Suddenly, Frankie appears from out of nowhere, and with a strong, almost blinding blast, frees Gage from the restraints.
"I hope you're as fucking powerful as you claim," he growls, seconds before he's launched backwards by a red orb cast from Damon's hand.
Another red ball charges Gage, but he extinguishes it with a blue and red orb of his own, the two colliding powers consuming each other until they dissipate.
"Well well well," Damon says with an eerie grin. "What do we have here?"
Gage doesn't answer as he pulls off his gag. Then he dives, making Damon strike at him, but instead of hitting Damon, Gage rips the necklace from its place on my neck and falls to the ground, blood pouring out from his side as he lands with a thud.
The only reaction I have is a deep internal explosion that bubbles over with more fury than I've ever felt. An ominous chuckle taints the air as I slowly drift toward the power I crave, desperate to savor every drop.
"Dragona!" Damon yells as I rise to my feet, easily fighting off his hold on me as though he's nothing more than a speck of dust.
The air starts spiraling out of control, trees bow and break, and the water around us pushes back even farther, making the lake seem as though it's trying to escape us—escape me.
I turn to face the terror in his dark eyes. He's seen his fate—it's me.
Fire spreads from my hands, spins around on the ground to make an arena-ring for warriors in battle. And then blackness steals my sight as I stare into his heart. He has to die—again.
My dark laughter fills the air when he's knocked backwards, but then my laughter is shattered when I'm suddenly out of breath, falling to my knees. Dragona smirks as she hovers over me, hand outstretched as she tries to draw the air from my lungs.
"You're not strong enough while mortal, young one."
Shots of power come from every angle and Gage steps in front of me, absorbing some of the magic she's pushing out. She struggles to stand as he launches one attack after another, but she's so much stronger than Damon. And Gage isn't strong enough to continue to endure her.
My ribs crack inside me, my head bangs as my skull tries to cave, and my breath tries to give out completely. As my blood starts dripping from my eyes, nose, and ears, I hear a scream, drawing me to look at anything other than the red moon that offers me no extra strength tonight.
Castine folds and falls, withering to nothing, and silver eyes emerge on my night stalker. A deep growl in his throat sounds out seconds before I feel something gloriously divine attack me with a rapturous promise of hope.
He's suddenly gone and then he reappears in front of me, hitting Dragona with a silver orb just like mine. She cries out, stumbling for balance, and then she hisses at the man she overlooked as a threat.
"No," she snarls, and then she hits him with streaks of spiraling purple and red, throwing him and Gage backwards in unison, and leaving me on my own.
But I'm not trembling in fear when my bones crack back into place, or when my drops of blood slide in reverse, returning to their proper placement inside me. My breaths become easy and crisp, rejuvenating me and my wrath. Something inside me snaps and mends in the same breath. I taste the darkness, I feel the light, and it all comes together in a seamless bond.
Her eyes widen in sheer terror, and I stand, not affected by her force anymore. When Damon takes her side, Kane finds his way back to me. They're strong, but we're stronger.
"Put them back!" Thad says, making me narrow my eyes at him.
Kane launches a massive stack of orbs at once, slinging them toward the couple, and I turn my attention back to do the same. Dragona and Damon stumble and bleed, but spirits are harder to kill—even if they are corporeal now. Stubborn bastards.
"You have to put them back!" Thad says again. "They're too strong to kill. They'll escape! Put them back while you can."
Kane starts toward them, but I stop him with a hand to his chest, smiling as I stare at their wavering strength the posing changer has overestimated—souls as black as night, hearts that don't exist, and intentions that will destroy the world. A soul killed twice ceases to exist—they have to die.
"No," I murmur, summoning every bit of strength deep within, and then it pours free, running through them by way of every opening it can find.
I feel each and every entity I possess flowing out of me, howling their promises in unison. It wraps around them in the form of a gold and silver light, the two colors intertwining and braiding together. I can feel every creature's power vibrating through the conjoined strands. I can taste Kane's power strumming through me, fueling me as he pushes harder, aiding me in the attack.
Screams dress and decorate the air with a delicious taste, and I drink it in, loving the feel before I charge and grab them both by the throat. The poison of my touch, the taste of my power, and the kiss of death all work together to steal the essence that keeps them here.
Pieces of them start breaking off into ashes, until they finally crumble like a pile of rubble at my feet. My dark hair whips in the wind as I turn to face the silver eyes of my creature—my love. And in the reflection his eyes offer me, I see the golden orbs in place of my silver eyes. A power like I've never felt before radiates through me, pushing me to continue.
Madness breaks free from me, causing more chaos as the sun slowly starts to rise, shedding light on the red moon creatures who find their sanity amongst the war at hand. The divine taste of darkness runs through me as I push forth one last burst of power, letting it sink into the core of the idiots still fighting for their fallen king and queen.
Pretty cries of death echo through the air as they fall. Wilting under my power, they crumble, breaking under the strength that won't let up or offer mercy.
The ones not filled with blackened hearts stumble backwards, watching in disbelief as their adversaries drop. Then I stalk toward the wakened night stalker that just won't die and the bitch mother Gage doesn't deserve to endure.
