Before I knew what had happened, I was holding Cassandra’s magic in my hand. At an instinctive urging, I raised my arm and threw that ball right back at her, faster than the best baseball pitcher in all history. Or, that’s how I imagined it since I didn’t watch sports.
The orb of magic hit Cassandra in the throat, sending her flying off her feet to convulse on the ground as electrical tendrils raced over her body. Fuck yeah!
A quick scan of the battlefield displayed a mass of snarling, biting animals and vampires facing off with witches. Anger, excitement, worry, a whole mess of emotions, weighed heavily on my chest, nearly choking me. My skin tingled with unused power and the new magic ability—or whatever it was—pulsed through my bones, urging me to act.
Hoping they remembered, I gathered everything inside me, holding it at bay just long enough. At the top of my lungs, I screamed, “SPOON!”
My clan and our guards began to edge their way back to our line, grabbing others as they went. Benjamin sent out electrical bolts as he walked backward. Kat flung her hands up, dashing behind me as a rain of fire fell on our enemy.
“Move back!” Chima yelled.
The opposing side kept pushing at us, some of them gaping in confusion. I scanned the area wishing I could tell our wolves from theirs, but there was no time. With magic filling me until I couldn’t breathe and making my skin shine with lavender and white swirly light, I sucked in a huge breath.
“Now!” Chima yelled. I took his word for it, spread my arms wide, and let everything go.
The moment my breath expelled from my aching lungs, the magic flared inside me, burning lava hot before surging forth. As it escaped my body, it spread out as a white-hot shockwave. The explosion felt like a nuclear bomb disintegrating my flesh.
Searing energy poured from me, the force knocking me back. Hands held me up, and I let them. I couldn’t believe the destruction my magic caused. My eyes didn’t want to focus on the vision before me.
Half of the opposing side sprawled on the ground, stunned or injured. The other half was a mass of limbs and torsos with a few heads strewn about. Anyone who had been standing nearest to me took the fatal brunt of my impact. The rest were lucky enough to have been low enough to miss the slicing wave of energy.
I shuddered at the sight of so much gore, but the vampire part of me wanted to revel in victory and drink the blood of my victims. Drained of every ounce of power, I crumpled, my knees giving way. The hands that had held me up now prevented my fall.
My eyelids weighed a thousand pounds, closing of their own volition. People spoke around me but my mind was too fuzzy to comprehend. Strong arms lifted me up and carried me to a car. I was passed from person to person, finally landing in someone’s lap, held in their warm embrace.
I welcomed the heat as my own body shivered from the cold of the emptiness I felt inside. I’d spent everything I had. It had been too much. All we’d needed was for them to back off long enough to let us escape. Instead, I massacred them.
How many of them were actually our enemies? They were just following orders, and now they’re dead or injured. I only meant to knock them back. I didn’t mean to kill anyone. I’m a monster!
“You’re not a monster,” a sweet, southern voice whispered in my ear. Nick.
I am. How can he look at me? How can anyone look at me? I’m a weapon of mass destruction. If the hunters find me, imagine what they’d do if they figured out how to use my powers. I need to be put away. No! I need to be put down. Someone kill me, please…
“Shh, you’re safe, darlin’. You only did what your instincts told you to do. No one is going to put you down. I won’t let them.”
How can he say that? He shouldn’t be protecting me… Wait. How can he hear what I’m thinking?
“You depleted yourself,” Kat whispered in my other ear, her hand softly petting my damp hair. “Your walls are down. Anyone linked to you can hear you, so me and Edgar, and now, apparently Nick as well.”
I groaned as a wave of pain battered my head and flowed through my body.
It hurts. Everything hurts. Please. Just put me out of my misery.
“Okay, Mercy,” she said. “You won’t feel any more pain. Just let it all go. Give in to the darkness.”
Numbness crawled through me, starting at my fingers and toes. Inky blackness flooded my mind. Exhaustion weighed heavily on me until I gave in and let it have me with one last thought fluttering through my fading consciousness.
Is she actually killing me?
The End
(For now…)
Also written by Melony Paradise:
The Discordant Earth Series
Broken
First in the series
A baby is precious, even a half-alien one, and Alyssa Rose will do anything to protect hers.
Twenty-two-year-old Alyssa had an idyllic childhood, growing up among the aliens that saved Earth from a third world war. As assistant to Kayn, Commander of the Szu’Kara, she dreams of a long, fulfilling career and a future of eternal bliss. Dating the gorgeous commander is just the cherry on top of her perfect life.
But a visit to the clinic has Alyssa’s world spinning when she finds out she’s pregnant, which shouldn’t be possible—they’re different species. Commander Kayn couldn’t be prouder, but Alyssa has her doubts, especially when things between them start to change.
When tragedy strikes her family, Alyssa realizes things aren’t what they seem, and her dreams are slipping through her fingers. Torn between what’s real and what’s not, she struggles to understand the secrets that lie beneath the surface. She just never imagined she would find her only chance to uncover the truth through Sebastian, an intensely attractive rebel leader.
Alyssa must make her choice: cling to the remnants of her life with Kayn, or side with the rebels… and Sebastian.
Get Broken!
Other Books by Melony Paradise
The Discordant Earth Series:
The Interview
Broken
New Enemies
Unchained
Vamp Tales Series:
Along for the Ride
Meet the Clan
Moving Day
Witch Slap
Connect with the Author
A tidbit about the author:
Just a laid-back chick with eccentric tastes who loves writing, reading, music, horror flicks, crafting, and unusual things.
A few words:
I want to thank my alpha reader and sister, Danielle, and beta reader, Benjamin, for helping me get this story finished! Life got a bit hectic, as it does at times, and this book didn’t get released when I had planned, instead taking an extra two weeks. But, we got it done and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoy writing these Mercy stories. Mercy’s life is a whirlwind and I can’t wait to see where she lands next!
Main Website: www.melonyparadise.com
Vamp Tales Webpage: www.melonyparadise.com/vamptales
Facebook: AuthorMelonyParadise
Join my Facebook readers group: Melony Paradise’s Rebel Readers
Twitter: @katiania
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Witch Slap Page 6
