within it and I forced myself to my feet, grasping the weapon plunged into my belly.

  I glared up at the Aeronyx, thumping blue-white light lurching from my fingertips. The silver thread of power in my hand shied from the touch of my magick. I pressed harder, forcing more energy from my palms, coating the strand with it. And as quickly and forcefully as it had appeared, the line of light shredded beneath that power. It dissolved, the spear through my belly disappearing in my fist.

  I immediately felt better, the hole in my stomach knitting closed where the weapon had been a moment before. The fading power streaked all the way to where it had begun from the tips of his fingers. He snapped his hand away, a hiss of pain coming from him. He glared back at me, his gaze piercing as I rose again to my full height. He seemed surprised, a layer of stunned irritation on his countenance.

  Without any indication of its preparation, he whipped his hand forward and not one, but three of the thin, sharp tails of energy came soaring toward me from his fingers. He fanned is wings out wide, one thrust of them hurling a gust of wind toward me that nearly brought me to my knees. But before the power could reach me, I hurled my hands up in a defensive gesture. I braced against them, turning my head and waiting for pain to envelope me.

  The pain didn’t come, however.

  I peered back at my opponent, to find a round, flickering sphere of light had formed between us. The blades of power slammed into the sphere, sending sputtering sparks of electric cascading out and away from us. But still, they didn’t pierce the shield.

  I forced back a shocked gasp as I realized how much the image likened to the one Achillia had used in her lifetime. I stood again, forcing the power out and along my forearm, extending the shield to protect my entire exposed side. The Aeronyx took several steps back, watching me warily.

  I didn’t give him time to think about it.

  The hand that didn’t provide me with protection shot from my side, hurling a long bolt of blue-white lightning toward him. This time, he hadn’t had time to anticipate the shot and took a flare of energy into his chest. It crashed across his torso, exploding into a light show that illuminated the room.

  I didn’t hesitate on my next step, lurching forward and slamming my forearm toward him. The flickering dome shield didn’t disappear when I did, instead crashing into him with another arch of electricity sheering away. The force of the blow was more than I had anticipated, hurling him back and away from me.

  He skidded off the hardwood three times before he righted himself, his fingers dragging across the floor for a handhold. I didn’t stay where I had been though. I somehow knew that he was trying to guess what I would do next, so instead, I did what I wouldn’t have thought to if I had spent the time trying. I dove several steps forward, coming up alongside him and stabbing out with the shield. The edge of the manifestation sliced along his thigh, drawing blood.

  He fell back with a cry of outrage, grabbing at his leg with one hand. I pressed forward still, trying for another slam with the shield. He had guessed it was coming this time and did roll aside and away from me. His other hand lifted from his side, hurling more strings of painfully sharp blades toward me from his fingers. They arched over me and aimed for my back.

  “Kyra! Move!” Will shrieked from the sidelines.

  I dove backward, rolling and slinging the shield on my other side. I caught each attack but one and they speared away from my shield as though they’d been slapped aside. The one I’d missed, however, snaked beneath the aura of light and caught me along the ribs. Fiery agony erupted from the spot but it was unable to embed itself in my and withdrew to him after a quick flick of my fingers broke its tip clean off.

  The Aeronyx shrieked in rage this time as I rolled back to my feet. I hurled my other arm forward, hoping for a final blow that would keep the alien man from rising to his feet again. It hurled across the space between us, crashing into him with the force of a high-speed car. He wasn’t able to keep himself from slamming into the brick edge of the arena and the sickening crack that exploded around the room was more than enough explanation for why he didn’t rise again.

  Damien leapt forward at that, holding his hands out to the crowd. “And ladies and gentlemen, the Magick Champion advances!” Which was more than enough, for the audience to go wild.

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty

  I sat in the center of my bed, my legs folded beneath me, letting the amulet spin, its chain pinched in my fingers. It glinted light in a way that didn’t fit its multi-faceted surface, exposing an eeriness to it that wasn’t immediately obvious in its innocent exterior.

  It had been two days since my last fight. My cracked rib had healed, my overexertion resolved. Well, mostly anyway. I had refused to feed from Anton any further. He didn’t deal well with that conversation. I hadn’t seen him in over a day, pacing mindlessly around this room alone as a result.

