by S. L. Morgan
“Don’t!” the female screeched.
Reece smiled, letting this final reckoning fulfill her every desire with these evil beings. Ending this once and for all gave her more power to continue.
“I am the one you have promised,” the female begged. “I am the one you trusted to send to Earth to find The Key. I was willing to torture her and anything she desires—”
“Enough!” Reece spat out in disgust, realizing this was the female that had tortured her and Levi more than once. “Destroy her, now!” Reece ordered as the stone’s powers surged through her.
In that instant, Mordegrin ended the female.
Reece pursed her lips in satisfaction as she sensed sorrow in Mordegrin.
“Now, let’s move on to your next witch! This one you will make suffer as she dies,” she barked.
The moment she said it, a power unlike she had ever felt before threw her up against the wall behind her.
“You shouldn’t evoke so much anger within me,” Mordegrin responded icily.
Reece tasted blood in her mouth, even though she wasn’t in her physical form. Somehow, the blow affected her in a way she could not explain. She inhaled and refocused her thoughts.
I will not lose this battle!
“How strong are you now?” He laughed. “I see your image is dulling.”
Reece noticed the females were freed from her control. They approached her, and Reece threw her hand up, stopping their advance. Reece gritted her teeth as she glared at Mordegrin. She looked down at his hand and willed it to follow her command.
Mordegrin’s fingers curled up as he turned to face another female, now frozen in place. “Crush her throat slowly, and watch as her eyes beg you for death instead of the torment you will inflict.”
Mordegrin growled, fighting Reece’s persuasion, but Reece maintained her determination to make this man suffer, letting the stone’s power within her help overcome any resistance from him.
“Do it!” Reece shouted.
Just as she’d hoped, the woman’s hands came up and gripped Mordegrin’s that were slowly crushing her throat.
“Please,” she gurgled.
Reece felt Mordegrin’s agony as he was slowly and painfully ending the female’s life. Instead of being traumatized by this situation, she was feeling more satisfaction than ever before. Not only was she going to end this creature’s life, but he would suffer more than Reece and Levi ever suffered after everything he’d brought them through.
“Now!” Reece ordered, using more power to overcome him battling against her powers.
“STOP!” Mordegrin’s voice echoed in the chamber room.
Reece, out of breath and knowing she was exhausting the power of the stone, looked at a violently crazed being.
“Stop? We’ve just started,” she taunted.
A bizarre power entered her mind, bringing her to feel a sharp pain radiating in her chest, and it was as if a knife were slowly penetrating through her head.
“Who are you to think you can control me in such a way?” he boomed. “Your powers are gone, and now I will end you!”
Just as her mind begged her for peace and to fade to nothing, she fought back. The vengeance she wished upon this man served to ignite the stone’s waning powers in her veins.
With the power emanating from her, she thrust the mental attacks off her and the violent threats away. Reece fought with everything she was and mentally persuaded the remaining females to attack their master. Their eyes had shown they were fighting her persuasion, but Reece closed her eyes to manipulate them further.
Mordegrin fought viciously against them, apologizing as he ended their lives. He turned back to Reece. “This is not over yet.”
“I agree,” she said as she saw her ghostly fingers physically grip his throat. As soon as she did, she felt the oppressive energy lifting from the Arsediean Galaxy. “We’re going back to my world now so I can use my full power to destroy you completely.”
Mordegrin froze, gripped his forehead, and growled. “It will not be as easy as you think to get rid of me.”
Trying to gain her bearings on the sudden transfer back into her physical form, she absently dropped the stone from her clutches. Mordegrin instantly fell on it to secure the powers as his own. Reece glanced back to find everything had turned into slow motion around her. Levi resumed fighting Mark Prather while Simone fled the area, and Harrison had turned and swept his sword across Michael’s neck, severing his head.
Reece was frozen watching it all play out.
“Reece!” Harrison glared at her. “Move! Destroy Mordegrin. NOW!” he roared.
