35. A living nightmare
Nevaeh
M y steps feel light as a feather as we take the quiet route back home. This portal was hidden deep in the forest for privacy reasons. The serene ambiance is a good change after surviving the busy market where we celebrated August’s birthday.
A whole day surrounded by the people I love has done wonders to cement my new reality. I finally have it all. A home. A wonderful family.
But like every good thing, the warmth in my stomach doesn’t last long when out of nowhere, a heavy cloud of fear smashes into my chest.
I don’t realize I’ve stopped walking until Angel calls for me. Adrenaline pushes through my nerves, preparing me for danger as I keep standing in the same spot.
Something feels wrong.
The dreadful instinct of evil approaching makes my stomach sink. When Harvey’s eyes find me, his alarmed expression only confirms my gut feeling. Years of torment and constant fear have trained us to catch a threat before we can even see it.
“Hazel, put August to sleep. Now.”
For once she doesn’t make a sarcastic remark and sings a soft tune to spell August to sleep.
A faint cry from far away makes my blood freeze. Frantically moving my head in every direction, I try to pinpoint the sound but it comes to a still-stand, as if I spooked it .
Angel quickly starts huddling everyone towards the portal, sensing the same dread and discomfort lingering among the trees. Whatever it is, it's killing these woods with every breath it takes. This kind of destruction is unlike anything I’ve seen before.
The longer it takes to reach the portal, the more we feel a presence fast approaching with death and pain on its tail. Suddenly wild rustling and scratching resounds from every direction, making it impossible to judge its source.
Each picking a corner, we form a circle moving forward, but I can feel it in my bones that it won’t be enough. It quickly becomes clear that there’s no chance of getting to the portal without making ourselves an open target.
Conjuring his bow, Angel encircles us inside a clear shield charged with his Divine. Sensing my mate’s worry, my Divine pushes me to free my restraint over it, and without overthinking, I let my Divine latch onto Angel’s barrier to strengthen it.
All of a sudden, a disheveled figure jumps out from behind a tree and charges straight at me. My heart jumps to my throat and I step back just before it collides against the barrier and bounces off it, landing on the ground.
I look up just in time to see two more figures crashing into the barrier. One after the other, dark shadows come barreling into the shield with such force that it cracks in some places. Angel quickly repairs the barrier with my Divine’s assistance.
The first shadow is heaving and coughing up a lung as it pushes itself off the ground, and all air leaves my lungs.
“Is t-that?”
All I can do is nod at Harvey’s stumped expression. Standing in front of me is a reminder of our past. Her clothes are ripped in places, and her hollow eyes stare at me with such hatred that it takes me back.
I have to bite my cheek to stop myself from gasping when my eyes fall to her shoulders. Arms carelessly stitched together like they were ripped apart more than once before someone pieced them back.
Twelve replicas of the girl I once knew.
I don’t know what made me count, but the message becomes clear when I do. Visha ripped twelve souls from this world to get her own version of future. This is her reminding me that she’s always watching, lingering in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to finish what she started a decade ago.
To paint my world red.
Whatever Angel sees on my face makes him intertwine our fingers and pull me closer. I lean on him and try to breathe, but my heart stops altogether when the limping figure opens her mouth—wider than normal—and lets out a loud wail that echoes in the silence.
I can hear her cries, but there are no tears or expressions on her face. The sound coming out of her mouth is as fake as the girl before me because I know she is dead.
Anisha is dead.
A strong rush of wind ripples the fake reflections until only one remains. Her wails of pain are muffled now but not entirely gone. I’m too stunned by what I’m seeing to try to make sense of how Visha did this.
I thought one over twelve supposedly dead creatures were good odds, but it’s proving impossible to breathe freely without Anisha thinking of it as retaliation.
Risking a step back, I flinch when she once again slams against the barrier on my side. Every time I move—even an inch—whoever this is in Anisha’s body, screeches and bangs her head on the clear shield until I stop.
It’s like she doesn’t want me to do anything but stand still and wait. Wait for what?
“Weapons out.” Angel’s orders through the link. Harvey materializes his sword as Seiji uses one of his whips to bind August to his chest while holding the other beside his thigh in preparation.
Before Anxo can devise a plan to get us out of here Hazel shakily whispers, “Anxo… the portal.”
Glancing back at the doorway, I'm dumbfounded to see the portal fading. How is that possible? I blink rapidly to convince myself I’m seeing things again but it’s true. Our only way out of this nightmare is disappearing in front of my eyes.
