“Venir a mi.” I snarled, tightening my hold and lifting the boy into the air. “So much raw power and you didn’t even protect it. Venir a mi!” He commanded again.
The bright green blood made its way from me to the witch’s eyes. The flames he was engulfed in became smaller and smaller as I called my unprotected magic from him. The boy’s skin grayed as he became weaker. Whoever this witch was, he was a lot more powerful than he realized. I enjoyed the feeling of that power moving into me. Soon, I would drain him of every last ounce of it.
The blood began to turn black and the darkness grew.
***
Ana
My body ached like I’d been run over by a bus.
Twice.
My head pounded like rocks were being thrown around inside. I knew I should open my eyes or try to move, but I couldn’t. I just wanted to lie still and wish it all away.
The pounding continued. Only this time, I recognized it as someone’s voice. Warm wetness on my face had my nose scrunching.
“ANA! Come on, baby. Open your eyes!”
A voice I would never grow tired of hearing yelled inside my head. My eyes instinctively flew open. It took a moment for the large black wolf that was licking my face to come into focus.
“It’s ok. I’m ok.” I tried to reassure him, but my voice came out rough like I’d been gargling hot sand.
Lifting my head took more effort than it should. I once tried to deadlift two hundred pounds during one of my many failed diet attempts, and my head felt heavier to lift than that.
Seb gave me one more lick before running across the field.
Glancing around, I notice things were much different than they were when that beast took hold of me. The said creature laid a few feet away, throat ripped out. Seb’s doing, I was certain. Ferox’s army lay strewn across the field; heads, limbs, and armor everywhere. The few who were left alive were struggling against what I could only describe as tree roots? That can’t be right. What the hell is going on?
Moving on, I realized that Cassius and his men were gone too. That or dead, I couldn’t be sure due to the body parts on the ground being barely recognizable. All my friends were also missing. Panic seized my heart, and I jerked up. The movement caused sharp pain to shoot throughout my body. I bit my lip, fighting it.
At the far end of the field, Ferox stood with his hand gripped firmly around Jace’s throat. My mind was trying to catch up with what I was seeing. The last time I saw Jace, he was dead. I knew he was dead. His heart wasn’t beating. I was sure of that. Seeing him now, I knew I must have been wrong. Although in his current predicament, he will be in that state very soon.
Seb was stalking behind Ferox like a lion preparing to take down a gazelle. Ferox must have been so distracted choking Jace that he didn’t hear him coming. In one long stride, Seb leapt into the air, landing on the King’s back. He sank his teeth into Ferox’s shoulder, latching on tightly. The King roared, dropping Jace ungracefully to the ground.
They needed my help.
I pushed myself up, clenching my teeth against the pain. As soon as I took a step, my leg gave out and I fell down. My limbs were useless. I needed blood to help me heal. Whatever that creature did to me was something fierce. It was taking every last drop of strength just to get up. Spots blurred my vision, and I blinked several times to clear them.
Ferox succeeded in getting Seb to release his hold. The two were circling one another, sizing each other up. Seb needed me. I knew he was strong, but I’d felt the power of the King. I didn’t want Seb to feel that power too.
Finally, I stood without immediately falling back down. The next problem was every step I took felt like I was walking through waist-deep mud as thousands of fire ants stung every cell in my body. Painful wasn’t close to describing what I was feeling. I had to push through it, but I couldn’t get my body to work as fast as I desperately needed it to.
Seb growled and launched at Ferox. The King was prepared for that and backhanded him across the field. Before my mate hit the ground, the King was there, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him into the earth. My heart clenched and anger surged at seeing my mate being hurt. I doubled my efforts to get to the end of the field. Every motion was agonizing. I swallowed the pain, pushing myself harder. Seb was able to kick the King and get free, but Ferox recovered fast, grabbing Seb’s hind leg and snapping it. My mate whimpered.
“SEB!” I cried out. I could feel the pain of his broken leg as if it were my own.
