Page 58

Dani

The icy grip of death begins to wrap around me; I am hurled to the ground—not by some ethereal force but by the solid weight of a body crashing down on top of me.

Carter lays on top of me, a desperate attempt to shield me from the nightmare unfolding around us, his body a sacrificial barrier meant to save my life.

The horrific sound of his agony slices through the chaos as Octavia’s dark magic envelops him like a vengeful shadow. He screams—a guttural, wrenching cry of pain that echoes in my ears as his beautiful brown eyes wince and his forehead presses against mine.

He clutches me tightly, anchoring me to him even as the world spirals into devastation.

“CARTER!” Jules’ voice rips through the air, muffled and full of despair, as Amelia wraps her arms around her, trying to contain the tempest of emotions surging forth.

Everything unfolds in grotesque slow motion as if time itself has twisted to mock my suffering, and I feel like I am watching the world collapse around me.

Dax and Killian, fierce and relentless, unleash waves of flame upon Octavia, each fireball a desperate attempt to halt her rampage. She dodges with agility. She retaliates with bolts of lightning and tendrils of darkness that rip through the air with a hiss.

Carter’s breath grows ragged in my face, the sound tearing at my heart as despair seeps into every pore of my being. “Carter… Carter!” I plead, shaking him gently, but he rolls off of me, landing with a sickening thud against the cold floor. We both remain inside my circle .

I hover over him, panic rising within me as I witness the crimson pool beginning to spread from beneath his body.

“No, no, no! Carter!” I lightly tap his face. “It’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay,” I try to reassure him and myself. His eyes open, and his parted lips try to take a breath.

“No! Please no! Carter,” I whisper, my fingers trembling as I brush the dusting of his blonde hair from his brow, desperate to see his eyes, to connect with him one last time.

“Help him! Please!” My voice rises in desperation, a pleading cry.

But Dax, Killian, and Adonis are too busy fighting off Octavia.

Amelia holds Jules as she falls to the ground, screaming with grief.

Jules fights against Amelia’s embrace, desperate to reach Carter, but Amelia holds her back, shushing her softly as she sways, her tears falling like raindrops.

“Da-Dani…” His voice is a fragile whisper, a thread barely hanging on.

“Shhh, don’t talk,” I murmur, pressing my lips to his forehead, feeling the warmth of his skin fade beneath my touch.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen… why did you do that?

” My sobs come thick and fast, each one clawing at my throat as I witness the color draining from his face, the spark of life flickering like a dying ember.

“No! Please!” The words burst from my chest, desperation clawing at my throat as memories flood my mind—laughter, warmth, moments that now feel like fragments of a dream slipping away into the abyss. I grasp his shirt, shaking him gently, pleading. “DAX! KILLIAN! Help! Please… please…”

“Dani,” Amelia’s voice breaks through, heavy with sorrow. “It’s too late. They can’t help him, he’s... he’s too far gone.”

With a trembling, bloodied hand, Carter reaches for me, caressing my cheek tenderly. I turn into his palm, pressing a fervent kiss against it as my tears cascade down my face .

“A… a life for a… life,” he stammers, the words heavy with an understanding that pierces through my anguish. In that moment, clarity strikes amidst the chaos, and I realize the grim exchange he willingly made for, not only me, but for my mates.

“NO!” My sobbing scream erupts from deep within, a throaty cry filled with rage and heartbreak.

I know that my world has irrevocably changed, and the very fabric of my soul feels as though it has been ripped apart.

I gaze down at Carter, my heart heavy as I watch him struggle. The death rattle escapes his lungs, a haunting sound that chills me to the bone as his last breaths escape his lips like whispers of a fading storm.

There is only one gift I can offer him—one thing to help end his suffering.

Me.

With a deep breath, I lean closer, feeling the warmth of his skin against mine, and gently cover his lips with my own.

The world around us blurs into insignificance as I focus solely on him.

I can sense the fragile curve of his lips transform into a faint smile, a fleeting flicker of recognition and comfort.

Almost too soon, that warmth dissipates and the smile fades under my lips, leaving only a bittersweet memory of our shared moment.

As I draw back, the moment’s weight crashes upon me—he is gone.

Carter is dead. My best friend. Dead. The words echo in my mind.

His once vibrant body now hangs limply in my arms, and I instinctively pull him closer to my chest, cradling him. I rock him gently back and forth, my heart pounding with desperation.

