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"I was wrong," Maeve said, her voice shaking. "I was so wrong. Cipher… he’s not what I thought. He’s going to destroy everything."
Catalina’s jaw clenched. "You should have talked to us before you allied yourself to his cause or at least listened to us this afternoon."
"I know," Maeve whispered, tears filling her eyes. "But it’s not too late. I can help you. I can get you inside. I know the wards, the defenses—Cipher’s using them against you, but I can undo them."
Riker stepped forward, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Why should we trust you?"
Maeve looked at him, her expression pleading. "Because I’ve seen what he’s planning. I know what’s coming, and if you don’t stop him, the fae realm, the human realm—everything will be lost."
Catalina studied her aunt for a long moment, her heart torn. Maeve had betrayed them once, but the fear in her eyes was real. She wasn’t lying about Cipher.
"Fine," Catalina said finally. "But if you betray us again?—"
"I won’t," Maeve promised, her voice barely above a whisper. "I swear."
Catalina wasn’t afraid as she unfurled her wings and flew to the top of the tower to get a better view of what they were facing. She had her sisters keeping the other demons at bay and Riker and her Aunt Maeve by her side. They were stronger together than Cipher could ever imagine.
With a battle cry, Catalina unleashed her magic. The final confrontation was about to begin.
Chapter
Ten
CATALINA
The sky above New Orleans darkened with unnatural speed, swirling clouds heavy with dark magic and an ominous energy that crackled in the air. Catalina stood on the edge of the Crescent Nexus Tower, staring out over the city as the first drops of rain fell. But this wasn’t a regular storm—this was something far more dangerous. She could feel it in her bones, the raw, volatile magic in the air, and the familiar pulse of something otherworldly: Cipher’s doing.
An eerie silence blanketed the city, broken only by the distant rumble of thunder as an unexpected hurricane approached. Catalina's eyes narrowed as she saw the storm begin to twist and warp, the dark clouds taking on an unnatural greenish hue. The storm was infused with Cipher’s dark power, its winds howling with a ferocity that threatened to tear the very fabric of reality apart. This was no ordinary hurricane—it was a storm born of magic, one that sought to destroy everything in its path.
"He's pulling magic from the storm," Catalina said, her voice tight with urgency. "This is more than just an attack. This is it. He’s tearing open a rift between realms."
Beside her, Riker tightened his grip on his weapon, his muscles taut with tension. "Then we take him down now," he growled, his bear side close to the surface, ready to fight.
"Agreed." Maeve stepped forward, her face pale but determined. There was no time for doubt, no time to second-guess her motives. Catalina knew they needed every bit of power they had if they were going to stop Cipher.
The sisters had split up—two of them had gone to reinforce those who had formed a ring around the city as a last line of defense. Catalina was working within the city itself to rally what forces she could so that if she failed, the others might still be able to contain the evil that threatened to destroy everything they had worked so hard to protect.
With Maeve’s help, they breached the defenses of Crescent Nexus, making their way through the corrupted halls of the tower. The air inside was thick with dark magic, the walls themselves pulsing with a sickly energy. Catalina’s skin prickled with every step they took, her magic on high alert.
The wind whipped around them as they made their way deeper into the distorted tower, the dark magic twisting the hallways, creating illusions and distortions that shifted the space around them. Riker, ever grounded and tactical, guided them through the maze of trickery, his shifter senses sharp enough to see through Cipher’s manipulations.
"We’re close," Riker said, his voice steady. "I can feel it."
Catalina nodded, focusing on the flow of her magic. She had to push aside the emotions swirling within her—betrayal, anger, fear—and let the raw power of her fae nature rise to the surface. She could feel it building, a burning energy that thrummed through her veins, desperate to be unleashed. She had always been cautious with her magic, holding back, but now, there was no choice.
As they reached the core of the tower, the wind howled louder, tearing at their clothes and sending debris flying through the air. And there, in the center of it all, was Cipher. His form was barely recognizable now—a monstrous blend of machine and magic, his body shifting and warping with every movement, his face a twisted amalgamation of flesh and metal.
"You’re too late," Cipher hissed, his voice distorted by the magic coursing through him. "The storm will tear the veil between realms, and I will rule them all."
"Not if we stop you," Catalina said, stepping forward, her eyes blazing with fierce anger and willpower.
Cipher laughed, a harsh, grating sound that echoed through the chamber. "You think you can stop me? You’re nothing compared to the power I wield!"
Without warning, Cipher lashed out, his magic warping the space around them, creating illusions that twisted reality. The walls of the tower bent and distorted, making it impossible to tell what was real and what was not. Catalina staggered, her head spinning as the ground shifted beneath her feet. Cipher’s power was too great, too overwhelming.
But Riker was there, steady as ever, his hand gripping hers. "Focus," he said, his voice cutting through the chaos. "We can beat him, but we have to do it together."
Catalina took a deep breath, grounding herself in his presence. He was right. Together, they could stop Cipher. She closed her eyes, letting her magic flow through her, not holding back this time. She called on the full power of her fae nature, letting it surge through her veins until she was glowing with violet light.