The lump in my throat grows heavy. Angel takes a peek behind him and all color drains out of his face. I don't think even Angel could've seen this coming.
Squeezing his hand, I tap into the link. “You need to get August out of here before it's too late. This thing is following my every move so if I distract it enough, you'll be able to get everyone out.”
With his jaw clenched tight, Angel is looking at me as if he can't believe those words came out of my mouth. Checking back on the portal again, he nods intently before breathing out.
“We don’t have time to debate, so listen and follow for once. Nevaeh and I will distract whatever this thing is, and the moment you see an out... take it.”
Considering Anisha has her eyes set on me, I don’t have any other option but to stay back but now my mate has made it clear he isn't leaving me behind.
At once, everyone starts protesting. I get that none of them wants to leave, but this might be our only chance at finding backup. It helps no one if all of us are stuck here.
Harvey is not even a part of the discussion. He took his eyes off Anisha long enough to beg Grace to follow Angel's plan and went right back to watching Anisha like a hawk. Hazel doesn’t even consider the option and simply turns her back to me, signaling she won't be leaving either.
That leaves two people who are smart enough to know which battles to fight and which to run from. Grace and August are the most vulnerable out of us, so there’s no way we can let them stay back.
Turning to Seiji, I wait until his eyes leave the undead woman and come to me. He is shaken up, but I need him to do this before we lose the window .
“When Angel lowers the barrier on your side, I need you to take August and Grace with you and run .”
“I can't just leave you—”
Shaking my head, I don’t let him argue. “I can't move without putting everyone in danger and Anxo's shield is the only thing between me and that thing. Harvey is not thinking straight and Hazel is stubborn enough to make sure we have backup. I need you to do what I can't... protect my son . Make sure he's safe behind that portal and then come back with help, alright? ”
With eyes filled with helplessness, Seiji nods in promise and it eases a weight on my heart. Eyes still on Anisha or what’s left of her, Angel and I lower the barrier behind Seiji in sync.
“Now!”
As soon as the barrier drops, Seiji is running with one hand on August and the other pulling Grace behind him. Angel holds up the barrier surrounding us while I send out my Divine to seek out those running and protect them until they cross the portal.
Visha’s undead doll catches the movement, but before she can take off after Seiji, the portal collapses behind them, vanishing like it never existed.
“Portals don’t glitch. And they surely don’t disappear like that. Something strange is happening back home, Conquer.” Hazel puts my shock into words.
To distract Anisha from blindly searching for the ones who left, Harvey moves closer to the barrier, placing his hand on the electrified wall protecting us from the rabid zombie.
“Anisha,” His whisper seizes her attention. Her vacant eyes waiting for Harvey to come to her.
Harvey moves like he wants to step out, but I grab his arm before he can. When he looks back at me, his eyes are filled with unshed tears, but I can’t let him go to her. He doesn’t know who—or what she is.
“That’s Anisha. She’s—”
“Dead.” Forcing the bile down my throat, I keep a firm grip on Harvey's arm.
The horrified look in his eyes slashes my soul. I know he considered her a friend, a kindred spirit trapped in her own worst nightmare.
We didn’t get many opportunities to become familiar with other prisoners, but we met Anisha doing chores around the coven. She was much older than us and had survived a lot more than anyone could bear.
Watching Anisha made our resolve to escape stronger because we knew what would happen to our minds and bodies if we never got out.
After the night Harvey escaped, things got worse for us. The prisoners weren’t treated as living beings anymore but playthings. What happened to Anisha and the others was something I wanted to take to my grave. Harvey has enough guilt about his escape that I didn’t want to add more, but with her standing right in front of us, the secret is out.
Suddenly Anisha falls to her knees, calling out my name with such agony the stinging in my throat becomes unbearable. She’s not her. This is not Anisha. I don’t know what Visha did to her, but this is not her.
When Anisha stirs on the ground, a movement inside her chest makes my blood run cold. Looking closer, I see the moment her skin stretches forward before going back to normal.
What have you done, Visha?
Snapping her neck sideways like she sees things that we can’t, Anisha sniffs wildly before abruptly standing straight like someone is holding her up. Blinking rapidly, her eyes turn soft, and tears fall down her slashed cheek when her eyes find me again.
“Nevaeh? Everything h-hurts. Help me.”
Harvey tugs harder, but I hold on. My heart is breaking to pieces too, but no matter how convincing she is, I know that’s not Anisha.