  I hadn’t really given him a reason. I had asserted that I wouldn’t feed from him anymore and let that be that. I couldn’t bring myself to bare my soul to him, to explain that I couldn’t bite him again and stay true to Carson. His bite destroyed me. It drew me, in a way even Carson’s didn’t. And even if I fought it, our bond sucked me into him without much effort. I already found my thoughts frequently dipping into his, even without further bloodletting. He didn’t even have to try.

  Part of his abilities translated to
his thoughts. And like a siren calling me, they screamed out, begging me to hear them. His sensitivity to others was astounding and overwhelming. And the more of his powers I plucked from the air, the more others thoughts burst into my mind of their own accord. It was driving me mad.

  And then there was my anchor. This spinning, glittering gem that dangled before me, my connection to Carson made flesh. It called to me even more than Anton’s blood. It brushed my skin with a nearly irresistible urge to use it. But, the rumors and lure swam before my eyes, trying to reason with me. The necklace was tainted with the assertion of a curse. The incident with Kellic alerted me even more.

  But still, I wanted to draw on it. To see my love again.

  I let the necklace dangle as I had for more than an hour, turning my potential decisions over in my mind. Something in me wished that Sage would reach out again, telling me more of her story, slipping more assurance into my mind. Unfortunately, it had been days since her last visit and I was worried that maybe the warning I was waiting on would vastly change what was going to happen.

  I lifted my fingers, merely a hairsbreadth from my skin and turned the idea over in my head again and again. I had no idea where Carson was, or what he was doing. What if I saw something that hurt me beyond repair? But what if staying away from him let him slip away? What if the curse hurt those the gem was used on as well as the users? Could I risk that to let him fade away into whatever Valeria was doing to him? He was already worse the last time from the time before. A sick sense in me told me it wasn’t coincidence. Was I hurting him?

  My fingers drifted nearer, ready to press against the gem at last. I couldn’t let Carson fall. He was as much a victim as myself. I had to save him.

  I was ready to embrace that black curtain that was so near. The curtain that would lead me to my love. The curtain that would let me save him.

  The chain was yanked from my fingers before I got the chance. I felt warm suddenly like I sat around a campfire.

  No. Not warm exactly. It was like the soothing coating of the absence of cold. Like a bone clenching exposure to the freezing elements fading away as you turn into a toasty room.

  Anton leapt away from me, holding the gem away from himself like it might bite him. It would’ve been humorous had my mind not been so muddled and had a fury not been rising within me.

  I swallowed a lump in my throat that tempted harsh words and violent acts to return the necklace. I took a deep breath.

  Anton watched me, like the prey following their nearing predator. I moved slowly when I rose.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, and though I fought it hard, a growl rippled through my words. I lowered my feet to the floor, slowly lifting myself from the bed.

  Anton flinched away. “I can’t let you do this,” he whispered in a rush.

  “Do what?” I asked, taking another step.

  He mirrored me, retreating toward the door. “You know what,” he snapped. He shook himself and continued, “this is not the way to rescue Carson. You saw what a bare touch did to Kellic.”

  My eyes flicked to his. They were dark, the normal amber smoldering into an orange as deep as the sun. “What?” I said, barely a breath.

  He sighed, then straightened, relaxing a bit but still holding the necklace away from him. “Kellic...encountered the amulet when you got back. She had touched it and said it felt inky and dark. She described a shadow across her skin that felt wrong,” he said. He darted a glare to the gem then back to me.

  “That thing in her. It came from that.” He grimaced and set the necklace aside, dropping it into a heap of shimmering metal on my end table.

  I stared at him blankly, then at the gem.

  “Do you want to talk to her?” He asked suddenly.

  I peered up at him. That was perhaps the only thing he could’ve said to make me go with him. I nodded. He let out a breath I hadn’t known he’d been holding and thrust out a hand. He forced the playful grin he usually held and said, “let’s go then.”

  The corridors to the jailing area were bleak and stark. The lighting along the walls was dim, creating shadows along every corner. Anton walked silently on my right, my father equally stoic on my left. Damien had come along to let us in. Unlike Carson, Anton didn’t sport the all-powerful leather band at his wrist.

  We reached a large entryway, lined with plexiglass windows on either side with a hefty, steel-reinforced door with glass panels. You could see easily down the hall but I had been assured that the entry was impenetrable.

  We stopped there and Damien turned to me. He produced a slim bracelet from his pocket. It held a large turquoise stone wrapped with leather bindings covering more solid metal foundations beneath. He gestured for me to hold my wrist aloft. I did.

  The bracelet felt heavy as he latched it around my arm.