“NO!!!” I scream, my voice raw and hoarse, echoing into the void. I repeat the word over and over, clinging to the fragile hope that this is merely another horrific nightmare, a cruel trick of my mind.

“CARTER!” Jules wails, her voice a haunting melody I’ve never encountered before—a sound so anguished that it cuts through me like a knife. It shatters my heart into countless shards, each piece a reminder of what we’ve lost.

This is my fucking fault.

Carter is dead because of me.

I squeeze him tighter. “Get her out of here!” I shout at Amelia, my voice trembling with urgency. Before Jules can voice her protest, Amelia envelops her in a protective embrace, and they vanish into the shadows, leaving me in the cold grip of despair.

Good. At least Jules will be safe.

I can’t let go of Carter.

I lean down, planting one last tender kiss on his unmoving lips and etch this final moment into my memory.

“DO IT, DANI! DO IT NOW!” Dax shouts at me as he and Killian surround Octavia with fire.

Octavia starts to panic. Power surges around her as she locks her gaze onto mine. With a gust of raw power, Octavia extinguishes their flames. Her magic holds the three of them by their throats, and she throws them through the woods. They go flying as if they just shot out of a cannon.

Octavia starts to walk back towards me slowly.

I clench the necklace tightly in my hand, my blood still dripping. I clench my teeth as I hold Carter’s lifeless body to mine, and I don’t dare look away from Octavia.

“You thought you could fool me?!” She spits her words at me.

Adonis and Dax appear behind Octavia. She doesn’t even turn around. She snaps her fingers, and the two of them fall to their knees, holding their heads in agony.

Killian charges Octavia. Before he can touch her, she lifts him off the ground. His body thrashes in the air as he tries to remove the invisible force that holds his throat .

“STOP!” I scream. She is killing them.

She squeezes his neck so hard that it cracks and moves at an unnatural angle.

Killian now hangs limp.

“KILLIAN! KILLIAN!” I scream. Anger boils within me. I feel a strange feeling start to drain from my body. A warmth that always surrounds my heart starts to fizzle.

It’s my bond to Killian.

“KILLIAN!” I scream one more time, but he doesn’t move.

Octavia throws her head back, laughing. “SO dramatic. I love it!”

Adonis tries to get to me but can’t enter the circle. “Dani!” He screams, tears streaming down his face.

Octavia drops Killian with a loud thud. He lays there unmoving.

“NO!” Dax screams as he runs to Killian. He hovers over his unmoving body and tries to heal him, but Octavia binds Dax’s feet and hands with black inky vines covered in thorns.

“You’ll fucking pay for that!” Adonis threatens.

I can feel my bond with Killian weaken as he lays there lifeless.

“Killian! Killian, get up!” I cry out.

I can’t lose Killian too. I will die if he dies.

“YOU!” Octavia exclaims, her voice sharp and commanding as she points her slender finger at Adonis.

From the depths of her dark aura, malevolent black thorn vines surge forth, writhing and twisting like serpents.

They slither around Adonis’ body with chilling precision, their wicked barbs biting into his skin as they collide tightly, binding him in a vice-like grip—the vines, beaming with an eerie sheen, pulse with Octavia's dark magic.

Carter died protecting me. He sacrificed his own life, so I wouldn’t have to sacrifice mine… A life for a life .

When you are most vulnerable… Suzanna’s voice resonates in my mind.

The words hit me like a ton of bricks.

Carter is dead. Killian is dead, or at least about to be. My mates are dying.

I am more vulnerable than I’ve ever been.

I begin the spell again, this time infusing each word with more profound emotion, letting it resonate in the very core of my being.

Clutching the delicate necklace and Carter’s lifeless body, I close my eyes.

I tilt my head upwards towards the vast expanse of the sky, allowing the world around me to fade away.

I immerse myself fully in the rhythm of the chant as it weaves through the air like a fragile melody.

Demons weep and hearts entwined,

Release the love that witch confined,

From this gem, let love flee,

As I speak, so mote it be.

So mote it be!

So mote it be!

The necklace writhes in my hand, its surface shimmering as if alive. I slowly peel my eyelids apart, then carefully unfold my fingers, and the pendant hovers before me, seemingly suspended by an unseen force.

Adonis lies paralyzed across from me, his expression frozen in disbelief. Octavia whips around to face me, her dark eyes wide as saucers as shock illuminates her features.

“No... no! What did you do?!” she shrieks.