A massive boom forced my eyes open. The beast in the cage slammed against the bars. Arms reached toward me with massive rocky fists that opened and closed. He was trying to get at me.
Fear paralyzed me. I couldn’t sort out all the painful sensations in my body. It felt like I was being irradiated. And Xander’s new form made me want to ball up and scream for help. But instead, I gritted my teeth.
The monstrous voice called out my name before he slammed into the bars again. The room shuddered and the lights went out. My stomach dropped out of my body as I was plunged into darkness. Only Xander’s blue energy illuminated the room. It wafted out toward me like inviting hands of death.
Hands shaking, I swallowed hard and took a step back. Every primal part of me wanted to scream and run. His ancient uncontrollable power pummeled into me.
I needed to kill him. I needed to kill his power before it hurt me, or anyone else.
Forcing my feet forward, I started toward the beast. The monster slammed against the bars again, his long, muscle roped arms reaching for me. “Miranda.”
This time the voice still held all the menace and danger as before, but underneath it, I could swear I heard him pleading with me.
If I got any closer, he’d be able to grab me.
The Xander-monster said he’d eat me up. Would he try to kill me? Every instinct told me he would crush me before licking the meat from my bones. Xander wasn’t just powerful, he was out of his mind.
I could leave. Or at least, if the elevator didn’t work, I could hide in there until it started working again, then run home with my tail between my legs. Later I’d come back and give him what he wanted, after he calmed.
“Miranda,” he pleaded again. That sonorous demonic voice was so sorrowful it ripped at my insides.
The power wasn’t only painful to me, it was agony for him. And I couldn’t leave him like this.
“Xander,” I said, using my best authoritative voice. Blood rushed in my ears so loud, I’m pretty sure I screamed it. “Stop!”
What sounded like tumbled gravel came from his throat, but he stilled. His arms were still outstretched.
I drew closer.
You got this. You got this, a voice softly in my head chanted. For once, my sword felt light and sure in my hands.
When I stepped inside the space between his arms, my alarm shot through the roof. I was in the most vulnerable position possible. I looked up into his illuminated blue eyes and found agony in their blaze. Despite my fear, his arms remained still.
“Kill me,” he gurgled.
“Wish granted,” I whispered, before thrusting Bob into his chest.
Xander threw back his head, an excess of electric sparks shooting up and out from his eyes. The sparks landed and prickled painfully on my skin. Releasing the blade, I retreated back across the room, fleeing the white-hot energy.
He crumpled to the ground, blue energy dimming where the sword still protruded from his chest. The harsh lights in the room flickered back to life with an audible hum.
Suddenly the explanation for all the mysterious brown outs in the city became clear to me. It was him. He was causing them.
I neared the cage again, needing to retrieve Bob. I crouched down and stuck my arm through the bars. My fingers reached out toward the hilt, but a blackened hand intercepted mine. My heart shot up and lodged itself in my throat as he gripped my hand in his hard, rocky hand. I met his tortured gaze even as the blue blaze faded, turning them human again. Intensity shone from those cerulean depths. “Thank you,” he rasped.
His head fell back with a thud. Xander’s eyes remained open and sightless. I held his cold, lifeless hand as he fully returned to the shape of a man.
I don’t know how long I stayed crouched there with him, but at some point, I became aware of the tears on my cheeks. Xander was dead. For a little while, anyway. But I didn’t want to leave him there all alone. His torment, his pain, his gratitude and then relief, they all seared their way into me like a brand.
No one should have to endure that much pain.
The stark reality that he’d been caged down here for millennia, unable to control his power or his pain hit me like a brick in the face. I’d known, but. . .I hadn’t truly understood until now.
Eventually, I gently laid his hand down and straightened. My knees were stiff from crouching for so long. I pulled the sword out from his torso, making his body jerk. A sick feeling lurched in my gut. I tucked Bob back into my coat and wiped the tears from my face before heading toward the elevator.
My body started to shake. I needed a bath so hot it could melt my bones. But it wouldn’t erase what I saw, what I felt.
I was inside his storm of torment, terrified it would swallow me up. And for a brief moment, I was inclined to let it. Just so he wouldn’t have to be in the vortex by himself.
