Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Titan
It’s so hard to remain focused on the battle at hand when we’re being forced further and further back.
I can’t keep myself from counting down the distance between myself and Dalia.
Surrounding her to keep her safe seemed like a good idea, but as we’re forced backward step by step, I’m beginning to see our error.
When she tells us she loves us, I feel like my heart is being ripped out of my chest.
We’re barely a hair's breadth from her when I tell her I love her too.
Then her back presses against mine and pain explodes in my chest.
No.
No.
No.
“No,” I yell into the face of the demon attacking me.
We killed our fated mate—for real this time.
There won’t be any coming back from her death this time.
But I can’t focus on that as the attacks keep coming.
My head jerks as the sound of bikes draws near. “Steel!”
“They’re here. Thank fuck.”
“Too bad it’s too late for Dalia,” Blaze groans, pain weighing down his words.
I grind my teeth, refusing to think about the woman I love being dead at my back. Right now, I need to focus on the fight before me. If I allow myself to admit we’ve just lost her, then I won’t be able to carry on.
And Dalia would want us to keep fighting for Iero.
Magic flies across the battlefield as the MCs dismount and dive into the fray.
The Gorgons MC, the Wayward Pookas MC, and the Wild Hunt MC. Three of our most trusted allies.
If only they’d arrived a few minutes earlier. Then Dalia would still be alive, and my heart wouldn’t be breaking.
Focus, Titan. Focus.
With the numbers the three MCs brought, the tide changes quickly until I can finally step away from Dalia.
I can’t help glancing over my shoulder, my mouth falling open when I see Dalia’s not only alive but grinning at us.
I’m in shock because I know she should be dead. There was no way all three of us weren’t touching her at the same time.
She should be dead.
“How?” I whisper.
She shrugs, pulling her sword from her back. “I don’t know, but I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth.”
“It shouldn’t be possible,” Steel says, his sword falling to his side.
“Damn it, Steel. Pay attention,” I grunt, swinging at the vampire rushing my president. “We’ll worry about the ways later.”
Dalia giggles. “Yeah, there’s a battle going on, Steel.”
“Fuck, gorgeous.” Blaze ducks down to press his lips to hers before darting to her other side to swing his sword at an orc barreling toward us. “I was sure you were a goner.”
“So was I.” She glances around us now that we’re not standing on top of her. “Where’s Renwick?”
That’s an excellent question. I lost sight of him after he ordered Dalia’s death.
I scan the area, but I can’t find him.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the coward had run away once the fighting started. He seems like the type to have others fight his battles for him.
“There he is!” Blaze points toward the edge of the fighting, where Renwick is backing toward the vehicles they arrived in, shadows stretching from his hands as he tries to flee.
Dalia stands on her toes, trying to see over the crowd but failing. I hook an arm around her waist and hoist her up so she can see her ex running like the chicken he is.
“Running from the fight. I’m going to kill him,” Steel growls.
“No, the fuck you’re not. I’m going to be the one to end his life.” She kicks her feet until I lower her back to the ground. “It has to be me.”
A glance at Steel and Blaze reveals they’re just as torn as I am.
I understand why Dalia feels like she’s the one who needs to kill him—she deserves that closure. I just don’t want her to be any closer to him.
Steel sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Fine, but we’re coming with you.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she declares with a grin. “Let’s do this.”
She takes off at a run, slashing her sword against anyone who dares get in her way.
The three of us move a little slower, and I almost lose her in the crowd. She’s faster than I thought she’d be.
By the time we catch up to her, she’s mere feet from Renwick as the two verbally spar.
“And what are you going to do, Dalia? I’m stronger than you.”
Dalia scoffs. “That might be true, Renwick, but never count me out.”
When she tries to rush toward him, a wall of shadows blocks her path, holding her in place. A frustrated yell spills from her lips as she fights against the shadows.
“Now what?” I ask, glancing between Blaze and Steel. “She wants to be the one to kill him, but what if she can’t get to him?”
“Then we distract him—come at him from all angles.” Blaze nods slowly. “I’ll come up behind him, and the two of you can come at him from each side. He might be powerful, but he can’t fight off a four-way attack from all sides.”