  “I should’ve done this a while ago,” he said as he connected the bindings. “This will allow you into any of my restricted access areas. As my daughter and heir, you above all others have earned this.” He peered up at me with those forest green eyes, seeing into my very soul. He placed his hand on mine. “I know things look bad right now, but I hope to see improvement very soon.” He smiled and though his words didn’t change anything, it did make me feel a bit better.

  He looked down at me meaningfully and jutted his chin toward the sensor beside the door. I hesitantly lifted my wrist, feeling odd and out of place in the process. The sensor let out a peep and flashed a green light before the heavy door swung open.

  The inside of the corridor was lined with identical heavy security doors. Each room contained a simple bed, a curtained-off commode, and a sink. Security cameras were mounted in each room, as well as the hallway outside, leaving the entire scene within view.

  Damien gave us a quick supportive nod and headed back down the hall the way we’d come, off to more important King of the Magick kinds of things. I stared after him for a moment, my feet wanting nothing more than to follow him, but my heart demanded I turn around and make my way down the hall.

  Anton put a hand on my shoulder, squeezing with reassurance. I cleared my throat to force the anxiety away. “Is Kellic okay?” I asked, the words sending a rise of panic into my chest.

  He took several agonizing seconds to respond before saying, “I don’t know. She sometimes seems like her usual self...if not a bit more angry. But other times, she seems like an entirely different person, mean and hateful and bitter. When she’s like that she picks at your deepest insecurities.”

  I gazed up at him. Worry creased his brow, his expression drawn and pained. “Do you think she'll get better?” I couldn’t help but fidget with the chain in my pocket. I didn’t think that he’d known I had grabbed it, but I simply couldn’t leave it unattended in my suite.

  He paused again. “I hope so,” he sighed at last. He hesitated, drawing me to a stop alongside him. I peered up at his golden amber eyes. He stared seriously at me, worry lines dimpling his forehead.

  I didn’t realize his abilities had sucked me in until his lips crashed into mine. I had exploded with lust and craving and need for my touch. After that, I needed it too.

  Anton wasn’t hesitant to kiss me back. His fingers crept up my hip to my semi exposed waist. He clutched me to him his lips tender but urgent on my own.

  My own hands flashed forward until they were beneath his shirt. His skin was the same temperature as mine and in that moment, that was perfect.

  The wall pressed against my skin as he encompassed me. He shielded me with his broad shoulders. Though he was shorter than Carson, he still made me feel small.

  Carson.

  I ripped my lips away from Anton’s, pressing him away with one arm. He didn’t move as far as I’d aimed for.

  He stared down at me, his amber eyes ablaze, questioning. His body was rigid. I knew he was fighting himself off. He wanted to take me.

  I pressed my forehead against his chest, letting my hair fall around me. I hadn’t expected tears, but still they came. I s
hook with sobs I couldn’t fight away.

  After several seconds, he relaxed, his arms wrapping around me. He pressed his lips to my hair and held me while I cried. I didn’t know how much time had passed when I blinked, my tears finally run dry.

  Anton leaned against a wall, holding me on his lap, my head rested against his chest. He was cooing again and again, absent shhing sounds echoing down the hall.

  When he realized I’d stopped moving he released me a little, looking down at me. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know where to begin. Should I apologize? Did I have something to apologize for? Should I thank him? His arms felt...right around me. I wanted to kiss him again, feel the touch of his lips on mine.

  “Stop,” I said. It came out more harshly than it should have.

  “What?” He asked, his eyes innocent enough. I stared at him until I was fairly certain that he really didn’t know.

  “You’re projecting,” I replied softly. A sheepish look crept across his face. He averted his eyes away from mine and helped me up. He dusted his jeans when he stood and I could feel the absolute crazed need ebb away. His eyes were tight, struggling as he turned back down the hall.

  “I’m not the only one, you know,” he muttered as he walked past. I scrambled to keep up and he wasted no time waiting.

  I didn’t want to contemplate the meaning of his words. What would I have been projecting?

  He rounded a corner and came to an abrupt halt at one of the first doors there. Through the glass of the enclosure, I could see Kellic, lying in bed, her golden eyes staring blankly ahead.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  I didn’t want to contemplate the meaning of his words. What would I have been projecting?

  Emotions churned within me and I knew what it was that I was trying so desperately to ignore. I knew what he had heard. I desired him. Like we were destined to be with one another, I felt an irresistible draw to him. I was doing all I could to fight that draw but it only seemed to get more alluring.