Ferox took a handful of my mate’s fur and tossed him like a rag doll. Seb crashed to the ground. The King smiled. He felt victory was in his grasp. However, Seb wasn’t going to give up. He got back on his paws, not putting any weight on the broken leg. His bravery made my heart swell. I had to get to him.
I closed my eyes and focused on my ability.
Only, I couldn’t feel it.
It was as if it wasn’t there at all.
I tried again.
Nothing.
Fear rooted me in place.
When I opened my eyes, the sight before me had me screaming. Ferox was using his powers against Seb. A red flare steaming from the King’s palm had attached itself to Seb’s heart. The king held him high in the sky like a kite, his body shaking as if he was being electrocuted.
Terror and frustration ignited inside of me so abruptly, my paralysis shattered like a block of ice struck by a hammer. Bolts shot from my hand going directly to the King. He catapulted through the air, losing his hold on Seb. With all I had, I ran to catch my mate as he fell to the ground. I caught him but wasn’t strong enough to keep my balance which caused me to fall to my knees. I held my love protectively in my arms, stroking his bloody fur while tears poured down my face.
“Please, please, please, Seb. Please, be okay.” I cried. “Come on, baby. Open your eyes.” I repeated the words he’d spoken to me only minutes ago.
He was breathing, but it was shallow.
His heart was beating weakly.
In my concern for my mate, I didn’t even think about Ferox.
Big mistake.
An upper cut to my chin had me sprawled on my back a few feet away. It was followed by a kick to my core. Before I landed, Ferox was there, sending another punch to my face. Back and forth, he kicked me around like a game of ping pong. He was the paddles, I was the ball.
“Oh, Analise, you should have taken the deal.” He said in between kicks, and with a smirk, said, “At least then you may have had chance of living. Actually, you never had a chance of living.”
I wanted to kill him. Unfortunately the gut scorching pain had me cradling my broken ribs.
“I certainly expected better from you. After all, your brother sure put up a hell of a fight.”
My surprise at his words brought a smile to his face.
“Oh, yes, of course, you didn’t know it was me that killed your brother. It wasn’t hard. Pretending to be his friend all those years was a challenge, but in the end, when he realized it was me that led him into a trap…well, let’s just say I’d do it all again just to see that pathetic look of hurt on his face.” He laughed.
This bastard was actually laughing. He’d killed my brother. He destroyed my family and was laughing in my face about it. I never got to know my mother, father or brother because of him and his father. I never got to live the life I was born to because of them.
Ferox slammed his foot into my leg, splitting it in half. I cried out. He lifted me up by my collar, only to punch me in the face, breaking my nose. There was another punch, and I lost my teeth. He dropped me to the ground with a chuckle. I could barely see now that my eyes were swollen. The King wasn’t going to give me a quick death. What would be the fun in that? This cold twisted vampire didn’t do mercy. He was enjoying torturing me slowly.
He lifted me again. This time, he did a wrestling move by tossing me in the air and slamming me back first against his knee, breaking my spine.
I lost all feeling from the neck down
.
Without blood, I wasn’t going to heal before he killed me. My injuries were too great.
It was over.
I lost.
At any moment, he was going to finish me off and take my crystal heart.
There was nothing I could do to stop him.
I failed.
I failed.
I failed.
Everyone.
My head lolled to the side. That was the only movement I was strong enough to make. But I had to see Seb one last time. The rising and falling of his chest slowed. Seb was dying. I needed to get to him, but I couldn’t move. Tears ran down my face endlessly. I didn’t cry for myself. I cried for failing the most important person in my life. He was the one who never gave up on me; the one who risked his very life to save mine. He was my mate. Sebastian was my world. He was more than just someone fated to be with me. He was what I live for. I would not watch him die.
