Page 124 of Vengeance of the Gods

The unknown faces slowly started to morph into the dead Marlena wished she couldn’t recognize. Her parents, Lucius… Ivelle.

The sounds of battle from people Marlena could no longer see echoed in the distance, but all she could focus on was the screech of her own voice inside her head. The scream of a girl she’d locked away.

Ivelle might have been the last person Marlena truly cared about.

The distraction lasted only a few seconds, but that was all it took—one moment of hesitation, and Vega got her hand around Marlena’s wrist.

Panic flared—an emotion she hadn’t felt in years. The heat of her flames roared, warming her skin to the touch. It had always been the first to jump to Marlena’s defense.

The emerald glow of her favorite power bubbled, but it never made it to the surface to protect her.

The fluttering in the pit of her stomach quickly changed to a pain Marlena knew wasn’t her sister’s electricity. She was stuck in the middle where nothing but Vega’s power lived, unable to fight her off.

Marlena had been thrown inside the dungeons of her mind and left to rot while whatever power Vega now possessed ripped her apart like a reaper.

It was the same way she’d felt the first time when Vega stole Diana from her.

“What has she become?” one of the gods screeched as Marlena’s body burned like a fire she’d never felt before.

Not even when she’d been given Vulcan’s power during her summoning.

The realization of what Vega was doing slammed into Marlena like a pack of rabid dogs, shredding her to bits.

My fire.

She tried to fight, tried to scream, but nothing happened—nothing worked.

Marlena was powerless.

She’d given up everything she had for this… to be this.

All for the sister she cursed to become her undoing.

Marlena tried with everything she had to pull away, to regain some type of control, but nothing she or the gods did could stop Vega from draining what was left of the god of fire.

When Vega finally let go, silence fell around them.

Marlena’s eyes widened, her sister’s face mirroring her level of shock. Much to Marlena’s dismay, Vega rebounded quickly, and what she did as the cherry on top sent a blinding hot ball of rage through Marlena’s entire body.

It wasn’t the heat of her fire, no. My fire is gone… and it illuminated in Vega’s hands, burning as bright blue as their eyes—as bright blue as Vega’s lightning.

Her sister had stolen yet another piece of what Marlena deserved.

The illusion of death and Vega’s mirrored image faltered, flickering until the battlefield returned.

“Give it back.” The growl from Marlena’s chest surprised her. It wasn’t a voice of just her own—it was a mix of all the ones left inside her head.

She’d summoned twelve.

Ten remained.

“Give me my fire!” Marlena pounced, slicing out with the daggers she had left, jumping between the folds of Tolevarre to get there faster.

Vega tucked, rolling on the sodden ground below. When she popped up behind Marlena, the fire she’d stolen raged up her arms until it fizzled to nothing but smoke. “I didn’t even want your fire.” She laughed. Vega fucking laughed in Marlena’s face. Her fury grew into something unrecognizable. “I was aiming for your lightning.” Vega snapped both fingers, and the blue flames returned. “Oops.”

Marlena saw red, picturing her sister’s blood coating their realm. She couldn’t lose what she’d fought so hard to have, so hard to keep.

Control.