CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
– FOSCA –
My heart is beating erratically, and my chest burns with each breath I take. Frantically, I whip my head around and come to a stop as I try to figure out where I am. The sand beneath my feet and the waves crashing close give me the knowledge I’m at the beach.
I have no clue how I got here or what part of the beach.
..but I do know one thing...I shouldn’t be here by myself.
I wrap my arms around myself, close my eyes and whisper Sevrin’s name.
It was one of the first things he mentioned about our powers, the way fated mates could mentally reach out to one another.
Nothing happens and I feel as if I can’t get a grip on myself. Screw it. I shove my hand in my pocket to reach for my phone but come up empty. Patting down all my pockets, I find out there’s nothing there. No keys, no lip balm, no phone, no money, no nothing.
Everything keeps getting weirder by the damn second and it’s why I quickly kick off my shoes and run into the sea. The water wets my pants up to my knees, but I couldn’t care less. Instant calm surrounds me and I lean forward to shove my hand into the sea.
“Sevrin,” I whisper. “I need you.”
A stingray swims nearby and I reach out to let my fingertips slide over it.
More fish surround me and I finally feel a little less lost as I was a moment ago.
Raising to my full height, I watch my hands while the water is still running over my skin like little streams. I might feel calmer, but the chilly feeling in my gut doesn’t fade.
“Come out of the water, Cassia,” a harsh voice states.
I jerk around and see my brother hovering above the sand. A jolt of fear hits me, and I curl my fingers into fists. He’s the reason why I’m standing here. I know it deep down, but what I can’t remember is how and why.
“What did you do?” I grit and stay knee-deep in the salt water where I feel stronger.
There must be a reason why he’s hovering above the sand and wants me out of the water, right?
When he killed our siblings, and our parents, he lost the magic he once had.
The only magic and strength he has now are stolen, drained from other supernatural beings.
He’s somewhat of a black hole that sucks in the magic.
It’s why Sevrin kept repeating, practically drilling in the awareness how Cassius shouldn’t touch me, or vice versa, for that matter. It’s why I’m staying rooted to the spot. Not only because I feel stronger in the water, but to keep distance between us.
“There is no way out, Cassia. Accept your fate. Come to me and we’ll finish it.” My brother’s voice carries a dark undertone.
I have no clue why I refer to this entity as my brother. Clearly, my brother died right along with the rest of my family.
“Why did you kill them?” I fire back.
Stalling is the best option in this situation. At least, that’s what’s going through my mind. Going deeper into the ocean is another option. Though, it’s still a scary thought as to how I got here.
One moment I was in a standoff with my brother while holding Sevrin’s hand...the next I was here. Everything in between is a gap, and it’s a frightening thought that Cassius did something to me to make it possible.
“Sacrifices are inevitable,” he replies.
“Bullshit. At least have the decency to explain why you ruined lives just so you could become...” I stare down at him in disgust. “This...this dark, powerless entity.”
“I’m not powerless, Cassia. If anything, I’m on the verge of becoming the most powerful being: a God.”
The need to put my hand protectively over my stomach is overwhelming, yet I resist, not wanting to draw attention to what he desires.
Because that’s what Triton mentioned. The legend.
Cassius wants to absorb my unborn children to gain their powers.
I don’t know about the whole God complex, but what I read about the legend does indicate my unborn children hold great power.
“You’re avoiding my question, Cassius. Why? Why did you kill them?” I grit.
My anger makes the water sneak up my legs in little strings, giving me the kind of energy I can feel humming underneath my skin. Stalling means time to plan, and if he wants to try and harm my unborn twins? Then for sure as shit am I going to need all the energy I can muster to fight the fucker.
“Our parents wanted for me to accept my fated mate. A dull, meaningless eternal life with someone who wants to live among humans. We’re not humans,” he spits in disgust. “I wanted more. Hell, I was born for taking more than mediocre. When I read about the legend of the Neptune twins, one where our family plays a crucial role in, I needed to make it a reality. Legends hold a certain truth, Cassia. Everything was lined up. The same amount of offspring on both sides, a balance of males and females. The fated mate jumping from one sibling to the next as I killed them one by one until there was only one final couple left. The one a legend was written about. I’ve carefully planned everything, including putting a trigger inside your head the last time we met so I could get you here where we now stand.
You being pregnant with twins is the final step.
The legend says they won’t survive because they shouldn’t be born.
Don’t you see? The power was created for me.
I triggered the legend. Everyone played its part, and it took me decades to make sure everything headed toward the end goal.
Now, come here and give me what’s rightfully mine. ”
Again, I have no clue. None. Everything about my brother is twisted and insane. His ego wasn’t big enough, his existence not sufficient, powers not measuring up. Fucking hell, it’s like a king who doesn’t want to settle for a country, but instead wants to rule the whole damn world.
Disgust laces my words when I snarl, “So many lives lost for one man’s insane vision. I despise you. My children are not rightfully yours. The only thing you have any rights to is death.”
“Agreed,” a familiar voice rumbles.
My heart skips a beat when my gaze locks on Sevrin’s. Hope blooms warm in my belly. Sevrin’s hands move and I watch him create a large dome, locking all of us inside to shield the human world from what’s about to happen.
A large group of bikers behind Sevrin start to shift, creating whirlwinds in place until there are a herd of centaurs lined up. Karev steps away from Sevrin and shifts too, the impressive hellhound barks out fire from all three heads.
Triton moves his hands away from his body, red lightning dancing over his fingers to show the power of his magic. Levan partly shifts, his lower half still human while his torso is now the form of a great white.
It’s a show of power to let Cassius know he’s outnumbered. He’s going to die. I’m sure the other members of Sevrin’s brotherhood managed to kill all the other humans he had working for him. They had to because Cassius showed up here all alone.
We took care of the genie, she’s human now and in her blind state she wouldn’t be of any help either. He has no one left except himself. This is all going to end here. Decades of torment, of hunting him down, of not being able to live a normal life all because of him.
I move my hands away from my body, taking waves of water along with it. I’m about to use it as ropes, lock Cassius into an immobile position long enough to allow one of the others to behead him.
Except, my attempt fails when I’m suddenly grabbed from behind. A sharp blade is pressing against my neck and I can feel it sliding through my skin.
“Stop or she dies first,” Cassius bellows.
I’m afraid to take a breath. Each twitch makes the blade sink deeper into my neck. My eyes find Sevrin, and I can see the anger in his eyes. The utter panic flowing through me is something I don’t need. Dammit, I have to focus.
Finding my strength in Sevrin’s ruggedly handsome face one more time before I close my eyes. The water I was going to use on my brother I redirect to the person behind me. I almost succeed, but I’m suddenly roughly pushed forward.
Losing my balance, I fall onto my hands and knees. I hear screams, footsteps thundering, magic crackling, but my gaze is locked on the bony fingers wrapping around my wrist.
“Nooo,” I groan and feel a sharp cramp in my belly.
I try to break free of Cassius’s grip, while fear starts to eat me alive as I watch his eyes light up with a flash of crystal blue light. The pain in my belly intensifies as black spots start to invade my vision...until everything is swallowed by the darkness surrounding me.