Chapter 81 Luka
LUKA
I had lost track of Lennox, the battle forcing us apart.
I followed Keziq through the hoard of soldiers. Every step I took away from my mate felt like an invisible thread that tried to pull me back to her. It clawed at my heart and made the vein in my arm, my mating mark, pulse.
But I knew she’d be fine; she didn’t need me to follow after her.
She could handle herself.
I needed to focus on my target.
Keziq was perched on a large boulder, her knees bent on the stone, a cruel smile spread across her pale, cracked lips. Her hair blew around her and across her face. Her hands were resting palms up on her knees, magic visibly streaming from her palms.
We hadn’t given one another distinct orders, but if Keziq was in front of me, I wasn’t going to miss out on the opportunity to slit her throat.
I slayed any soldier that dared stand in my way—my gaze solely fixed on Keziq. Every step toward her, my blood surged in my veins—my magic—my mating bond tightened.
Only five feet remained between me and the witch. Another soldier swung its sword in my direction. I block her blow without a look sideways, sending her and her sword careening.
Three more steps.
I flexed my hand on my blade.
Two.
I raised my blade.
One.
Keziq’s eyes popped open, her lips forming a snarl.
Her hand darted out, her magic punching me in the chest and sending me flying to the ground.
I clutched my chest, my breathing strained.
I reached for my sword, catching my breath, and quickly standing as Keziq approached me, her hands glowing.
She flew out another whisp of magic, her band of air whipping out—I blocked it with my own magic—a shield of air, sending her air back at her.
She stumbled, and I flew out another burst of air, casting it like a whip, aiming for her neck. My magic followed my heed—it wrapped around her neck, and I pulled. She screamed, her hands going to her throat as her knees slammed to the ground.
I let go of my whip of air.
She rose to her knees, but not before I formed a ring of fire around us, the flames coming up to my shoulders. She wouldn’t escape me. Only one of us would be leaving this ring alive.
“Do you even carry a sword?”
Keziq sneered as she rose. “What use is a sword when you have magic?”
“Your magic can only get you so far.”
“You must not be as well skilled in magic as me.”
“No, but from what I’ve observed, you only have one element.” A muscle feathered in her jaw.
“Only air, huh?” I brought my flames to my fingertips, using my other hand to create a small fissure in the earth beneath her.
“You’ll be outmatched either way.” I closed my palm, and the earth beneath her shuddered, opening a crater at her feet. She side-swept the hole, losing her balance.
She threw out a blast of air; it only ruffled my hair as I ducked, my magic working to widen the hole she tried to outrun.
“I prefer a sword, a much quicker death, but if magic is the way you want to go—”
My flames licked at her skin, and she hissed, rolling out of the fire.
I grabbed a sword from the body of a soldier, throwing it at her feet. “Stand up and fight me.”
“Why not kill me right now?”
“Because I want to drag out your pain as much as I can.” My mating mark throbbed.
“You tried to turn my wife—my mate against me. You tried to manipulate our memories. Let me tell you something—those memories belong to me and Lennox alone. They are not yours to fucking touch. Since our lives are no longer tethered, you can finally get the death you deserve.”
She rolled onto her back—her chest heaving as she stared at me. She moved her hand, but no magic came from it.
She had no choice now; she scrambled for the sword.
Her body looked depleted—her skin pale, her eyes sunken, but she rose.
I should feel ashamed for fighting against her—she was nothing of a warrior compared to me, but at least with a sword it would be somewhat of a fight.
“Did you run out of magic? Is this what you’ve withered into? Is this all you have left now that you can’t steal life from others?”
She raised her sword, her arm hardly lifting it above her waist as she snarled.
I met her blade with my own, her borrowed blade flew from her hand. Panic painted her face as she stared at me.
Here she was—this all-powerful witch who had tried to destroy our lives stood before me with no magic, no weapons—she had nothing now.
She deserved this fate.
She tried to kill me—she was helping Adreona eliminate vampires.
And she tried to take Lennox from me.
I shoved my sword through her chest with one brutal thrust, a scream tore from my throat—the sound full of pure vengeance.
Keziq’s eyes widened, her final breath leaving her lungs.
I removed my sword and let her fall to the ground.
I sent my flames toward her—engulfing her body—I would take no risks that she remained alive.
Once it was clear there was no saving her from the inferno, I took back off into the fray.
I had slayed one of our enemies, but we still had one more to dissolve into flames, especially since this one needed to stay dead.
I didn’t know how Keziq’s magic worked, but if Lennox hadn’t killed Adreona, I hoped dissolving the witch into ashes would prevent her from coming back until Adreona was dealt with.