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Chapter forty-one

“ W ell, this just got interesting,” commented Belz.

“How?” asked Nonna.

“Who cares?” answered Frankie. “Now we have six goddesses on our side along with six Princes of Hell. The odds just turned in our favor.”

“Now!” screamed Aradia. Cecilia, Josephine, and Valeriana blast their white flames into the crowds of Lucifer’s armies. The creatures attacked, hurtling into the air while the Goristro held their positions. The goddesses still had their magic. It was as if Aradia had planned this perfectly, waiting until after Victoria had initiated the spell, to guarantee that her and the other previous vessels still had access to their magic.

Bullets began to fly. Fists, legs, and swords slashed through the air. I moved through the battlefield, keeping my senses honed while I searched for Lucifer. I pointed the gun forward, nailing a demon in the head with a bullet as it attempted to sink its teeth into a young witch. I swung the barrel to the left, firing off two more bullets. I raised my second gun and spun to the right, taking down two more creatures.

A mass slammed into me from behind, causing me to stumble forward. Claws ripped at my fighting leathers while it fought to get its teeth into my neck. I struck back with my elbow and aimed my right Glock over my left shoulder, firing off two rounds into its head. The creature fell to the ground while my ears rang ferociously from the blast. My head spun, pounding with pain, and I lost my balance.

I took a few deep breaths while I prayed for the ringing to stop. I needed all my senses if I was going to survive. Before I could regain my balance, another demon barreled into me from the right, sending us both to the ground. I lost hold of my guns and reached for the creature’s neck to prevent it from dosing me with its paralytic poison.

I punched the side of its face, avoiding its sharp dagger teeth. It flailed wildly, tearing into my arms and sides. I gripped the hilt of a dagger at my hip, but before I could plunge it into the creature’s head, one of Deus’s demons hurtled into it, driving the thing off me. The two animals slashed and tore into each other.

With its long, powerful fingers, the demon of lust pinned Lucifer’s pet by the neck, locking its teeth around the black, inky flesh, ripping out its jugular. Lucifer’s demon ceased to move, its arms slacking to the ground. Our demon arched its head into the sky and howled victoriously. Two more of Lucifer’s demons appeared, jumping for ours as the three beasts fought to the death.

I refocused, picking up my guns and snapping two fully loaded clips into them. I cocked each gun and began firing. Mayhem surrounded us. White fire from the vessels torched the field, causing my skin to bead with sweat. The sound of metal sung through the air as the princes drove their bloodthirsty swords through our enemies.

I kept firing, sending demon after demon back to Hell, but no matter how many I took down, dozens continued to appear. It was impossible to determine if there was an ending in sight. I moved to the side, reaching for another clip to reload when a searing pain flared behind my left shoulder. I yelled, quickly ducking low to the ground .

I swung my guns towards the source of pain and began to fire blindly. Victoria stood ten feet from me, white flames flickering around each hand. I pulled the triggers as fast as I could, fighting the blistering sensation coming from my shoulder. She shifted out of the way, reappearing on a rocky mound a few feet from me and slammed her hands forward, sending funnels of fire in my direction.

I forced myself to run, faster than I ever had, trying to outrace my own magic. I dove behind a rock formation, reaching for another clip, but I was out. I tossed the guns and pulled out the slender sword that was strapped to my back. My stomach turned as the smell of my own burning flesh clung to my nostrils. I reached back, gently touching the wound. Instant pain shot through my nerve system as my fingers met my sticky, melted flesh.

My head was still pounding from the shots I had fired a few moments earlier, and my body stung from the dozens of claw marks. I was soaked in blood; some was my own, but most came from the demons I had slain. My hands were now shaking. I took a few deep breaths, closing my eyes while I tried to focus.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are, you little slut,” Victoria taunted as she approached.

I pressed my back to the rock, my nerves settling as my grip around the hilt of the sword tightened. Even though I no longer had my magic, there was another power that would give me the strength I needed to kill this bitch.

I allowed myself to remember the sight of her on Deus’s lap. The way they touched one another, caressed and kissed each other while I watched, helplessly. I imagined them together intimately, her lying next to him instead of me. Rage began to numb my physical pain as my mind tormented itself, jealousy becoming my weapon.

I held the sword vertically, quieting my senses until I pinpointed her soft, delicate footsteps, mere feet from my locations. I kept my eyes closed, waiting until the perfect moment to unleash my fury upon her.

