18. Killbe Killed #2
Facing Terra who is near the brink of tears, I see agony across her features, and I’m fighting against my own, trying to keep the worst from consuming me.
“Get everyone checked out and report to Rebecca. We’ll see you soon.
” My voice trembles, and she nods before taking off, leaving the three of us here.
“Come on, Angie, stay with us,” I whisper as we rush inside.
I push every drop of magic I have remaining into her, hoping something pushes back. Nothing responds, and I prepare to travel into Persephone’s domain to bring back my half-sister from the Underworld’s Goddess.
Alex and I have been waiting outside her medical room for hours, replenishing our magic at a slower rate since being depleted. Even Elizabeth checked us out, fearing we too were knocking on Death’s door.
“Ethan, Alex, I have news,” Elizabeth says as she steps out.
“Angie will be fine. A day or two of rest, and she’ll make a full recovery.
Her aura was fleeting, but thank the Gods she was able to pull a little from elsewhere, helping to save her life along with her will to live.
” She smiles and a shower of ease bathes over me .
With my father, mother, sister, and other brother deceased, Angie has been taking on the role of my family since Alex lost all semblance of his past. “Go update Rebecca. There’s one last thing I need to take care of before joining you,” I say, standing and exhaling in tandem.
The upcoming conversation with a stubborn woman might place me back here by the night’s end.
Without another word, a shimmering gold sigil reflects against the marble surroundings, and I transport in a blink. Emerging inside my room, I know I’m stalling, but I’m in desperate need of a shower.
It doesn’t take long to rid myself of the filth and grime, scrubbing blood and hidden lumps of gloom’s flesh from my skin. Deep cleaning my hair, I reflect on a promise made to Angie’s mother. A vow which I almost broke and could have cost Angie her life.
Dragging a hand down my face, an ache twists within my chest at the thought of losing her. We were careless tonight, and this slash across my side is a burning reminder of such failures.
The sound of footfalls increases towards the bathroom door, and I shut off the water, stepping out. My aura spikes with frigid indignation filtering through me. Celine. The door pushes open, revealing one outraged viper.
“Celine, let me explain.” I fling my hair behind me as warm droplets of water turn cold atop my flesh. She takes her final steps, entering the bathroom with glowering, jaded eyes. “It’s not what you think. You know I would’ve called you.”
A literal hiss tangles into her voice. “Did you fight, yes or no, Ethan?”
“Yes, but we didn’t go with the intention of doing so. We were ambushed.”
“Ambushed?” She takes a step closer. “Explain why the fuck you’d go into battle and not call upon me?” Her anger slices me deeply.
“We weren’t expecting a fight. At least not like that. I figured we’d run into a few glooms, at most. Not an entire army, consisting of specials and converted shifters.” Celine traces me up and down, disgusted and hurt all at once, and she has every right. This I’m aware of.
“You knew better, Ethan, yet you still went alone!” she yells, and her tears reflect betrayal.
“This isn’t the time.”
“Well make fucking time. I’m waiting for an explanation of how you figured it was best not to disclose you were going into potential danger, along with what transpired.
” Reptilian slits morph her vision, and I can feel how hurt she is by my actions.
“You could have died. And you know what happens if you die during battle, Ethan? Or should I remind you?” She stalks closer, disregarding my nude and drenched body standing before her.
“Calm down. Again, it wasn’t planned.” Annoyance builds from her subtle insult. She leers with a push of her aura colliding with me. Her heat removes what remains of the water.
“Calm down? The balls on you, Ethan.” She glances down and up. “The fucking balls.”
I huff. “You and I are fine. Angie was the only one in danger.”
“Bullshit, you were seconds away from death. Unless you’re telling me you’re oblivious to me feeling your pain,” she sneers, lifting her dreads and revealing our brand on the back of her neck.
“This mark means we’re tied together in this world.
Your life, in my hands, and mine, in yours.
Does this mean nothing to you? If so, I’ll remove this shit with ease. Don’t fucking tempt me.”
