Chapter 3
Everything went silent as I pushed to my feet.
Olivia collapsed in a slow, fluttering motion like a flower falling onto a pond. Gentle shockwaves emanated out from her, white pillars of energy that radiated what was left of her life force as the heady weight of Hellfire evaporated.
She’d spent it all.
Horrified, I watched as black slowly stole over her irises, drowning out that beautiful gold that had settled in after she’d been given a soul and become a Light Mage.
That had been one of the happiest days of my life, and now, because of me, she’d thrown it all away.
“How could you do that?” I asked, tears rolling down my cheeks.
Olivia closed her eyes, her breaths ragged, pain contorting her features. “There wasn’t a choice, Lils. You would have died trying to protect us from Lucifer.”
I went to her, the strength in me gone, my heart broken. Cupping her face in my hands, I whispered, “It would have been my life to give.”
Each of my Virtues watched the exchange, their expressions ones of torment and relief.
Would I have really left them again? They didn’t deserve that, not after everything I’d put them through.
Yuri rushed to us and stumbled, going to her knees, sobbing as she threw her arms around Olivia.
Olivia’s head drooped, her color going gray. Panicking, I grabbed her hand, all but willing my own strength into her. “Olivia! Don’t!”
I had no idea what I was begging her not to do.
A feathery-light touch on my hand had me looking down.
Uni, my ferociously adorable Uni-Hare, nudged my hand again and leaned against me.
I felt the creature’s sadness and my heart broke a little more as he hopped off my lap and went over to Olivia, snuggling up to both Olivia and Yuri. Yuri carefully scooped him up.
“Can you help her, sweetie?” the vampire asked, her voice trembling.
The Uni-Hare bowed his head, his horn glowing. He pressed his small form tightly against Olivia just as her breaths started to stutter.
Olivia opened her eyes, looking dazed. I caught her hand and guided it to the Uni-Hare’s back. “Don’t give up,” I whispered. “Please, Olivia.”
I didn’t know if she heard me, but her fingers curled into the creature’s soft fur
“Lily.” Hendrik knelt next to me.
I wanted to scream at him. I could have stopped her. I could have done something.
But to what avail? Lucifer would have killed everyone, not just me.
Shaking my head, I ignored him. He sighed quietly and nudged Yuri’s shoulder. “Yuri. Let us tend to her now.”
Yuri stiffened, but climbed up, her hand lingering on Olivia’s slumped shoulder.
I waited for him to try that command shit with me, because I would hit him. But he didn’t do anything, just stayed at my side, with one hand on Olivia’s shoulder.
“I guess you’re happy now,” I said bitterly. “You get another Dark Mage.”
He didn’t retort, instead remained respectfully silent and for some reason that made me furious.
Olivia swayed, clearly weak and my eyes burned.
“This is Dark Mage business,” Hendrik said softly. “We’ll take care of her.”
I wanted to scream at him. Olivia was my friend. I was supposed to take care of her. And I’d failed. Shadows fell across us and I wasn’t surprised to see others from Hendrik’s clan gathering in a small circle, ready to take in one of their own.
He touched my shoulder hesitantly. “We’ll take care of her, Lily. She’s drained and empty, but we won’t abandon her. She’s one of ours, now. Dark Mages protect their own. She will have full access to the clan’s reserves.”
That should have made me feel better.
It didn’t.
“Will you stay with her?” I asked stiffly, forcing myself to rise, because Lucifer and Freya were still out there. We’d only managed to push them back, buy ourselves a little time. I wouldn’t let Olivia’s sacrifice go to waste.
We had to get to the entrance of Purgatory’s remnants. The power I needed to fight Lucifer’s madness waited for me in there.
Hendrik gave me a look that on anybody else I might have called regretful. For him, though, it meant he’d resigned himself to his fate. “You know I can’t. I have to be with you. You need all of us with you to finish this.”
My mentor slipped between us and took my hand. “She’ll be okay.”
The words of comfort didn’t come from Hendrik, but from Kaito who I had no reason to be mad at.
“Lily, look at me,” he commanded.
Tearing my gaze from Olivia as one of the Dark Mages took Olivia in his arms, I met Kaito’s eyes, bright and aglow with the power from his demon self with that soft ring of silver that kept madness at bay. “We need to go.”
Logan approached, giving a subtle nod of acknowledgement to my Virtues before he slipped a hand over my shoulder, giving me a small squeeze.
His nostrils flared and he paced in a small circle, nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air.
He cocked his head in that canine way of his, sending tension through the mate-bonds as he picked up something.
Trevor burst through the fog, his voice shattering the numb silence.
“—Olivia!”
The Dark Mages formed a line, keeping him out of reach of my best friend who’d lost consciousness.
Hendrik was the one who took charge. He silently blocked the demigod from going to her, his expression hard.