She may have been a goddess, possessing power I currently couldn’t, but she wasn’t trained, at least not like I had been. I was thankful for the endless, painful hours I had spent in the training facility with Lilith while she kicked my ass from one end of the room to the other. After all Victoria had done, I wasn’t going to allow her to walk off this battlefield alive.

The rocks softly shifted underneath her feet, and her steps halted just on the other side of the rock formation.

“You really think you will be enough for him?” she said, trying to taunt me into coming out. “He is the Prince of Lust. Mate or not, he will eventually need to lay with others. I love him enough that I made peace with that fact, accepting him for who he truly is. You, on the other hand, hinder his power by keeping him shackled at your side.” She laughed. "You ... a weak, pathetic, orphaned nun … the mate of the second most powerful demon in history. The universe is wrong!” I could hear the betrayal in her voice, the heartbreak of losing something she had loved.

“I belong with him,” she growled. “I have fought for the past three hundred years to return to his side. I am what he needs and what he truly desires. You will destroy him. Once you are dead, he will realize the error of his ways, and when he does, I will be there. I will make sure that you are erased from his memory … permanently.”

My eyes snapped open, my body now calm and in control. With the sword still held before my face, I moved swiftly, like the shadow of death. I stepped up onto one of the rocky ledges, then took another step, and another, until I held the higher ground. I flung into the air, leaping off the formation, sword above my head and aimed for Victoria’s neck.

I let out a scream of rage as I plummeted through the air. She turned towards me, her eyes widening, and brought her hands up. Fire sparked between her fingers, but she was too slow. I brought the sword down with all the strength I possessed. She took a single step, dodging out of my direct path just at the blade hit the flesh between her shoulder and neck, splitting her perfect skin wide open.

She cried out, reaching for the wound that gushed blood. She extended her arm out, sending shadowed tendrils towards me. I moved instinctually, climbing another rock mound, outrunning her pathetic attempt to attack. I pulled a dagger from my boot and tossed it towards her as I leapt from the rock, landing on my feet. The dagger sung as it tumbled through the air until it slid into her abdomen, just as I had intended.

She lurched forward, reaching for the hilt. Her whimpering cries were pathetic and weak. She pulled the blade from her flesh, crying and shaking. I ran straight for her, my sword leveled to kill, when she slammed her hands into the ground, a force of power sending me tumbling to the ground at least twenty feet from her.

The hard landing tore the sword from my grip while the wind lashed at my face, sending sand into the air. I covered my eyes, fighting the wind and dust, but there was no use. I was blind.

Bam . A fist smashed into my face, and then another, and another, until I could taste my own blood pooling in my mouth. The sand settled and I saw Victoria standing over me, smashing the left side of my jaw with her fist. Her face enraged, her simple white dress now saturated with her own blood.

I tried to throw my own punch, but her shadows latched around my wrists and then my ankles, pinning me to the ground while she continued to punch my face with her delicate fist. She straddled my torso, pulling my bloodied dagger from her belt.

A vicious, hungry smile spread across her angelic face. Madness consumed her. She forcefully gripped the top of my scalp, pulled my head back and laughed, holding the knife to my throat.

“You have no idea how much I am going to enjoy this,” she said, pressing the wet metal against my skin.

Just as the cold blade broke through the first layer of my skin, a black figure slammed into her, forcing her shadows to release me. I scurried upright, diving for my sword and rolling to my feet. Victoria blasted Deus away from her and he landed a few feet from me. I moved to his side, helping him stand while he pulled his own sword from the sheath.

Victoria stood, jealousy written on her sneer. Deus scanned me, noting every wound I had endured. His face twisted with worry.

“I’m okay,” I assured him. He wrapped his free arm around my waist, pulling me into him, resting his forehead against mine.

“Get away from her!” Victoria demanded, darkness and flickers of fire seeping from her. The ground around the former goddess shook, splintering as her eyes filled with rage and tears fell. Her breathing became rapid, her teeth gritting together as darkness and power consumed her.

“It’s over, Victoria,” Deus said, without an ounce of pity in his voice. “There is nothing you could do that would ever make me love you … nothing.”

The wind around her began to spin, her hair lashing at her face. Her eyes were now pits of darkness.