Because I was there. I watched her die.
If Visha thinks she can manipulate me with the dead pieces of my past, she is sorely mistaken.
Anisha's cries get harder to ignore, and my grip on Harvey becomes bruising. He is breaking in front of me, wanting to help someone he once knew and shared pain with, but I can't let him through.
Harvey’s head snaps to me, and the anger in his eyes stuns me. “She’s in pain. You have to help her!”
“Help me, Harvey,” Anisha screams at the same time.
“Help who, Harvey? That’s not Anisha! She is dead. I watched her die. This is just another one of Visha’s mind games.”
When Anisha sees that Harvey won’t be coming to her after all, the softness in her eyes hardens into something sinister. Her body snaps like all her bones are breaking, as her wails melt into deranged cackles.
I don’t have enough time to gauge her next move before Anisha is running at us with a speed someone as battered as her shouldn’t possess. The pushback this time is so brutal I think it will finally get her to stay down, and give us an opportunity to run like hell, but she pulls herself up in no time.
Her shoulder is bent at an odd angle, and her forehead is dented on the left side like her skull is empty on the inside. With a loud cry, Anisha slams her head on the barrier and we stand there, stunned by her strength.
Hazel tries to move, probably thinking another distraction will help us find a way out, but in an instant, a replica of Anisha is in front of her, clawing at the barrier on her side. Only when Hazel shuffles back does the replica fade.
Her body starts vibrating dangerously and when her limbs twitch in a familiar way it finally dawns on me.
Visha has overloaded her with dark magic more than a vessel can handle, and Anisha's body is nowhere strong enough to contain all of it inside her.
She is about to explode.
“Angel let me out, I have to get to her now.”
“Not happening.” Angel immediately refuses .
“You don't understand, she is about to blow up. Look at the way her fingers are twitching, Angel. Anisha is carrying enough dark magic to reduce everything to ashes for miles . Think about the Griari Empire, we aren't far from their border... this will destroy them.”
Hazel steps forward in my support and tries to convince Angel. “Visha is trying to rewrite fate by erasing their existence. You can't be a part of that Anxo.”
He doesn’t budge but I don’t expect him to. For Angel, his family takes priority over his duty.
“Fates will erase your markings for not stopping it. Not to forget your Divine... Uncle Elijah will have to strip us of our Divine’s for disrespecting Fates.” The tick in his jaw is proof Angel knows I’m right.
We might be symbols of doom but even the Horsemen will face dire consequences for going against what’s already written by the sisters of fate.
Angel is trying his best to hold the barrier, but the magic inside Anisha is far more powerful than the body it’s trapped in. With every scratch, the darkness inside her creates another crack in the barrier.
Anisha makes another inhuman sound from deep in her chest, and we stagger back to put as much distance from the ticking time bomb as possible.
Black cracks start forming on her skin as the power inside her fights to escape the weak body and latch on to the barrier, eating away at it.
If Anisha is carrying the amount of dark magic I’m assuming, then Angel’s barrier won’t hold against the explosion.
Not unless my Divine absorbs most of the impact.
Scanning the barrier, I look for the weakest spot. “Promise me you won’t lower the barrier no matter what.” The desperation in my voice makes it clear what I’m about to do.
Angel turns me around and pulls me into him, holding me tight by my shoulders. “Don’t. Let me think. Just give me a minute and I’ll come up with a better plan.”
“There's no better plan unless we want to be part of a genocide. I know my Divine can consume that magic and still survive.” I beg Harvey to back me up but like Angel, he is adamant on finding another way. “Trust me, I can do this. I’ve made it through before.”
There was a reason Visha only used her harshest spells on me and not Harvey. Our Divine’s aren’t made for tackling dark magic, and she didn’t want to accidentally kill Harvey in the process.
Holding my face with desperation leaking through his voice, Angel whispers, “I can’t lose you. Not you. I won't survive. Please don't make me do that, sweetheart.”
The fear in his eyes makes it evident that even when he knows this is the only way, Angel's panic won’t let him see logic.
“You won’t lose me. We’ll be fine. I promise we’ll be alright.” Pulling him in for a kiss, I hold his face. Angel relaxes into me, thinking I’ve given up.
Behind Angel’s back I search for Hazel. The single affirmative nod from her is a relief. I knew I could count on her to think rationally and not get tied up in emotions.