Steel nods. “Yeah, we can do that. We’ll try to keep his attention on us so Dalia can sneak beneath his guard. She gets the killing blow.”
I just nod, already moving into position. I wish we could share the plan with Dalia, but she’s smart. She’ll figure out what we’re doing.
Dalia manages to break free from the shadows binding her and tries to come at Renwick again, but he throws more shadows at her. He isn’t able to grab her with them, but it still keeps her from moving closer.
Luckily, he’s so distracted by her attack attempts that he doesn’t notice our advance until we’re practically on top of him.
Shadows barrel from his hand as it swings in my direction, but my sword slashes through them as I duck to the side. Renwick Vesperine is far from the first shadow demon we’ve fought.
He might be the strongest we’ve ever gone against, as he lets shadows fly at all four of us with ease. They’re easy to dodge because his aim is off with his focus so split.
I manage to sneak beneath the next onslaught, rushing him with my sword raised. My forward momentum stops suddenly as shadows wrap around my throat and sword, halting me as the shadows tighten.
I’d be in trouble if I needed to breathe to survive, but since I’m not required to breathe air—it’s just a reflex carried over from when we were alive, I think—I don’t do more than grunt at the pain.
Dalia stumbles, and my eyes shoot to her.
Did Renwick hurt her?
I don’t care what we agreed to—if he hurts her, I’ll kill him my damn self.
“Holy shit,” Dalia murmurs, and I’m just close enough to catch her words. “The strings… They’re just as beautiful as I remember.”
Her hand trails through the air, confusing me before it occurs to me that the strings of fate must have appeared to her. She told us that she and her sisters lost the ability to see them years ago, but I don’t know what else she’d be talking about.
Dalia’s mouth turns up at the corner as she jerks her head toward Renwick. “Oh, no. It seems your fate ends here today, and since my sister isn’t conscious, I get to be the one to cut it.”
“What the hell are you blabbering on about?” Renwick spits out, his tone venomous.
“I am Moirai. I am Fate. It is my sisters and I who rule over the fates of all people—mortals, immortals, and gods alike. We lost our way, and we lost our power. But no more. I can feel it coursing through my veins. This is your end, Renwick Vesperine.”
My eyes widen before narrowing as Dalia begins to glow. Her voice vibrates with power.
Holy shit.
She’s gorgeous.
“Not if I kill you first,” Renwick growls, his shadows falling away from me, Blaze, and Steel as he focuses his attention on Dalia. Shadows fill the air, surrounding and engulfing her.
“Oh, hell no!” Blaze raises his sword, ready to end the asshole who dares to hurt our women just as Steel and I do—only for all three of us to freeze as Dalia appears behind Renwick, her sword sliding through his back and piercing him clean through.
She’s smiling as she pulls it free, Renwick spinning around as he clutches at his chest.
“What? How?”
“I told you I could feel my powers again. Did you think all we did was play with the strings of fate? We wouldn’t be considered the most powerful beings if that’s all we could do.
” Dalia lifts her sword. “You’ve always underestimated me, Renwick.
I wish I could say you were going to live to regret that, but death is the only thing you deserve. ”
Her sword swings in an arc, slicing through his neck as easily as if it were butter.
Renwick’s eyes widen, his mouth falling open before his head detaches from his body.
Dalia stares down at his decapitated body as she drops her sword to the ground and reaches into her pocket. She removes a pair of scissors—where the fuck did those come from—and lifts them into the air.
They hesitate as if caught on something as she closes them, an audible snap sounding out as they snick shut completely.
“This is the end you deserved and were fated for, Renwick Vesperine. Your string of fate has been cut, and your life in this realm has come to an end. I don’t think you’ll enjoy your time in the next realm.” Dalia bows her head, the scissors disappearing from her grasp.
“What the hell was that?” Steel growls, stomping over to our girl.
Blaze and I are just a step behind him as we crowd around Dalia.
“Seriously, gorgeous. That was so fucking badass.” Blaze sweeps her into his arms, pressing his lips to hers.
Dalia giggles as Blaze passes her to Steel and then me so we can each kiss her before I set her on her feet.
“My powers have returned.” She glances around the air surrounding her.