Reece’s eyes followed Harrison’s lethal expression to see Simone coming from out of nowhere. The malicious woman picked up the sword that Mark Prather had dropped while he and Levi were continuing to battle, and she shoved it through Levi’s back, sparing Mark Prather’s life. The blade sheered Levi’s breastplate and stuck out gruesomely through his chest. Blood spurted from his mouth as he gripped the blade protruding from his chest.
Levi! Reece tried to scream, but every part of her was paralyzed as the scene before her continued to play out like a horror film.
As Levi dropped to the ground, Harrison gripped the blade of his dagger and threw it directly into Mark Prather’s neck. Prather’s charge at Harrison ended the moment the dagger was buried up to the handle in Prather’s throat. As Mark fell to his knees choking on blood, Harrison hurdled over his body, sprinting toward Levi, who was panting while coughing out blood. Simone backed slowly from Harrison’s lethal and swift approach. He jerked the sword from Levi’s body, and the fearless warrior took one glance at his cousin before bringing his deadly gaze to Simone.
“You have no idea how long I have desired this moment,” Harrison growled.
Simone placed a hand over her heart as she backed up defensively against a tree. “Harrison, I have done nothing wrong! I thought Levi was Prather.”
“Shut your mouth!” Harrison’s eyes grew more severe. “Your days of lying are over.”
Harrison lifted up the sword and thrust it into Simone’s chest, pinning her to the tree she stood against. He watched the light dim within her eyes and her head drop to her chest before he turned back to Levi.
“Is it not fun to watch those you love die? Call it my way of paying you back before I end your life and take control of everything,” Mordegrin sneered. “Now, I have the stone it—”
Reece closed her eyes, blocking Mordegrin out. Rage and grief from watching her husband’s gruesome demise gave her more drive than ever before. Reece used her emotions and willed the stone into her hands.
Mordegrin’s image in this galaxy could not defeat her physical one. With just the thought, the stone responded. Reece gripped the stone with both hands, and the frozen state she was in faded. She turned to see Mordegrin’s silver eyes, and she could feel that he was trying to mentally drain her of the stone’s power. She gripped the stone tightly. The stone began to answer and transfer more of its energy into every fiber of her being. All grew silent around her as she gripped Mordegrin’s forehead.
She forced everything that held this dark creature together to be destroyed. He groaned, and a sudden vision flashed into Reece’s mind of Mordegrin in the Arsediean Galaxy. His body was crumbling to dust, and he was powerless to stop it before he disintegrated completely. She blinked, and Mordegrin turned into the water he used as a medium for his transformation to project himself into this galaxy. He was finally gone.
Reece turned to find Harrison on one knee in a massive pool of Levi’s blood, holding Levi’s head in his arm.
“Not again!” he roared. “Levi, hang on.”
“Move,” Reece said in a low voice. She looked at the stone and willed it to reabsorb most of the powers she gained from it. The stone illuminated brightly in response. Once the transfer was complete, Reece looked at Levi.
“Reece?” Harrison looked at her in confusion.
Reece knelt by Harrison. Levi’s heart
was out of rhythm and nearing its last beat. She wound her arm around Levi’s neck, cradling him, and placed the hand which held the stone over his heart. She placed her mouth over his, breathing oxygen into his wounded lung, knowing she was transferring a considerable amount of energy of the stone that she still carried into his body.
If this object can heal me, it will heal you too. We are one. Just as the stone answers and protects me, it will do the same for you. You will wake up fully healed. I will not lose you again. Now, open your eyes, my love.
Reece rocked back onto her knees and ran her hands through Levi’s hair, the power of the stone slowly draining from her as she continued to transfer the power into Levi’s dying body. The stone illuminated so brightly over Levi’s heart, it was blinding to look at directly.
“Reece,” Harrison said as he went to place his hand on her shoulder before she quickly drew away.
