by C. M. Owens
"Dragona!" Damon yells as I rise to my feet, easily fighting off his hold on me as though he's nothing more than a speck of dust.
The air starts spiraling out of control, trees bow and break, and the water around us pushes back even farther, making the lake seem as though it's trying to escape us—escape me.
I turn to face the terror in his dark eyes. He's seen his fate—it's me.
Fire spreads from my hands, spins around on the ground to make an arena-ring for warriors in battle. And then blackness steals my sight as I stare into his heart. He has to die—again.
My dark laughter fills the air when he's knocked backwards, but then my laughter is shattered when I'm suddenly out of breath, falling to my knees. Dragona smirks as she hovers over me, hand outstretched as she tries to draw the air from my lungs.
"You're not strong enough while mortal, young one."
Shots of power come from every angle and Gage steps in front of me, absorbing some of the magic she's pushing out. She struggles to stand as he launches one attack after another, but she's so much stronger than Damon. And Gage isn't strong enough to continue to endure her.
My ribs crack inside me, my head bangs as my skull tries to cave, and my breath tries to give out completely. As my blood starts dripping from my eyes, nose, and ears, I hear a scream, drawing me to look at anything other than the red moon that offers me no extra strength tonight.
Castine folds and falls, withering to nothing, and silver eyes emerge on my night stalker. A deep growl in his throat sounds out seconds before I feel something gloriously divine attack me with a rapturous promise of hope.
He's suddenly gone and then he reappears in front of me, hitting Dragona with a silver orb just like mine. She cries out, stumbling for balance, and then she hisses at the man she overlooked as a threat.
"No," she snarls, and then she hits him with streaks of spiraling purple and red, throwing him and Gage backwards in unison, and leaving me on my own.
But I'm not trembling in fear when my bones crack back into place, or when my drops of blood slide in reverse, returning to their proper placement inside me. My breaths become easy and crisp, rejuvenating me and my wrath. Something inside me snaps and mends in the same breath. I taste the darkness, I feel the light, and it all comes together in a seamless bond.
Her eyes widen in sheer terror, and I stand, not affected by her force anymore. When Damon takes her side, Kane finds his way back to me. They're strong, but we're stronger.
"Put them back!" Thad says, making me narrow my eyes at him.
Kane launches a massive stack of orbs at once, slinging them toward the couple, and I turn my attention back to do the same. Dragona and Damon stumble and bleed, but spirits are harder to kill—even if they are corporeal now. Stubborn bastards.
"You have to put them back!" Thad says again. "They're too strong to kill. They'll escape! Put them back while you can."
Kane starts toward them, but I stop him with a hand to his chest, smiling as I stare at their wavering strength the posing changer has overestimated—souls as black as night, hearts that don't exist, and intentions that will destroy the world. A soul killed twice ceases to exist—they have to die.
"No," I murmur, summoning every bit of strength deep within, and then it pours free, running through them by way of every opening it can find.
I feel each and every entity I possess flowing out of me, howling their promises in unison. It wraps around them in the form of a gold and silver light, the two colors intertwining and braiding together. I can feel every creature's power vibrating through the conjoined strands. I can taste Kane's power strumming through me, fueling me as he pushes harder, aiding me in the attack.
Screams dress and decorate the air with a delicious taste, and I drink it in, loving the feel before I charge and grab them both by the throat. The poison of my touch, the taste of my power, and the kiss of death all work together to steal the essence that keeps them here.
Pieces of them start breaking off into ashes, until they finally crumble like a pile of rubble at my feet. My dark hair whips in the wind as I turn to face the silver eyes of my creature—my love. And in the reflection his eyes offer me, I see the golden orbs in place of my silver eyes. A power like I've never felt before radiates through me, pushing me to continue.
Madness breaks free from me, causing more chaos as the sun slowly starts to rise, shedding light on the red moon creatures who find their sanity amongst the war at hand. The divine taste of darkness runs through me as I push forth one last burst of power, letting it sink into the core of the idiots still fighting for their fallen king and queen.
Pretty cries of death echo through the air as they fall. Wilting under my power, they crumble, breaking under the strength that won't let up or offer mercy.
The ones not filled with blackened hearts stumble backwards, watching in disbelief as their adversaries drop. Then I stalk toward the wakened night stalker that just won't die and the bitch mother Gage doesn't deserve to endure.
"Monster," she seethes, barely keeping her head up against my force.
I kneel in front of them, her eyes cold and callous, refusing to show fear even though she knows the fate she's about to meet. His eyes show me the fear I crave, desire, and relish.
"You should have chosen the right side," I murmur before finishing what I started with one last push of power, pressing against them fully with the unseen force.
I deny them the right to cry out their pain when I steal their breath and force them to endure a silent death. As they drop, I slowly turn around, seeing most of the damage slowly fading as the light from the sky promises a new day.
Gage is messing with the Thad imposter, trying to free him, and Kane is untying the small girl.
"Not him!" I command, finding my fury once again.
"It's Thad, Alyssa. He’s real," Gage says, not meeting my eyes.
