Page 59

The necklace begins to thrash violently, twisting and contorting as if it is in anguish.

I watch, heart pounding, as the ruby gem fractures in two, sending a cascade of crimson shards into the air.

A radiant light erupts, bathing the night sky in a golden glow.

It pours down towards me like a soft rain, brushing softly against my skin.

I embrace the warmth, feeling my body buzz and tingle.

A sharp sting pierces the back of my neck and then across my shoulder blades, a prickling sensation that sends a shiver down my spine, yet oddly, I relish the feeling.

The brilliant light then cascades down my arm like liquid sunshine, enveloping my hand in a warm, glowing embrace, intertwining with my very essence.

As it leaves me, it goes right to Adonis.

I gaze down at my hand, where the demonic rune is now fully inked in deep, dark flourishes. A sense of triumph washes over me as I set Carter down and take my place at the very heart of the circle.

Adonis levitates, his body suspended, and limbs splayed wide. The blinding light streams down, engulfing him and driving into his chest with an intensity that seems to awaken his very soul.

Killian gasps for air, his body wracked with the remnants of pain, as his body starts to miraculously heal. The twisting vines recoil in terror, retreating from him and Dax as if they possess the instinct to flee from the impending transformation.

Magnificent, light brown wings unfurl from Killian’s back, each one vast and striking, their leathery texture shimmering with an ethereal glow.

They are breathtakingly beautiful, with delicate membranes traced in shimmering gold that catch the moonlight.

Their sheer size dwarfs his muscular form, yet they seem to fit him perfectly.

With his striking gold mask appearing across his face, a surge of formidable power courses through him, transforming him into a majestic being of light and strength.

Now that the curse is officially broken with Adonis’ soul returning to him, Dax begins his transition next, stealing my attention away from Killian.

Dax’s wings are even bigger. His expansive wings, with a texture reminiscent of polished obsidian, unfurl majestically, revealing elaborate patterns that catch the light in shades of deep midnight blue and charcoal.

Each graceful flap creates a gust of wind, drawing all eyes to their formidable beauty.

My heart could burst.

I quickly look back at Adonis.

My god…

His beautiful mask rests on his face and his wings…

His wings are the largest. But they aren’t leathery; they are a breathtaking tapestry of shimmering feathers that catch the moonlight like polished silver.

Each feather is layered, ranging from deep charcoal at the base to a ghostly grey at the tips, creating an ethereal gradient that glistens.

As Adonis flaps his magnificent wings, the powerful strokes send a gust of wind swirling around me, making my hair dance wildly in the air. He stands before me like a divine being, a true celestial god whose presence is amplified by the sheer grandeur of his wings.

Killian and Dax quickly soar up in the air. My heart pounds wildly as they burst forth.

Adonis holds out his hand, and I take it, stepping out of my circle.

“You little cunt!” Octavia says to me with her hand outstretched. But before she can do anything, Dax flies down from above, pulling out two daggers from his shadows, and cuts off Octavia’s hand.

She lets out a piercing scream, a sound so powerful and fierce that it resonates deep in my bones.

Instantly, Killian and Adonis spring into action, enveloping me with their bodies as if to create a fortress against the powerful scream erupting around us.

Brown leather wings, rugged and majestic, wrap tightly around me, while grey feathered wings, soft and silken, add a layer to our protective barrier. Together, they form a cocoon of strength and warmth, shielding me as trees crumble and fall. Dirt and debris swirl in the air like a dark storm .

“You are going to rot in hell!” Adonis says as he unwraps me and takes a few steps closer to Octavia.

Killian unwraps himself from me as well. “This will be fun. You’ll want to watch this, sunshine.”

Dax comes to my other side. His black, leathery wings caress Killian’s as they share a quick moment.

It is not your fire… Suzanna’s voice repeats in my head.

Not my fire… a lightbulb lights up in my head. I realize it’s Dax and Killian’s fire.

“Burn her!” I look at Dax and Killian. “Use your fire and burn her! It’s the only way she will be gone for good!” They don’t question me.

Adonis thrusts his hands skyward, his frame illuminated by flashes of lightning that dance around him, crackling with energy as if he can seize its raw power.

With a sudden, decisive motion, he brings his hands down, and a bolt of electricity strikes the ground mere inches from Octavia, sending a shower of sparks flying in all directions.

“You missed!” Octavia taunts, her laughter rich with confidence. As she speaks in the old language, a thick fog begins to swirl around her feet, its presence a clear signal of the chaos about to unfold.

“I know,” Adonis replies, his mouth curves up into a half smile. “Now!”

In a synchronized display of skill and instinct, Dax and Killian extend their hands forward, channels of energy flowing through them. Flames erupt from their fingertips in a spectacular blaze, encircling Octavia in a ring of fire that crackles and roars.

Their shadows creep up her form, binding her as they tightly hold her in place. The fog that had surrounded her dissipates rapidly as she is surrounded by a storm of heat and flames.

Amelia suddenly emerges; her beautiful black feathered wings make her presence electric.

She weaves her arms in a graceful yet fierce dance, drawing upon an unseen power.

She conjures a shimmering sphere around Octavia, a luminous barrier that pulsates with energy.

The air becomes charged, crackling as she summons forces beyond the ordinary realm.

