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Her hair whipped around her face, her eyes filled with fire as she killed men and women alike. My mind begged me to remember who she was. To remember that I would do anything to protect her, not do everything to kill her.
Fighting desperately against the control of the Darkness, I fought internally, but to no avail. The grip of the Darkness was too fight, too controlling. And as the two men raced towards the woman with hair of fire, I knew I would have to watch, helpless, as they killed the woman my mind told me I loved.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Halley
Willow’s army was slowly dwindling, but they still outnumbered us at least three to one. And for every ten of them we killed, one of ours was murdered. My power flowed around me as I focused in on the shadow creatures, killing them instantaneously, refusing to give them the chance to hurt on of my people. As the fight condensed around me, I stood my ground, ready to give it my all.
However, just as I prepared for the next onslaught of enemies, they suddenly parted, Knox and Wilder walking through the path they created. Confusion swarmed in my brain, wondering why they would allow them to walk past without a fight. And then I saw their eyes.
Hatred burned in their gazes. Hatred aimed atme.And in that moment, I realized Willow’s true plan. She had no intention of taking me down herself. In fact, she had no intention of infecting anyone with Darkness except for Eli. She needed him on her side. Needed him to control all of our people.
I knew this was true when the remaining Divines surrounding me turned their eyes on me, murder in their gazes. And I was alone. Standing amidst my people and the enemy alike, all of them were prepared to kill me. Trying to think of a way out, I desperately looked around, hoping that it wouldn’t end like this. That I wouldn’t have to kill everyone, including the men I loved, just to save this realm.
As panic began to set in, I felt a small palm slip into my hand, Kalani at my side, unaffected by Eli’s power.
“Never alone.” She whispered to me and I felt my heart beat faster with her words.
With one last squeeze of my hand, Kalani let go, before shifting into her shadow wolf. And I knew in that moment what her plan was. Her howl split the air, strength and command in the sound. I watched in awe as every Shifter, on our side and theirs, stopped in their movement, their eyes finding Kalani’s figure.
With one more howl, Kalani took off in a run, hundreds of Shifters following her lead, emptying half of the battlefield in a split second. I wished I could hug her in that moment, thank her for being by my side, but I knew I would have the time later. Right now, I was still surrounded by dozens of Divines, including Knox and Wilder.
I saw in Wilder’s eyes the second he decided to attack and as he broke out in a sprint, I shut my eyes, refusing to watch what I was forced to do. With the flick of my wrist, I stole the breath from his lungs, his body instantly hitting the ground with a thud, causing tears to spring to my eyes. I knew it wouldn’t keep him down forever and so I moved quickly onto my next target.
Opening my eyes, my gaze landed on Knox next, his sword raised as he charged. Instinctively, I ripped the sword from his grasp, melting the metal until it pooled on the dirt, a silver sheen decorating the red ground. However, that didn’t stop Knox, his emotions ruling his actions, as he tackled me to the ground, his hands wrapping around my neck.
The pressure was intense and immediate and I felt my airway cut off. Grabbing his head in my hands, I whispered, “I’m so sorry,” before channeling my power and knocking him out in an instant. His heavy body dropped onto me, shoving more breath out of my lungs. Pushing him off, I stood to my feet, searching the nearing crowd.
I knew I couldn’t take them all out without killing them, and so my eyes tried to find one man in particular. Finally, I spotted him, standing on the outskirts of the fight, shadows dancing along his arms. Locking him in my sight, I sent out my power, stealing the breath from his lungs as I did Wilder, watching as he dropped.
As unconsciousness hit him, the Divines surrounding me blinked out of their haze, coming back to the moment. As they realized they were side by side with the enemy, the fight immediately broke out again. But I raced through the fighting, knowing I was running out of time. If Eli woke again and regained control, I knew knocking him out wouldn’t work again. I would have to truly hurt him.
Sprinting past the battling crowd, I spotted Willow standing in the back, a crazed grin on her lips. She must not have realized that her weapon was no longer in use, and I knew this was my chance. Pushing all of my energy into my run, I made it to her in seconds, my breathing heavy as she took me in with an outraged stare.
“No!” She screamed, shadows spilling out of her, but I was ready. I knew this was my moment. And I would not fail.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Halley
As the Darkness reached out to me, I thought back to my first lessons. Emotions were at the core of my power. But unlike before, I knew that the memories filled with anger and sadness only brought about a corrupt power. They were the reason for my shadows. So, in this moment, I thought of all the joy in the past year. Kalani’s friendship. Eli’s smile and happiness. Madden’s all-encompassing love. Knox’s strength and perseverance. Wilder’s courage and capacity to grow. And most of all, I thought of my mother’s love. The one thing that brought me to this moment. The moment where I would save the fucking world.
Within an instant, I felt my power overflow, the glow emanating from me brighter than the sun that would ever shine. The darkness and light met in a clash, colliding among each other. I could feel the strength in Willow’s power, centuries of building her force. Her focus on the power alone.
But I could also feel the cracks in the shadows. Over the years, she had forgotten what true power was. She was so busy trying to steal what wasn’t hers, she hadn’t been able to forge a stronger shield. Pushing harder against her Darkness, I felt the cracks begin to widen, allowing my light to seep in, brightening the world that had been succumbed in gloom for far too long.
“You can’t take this from me!” Willow screeched, her voice cracking on each word. “This is my home! And this is the power I deserve.”
I refused to acknowledge her, solely focusing on the energy flowing through me, my body conducting the distinct power that Agrum Di Vinum promised me. Stepping closer to Willow, I threw my hands out, rays of light shooting farther and farther until the shadows only sat around her body. She stood up on her knees, her hands thrown into the air, as she begged for the power to come back.
Sinking to my knees in front of her, I pushed the last of my power out, until the shadows trickled into nothingness. Her body sagged with the release of power, looking like the frail woman she truly was.
“This power was never meant to be. It has corrupted your land and you.” I spoke softly, sadness ebbing in my chest as I looked at the broken woman before me. As if the evil seeped out of her, she gazed up at me, tears shining in her eyes.
“My family. I never got to watch them grow up. It’s all my fault.” Her body began to shake with sobs as all that she had done overcame her. I wanted to comfort her, but in instant, the Darkness, still lingering in the air, swept over her once more, cruelty returning to her eyes.
“This isn’t over. I must take control. I need the power.”