I start to say something else when I look Thad’s heart, seeing the truth I wish I had seen sooner. White—pure white light—buried inside a beautifully-pure heart, and tears fall from my eyes as my hair changes back to blond.
I start to fall, but Kane blurs and catches me as the surrealism and exhaustion catch up, only—I'm not as exhausted as I should be. That much power—
"I changed," I murmur, touching my skin as though it should be different, feeling no wounds where they were just moments ago.
Kane smiles down at me as he pulls me closer, holding me so much tighter than he's ever been able to before. It feels so good.
"I have to shut this down. Get the medallion," Thad says to Gage as the exhausted little girl wobbles.
Kane leaves me as he rushes to her, trying to steady her. I run over, and stumble over my feet from the unexpected speed I didn't mean to use. When my body claps the ground, I hear the laughter of an incubus that seemed to be missing from most of the fight.
Zee helps me to my feet as Thad moves to be at the little girl's side, putting the necklace on her and letting Gage reseal the broken chain.
"What're you laughing at, incubus?" Zee grumbles. "Where were you? Hiding?"
Dice scowls. "I was kicking a night stalker's ass. Me—an incubus—beat the hell outta him."
"One?" Zee asks, sounding incredulous, making Dice's anger grow. "I don't know which one of you is more pathetic."
As the bickering continues, Mom's arms wrap around me when she comes to my side. She hugs me close to her, squeezing me tighter than usual just as Kane did. Drackus stays on his back, still catching his breath and shaking his head sporadically as he comes down from his high. Frankie staggers over, clutching his side as hobbles to us.
"What's that?" he asks, looking at Thad. I still haven't processed the fact that he's alive.
"All I know about it is that it halts power on certain creatures. She's too young to stop her power once it's been activated. Get that thing out of here," he says, pointing to the diamond of Roth.
Frankie vaporizes with the diamond in tow. Mom just watches
with me, ignoring the cousin my crazy Hyde-half left alive. Her heart was tainted, but not black—there's hope for her. I pray I'm right about that.
"How do we get all the spirits back in?" Dice asks, breaking apart from his feud with Zee.
"Once we shut this down, they'll lose their hold on this world and the bodies they've captured. They won't be sucked back into purgatory, but they'll become trapped in various planes. I'll find out which ones and lock them down or move them."
"Had a few secrets, did you?" Kane asks, cradling the small girl to his chest as he stares at the changer that shouldn't be alive.
"Being a gate keeper is as dangerous as being a creature god. You had a few secrets of your own, didn’t you?"
Kane doesn't answer before the hole slowly starts to fade from sight, and the air becomes crisper almost instantly—making it easier to breathe.
"Why weren't Dragona and Damon spirits?" Drackus asks as he finally stands to his feet, seeming normal again—well, as normal as possible.
"Because they were stronger than we realized when we banished them—they fed off the spirits there," Thad answers absently as he focuses on the portal.
Once the hole is completely gone, I touch the spot where the medallion once graced my chest.
"It would have been nice to know it killed powers."
That grin he shows me—it's real—he's real. It's his grin.
He comes over to pull me into his arms, and he holds me tightly to him as he kisses my forehead, making my tears pour out feverishly. I hold him a little too tightly. He gasps for air, and I quickly release my hold as he grips his side.
"I didn't know you were a creature goddess, or I would have warned you. Some secrets are meant to be kept. I had no idea."
"Neither did I," I murmur through a sniffle, wiping my eyes. Is it really over?
I look around at all the devastating destruction, and Dray comes to drop to the ground, showing how much energy he exerted as the exhaustion weighs in on him. Reese is behind him—naked—wiping sweat off his brow.
"We lost five of my wolves," Reese says, spitting out blood and not bothering to cover up. "Where were the councils?"
"They were called," Shay mutters, scowling in disgust and fury. "But they're—"
"Never around when a real fight is underway," Gage interrupts through a scoff, finishing the sentence for her.
He's bloody and beaten. He's also refusing to meet my eyes. Kane looks at me, and takes a deep breath before nodding the approval I don't need. I have to talk to the dark user—save him.
I go to his side and start assessing the damage done. Everyone walks away to give us a moment of privacy, even Thad. I wonder idly if he knows.
Gage winces when I touch the gash on his cheek, and then my hand trails down to his chest, hovering over his heart.
"We have to break the spell," I almost whisper.
He lets a harsh breath out and nods, looking away when tears form in his eyes. "I'm sorry. I thought... I just..."
"I know," I say softly, taking his hand in mine.
He stares down at the connection, and he draws my hand to his lips to kiss it. I smile sadly when his eyes meet mine again.
"I really do love you," he utters with a sigh, finally grasping his courage to finish what he wanted to say. "I wouldn't have ever cast the spell if I had known the truth, though. I would never do anything to betray you that way. I thought I was saving you."
There's no doubt that he's telling me the truth. But there's only one I've ever loved; and he's the only one who can save me from myself—who has saved me from myself.
"No love forsaken, no hope lost; let these words remove the cross," I murmur softly, feeling my magic work almost instantly with more power behind it than usual. I could get used to this.
