A low whine from the panther had me looking up to see him staring at the blood that had dripped onto the street. My blood.
“Ethereal. Emon. You can control this.” I whispered, reaching out to them pleadingly.
Instead, his raging feline eyes stared hard at my bloody hand.
Snatching it back, I recognized my mistake as a deep guttural roar tore from his chest. More golden power poured from him and up into the sky. I shielded my eyes against the blinding light to watch in awe as his power tore a hole through the lavender sky and out into the universe. Stars collided, planets erupted, galaxies shook under it.
Ethereal was pure, raw, unfiltered life and the power he held was like a supernova star, erupting and destroying everything in its path to make way for something new. A power to destroy worlds.
Slumping forward, I shook my head as spots danced in my vision. A strong hand hauled me upwards and I blinked stupidly at the fae who was shouting at me.
“Go after him!” Asher roared in my face.
I blinked at where the god-like panther had once stood. “He’s gone.” I slurred.
Dazed, I looked back at Asher who was shaking me violently, behind him Quinn’s leopard stumbled to regain himself after Ethereal’s light had blinded us all.
The former shifter king shook my body harder, cursing. “Snap out of it Dark! I can handle Quinn. You need to go after Daemon!”
I stared. His eyes were gold like Emon’s.
Emon was gone, Riella was gone. The shadows were gone.
My life was crumbling to pieces just like before.
The city was being destroyed…the past repeating itself.
Destruction and death was all my legacy would ever be.
“For fucking goddess sake!” Asher shook me harder. “This cannot be my former enemy I met on the battlefield! If it is, I am ashamed I didn’t defeat you!” He shoved me away from him and I stumbled to find my footing. “Save my son or I’ll kill you myself, before you even have a chance to bleed out on this damned street, Remnant Ezra Solaire Dark.”
His words were like a slap to the face and my soul. I snarled. “Fuck you, Asher Strider!”
Relief lit in his feral wolf eyes. “There she is. There’s the daughter in law I’m proud of. Daemon needs you, your soulmate needs you, and he’s heading straight for the gateway!”
Realization dawned on me. “He’s going after the queen alone?”
Asher growled low. “Not just the queen, she is just the start. He will burn this world from the inside out. Seeing you impaled sent him over the edge, seeing you bleeding out in his city only drove his resolve. With the power controlling him, he will be able to easily enter before the gateway is supposed to open.” He snarled, shoving me again. “Now fuck off, Dark. I’m too busy to talk and you’re too busy saving my son.”
I narrowed my eyes at the former king of shifters. “Bane was right. Youarea bastard.”
Asher barked a laugh. “Then let us hope we live through this day to suffer another moment with that miserable prick. Then you can tell him that in person.” He winked and shifted without a moment's pause. His blonde wolf replaced him and he howled one more time before turning back toward a now fully recovered bloodlusting leopard.
Inhaling, I spun, leaving behind the sounds of two ferocious beasts ripping each other apart, and bracing myself against the agonizing pain that set my body on fire. Blood still flowed freely from me, leaving a dripping trail of red while I stumbled along the ash ridden street where the golden panther had blazed through.
I shook my head. Universes…the panther burned universes.
I had nothing that could stop that now. My shadows…the void of all light was the only thing that possibly could and they were gone.
I was more likely to bleed out before I even had a chance to reach Emon to stop him. But giving up was not an option and it never would be when it came to that damn shifter.
He was mine. I was his.
“General Dark!”
Panting, I halted in front of the giant shifter calling to me. “Drey.” I clutched my chest and eyed the baker who had been terrified of me just days ago. “Drey, I need you to move please. I must get to the king.”
Drey held his hands up with nervous placation. “I know it. I want to help you.”