It was in that moment that I felt it. A warmth began to blossom in my chest. The more I stared at Seb and focus on my love for him, the stronger it got. Ferox was ranting his victory speech as he kicked me here and there. I tuned it out and continued to keep my watery eyes on my mate. The warmth inside began to grow stronger. I could feel parts of my body healing. I realized now that focusing on love had more power than I could ever have imagined. My love for Seb was what I needed all along to give me strength. As long as I was still alive, I had to fight.
Ferox will not take Seb.
The King peered down at me. The glee in his eyes made my stomach curl. The last dozen or so of his men gathered around. Ferox said something, and they laughed. I stared into his eyes without listening to a word he said. He was so full of himself that he didn’t see me as a threat any longer. He didn’t sense the energy I was gathering grow around him. I lie perfectly still. I’d let his arrogance be his down fall.
“Tonight, I take the heart of the pure one!” He roared. They cheered. “Then we shall resurrect our greatest leader, my father, King Erebus!” He exclaimed.
No.
He can’t bring back that monster.
I was going to make sure he won’t.
Ferox walked in a circle around me, gesturing boldly with his hands. I focused on my ability, feeling it come alive in my veins. My broke leg snapped back into place. My ribs did the same. I only twitched slightly as my spine healed, careful not to alert Ferox. The element of surprise needed to stay on my side.
My body had healed and my power surged through me.
Something strange began to happen.
No pop sounds.
I started to feel the energy around me connect with the power within me. The wind brushing my cheeks, the ground beneath me, and even the rays from the setting sun. I sucked in all the energy the world had to give.
And then I release it back.
There wasn’t a loud boom or bolts of lightning expelling from my body like before.
Instead…
The sky darkened…
Dark clouds blocked out the sun…
Ferox’s next words died out when he realized something had changed.
He knew instantly it was me.
He lifted me by the throat, bringing my face to his.
“Whatever you’re doing, it’s too late, Analise.” He tried to sound unbothered, but with my very sensitive ears, I could pick up the subtle fear in his voice.
I smiled.
Ferox’s eyes burned. His hand tightened around my throat.
Thunder sounded, followed closely by flashes of lightning. A gust of wind blew the hair off my shoulders.
A storm was coming.
And that storm was me.
The stronger the wind howled the, more fear I smelled around me.
“Kill her!” One of the guards shouted. Ferox’s hand glowed as he used his powers on me.
Only, I didn’t feel any pain.
I concentrated on the feel of Seb’s lips on mine, on how his eyes lit up when he laughed. The love for my mate was flowing through me, wrapping around me like a protective cocoon.
Ferox roared in frustration and slammed me so hard into the ground, I went at least two feet deep.
Lightning struck next to his feet.
The guard members surrounding us began to back up, sensing something was very wrong.
Too late.
Bolt after bolt rained down on each and every one them. Some tried to run but there was nowhere to hide. The lightning storm was impossible to evade. They were struck and disintegrated before they could even complete a scream.
Ferox became distracted by the sudden loss of his men. The bewildered look on his face as he watched them die one by one didn’t give me any satisfaction. Only his death would do that.
I let the air carry me to my feet.
“YOU THINK THIS SCARES ME?!” He shouted over the whipping winds.
Lightning came down hard and struck Ferox in the chest. The impact took him back a few yards, but unlike the others, he didn’t disintegrate. He recovered from the blow quicker than I expected and was on his feet in seconds.
“THAT THE BEST YOU GOT, LITTLE GIRL?!” He laughed.
No.
I got a whole lot more.
I summoned all the energy buzzing around me. Lightning began striking in quicker succession all across the field. While I was building my power, Ferox was doing something very unusual. He was dripping blood from his hand in a circle around him. I couldn’t make out what he was saying, but I knew it was a spell. The grass beneath him shriveled and died.
Then, all of a sudden, green flames burst from the earth and engulfed him. He screamed. He was so consumed by the strange flames that I couldn’t even make out his form. I didn’t understand what was going on, but I refused to just stand and watch. Bolts of lightning struck the flames but none were able to penetrate it. My strikes bounced off like rubber, and I was left wondering what to do next.
