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“He’s sending the girls to the Borderlands?” Alicia’s form seemed ethereal, not fully here.
“Um,” I paused, looking at Janetta, confused. Did she sense what I did? “Yes.”
Alicia’s skin morphed into a ghostly white.
“Alicia? What’s happening to you?” Janetta went to step forward, her hand outstretched. Instantly, I blocked her path with my body, shaking my head no.
“My mother was right. She told me he’d been sending women off to war . . . including my sister. Everything that’s happened in the south is because of his magic. The plagues, the dead crops. He steals magic to feed his own.”
My hands shook. “Wait . . . are you saying Lord Demious is causing the plagues?”
Alicia nodded. “Many have died at his hands. I needed to be sure.”
“My parents . . .” The ache of their loss tore open like an old wound. “They had gone into the southern swamps to find the source of the plague snakes. They never came back.”
Janetta grabbed my hand and Alicia’s. “Let’s leave, together. We can go to my home. We’ll be safe there.”
Ignoring Janetta, I looked over at Alicia whose gaze shifted black, and I knew we weren’t going anywhere. “No.”
Fire pulsed through my veins, and I headed for the door. Everything that had gone wrong started with those plague snakes: my parents dying, the firehawks being sick, Calvin going off to war.
“Rosalie, no!” Janetta chased after me, Alicia now by my side. “He’s too powerful. You’ll both be killed!”
“No, we won’t,” I said, my flame fueling my steps. I didn’t care about hiding anymore. I’d use my full potential, more than when I fought the darkthing. I’d show Lord Demious what an elemental could really do.
Shouts and the clang of metal entered the foyer. The three of us stopped, just around the corner by the side entrance where Janetta and I first came in. A tiny part of me wanted to heed her warning and run away, far from this place, but I couldn’t, not when I knew the truth.
When the shouts from inside sounded farther away, we ran across the marble floor to the door. I opened it, and peeked outside, before waving the other two to follow. Heart racing, my head spinning with fear and anger, I cautiously crept to the side of the mansion to see if Kelia and Lord Demious still fought.
Lord Demious straddled Kelia, his hands around her throat and his shadows seeping up into her nostrils and open mouth. His eyes were completely blackened, and wisps of obsidian smoke lifted from his skin. Kelia’s right hand glowed blue and she pressed it against his robe, the material disintegrating under her touch, but even when her hand connected with his skin, he didn’t budge.
“It’s a shame,” he hissed, his voice scratchy and deeper than normal. “You and I could’ve been a powerful union, and I had hoped you would have reconsidered my proposal.”
Kelia choked, and he leaned down to her mouth.
“I might even ignore this slight, if you agree to be mine, magic and body.” He placed his mouth just above hers as a stream of black spewed from his mouth into hers right before he kissed her, groaning in a wicked display of pleasure.
Her nails dug into his flesh, the glowing flame flickering.
I watched in horror, frozen by his sickening behavior.
“I’m not waiting any longer.” Alicia looked at me before the shadow portal that brought her into the library appeared and she stepped inside it, disappearing in a flash.
A scream brought my attention to Lord Demious who was now on his back, writhing on the grass. A trio of wounded Borderlands Agents stood around him, two pointing electric wands at him, the third picked up Kelia into his arms and opened a portal. Once the agent with Kelia stepped through, the other two followed, leaving the estate before Lord Demious could react.
Alicia appeared behind him, a sword in her hand. Somehow, she had picked up a sword from somewhere and now was going to end Lord Demious.
A black tentacle shot out of Lord Demious’ hand and curled around Alicia’s neck. He picked her up over his head and slammed her onto the grass with a sickeningcrack, the sword slipping from her hand.
“Well, well, if it isn’t my missing prospect.” He picked up the weapon she had dropped. “I should’ve killed you the moment I learned you were a shadow walker. After all, your kind are very rare.”
“He’s going to kill her,” Janetta hissed behind me.
I ran out from the tree and sprinted to where they were. “Stop!”
Lord Demious shot an angry glare my way. One hand pressed against the wound on his stomach, the other held the sword tip to Alicia’s throat. “You should be thankful. I tried saving you.”
“Don’t do this. You’ve already caused enough pain.”