“No!” she yelled. “No! This isn’t right. Everything I did … everything I sacrificed to get back to you. It can’t all be for nothing. We belong together, Deus. I am your destiny … not her… not some pathetic, weak, na?ve bitch—”

A hand slid through her white, curly hair, gripping the strands by their roots, yanking her head back. A knife appeared at her neck just as Nonna’s face came into focus over her left shoulder.

“That na?ve bitch is a Salvo,” Nonna said, her teeth inches from Victoria’s ear. “And no one fucks with a Salvo and lives.” Nonna slid the blade across her throat in one deep stroke. Blood spilled from the wound like a thick curtain of death. Nonna released her grip, tossing the body forward.

The wind settled around us. The shadows faded and the fire dissipated as Victoria’s body fell into the sand. Her white curls splayed around her head, her eyes still open as the last ounce of life faded from them. Her beautiful face, now stained with her blood.

I looked back at Nonna still in shock. She arched an eyebrow and tilted her head.

“What?” she said without an ounce of empathy. “You expect me to stand by and let her talk to my granddaughter like that?” she huffed, shaking her head. “I don’t think so.”

“See,” Deus whispered at my side. “Terrifying.” He kissed me on the head, just as a massive thud sounded behind us. I looked back just in time to see the sand cloud fade, reveling a dead Goristro. Our forces moved to the next, continuing to execute the plan that we had created.

“Get your asses out there,” ordered Nonna. “They need your help.”

Deus took off towards the closest Goristro. I studied my nonna carefully, still in awe of her strength. She smiled at me softly. “You’re welcome, bambina,” she said with a nod.

“I love you,” I replied.

“I love you. Stay close to your husband. Now go.”

I nodded, taking off after him. With each pump of my arms, my blistered flesh and the wounds slashed into my skin yelled in protest, but I forced the pain down, remembering all Lilith had taught me.

Coven members sliced and stabbed the Goristro, but the damn thing shook off every attack. The wounds our weapons made quickly healed before my eyes, but to their credit, the coven members didn’t give up. They clamored over the creature, stabbing their swords and daggers into it over and over, hoping to weaken the beast enough to get a killing blow.

The black demons continued to appear from thin air. The vessels and Aradia blasted them apart, creating coverage for us while we tried to take down the Goristro. A thud sounded across the battlefield, signaling the destruction of the another Goristro, meaning two relics had been deactivated. The remaining three Goristro swiped their long arms across the field, knocking witches, warlocks, and demons into the air with little effort. The one closest to us bent its head down low, aimed its horns forward and took off into a dead sprint … straight for Aradia.

The creature was too fast as it came at Aradia from behind. She was unaware as she fought off the demons before her. The Goristro let out a deep groan, picking up its pace with each long stride.

“Aradia!” I yelled. There was no way to reach her before it impaled her with its horns. Aradia turned just as a figure shot through the air. The sun bounced off their sword as they swung it high above their head, then drove it straight into the Goristro’s skull. The creature dropped instantly, crashing into the ground, sliding through the sand until it came to a stop at Aradia’s feet.

The figure twisted the sword twice before pulling it free from the beast’s brain. Talia stood triumphantly on top of the Goristro carcass, her deep eyes assessing the moon goddess, expressionless. She jumped down from the beast, walking slowly towards Aradia until they were face to face.

Aradia’s own expression didn’t reveal an ounce of emotion. The two women locked eyes, as if daring the other to speak first. Talia had told me the two of them used to be best friends— sisters, even. Aradia had taught Talia all she had learned about magic and had entrusted her with her own power.

A sly grin appeared on Talia’s face as a corner of her mouth tugged upward. “Aradia,” she said, seeming to pause for dramatic effect. “It’s been a few years.”

Before Talia could say another word, Aradia’s fist flew through the air, cracking Talia in the side of the face. Talia froze, licking the corner of her lip.

“You fucking traitor,” snarled Aradia. “After everything I gave you … I trusted you more than anyone. Even Cyrus.”

“I never betrayed you, Di,” answered Talia. “You meant everything to me.”

“Not more than him … not more than your precious prince.”

“He was my mate. You know the pull, the power that bond possesses. Regardless, I never betrayed you … not for a moment.”

“Bullshit. You went against everything our coven stood for. The coven we created together.” In the next breath, a demon hurtled across the terrain towards them. With one fluid swipe, Talia cut the creature in half with her sword.