“NO!” Octavia’s voice erupts into a scream that cuts through the night as Dax and Killian’s flames burst into being, licking the edges of the sphere and closing in around her.

Adonis stands off to one side, radiating an intensity I’ve never seen before. He raises his hands toward the stormy sky. The contrast of his demonic mask against his glowing eyes—bright as the very lightning that dances around him—adds an otherworldly aura to his presence.

He is the storm incarnate, and in that moment, I feel the primal energy emanating from him as if it’s my own.

Adonis brings his hands down, and a downpour of lightning strikes, illuminating the sphere with a blinding radiance.

Each bolt of electricity tears through the air, slamming into Octavia, who shrieks in torment.

Her cries are quickly drowned out as the searing combination of lightning and flames culminates in a cataclysmic explosion inside the sphere, obliterating her form in a furious blaze.

“Hold!” Adonis roars, his voice thundering over the chaos as he commands Dax, Killian, and Amelia to maintain their focus. I stand frozen, my heart racing, fueled by the wrath of justice, as I watch Octavia diminish to nothingness, extinguished like a candle snuffed out by the wind.

As the last remnants of the fog dissipate, the night begins to clear, revealing a night sky that is slowly shedding its ominous gray shrouds.

Amelia lets her power fade, the shimmering energy collapsing onto itself, while Dax and Killian lower their hands, extinguishing the flames that once raged, leaving only smoke swirling through the air.

My fingers brush against the cool surface of the cracked gem in my hand. A surge of purpose propels me forward, and I kneel among the ashes, the ground still warm from the searing confrontation.

Closing my eyes tightly to banish the shadows of doubt, I summon the shared energy of Dax, Adonis, and Killian, which flows through me like never before—it swells within me like an inferno.

I lay the necklace on top of Octavia’s ashes and place my hands over them and close my eyes. I start to feel warmth radiate from my hands as if the very essence of my being were transforming into fire.

I hear all three of my mates gasp.

When I open my eyes, flames flicker and dance, alive with intent, as I drive the searing ball of fire into the necklace and the remnants of Octavia. I watch in a trance as the flames consume it, melting the locket into a pool of molten metal.

The ground beneath begins to groan and shake, as though it is alive and hungry.

It pulls at the remnants of the melted necklace and ashes, dragging them deep into its core.

It feels as if hell itself is reclaiming what remains of Octavia, pulling her essence down into the depths from where she came.

We watch until the necklace is completely sucked into the earth.

“How… how is this possible?” I ask.

“I don’t know…” Adonis whispers back, standing next to me.

“Dani…”

I quickly turn around, recognizing that voice anywhere.

“Carter!”

He is surrounded by a bright light, like an angel. He walks closer to me, and I run to him. But when I try to hug him, my arms wrap around nothing.

I take a step back and fall to my knees, crying.

He really is dead.

“Dani, it’s alright. Don’t be sad. This had to happen…” He gets down in my face and brushes my cheek with his ha nd. Though I can’t feel his touch entirely, a softness grazes my cheek like a gentle breeze.

“Why did you do that, Carter? You were supposed to live! You have so much to give! It was supposed to be me, not you.”

“I don’t have a ton of time. I just wanted to thank you. Thank you for always being my best friend. For being my family…”

“I’m so sorry! This is all my fault.” I sob, holding my hand to my chest to keep my heart from breaking more.

“Fate is not yours to blame, Dani. This was how it was supposed to be,” He smiles at me and continues.

“I will always be here with you, Dani,” he taps two fingers over his heart.

“I’ll visit you in your dreams. I’ll be your and Jules’ guardian angel…

looking after you both. You are destined for great things, Danika fucking Shay.

And one day, when it’s your time to go, I’ll be waiting on the other side as your mates bring you to the afterlife.

You belong with them, Dani. You are destined for this. ”

“Don’t go! Please!” I cry out, desperation pouring from every word. A gentle hand caresses my shoulder. I turn to see Adonis standing beside me, his presence warm and steady.

Carter gazes at him, a bittersweet smile gracing his lips. “You take care of our girl.”

Adonis stands quietly, and nods his head, smiling at Carter, giving him a silent answer.

“You… you devoted your entire life to loving me,” I continue, my voice trembling. “Now… I’ll spend the rest of mine missing you. I’m sorry I didn’t love you like you needed me to,” I sob.

“You loved me exactly how you were supposed to love me, Dani. I wouldn’t change that for anything in this world.

” I nod my head at his response and continue.

“You’ve always put Jules and me first… I just wish…

I wish you didn’t die. I’m so sorry, Carter.

” As the words leave my mouth, he slow ly dissolves into the air, his figure becoming translucent and fragile.

I clutch my chest, “No! Please, don’t go!” I reach out, my fingers grasping at the fading image of my friend as if I could hold onto him forever.

“I will be with you in every moment,” he reassures me softly, his voice like a soothing melody, though it feels heavy with sorrow.

“In the gentle breeze that caresses your face, in the vibrant flowers that bloom around you, the monarchs that land on your hand, in the chorus of birds welcoming the dawn… I will always be by your side…” His voice lingers in the air, trailing off like the last notes of a cherished song, until he vanishes completely.

I collapse to the ground, the world around me fading into a blur. Numbness washes over me like a cold wave, leaving an aching emptiness in its wake.

With a heart-wrenching finality, I realize that I will never see my best friend again.