The Touch of Demise │18+

48: You Never Broke Me

DEMISE

Light and life swelled around Grace as she surged through the fae in her way. She became ruthless, her skill reaching its peak to take the revenge that was owed her. Everyone watched from afar as she commanded the flora around her. The trees swayed away from her. The grass crawled with her.

Demise followed behind her, ending what she could not. Rain began pelting them. A treacherous monsoon took over, blinding his vision even a few feet in front of him.

"He's commanding this!"  Goliath, soaked and wild, appeared next to him. "Our axillary troops are on the border."

"What's happened?"

"He built a barricade of stone; no one can get through."

Demise tore through the jugular of something or someone. He was breathless, not from exertion, but from the choice he had to make. Goliath wouldn't be able to mind-link everyone when the wall fell. If it fell.

"I'll go to the border. When I tell you to," he turned toward his friend. "Bring hell, Goliath."

Unlike Goliath, Demise was unable to travel through shadows, but he was quick. He made it to the border to see massive rock along his capital, blocking any resources from entering from the other territories.

He laid a hand on the rock, a sly grin taking over his face. Everything was alive.

And he could ruin anything that lived.

Still, if he razed it to the ground, Ophir would simply conjure up another wall.

Goliath...

He could feel warmth spread through his palms. His eyes shut and when they reopened he saw everything clearer It felt as if death itself awoke within him. Everything was on the line for him. His kingdom, his mate, his...family.

Because that's what they were. Goliath was his brother. Xerxes and Rosalie were his friends. He refused to let any more harm come to those he loved. He was tired of being tired. Tired of being hated. Tired of being afraid of himself.

...now.

Through Goliath's eyes he saw darkness plumet onto the field, encircling Ophir. For a moment, a different fear gripped him as he felt something...darker within Goliath's body.  Something Demise had never felt before. Somehing more sinister than even himself.

His hands turned onyx on the rock. He brought his hands to the grass floor. The world shook. That wall crumbled before him. A hoard of battle cries bathed him in relief as his men...his people...surged across the invisible demarcation of territory.

Wolves turned into a stampeed. Nothing united people like a common enemy.

The king rose to his feet again. Black smoke radiated from his palms. He stood not as a King. No longer would he just be a ruler. He stood as a lycanthrope. A person.

A person that loved. A person that deserved happiness. A person that no longer feared the night that stained his blood.

He stood as Hades, the man that was benelovent. The man who loved life. The man who enjoyed music and people.

The ground beneath him shook again. This time it was not for him. From afar he watched the Earth part. His breath hitched and he made the sudden decision to jump to the left of the growing canyon.

Dust from the collapsing rock filled his lungs. His head splintered for a moment and static made his palms shake. He watched as fae and lycanthrope fell victim to the parting Earth. Screams turned his stomach. He pushed himself up just in time to throw himself toward the canyon, arms outstretched. He pulled whoever grabbed him up.

His blood raced through his skull as he single-handedly lifted two times his weight. The two fell onto their backs and then scrambled to thier feet. His eyes fell onto the wings of the person he  had saved.

The fae locked eyes with the King of Lycanthrope. "You," he stuttered. "You saved me."

He nodded. "I will kill you if I have to."

The fae shook his head. "Ophir murdered my people. I fought for him because he forced me to."

The king nodded. "Go. Fight. I-"

A scream echoed through the capital. His blood ran cold. He knew that voice. He took off only to realize his greatest fear was possible. As he stood on the one side of the canyon, he saw his mate held on the other. Ophir had his hand around her throat.

Her dark, chestnut eyes found him. And she looked as if she couldn't believe this was happening. She mouthed an I'm sorry.

No. Absolutely fucking not.

Death flared around him. He would no longer be afraid of himself. His power was sweltered around him.

The world stilled.

And then, like darkness itself, the life of the land retreated. The fae simply....fell. Their bodies hit the ground in blackened ash.

Ophir's fear could be felt from across the divide. He threw Grace down.

Then he retreated back to the fae realm.

ADALIND

Her heart fell into her stomach as Ophir fell onto the floor of the throne room. For so long she had been forced to remain within House of Nyght when her body longed to be home. To be within the light. He had kept her in darkness for so long...

And here he was, bloodied and bruised, crawling before her.

She stood before him, her demeanor contained in her rigid stance. She didn't cry as he reached for her.

"Adalind," he moaned. His hand reached for the skirt of her dress.

Kneeling down before him, she cupped his cheek. "Ophir."

Something swelled within her as she realized all his barriers had been destroyed. He could no longer protect the necklace that cursed her people. She leaned in close to him, her lips gracing his ear.

"You never broke me."

Her hand clawed at the medallion and tugged it off him. She didn't hesitate to throw it to the wall, shattering it. Her breath hitched. Light climbed onto the walls and radiated through House Nyght. Brilliance fell onto her skin. She lifted her arms, reveling in the shine she so desperately craved for centuries.

She felt herself grow stronger, her full power regained. That curse was broken. Her people were free.

And light would prevail.

One-by-one, she watched as the Regents of her world reappeared in their natural state. Regent Oryn of House Gemini stood in a sunkissed gold surcoat. Regent Paeon of House Capricornius appeared in a sunrise orange. Regent Kai of House Virgo. Regent Kallum of House Libra. Regent Adonis of House Scorpius. Regent Aeiden of House Sagittarius. Regent Alastair of House Ares. Regent Aristotle of House Aquarius. Regent Xion of House Pisces. Regent Caspian of House Taurus.

And finally, standing in front of the onyx throne, was Regent Nyx of House Nyght.