“Unfortunately,” Aradia said, “this conversation will have to wait.” She turned away, but Talia grabbed her by the wrist. Aradia pulled away instantly, lighting her flame defensively.

Talia looked at her with something like regret staining her expression. “There won’t be time later,” she said.

“What are you talking about?” snapped Aradia. She studied Talia closely. “What are you planning?”

“Just know that if I could go back,” replied Talia, “if I could change what I did to you … to us, I would. I never took what you gave me for granted. You were my best friend. My family. I loved you. That never changed.”

“What is it?” asked Aradia, her brow now furrowing with concern. “What are you going to do, Talia?”

“Something I should have done long ago,” Talia answered. “I’m sorry, sister.” She shifted from the battlefield just as the fourth Goristro crashed into the ground, defeated with the help of Cecilia and Valeriana.

“One more to go,” yelled Frankie, racing across the battlefield, slicing her sword into anything that moved.

Aradia turned to me, her face still confused and concerned. Her eyes went wide. “The cage,” she whispered. “She plans to use herself to power the cage.”

I nodded. A thick white mist swarmed the area. Everyone who inhaled began coughing, fighting to breath. Aradia and the vessels began to chant, clearing the poisonous gas. Out of the white mist stepped the Lightbringer, God’s favorite archangel, the Prince of Pride: Lucifer Morningstar.

Each of his steps fell more elegantly than the one before. His perfectly pressed white suit showed no signs of the war that had been in progress for the past few hours. Every inch of him was perfect and untouched. His flawless face and stunning smirk oozed with arrogance. He stopped a few feet from Aradia and me, looking between us.

“Well, this was unexpected,” he said with an arched eyebrow. “I pride myself in being prepared for anything, and this I did not foresee.”

“Is your pride bruised, Lucy?” Aradia said. “Finally realizing that you’re just a fucked up little boy with daddy issues and a god complex?”

Anger flickered, only for a moment, across Lucifer’s face before he bottled it, resuming his cool demeanor. He smiled, tilting his head to the side.

“Oh, Di,” he said softly. “How I wish I had severed that pretty little head from your shoulders years ago. Would have made so many things easier.”

She huffed with amusement. “Like you ever stood a chance,” she replied.

“You know,” he said, “come to think of it, nothing would bring me more pleasure than to permanently silence you for good.” Lucifer’s eyes turned to me. “I think that will be the first thing I do, once I rip little Seren’s soul from her fragile vessel.”

A shimmer of sunlight blinded me before I saw the blade flying towards Lucifer’s neck. Without hesitation, Lucifer put his hand up, blocking the attack. As the sword touched the Prince of Pride’s hand, the metal shattered into thousands of pieces, not leaving a single scratch on the archangel’s flawless skin.

Deus dropped the hilt of the sword before the splintered metal finished falling to the ground and sent his fist directly into his brother’s jaw. Lucifer’s head flung to the opposite side while his body remained stationary. A large drop of blood fell from his lip.

“You will not touch her!” yelled Deus.

Lucy laughed, removing a pressed handkerchief from his pocket to dab at the small cut in the corner of his lip.

“Oh, brother,” he said, smoothing the fabric of his jacket with his hands. “How weak love has made you. A pity, really. You were a formidable opponent before this plague stepped into your life,” he said, gesturing to me.

“She is the best part of me,” Deus replied. “A happiness you will never know.”

Lucifer laughed, shaking his head. “You know nothing of what you speak, Asmodeus.” Was he thinking of Talia? Of the love he had sacrificed in hopes of gaining ultimate power?

“You’d be surprised,” Deus replied in an arrogant tone.

“Speaking of love,” Lucifer said, looking around the battlefield, “where is sweet little Victoria?”

“Dead,” I replied too quickly.

Lucifer’s face didn’t show a sign of remorse. He shrugged, throwing his arms forward to shake out his cuffs. He adjusted each sleeve individually. “Doesn’t surprise me. You always had horrible taste in women, little brother. Always going for the weak, unstable type.” He finished adjusting his cufflink. “Some things never change. Either way, she served her purpose.”

A loud thud rattled the ground around us, signaling that the final Goristro had been taken down. A massive force slammed into my back, my body stretched forward, paralyzed. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, while the cold, familiar substance slithered through every pore, every cell of my being, using my veins as its pathway throughout my system. I felt it then—the witch … the goddess … Asmodeus … Lucifer—all my powers swirling together as one, igniting the magic deep within me that had changed the course of my life .