He didn’t need to say the words out loud.
She’s not yours, not anymore.
“Hendrik,” I warned. He couldn’t possibly expect to keep a demigod away from his girlfriend.
Orion placed a hand on Trevor’s arm, telling him that she needed to be with the Dark Mages right now. Rationalization probably wouldn’t help, not by the way Trevor’s jaw was flexing, but I didn’t have the energy to deal with them.
This was something that couldn’t be undone, and now all I could do was wait and watch Hendrik’s clan pick up the pieces.
Kaito cupped my chin and lifted my gaze to his. “She’ll be okay,” he said again. “She’s strong. And Hendrik’s people will fight for her because she’s one of them. He’ll fight for her because she’s one of his… and one of yours.”
I managed a nod before nudging him back.
Moving a few steps away, I wrapped my arms around myself and spread my wings.
I hated them, the useless appendages that marked me as an imposter.
I was supposed to be the Academy’s savior, to have the strength of Heaven and Hell to stop Calamity in its tracks.
Some Champion I was turning out to be.
Orion’s voice drifted to me on the breeze. “…time, Trevor, okay? She’s weak now, and scared. Let her get steady again.”
Trevor’s words weren’t as clear, but I felt Orion’s strength through our bond, his compassion warmed my heart and I let it fill me.
Moments later, he was talking to all his Demis, Trevor included. “Ally, you stay on the weapons. We’ll need them.”
“I will but the supply of Holy Water is already running low,” she said.
“Zero, can you get more?”
Zero’s response was cut short by Trevor. “It’s dangerous to travel between the realms right now, Orion.”
Orion hummed in agreement. “The danger is why we need it, Trevor. Zero, are you up to it?”
“You know it.” The air split as lightning erupted from him. The scent of ozone filled the air and then Zero was gone.
The ground under our feet began to rumble and I turned, watching as that gleaming, golden pillar that was Purgatory began to sink further into the pit.
We were running out of time.
Dante went rigid, his face going pale. His orange eyes glowed fiery and bright.
What now?
Running to him, I caught his hand. “Dante?”
His eyes met mine as his breaths came out in harsh pants. “Witch spirits,” he breathed out. “A lot of them.”
“I feel it, too,” Kaito murmured. “There are portals in the tunnels all around us and they’re opening up.”
He glanced toward the barrier where it had broken, his features grim. “Olivia bought us time. The Demonspawn are gone and Lucifer’s banished. But I fear Freya has called witch spirits to her, the ones bound to Hell. If we don’t deal with those portals, we’ll be overrun.”
“We can’t leave the Academy unprotected,” I told him. It was all so hopeless. Purgatory was about to cave in on itself. Two of my Virtues awaited me. Cole still needed me even if he thought otherwise. And we had to deal with witch spirits in the tunnels?
I gripped the roots of my hair and tried not to lose my shit.
“It’ll be okay, Lily.” Kaito stroked a hand down my back. “The Dean had me selecting students who were equipped and ready to handle missions such as this. I’ve already picked the five who will take on hunting down the portals and closing them.”
Shifting my focus to him, trying to think past the misery raging through my thoughts, I waited.
“Aaron, Starling, Havarti, Jess, and Yuri,” he said.
Yuri stirred, the first time she’d moved since being forced to surrender Olivia’s still form to the Dark Mages. “Me?”
“You’re up to the task,” Kaito assured her.
“But…” She blinked and shook her head. “Nobody ever picks me for anything. How can you trust me with this?”
Kaito lifted his brow. “Am I wrong to trust you?” He waved his hands, indicating the black blood splattering her uniform. “You fought bravely. You defended the Academy without any reservations or hesitation.”
She shoved upright, brushing grass and debris from her clothes, smoothing her hair down. “I’m not doing this for you, or for anyone else.” Her gaze fell to Olivia. “I’m doing it for her.”
Aaron, who’d been nearby talking to Logan in quiet tones, joined us and looked her over before meeting Kaito’s eyes. “What do you need from me?”
“Find the portals.” Kaito glanced at Logan before meeting the panther shifter’s gaze again.
“Shifters seem to be uniquely suited to finding things down there. Find them, destroy them before too many witch spirits get free. Dante will have to deal with them when he gets back and the fewer that break loose, the better.”
Everybody glanced at Dante. The cold smile on his face almost made me pity the witch spirits.
Almost.
“I’ll gather everybody up,” Aaron said before nodding to us all.
As he and Yuri left, Kaito took my hand. “You’re not alone, Lily. You might have to be the one to handle Calamity, but we’ll be with you and the other students can help us in different ways. Understand?”
“I’ll try to remember.” My throat locked up as I thought about Olivia, but I made myself set my grief aside. I had work to do, and it was more important now than ever.
I wouldn’t let her sacrifice be for nothing.