Losing my grip on my mate’s hair, I signal Hazel. At the same time, she tackles Harvey to the ground while I push back from Angel and make a run for it.
Ignoring Angel’s anguished scream behind me, I cross the barrier and collide with Anisha.
A half-second before an earth-shattering boom, I call upon my essence to surround us. Waves of dark magic explode out of her body, and Anisha turns to ash. The force of the blast forces me on my knees, and I scream in agony as swirls of unparalleled power spread inside my chest.
My Divine absorbs every last bit of tainted magic before my head spins and I fall back, hitting my head hard on the ground.
When the darkness finally fades, a sky full of bright stars and steady planets comes into view .
How long was I out? And how did we get home?
Wheezing in pain, I yelp when I try to sit and the slightest movement feels like I’m melting into the ground. As the dark magic settles inside me, the burning in my chest gets stronger.
Carefully turning my head to the side, I see Angel slowly picking himself up from the ground with fresh cuts on his face and covered in ash. Only when I see Harvey help Hazel up, do I sigh in relief.
Mission successful. Everyone is alive and breathing.
Faded sharp ringing is all I hear when they come running to me. I can see them shouting, but the words seem too far away. Whatever he’s looking for in the dark is only making Angel angrier.
Turning back to the sky, I take a deep breath that burns my lungs and makes me whimper.
Once the stabbing pain in my chest fades a little, I flutter my lids open to my favorite pair of green eyes hovering above me, tears lining his lashes and fear prominent on his face.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart, but we can’t wait. I need to take you to the medical bay now .” Angel whispers hoarsely before carefully picking me up. I scream when his arms scrape the burns on my back and hide my face in his neck.
It will take some time for my Divine to gain back strength after absorbing all that dark magic, and I can't tolerate this pain for long without help.
I muffle my whimpers in his neck and feel worse when Angel keeps apologizing. He tries his best to avoid my burns, but it’s impossible at this point, as the blisters cover most of my chest, arms, and back.
Hazel runs ahead, screaming at people to get out of the way as Angel runs as fast as he can carrying me.
Years of torture have made my Divine resilient, I can already feel some of my wounds cauterizing. Good timing because I can barely breathe through the pain now.
“Call the healers!” Angel roars, his chest vibrating from the force, and I cry out when my arm rubs against his shirt .
Whispering a quick apology to me, Angel glares at the healer who asks him to lay me down. Angel continues to ignore all orders until Grace comes rushing in and scolds him for still holding me in his arms instead of letting the healers help.
A shiver runs down my spine, filled with pain when someone turns me on my side to check my back. Angel is immediately in front of me, stroking my hair and doing everything he can to ease my pain, even the tiniest bit.
“The portal collapsed, Anxo. How is that even possible? One minute, Seiji was running to call reinforcements, and I turn back, and it's just gone. And not just that one. Every portal in the kingdom—all of them collapsed at once.”
I wait for someone to address what Grace said, but all I get is silence. The lack of answers is starting to bother everyone now.
“Why is she looking so pale?” I hear Seiji come in, but his voice is muffled.
“What’s happening? Something is wrong, Grace, she looks worse.” Hearing the panic building in his voice, I squeeze Angel's hand to comfort him.
Grace bends to whisper, “I don’t want to reward your recklessness, but it was a good idea.” She walks to the end of the bed and removes my shoes.
When Angel asks again, Grace remembers the man whose hair is turning grey, from constantly worrying about his mate. “She absorbed a lot of dark magic Anxo, what else do you expect? Thankfully, her Divine is pretty resilient, or this could’ve been a lot worse.”
That she chooses to say out loud?
“I take my eyes off you for one second, and you run off to become the martyr!” Harvey reprimands me but stops when I whimper because it hurts so much.
Or maybe I fake it because I’m too tired for a scolding.
Kissing my hand, Angel shakes his head with a chuckle. Of course, he can tell when I’m faking.
My mate doesn’t need to tell me he is angry, his eyes do a pretty good job of that. “Why do you insist on giving me a heart attack every other day.”
“To keep you on your toes.”
“Well, stop. I hate it.”
“But you love me?”
“With everything in me.”
The thump of my heart slows, and my vision gets hazy once more. I relax on the pillow but force my eyes open to find Angel again. I try to muster enough strength to talk, but he understands me without saying it.
Angel always knows.
“Sleep, sweetheart, I’ll be right here when you wake up.” He caresses my cheek softly. I close my eyes with the image of Angel looking like someone finally put his soul back inside his body.