“You think I’d let anything happen to you!” Now it’s me moving closer and into her personal space. Between her and Angie, the two of them know how to pull me out of character. It’s beyond annoying.
“It sure as shit looks like it. First, you enter a fight without me, and now I’m learning someone close to you almost died. Am I missing something?” Celine clenches her fist, ready for me to spew a lie.
“I told you…” I take another step, removing what little space resides between us. My body is close to pressing against hers. “I never intended on fighting a battle of that scale without you.”
“I don’t give a shit if it was a damn arm-wrestling competition or a war between worlds. You should have told me the minute you found out you were going. Unless you can look me in my eyes and voice I’m not needed, Ethan.” Her glowing emerald eyes dart between mine. “Hold on. It’s something else.”
“No. I made a mistake, and it won’t happen again. Now, can you correct your language?”
“Bullshit. It’s something more. It’s her , isn’t it?” she pushes, disregarding my request.
“Who?”
“Kyra, the one you attempted to have slain by one of my kind.” Parting my lips to respond, I watch her dreads shift into miniature vipers, hissing and snapping about.
“Go ahead and lie.” Her eyes brighten, and my legs become heavy.
Echoes of stone crackles as pressure builds within them.
I peer down, finding she has turned the lower half of me into stone, and I snap.
“Celine!”
“Shut the fuck up, Ethan. You’ll spend some time here, safe and out of danger. When you’re ready to be honest, I know where to find you,” she says, turning to walk away.
Shifter bonds come with all sorts of magic, and one of ours is the ability to share feelings. She can sense if I’m lying or not.
“Fine.” I seethe, disapproving of her tactics. She faces me, still expressing her anger.
“I’m listening.”
“I’ve vowed to kill her. The pain she’ll inflict can’t go unchecked.
But after Kyra failed our Awakening, showing she’s without magic, we’ve been on the hunt for knowledge on how it’s possible that every single flame was extinguished.
Hence why we ended up on the outskirts of the Blanded Region.
A wolf shifter received word her kind had been attacked near a location Alex was planning on investigating. ”
“This doesn’t make sense. What do you mean she doesn’t have magic?” Celine frowns .
She watches me in search of any lies. Most fays don’t receive an explanation of my actions, but Celine is different. She hurts easily and kills even faster. If making it right between us means spilling my intentions, so be it.
Another breath passes, and her eyes glow, reinitiating the feeling within my legs, relinquishing her natural ability.
“You’re aware I never break a promise, despite multiple attempts of those protecting her staying my hands. Any information brings me closer to exacting my revenge. This mission was an unfortunate path. I’m sorry.”
She sighs. “I’ll forgive you this time. I understand it wasn’t intentional, but never let something like this happen again. Understood? And I apologize for swearing,” she murmurs the last bit, and I smirk, walkingpast her to finally put some clothes on.
“As for Kyra, when I said it didn’t make sense, I meant she has ethereal magic running through her veins. Her aura is beyond strong. It pushed back against mine, burning my very essence, like a flame of intense creation.”
“What? I didn’t say she ended up having creation magic. How’d you know?” I turn to face her once more.
“My shifter bond-magic manifested not long ago from our shifter bond. Have you not received yours?”
“No,” I scoff.
“You will. It awakens at random. Anyway, mine is magical sensory, the ability to sense anyone’s magical order and their whereabouts. At least for now. I’m sure it’ll become stronger,” Celine shrugs.
“Then why did the flames go out?”
“That’s for you to find out, but I’ll say this in advance.
If anything happens to Kyra before rising to her true potential, you’ll destroy more than just her soul,” she says without blinking.
“Do with this information as you please. I’m not here to sway your devotion or vows.
See you later.” She taps the jaded ring around her finger and disappears into a phantom door.
Celine may not be forcing my hand, but the Gods themselves are trying to break my vow. Regardless of this information, Kyra will meet her end for who she will become. A secret I promised to keep, along with the vow to end her life.