Our battle will go on for centuries… A never ending back and forth.
While those weren’t the exact words I once said to Xeraphine, they’re close enough. Who would have thought that the battle I was referring to would end up being with her mother?
I’ve already won the fight with my little demon, because I’ve claimed her heart. It’s mine to love and protect. I can’t afford to be useless to her—not now, not when she needs me the most.
A grin spreads across my face, but just as it does, Tali kicks me in the stomach. My back slams into Xera’s, but she keeps me on my feet.
“Will you make me pancakes soon?” she whispers so softly, I wonder if her mom can hear it.
I chuckle and square my shoulders, launching myself at Tali. We exchange blow after blow, and because she knows I’ll not protect my head, she has pulled back her attacks enough that I can recover in no time. It doesn’t allow her the ability to get back to Xeraphine, and even when she does, I’m blocking them with ease.
Frustration laces her scream as she stomps her foot like a fucking child.
I’m not even out of breath, but I can see that out of pure rage, Tali is wearing. It isn’t exhaustion per se, but it’s her patience. When you lose that, you become irrational, which is exactly where I need her to be.
Xeraphine hasn’t moved, and I can tell by the frantic beating of her heart that it isn’t easy for her. But this is it, this is what we have to do. She has to allow for me to be what she needs, and for once in her existence, give in to the reality that she can need help. That it doesn’t make her weak, but instead, stronger.
Tali attempts another go at my girl, and when I kick her so hard that her ribs shatter, she goes crashing into a tree.
“Fucking FIGHT ME!” she screams as she comes to a stand. “You worthless slut, just FIGHT ME!”
My nose twitches.
“I’d like to try chocolate ones,” she whispers again. “Change it up a bit.”
“With syrup?”
A soft chuckle rolls from her throat. “Sure…”
Tali thenstompsher way toward us. “I swear tofuckyou guys aren’t talking about?—”
The pop of my shadows fangs echo so loudly, that I swear the entire world goes quiet.
It’s only broken by a heavy, drawn out sigh from Xeraphine.
My shadows arm wraps around Tali’s collar as it pushes its fangs further into her neck.
Seeing the shock cross her face has heat building across my chest. My heart nearly comes to a stop, and I want to celebrate, but I know I can’t do it prematurely.
My girl steps around me, walking toward Tali.
“Kneel,” Xeraphine commands, and I hold the breath I don’t need.
Chapter 60
Xeraphine
My heart rockets into my throat. The feeling of my blood coursing through her system sends shivers all the way to my fingertips. When I sense the resistance building within her, I slice open a fresh wound on my forearm, summoning hundreds of needle-thin points. I hurl them at her, and they hit their mark, piercing right through her flesh.
As more of me flows into her, the sensation nearly drops me to my knees.
“Kneel, Tali,” I command, and though I feel her resistance, she obeys. Kai’s shadow releases her, and she drops to her knees before us.
I can’t tell the emotions that are flying around inside of me, because they are all over the place. Pride, fear, happiness; the one emotion that I can feel out of all of them, above all else, is dread. A heavy weight falling on my shoulders, because as much as I want this to be my happy ending, something inside reminds me that it isn’t mine to have.
Taking a step toward her, she begins to laugh.
“Who would’ve thought it would actually work…” She lifts her head to me, our gazes locking. “What’re you going to do, Daughter?”