I took a deep breath, every nerve jolting to life. White flames flickered and swirled around my fingers. Dark tendrils of power crawled from beneath my feet. Lust and desire overcame me, and then the darkness … oh, how sweet and supple the power tasted, now freed from its cage, roaming through my system, saturating every corner of my soul. I couldn’t help it. A sly smile spread across my face as I looked upon my enemy. I lowered my head, power welling in the palm of my hands before I blasted everything I had towards Lucifer.

His body flew back, landing in the sand, his perfectly pressed suit now stained and torn. Around me, our allies had regained access to their gifts, whoops of joy accompanying the hiss of magic.

“Don’t fool yourself,” Aradia said at my side. “This thing is far from over.”

Lucifer levitated upright from the ground, dusting the sand from his suit. When he looked up, darkness consumed his eyes. Small black veins slithered from his eyelids down his cheeks and neck. He tilted his head like a predator, his tongue lashing out.

“Now, now, little witch,” he said in a demonic growl. “That wasn’t very nice.” He extended his arms slowly out to his sides, his palms facing the sky. He focused his power and the ground trembled. His arms began to shake as he pulled his magic from the depths of Hell and with it, legions of demons.

My heart sank into my chest while they formed from the grains of sand beneath our feet, growing and shifting into creatures of nightmare. The sounds of these hell beasts echoed through the air, sending shivers of fear down my spine.

My family regrouped alongside the vessels and the Princes of Hell.

“We’ve faced worse,” I heard Belz say, trying to sound optimistic.

“The final stand,” Nonna whispered, turning to me. She nodded. “It’s time.”

I gave her a small smile and nodded, then turned back to Deus, sliding my hand into his. He pulled me in, taking my face between his hands.

“Stay close to me,” he whispered, pressing his head firmly to my own. “We’re almost there … we’re almost free.”

A small tear ran down my cheek. “I love you so much,” I replied. “No matter what … you were worth it … you were worth all of it.”

“Don’t talk like that,” he said firmly. “We’re so close. Keep fighting. Don’t give up.”

I nodded, pulling away from him. He kissed me firmly and we faced Lucifer together. My mother approached, running her hand down my back.

“I am so proud of you, little bean,” she said, her face full of dirt and blood. “You are truly the best parts of me and none of the bad. What every mother prays for in a child.”

I took her hand and squeezed it. “I’m proud to be the daughter of Annalise De Salvo,” I whispered. Her face fill with pride, and then sorrow. Her eyes were so heavy and tormented by the past twenty years.

“Everyone know their places?” asked Nonna. We all nodded, trying to fend off the fear that surely gripped us all at the sight of the masses we now faced. “Good, then stop standing around and get to your positions.”

Our family and friends fanned out, creating a perimeter. I caught Lilith’s eyes in a silent plea. She nodded, assuring me our plan was still in motion. Before I could take another breath, the demons descended. Dozens shot into the sky, attacking from above while others ran, jumped, leaped, and rolled on the ground towards us .

Power erupted from our side, slamming into the hordes, holding them back as long as we could until they overpowered our barriers, forcing us to engage in hand-to-hand combat. Everything became a blur of blood, rage, and fire. I kept my eyes on Lucifer while cutting down any demon that stepped into my path. Ducking and dodging, I set my flames free, clearing a way for myself.

Lucifer just stood there, hands beside his back, unfazed by the carnage that surrounded him. I couldn’t wait to erase the crooked smile that stretched across his face. I unleashed my shadows, dozens of solid arrows streaking towards him. With a wave of a hand, they disappeared before they could even touch him.

Frustration began to build inside of me. I let it become fuel, unleashing my power in a tunnel of fire and fury. Lucy put up his hands, blocking it with an invisible shield, the white flames bending and folding around the protective barrier. I released the stream of magic just as he slammed his own power forward, knocking me to the ground. White sparks of electricity danced over my skin, stinging and burning.

I forced myself to my feet, throwing everything I had into him. I called on the power of my coven, whipping the wind around him, preventing him from focusing his magic. As the funnel entrapped him, I began reciting a spell. His mouth gaped open, paralyzed. Small droplets of water drew from his pores. I drained him of life, though I could feel him beginning to regain control.

