The Beast
Electric blue sizzled off my skin with near atomic power that made all the cells in my body vibrate violently.
Taming the storm within me wasn’t graceful. It was like trying to put a leash on a hurricane. Every attempt to calm down just ticked off the beast more. The power inside me was wild, gnashing and roaring for release. For a moment, it felt good letting it take the wheel, but then I caught Miranda's determined look.
“Xander, listen to me,” Miranda called out, her voice a sharp blade cutting through the fog in my mind. “This bitchdoes notknow you. Not like I do. And nobody can make you do anythingyou don’t want. Not even burn those hideous Hawaiian shirts.” The corner of her lips lifted, even as she pinned me with her intense stare, tethering me to her.
Don’t you dare give up on me now, her eyes seemed to say. It was enough to make me wrestle back control. Hell, if Miranda thought I could do it, maybe I wasn’t totally lost.
I met Miranda’s gaze, finding an anchor in the storm. Her eyes were so clear, so trusting, so knowing. As if she had zero doubt I would pull myself together.
A reminder that I had something—someone—to fight for. That even in my darkest moments, when I felt most alienated from myself, there was a part of me that remained untainted, capable of resisting the descent into madness.
The wild, unbridled power that had been a breath away from overtaking me began to wane, my skin cooling and my thoughts sharpening into focus once again.
In that moment, something shifted between us. A bond, already strong, forged in fights, deaths, and the quiet moments in between, grew even tighter. It wasn't just about calming me down and pulling me out from my own destruction. It was about knowing each other's strengths and vulnerabilities and choosing to stand together regardless.
Serqet let out a furious hiss. “Listen to me, Nun. Your madness will consume you!”
But her words, once so potent, now seemed to lose their edge, blunted by Miranda’s unwavering support.
What the hell had I done to earn it?
That didn’t matter right now. What mattered was kicking this goddess’ ass.
Serqet's face twisted into a snarl. “Insolent mortal! You're nothing but a plaything to the gods!” She extended her hand, a wave of dark energy pulsing towards us.
Again, the force of her power hit me, smashing against my mind, trying to unleash that which I kept caged.
With a roar, I pushed against Serqet's influence, the effort sending ripples of pain through my head.
“I'm more than just my madness,” I growled, breaking free of her. Shooting a hand toward the wall fountain, I grabbed hold of my power and the water exploded from the pipes and into the room, sweeping the scorpions away and clearing a path.
Miranda lunged forward, her blade cutting through the air with deadly precision. Serqet countered with a burst of dark energy, throwing Miranda back.
“You are nothing but a speck to me, mortal!” Serqet spat, turning her attention to Miranda. She reached out, trying to ensnare Miranda's mind with her psychic power.
But the Blade of Bane in Miranda's grasp glowed brighter, repelling the attack. “Not today.” Miranda charged again.
Together, we closed in around Serqet from different sides.
I threw myself at Serqet again and again, my fists meeting with her chin, her gut. Serqet absorbed my blows as quickly as I landed them.
A scorpion, larger than the rest, lunged at Miranda from the side. She rolled away, blade slicing through its body in a swift, clean motion, her focus never wavering from Serqet.
She had been training in my absence.
“You dare defy a goddess?” Serqet roared, her form growing larger as she drew power from the obelisk.
Something shifted from under the back of her dress and a massive scorpion tail emerged. The lethal stinger snapped forward like a whip to pierce me. I dodged, rolled, and dodged again.
That’s right, you bitch, come after me.
The thrill of the fight coursed through my veins, but my heart raced with fear. One wrong move and the results for Miranda would be fatal.
Serqet whipped around, her tail aiming directly at her. Miranda ducked, the stinger grazing her hair, a breath away from a lethal blow.
With a burst of speed, I closed in on Serqet, my fists slamming into a barrier of dark energy she conjured. The impact sent shockwaves through my arms, but I didn't relent.