I closed my eyes to pull energy into me when, without warning, a pain unlike anything I’d ever felt had me clutching my chest. I knew instantly it wasn’t because I was being attacked.
It was Seb.
I turned on my heels and raced to him.
He had changed back into human form. Seeing him human only hurt me more. He was covered in blood and cuts. His gorgeous locks matted to his scalp in dried clumps of blood. I dropped to me knees by his side.
“Se-b.” I choked out his name.
His heartbeat was so faint, I could barely hear it. Not knowing what else to do, I cradled his head and bit my wrist. If blood could heal me, maybe it could heal him too. I dripped it into his mouth and coaxed it down his throat.
“Come on, baby. Please…” I begged, but nothing happened. I wiped some blood off his face to see him better. Even like this, he was the most handsome man I’d ever seen. My tears dropped on his face.
“SOMEBODY, HELP ME!” I scream to no avail. My mate was dying, and I didn’t know how to save him.
Another pain hit my chest. This time, it knocked me back with its intensity. The mark on my neck burned, and I wailed but not from any physical pain, but because I knew this meant my mate’s heart had stopped beating.
Without moving, I listened. I focused so hard on just hearing one thump from his chest that I heard the ants crawling under the ground beneath him.
No heartbeat.
Tears poured from my face in buckets.
My Sebastian was gone.
“No, no, no, no, no. NO!” I cried. “FUCK! NO PLEASE NO!”
I sat up and checked for a pulse even though I knew I wouldn’t find one. Not ready to give up, I thought back to health class-freshman year and began doing CPR. I gave him my air. I pushed on his chest over and over again. Nothing.
“SEB!” I bellowed. “You can’t leave me. You can’t leave me, please. I don’t know how to live without you.” My body lost all of its fight, and I collapse on his chest in a pool of blood and tears.
“I love you. I love you so much.” I cried as my body tre
mbled on top of his. “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. Without you, there is no me. You have my heart.”
With those words, an idea struck me. My heart. My crystal heart. If Ferox could use it to bring back his long dead father, I could certainly use it to save Seb. I sprang to my feet and quickly found a fallen blade nearby. Getting back on my knees, I stared down at the face of the man I loved so dearly.
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” I said to him, “but I don’t care. I’ll die for you Sebastian.”
I lifted the blade in front of me, prepared to drive into my chest.
“Ana, no!” A voice shouted.
I looked up to see a terrified Jace sprinting across the field. He stopped on the other side of Seb, and my instincts had me pointing the knife at him instead of myself.
“Stay back.” I order.
“Ana, please, you can’t do this.” He begged.
“I HAVE TO! I WILL NOT LET HIM DIE!”
“Ana, please, just let me help you.”
“CAN YOU SAVE HIM? CAN YOU SAVE HIM, JACE? BECAUSE IF YOU CAN’T, THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO FOR ME!” I yelled.
Jace stared down at Seb, contemplating my question. He met my watery eyes, and I knew he couldn’t or wouldn’t save him.
I flipped the blade around and once again aimed it at myself.
“NO! You will die if you do this!” Jace pleaded with me to reconsider.
I paused and gaze down at my love.
Without meeting Jace’s eyes, I said, “What you don’t understand is without him, I’m already dead.”
And I plunge the blade into my chest…
Chapter 57
This is not a Fairy Tale
Jace
“No!” I screamed as she drove the weapon into herself.
I leapt over Seb to get to her, but she was prepared for this. A bolt hit me in the back, sending me flying past her. The pain was apparent, but I knew she didn’t make it strong enough to kill me. It was a warning.
I got back on shaky feet and made my way to Ana. She was lying on her back, digging into herself. The scene was something out of a horror movie.
“Ana…” I whispered.
Pure: A Paranormal Romance Page 67