Page 54

Fifty

HARLOW

Every flash of my childhood flits through my mind. I focus on the way I felt during them—happy—and the devastation when learning they were a lie.

Darkness slinks up my spine, curling into me.

The memories that the coven pulled out come up. The real memories with my real family. I focus on the relief at having them returned. At reclaiming the past and realizing the present I should be having, and my rage toward these two for taking that from me.

Darkness coils around my neck like a weighted necklace containing all my possibilities.

I recall Alec finding me, hunting me through my hometown, and how terrifying it was being chased by a killer.

Darkness twists down my arms, toward the cuffs.

Then there’s memories of a similar hunt, this time before claiming me. The way I was both turned on and frightened.

Darkness manifests into a slimy, slithering snake-like substance, wrapping my arms of sleeves made of tar.

I focus on the feeling of learning I was his Bride.

Darkness unlocks my fire and my hands warm, responding to the storm of emotions about to take me out.

“That’s impossible.” Not sure who says it, but the two words simply add to the feelings coursing through my body. The victory oh so close. The way it drives me to prove myself to be the monster they insisted on creating.

And now they’ll have to deal with their creation.

Both kinds of magick twine, working together—black and elemental—fusing into one thing—one powerful sensation overwhelming my mortal body, my arms now vibrating.

No, wait… It’s not only me. The entire room vibrates. This little cavern they’ve dug out, likely utilizing their earth magick to create a holding cell for a terrified eight-year-old child.

Destroy them. Save yourself

That voice glides through my ear, the tar around my arms constricting. For once, I no longer fear the possibilities. For once, I’m in control. Balanced.

Vicious. Violent.

And soon to be victorious.

“Harlow, stop!”

I don’t recognize my own voice when I ask, “Why should I?”

Alec would be proud of me, I think.

It’s thoughts of Alec, the way he touches me, holds me, fucks me, giving influence to my fire. The cuffs melt off, leaving marks from where they dug in because they were too small, sized for a child. The marks are near duplicate of the ones left in the past.

More evidence they’re the real monsters.

Freed from the cuffs, I stand, fire encasing my hands while Darkness hugs my arms. It moves as I do, tightening in places as it travels down to the rest of my body. My stomach, my thighs, even my feet.

“Harlow, you are not in control.”

“I feel more in control than ever, so thank you. Mom. Dad. ” I spit their names, the final time they’ll ever hear me refer to them by those titles. “You truly did what you set out to do.”

The two stagger way from the chairs, hands up. Their own black magick forms to protect them, but it’s much smaller than mine. Much weaker. An interesting fact.

They’re aware of that too, based on their expressions.

I take a step, the entire cave rumbling.

“Harlow, stop! We’ll help you.”

“Help me?” I spit. “You’ve only helped me to save yourselves. You murdered my family, stole me as a child, held me captive here . You raised me to love you, made me feel loved in return. I grieved you when you died. I blamed myself when it was all some fucking game.” I laugh, my chuckle vibrating violently down my stomach. “But I’m done playing.”

Violet raises her hands, Darkness emerging from them, as though to attack. I’d be more concerned about losing, considering they have years on me mastering the power, but her fear says it all.

“We did love you. Despite everything, we raised you most of your life. We truly cared for you.”

“Liars. I don’t think you know how to care for another. Not unless it does something for you.”

The cave rumbles beneath my feet, but my Darkness flicks forward, grabbing both witches by their necks. Fragments detach to link their hands together, palms facing one another, rendering their magick useless. They’re hovered a few inches off the ground, heads close to the cave’s ceiling as more dirt falls from the trembling earth.

“Harlow, please, let us go.”

“Give me one reason.” I pace toward them. “Darkness is bred with murder, right? You have no one to blame but yourselves for this. And now…I’m feeling generous.”

Hope blooms across their expressions and it only serves to feed me. To do what they’ve done to me my entire life and deceive them.

“To the Darkness, of course. It’s hungry, dying to come out and play, and I believe your souls will be enough.”

The cave rumbles again, chunks of dirt falling from the ceiling. Panicked eyes flick up, Arthur shouting, “Free our hands! You’ll take this cave down on us all.”

“And?”

“You’ll die too! Harlow, free our hands. We’ll cast a barrier; we’ll protect you too. Don’t die because of us. Kill us if you must, but don’t be stupid. I’m begging you as your father.”

“I was stupid for ever loving you. You’re not my father, so don’t grant yourself that title.”

Darkness tightens around their necks, cutting both airways off, their eyes bulging in their final few seconds of life.

“Fuck. You.”

The strands tighten, lives snuffed out.

The cave rumbles beneath me so hard, the roof begins caving in.

It creates a resting place for the two earth witches who turned Dark.

And the final Sinclair.