Lucifer slammed his hands into the ground, breaking the restraint I had on him. He whirled his hands, gathering his power into a solid form and shot it towards me. I dove out of the way, rolling into a standing position and flinging another wave of fire in his direction. Blast after blast we fired at one another. He was quick and able to predict my next attack, but I didn’t give up. The lives of the people I loved were on the line, and I wasn’t going to fail them.

His power brushed against my skin, opening wound after wound, my blood pouring from my veins. I nailed him a few times, but the damage I dealt was nothing compared to what he did to me. I dove behind some rocks as a line of fire blazed past, barely missing my leg. I breathed deeply, trying to calm myself. I was spent and my body was tired and beat to hell.

“You need to tap into his power,” Talia’s voice said in my mind. “You won’t stand a chance if you don’t. Fight fire with fire.”

I nodded to no one, too tired to speak. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to reach for his magic. This magic had terrified me, destroyed my home … and it had saved me before I even took my first breath.

No longer would my fear overcome me. I would embrace my destiny. I would honor those who had fallen in the name of love … of family … of good. I had experienced heartbreak, loss, and a love that transcended time. I had a family who was worth sacrificing everything for, and friends who had blindly followed me into this battle to face death head on.

Talia was right; this power was not something to fear, but something to revere. It was mine. It had made me strong, the perfect weapon—everything I had become. A witch … a goddess … a queen.

“Seren!” A female voice screamed from far away. I opened my eyes slowly, my body encountering a strange sense of transformation as the demonic magic swelled. I turned my head toward the sound, my vision clearing. “Move!” the voice screamed, the figure now barreling towards me.

The woman threw out her hand, slamming her magic out towards the threat. My eyes focused to revealing Delphine’s tall, lean body running at full speed towards me. I heard the crack from the release of magic before I saw it. Delphine threw herself in its path, bringing her hands out in front of her just in time to block the attack from Lucifer.

I jumped up, the dark magic still crawling through my blood. I sent out a wave of fire. Lucifer shifted unscathed, appearing a few feet away. He picked up a sword from the ground and hurtled it towards me. Before I could shift to safety, Delphine stepped in its path, her body jolting back as the metal buried itself in her sternum.

Her face fell. Blood began to drip from her mouth as she staggered and fell to her knees.

“No!” I screamed, looking down at Orion’s mate. “No! No!” I reached for her as she slouched to the ground, choking on the blood that filled her lungs.

Deus appeared in front of Lucifer, along with his brothers. Massive waves of power rippled from the princes, shaking the ground around us as they commenced an epic battle.

I held Delphine’s head in my lap, brushing her beautiful golden hair from her face. Her eyes, so full of pain and suffering, looked up at me and in that moment, I felt him … Orion. The connection that we had also connected Delphine and me.

Tears streamed down my cheeks. I bent down and kissed her sweaty forehead, her breath now wet from the blood in her lungs. “I’ll shift you back to the castle,” I whispered, pulling her body into mine. “They can fix you there. It’s not too late.”

She shook her head, grabbing onto me before I could move her. “No,” she gasped, her eyes filling with tears. “No more.”

“Delphine, please,” I whispered. “I promised him I would take care of you. I can’t let you die.”

“I—I died … the moment he did,” she cried. “I did what … what he would have. Protected … you.”

I cried harder, shaking my head as the weight of her sacrifice now lay on my shoulders.

“I am—I am ready … to see him again,” she said, pulling the sword from her chest. I reached for the fountain of blood that pooled from her wound, attempting to make it stop. She grabbed my hand, clenching it tightly.

“Promise me—” She coughed on the blood, splattering it onto her beautiful white face.

“Anything, Delphine.”

“Promise me, you will make him suffer … for all he stole from us.”

I nodded, feeling her grip lighten. “I promise. I promise you.”

She nodded, turning her eyes to the sky. Her breathing quickened and then … she was gone. I fell on top of her, pressing my head to hers as I cried, feeling like another part of my soul had been stripped away, leaving this emptiness nothing would ever be able to fill. I looked down at my hand, seeing her blood covering my skin and then I felt it. I felt the magic reaching its peak.

Black veins appeared at my fingertips, running up the back of my hands to my forearms and then my shoulders. The darkness was cool and crisp, inviting me to play in the most alluring way. I laid my friend’s body down gently on the ground and stood, ready to end this once and for all. My metamorphosis was now complete.