“I can see the strings of fate again. Usually, Morrigan is the one who cuts the strings when someone has reached the end of their life, but with her incapacitated, it fell to me—allowing me to choose the moment of his death and how he died.”
“So Morrigan holds Atropos’s… I don’t know what to call it. Title? Power?” Steel’s head tilts to the side as he tries to work it out in his head.
Dalia nods. “Morrigan holds Atropos’s position as the inflexible. Phoebe holds Clotho’s as the spinner, and I hold Lachesis’s as the allotter.”
“As much as I’d love to know more about you and your sisters,” I say, glancing back to the battle still being fought. “But we still need to deal with this.”
“Right. Yes.” Dalia leans down to pick up her sword once more, shooting me a wink.
Her focus returns to the ongoing battle, her voice lifting and vibrating with power once more.
“Renwick Vesperine is dead—his string of fate has been cut. If you choose to leave now, we won’t follow you, but you will forget Iero exists.
If you choose to return, you will be killed.
Anyone who continues to fight will be cut down. Make your choice now.”
Around us, the sounds of battle slow before ending completely. Somehow, Dalia’s voice carries across the entire battlefield—likely another power she regained.
Silence reigns for a few more moments before Renwick’s remaining men take off. Some disappear completely, while others hurry to the vehicles until only the MCs and the citizens of Iero remain.
“Where are my sisters? Where are Phoebe and Morrigan?” Dalia calls.
“Morrigan is here!” A woman I recognize from the council calls. What was her name?
Dalia is already moving toward her. “Thank you, Enya.”
Enya. Right.
I’ll have to remember that.
“I have Phoebe,” a masculine voice calls, and this time I remember its owner’s name—the stone coat, Jaeden. “I’ll bring her to you.”
I trail behind Dalia with Blaze and Steel at my back. By the time Dalia reaches Morrigan, Jaeden is lowering Phoebe to the ground with just enough room for Dalia to fit between them.
She takes one hand each of Morrigan’s and Phoebe’s, joining them together before lowering them to the ground. She leans forward, a hand on each of their heads as the glow she hasn’t quite lost becomes blindingly bright again.
As much as I want to continue to watch my mate’s powers work, I have to force my eyes away. It’s just too bright.
“Fuck me,” Morrigan grumbles, and I jerk my head back to Dalia and her sisters. “What happened?”
Morrigan and Phoebe are struggling to sit up.
“Renwick had the two of you killed,” Dalia hurries to fill the two of them in. “He tried to have me killed as well, but Blaze, Titan, and Steel were having none of it.”
Blaze snorts. “Although we were pretty sure we were going to be the ones to kill all three of you when we were forced to close in around Dalia.”
Morrigan’s eyes narrow. “What the hell does that mean?”
“They circled me and were forced to back up until they were all pressed against me. I was sure I was a goner, but then the other MCs showed up and turned the fight in our favor.” Dalia shoots the three of us a smile. “When they stepped away, I wasn’t dead.”
“That’s wonderful, Dalia.” Phoebe pulls her sister into a hug. “And Renwick?”
“Dead,” Enya confirms. “Although I’m not sure how.”
Dalia clears her throat. “Sisters, do you notice anything different?”
“What do you mean—” Morrigan breaks off as she looks around. “The strings? They’re back?”
“Imagine my surprise when they just appeared while I was trying to kill my ex.” Dalia snorts. “I was able to teleport behind him and run him through with my sword.”
“Don’t forget cutting off his head,” I add.
She waves me off. “I was getting there. I cut his head off, then your scissors appeared in my pocket. I cut his string, and the scissors disappeared. I haven’t tested all of them, but I seem to have my powers back.”
Morrigan pushes to her feet, her hand going to her pocket with a smile. “They’re here.”
“As is my spindle.” Phoebe pulls something from her pocket, lifting it before standing. “All we’re missing is Dalia’s staff.”
Blaze clears his throat. “Like the one on her back?”
Dalia attempts to look over her shoulder, but she can’t see it. Instead, she reaches behind her and pulls the staff from her sword scabbard. “That’s the one.”
“Well, it’s good to know we have our powers back.” Morrigan glances around. “Now, who wants to tell me who the hell all these people are?”