Reece continued to mentally assess Levi’s state. She had no idea if this would work or not, but she knew she would not lose him again. She withdrew and looked down at his closed eyes.
“Wake up, my love,” she said.
Levi’s eyes flicked open, two brilliant and healthy sapphire eyes staring up into hers. Reece removed the stone from covering his fatal wound, seeing the wound completely healed. She went to impulsively kiss her husband, relieved he was alive, but she hesitated this time.
As his eyes continued to study hers, he tilted his head to the side with a concerned expression.
“Please tell me you remember me?” Reece asked with a hopeful smile.
Levi lazily smiled. “How could I ever forget the love of my life?”
Harrison had tears brimming in his eyes as his hand covered his mouth. Levi slowly sat up and tried to gather himself.
“You two are something else.” Harrison choked out a laugh.
“You saved my life.” Levi’s eyes rose up in humor. “Again.”
“Just repaying the favor,” Reece answered as tears began to pool in her own eyes. She ran her fingers across his chiseled jawline.
Levi jerked away. “Why do I feel like you just electrocuted me?” he asked with a laugh. “How much of the stone’s power do you have in you?” he said with a reproachful arch of his brow.
“Enough to bring you back from the brink of death,” Harrison said as he knelt next to him.
Levi ignored Harrison. “Reece, use the stone to regulate your body. Your eyes are so bright, I can hardly look into them.”
“I guess I didn’t transfer as much energy back to the stone as I thought.” Reece’s brow furrowed.
Reece gathered the stone in both of her hands and opened her mind and body to it. She closed her eyes, willing the electrifying energy running through her veins to return to the stone. Her mind focused on only carrying the powers she had when she used the stone’s energy to open the portal. Slowly, her body temperature lowered and everything within her returned to normal. Another soft exhale, and she was perfectly normal again.
When her eyes reopened, Levi took the stone from her grips, and at that moment Harrison brought them both into a strong embrace.
“We did it! We finally did it, and we are all alive.”
Reece reached her arm under Harrison’s, embracing him. “It’s finally over,” Reece said as she broke out into tears of joy. She kissed the side of Levi’s forehead before she rested her head against it.
The three sat this way for a few moments, quiet and grateful they had finally brought an end to this nightmare.
Once they all stood, Levi brought his arm protectively around Reece as he assessed the area around them. He squinted at Harrison. “You killed Simone?”
Harrison’s eyebrows knit together as he shoved his hands in his pocket. “I should have done it long ago.”
“I saw her drive Mark’s sword through your back, Levi. If it weren’t for the stone, you would be a dead man.”
“How much did you see?” Levi asked.
“Everything,” Reece responded. “After I made Mordegrin suffer by persuading him to kill his females, I brought him back to this location to successfully kill him.”
“Back to this location?” Harrison questioned.
“Yes. When I placed my hand on him, I was transported into the Arsediean Galaxy into the same room where they sleep to project themselves into a living being on Earth. I was able to destroy them before I transported us back to this location to kill him. When we returned, the change of everything distracted me for a moment, and he used the opportunity to control me. When he did, I was paralyzed. I watched everything play out in slow motion. I saw Michael battling Harrison, Simone attacking you while you fought Mark, and after she had thrust his sword through you, Mark went after Harrison. I saw all of it.”
Harrison nodded solemnly. “I am sorry you had to witness such carnage. Now it is time we get these traitors buried in their rightful place and out of our lives forever.”
Their horses arrived along with more Guardians, the emperor, and Samuel.
“Given we have a record of the entire exchange,” Navarre said as he studied the bodies around them. “There will be no trials for their deaths. All three of you have successfully saved Pemdas and all dimensions of Earth with courage and valor.”
Samuel glanced at Simone but quickly looked away. He walked over to Levi, Reece, and Harrison. “All three of you deserve the highest reward for stopping this from happening.”
“The only reward we desire is to move on with our lives knowing this is finished,” Harrison responded.
