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 agraceful 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 hand. 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.”