Gage breathes in deeply, and then he exhales a black fog, expelling the burden and pain he was carrying because of the side effects tied to his spell. He may still love me, but now it can fade, and he'll have a chance to find someone who loves him back.
He pulls me to him for one last hug, and kisses my cheek, murmuring his apologies once more. I rest my head on his shoulder, ready to move beyond this. Before he was a lover, he was a friend. I would have been lost without him during that time.
"What are we going to do about the councils?" Reese asks, as my nameless cousin walks toward us.
I ignore the wolf, move back from my embrace with Gage, and focus on the dark-haired girl before me. She stands taller, pushing her shoulders back. She looks a lot like me, since we really are related through Freya.
"I'll accept my fate with honor," she says steadily, trying to hide the fear in her voice that shows in her eyes.
Fate: that's a word that makes no sense to me. Fate is nothing more than the universe's twisted sense of humor that raises more questions than it ever answers.
"I won’t kill you. If that's what you're asking," I say after drawing out the suspense.
She looks at me as though I've lost my mind, but she nods warily, taking steps back, refusing to take her eyes off me for fear of a trick. Then she vaporizes and disappears from sight.
"That's either generous or stupid," Gage says as he squeezes my hand.
I force a tight smile, and then I turn to Reese who is still waiting expectantly on an answer.
"The councils," he says softly, not trying to sound disrespectful but demanding some justice.
"We'll handle that right now."
Chapter 25
A New Power
Each council member from every branch of fey is gathered here, all of them squirming uncomfortably before us.
"What's the meaning of this?" a widow spews, hissing under her breath as she glares at us.
"You have no right to summon us here," a witch from the light council barks.
"Actually," I mutter, "I do. As a descendent of Freya, I have the right to assume the throne and dismiss the councils from existence, if I so choose."
Whispered gasps and ghastly faces spread across the room. Kane steps back, watching as they all scramble to lean back in their seats, suddenly seeming more like the cowards they are than the intimidating dominants they pretend to be.
My eyes flash silver at my behest, and then they crawl to gold, proving a strength they've never seen before. My hair shifts, mingling blond with black. I smile as the scent of fear coats the room, but I see no black hearts or dark souls—only trembling fools.
Kane's eyes flash silver—he's loving his new self—and they are suddenly scared shitless. I can't help but bask in their horror.
"The councils no longer exist as they are. One person will be appointed as the governing leader over each fey. Most of you know Gage," I murmur, motioning for the dark user to take my side. He does so willingly and crosses his arms over his chest. "He'll be the leader of the dark users, and he'll also have full control of the Somage. As my advisor, he'll appoint certain people to various positions, considering he knows the other fey groups better than anyone else in this room."
I wait, secretly hoping someone has the balls to object. None do.
"And Reese," I say, watching the alpha make his way closer, "will be leader over the Were."
A snarling alpha wolf growls at us, but when Kane takes a step toward him, he backs down instantly, proving he's more equipped to be a beta.
"Chaz will lead the dusters. Deke will lead the night stalkers. Sierra will lead the lycans. Calypso will lead the light witches and warlocks. Thad will lead the changers. And all of them will be a part of the new council I've designed to reign over all fey—a united council. We won't be divided by class anymore. Everyone will come together for decisions and we'll be better because of it. Consequences are about to become very real, so keep that in mind when you feel like crossing a line.
"At the end of the day, Kane and I will have final say. Though I'll tell you right now, we'll never go against these people. I can see truth, lies, betrayal, and more. I'm not blind to our world the way I once was. I see it for
how it really is. I see you for who you really are. Things change. We evolve. We change—starting now."
My rehearsed speech has all the authority of a real leader, though I have no intentions of actually leading. I'm just the scary freak that's here to put them in their rightful places. The others will do the leading. Me? I'm finally going to live my life.
The same thing that condemns me is my saving grace. I'm the creature they'll fear too much to cross.
"One more thing," I add to the silent room. "Drackus Devall no longer stays confined to his home. He's no more deadly than I am."
They all look at each other as though I've lost my mind, but no one dares to challenge me. It feels pretty damn good, actually.
"You ready?" Kane murmurs against my ear, tugging my hand.
"Very."
Gage takes charge, just as he was born to do, and starts working on putting my commands into effect. He offers me a wink before Kane whisks me away. When we reach the hallway, I look over to see Dice talking to the small girl we know very little about.
"Considering she was locked up for her entire life, she's actually very sane. For the most part," Kane says, smiling as Dice falls on his ass. She's a powerful visionary. Only some hexers were known to have such power after the visionaries were hunted into extinction—or so we thought.
"Don't do that," Dice gripes, shaking his head free from whatever image she just planted. She just giggles more, enjoying torturing the incubus. I really like her.
"She can make you feel like you're falling, place the image clearly in your head as though it's real. She's going to be incredibly powerful when she turns immortal," Kane murmurs softly. "She's going to need powerful people to help her learn control and discipline."
I look at him, slowly wrapping my mind around what he's saying. "You want to adopt her?"
He smiles, making my heart flutter a little, and making this all the more real. He glances down to my night stalker blue mood stone.
"Figures. You give me this so that your eyes represented happiness, and now your eye color changes."