“I can’t believe it’s really over,” Reece said as she leaned into Levi’s arm.
“There is only one more person we must see to.” Levi looked at Navarre and Samuel. “Brandon was in on the plotting, and even though he did not follow through and assist with their plans, we know he was involved.”
Samuel’s eyes narrowed. “I will have no trouble getting the confession from the traitor, and he will be sent to the Isle dungeons for the rest of his useless life.”
“Very well,” Navarre answered.
Levi turned to Areion. “Commander, it is all in your hands now. I am bringing Reece back to the palace, and we will place the stone in a location where no one will find it.”
“All three of you are free to go,” Navarre answered.
Levi gripped Reece at her waist and hoisted her up onto Arrow’s back. “There is a shorter route to the palace from here. Let us go.”
After Levi and Harrison had been settled onto their horses’ backs, the three sped off, racing back to the palace at top speed. It was over, and now it was time to enjoy their lives and the second chance Marian had given them.
Chapter Thirty-Four
A little more than a week had passed since the final battle with Mordegrin, Michael, Mark, and Simone. Just as Samuel predicted, Brandon confessed to their plots to betray Pemdas and was ordered by Navarre, with all kings in agreement, that he be sent to the dungeons for the rest of his life. Now it was time for everyone to embrace their new lives and move forward.
Harrison wasted no time moving forward, spending every moment possible in Angeline’s presence. It was becoming obvious to everyone around them that Angeline Hamilton had managed to steal Harrison’s heart. Everything was falling perfectly into place, and once Julian Hamilton returned to the palace for his reprieve on Earth, Harrison and Angeline were to announce their engagement. Tonight was that night.
“This feels like the longest day of my life,” Angeline said with a laugh.
Harrison brought his arm securely around her shoulder. “Julian shall be arriving at any moment.” He stood and extended his hand out to her. “Come. I believe we should be making our way to the dining hall.”
Angeline stood up and placed her hand in the bend of Harrison’s arm. “Are you certain you wish to announce our attachment while everyone is dining? Can it not wait until we have retired to the sitting room for the evening?”
“No,” Harrison said with a smirk. “You see, I a
m hoping that Julian will be mostly distracted by his food when I announce that I desire to marry his favorite sister. Perhaps if he chokes on his food, I can rush over and save his life, at which time he will be so grateful to me that I saved his life that he will not attempt to kill me for courting you.”
Angeline sighed. “Harry, I do not understand your way of thinking sometimes.”
“It is best if you do not try to do so, either.”
“You know that Julian holds you and Levi in his highest esteem. You all are practically brothers.”
Harrison shook his head. “Julian has also been along with Levi and me on our evenings out. He knows enough to form an opinion of me, and that opinion is not favorable to my marrying his sister.”
The doors opened to the dining hall, and Harrison and Angeline were announced as they entered. “How did we manage to be the last to arrive?” Harrison whispered.
Angeline shot Harrison a knowing look. “Simple. We lost track of time.”
Harrison escorted Angeline to her chair next to Elizabeth and across from where he was to sit. Navarre, who sat at the head of the large table, took a sip of his wine and grinned.
“Nice of you both to finally join us,” King Hamilton said as he brushed over his neatly trimmed beard with a cloth.
Harrison took his seat and glanced up to see Julian seating across the table next to Levi. Julian’s expression was stern and completely devoid of humor as he watched Harrison fumble with his place setting. Levi’s lips were pressed into a fine line, preventing him from laughing aloud.
Harrison looked away and took a gulp of his freshly poured glass of wine. “This meal looks delicious,” he said as the servant brought his and Angeline’s plates out. “Julian, this is one of your favorite dishes, is it not?”
Julian’s eyes narrowed as he scowled at Harrison. “What difference does my preference for a meal have to do with anything?”
Levi coughed, dropped his head, and subtly slanted his eyes at Reece, who sat on the other side of him. The humor on both of their faces was enough to force Harrison to make his announcement at that moment.