Page 234 of Season Warriors & Wolves

Black Queen takes F7

Snowlin

Lightning, frost and flames roared around us, everything around had lit awake, and the ground burned in shades of pearl, no longer icy, no longer cold.

Kilian stood just a few steps behind me, shadows and darkness pouring out of him like tidal waves, drowning Aurora’s fire and weakening her mind that was struggling to stay focused on the fight before her.

The white flames hissed and crackled when they came in contact with his magic and mind. She lay there, finally trapped between the dome and his outpouring power, attempting to escape the lightning and frost chasing her every movement.

I bolted just beside Aurora and gripped her arm tight, ice spreading over her skin to freeze her limbs over and then I threw her back to the ground, her lithe body rolled to the cold, icy mud.

“Ice. Such a strange weakness to have for a fire guardian.”

She tried to stand, her wings heavy and muddied. “I have no weakness.”

“Perhaps it is not ice. Perhaps your weakness is arrogance.”

Bolting again, this time exactly before her, I wrapped a hand over her throat and willed all gates of power to crack open, frost pouring out of me, killing her fire and freezing her body. Gales of winter rolled from my fingertips, ice so cold that the wind blowing around our bodies began solidifying into spider-like webs of frost.

“Have you found mine yet?”

Her legs weakened and she went down kneeling before me, choking and fighting, her body almost…almost encapsulated by ice, her fire gone, the pungent scent of her flowery magic disappearing.

“Anger,” I hissed in her face. “My weakness is anger. Rage. You feed my weakness so well. Threaten me again, threaten all that I love again. Go, do it.”

Her mouth opened and closed, struggling to breathe. “St—”

“Shhhh.” My hands shook from the force of pouring frost.

Almost.

Almost there. I’d almost had her. Had Vas’s body not slammed against mine and sent me crashing onto the ground.

Sound of ringing filled my head. It took my bones a moment to adjust to the force of the hit, and my magic barely a second to heal whatever muscle had torn from the hit.

Before Vas’s green form launched towards me again, I bolted right beside him and stabbed a dagger on his back. Then I bolted again and again and again, faster than what his enhanced senses could catch on, puncturing him all over till he was dizzy and leaking probably more blood than he had.

I’d never been faster. Stronger. Lighter. It was like my body had become one with air. And my human loved the godly power it poured out so much that it had sent me into a high. Such a blinding high. “I see you have met the other half of you. The true half of you.”

He raged, growling and attempting to catch me.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Aurora thaw and stand again, breathing like fury and shouting her lover’s name like a beast. “Do not touch him!”

Darkness immediately roared in the air, hungry like a starved beast, and swirled around her faster than a hurricane. Kilian faded before her and more darkness and death seeped under his fingertips, battling the fire burning it away. Aurora struggled, the flames dissipating just as quickly as she summoned them. Her struggle was enough for Vas to forget just who he was facing and long enough for him to expose his heart to me.

I rammed my sword through his chest, and he let out a pained roar heard by every corner of heavens and hells. The beast swayed on its feet and dropped to the ground, failing to pull out the blade before I could nail another dagger right in his skull, between his slithery green eyes that froze staring into mine. Visha had done it then. Made a man whole again.

“Mourn her,” I whispered, and the wind whispered with me. “And be done with it.”

Vas’s eyes filled with silver tears, fluttering and struggling to remain open to see me walk up to his old lover engulfed and struggling to fight off death. He wouldn’t die. Not yet. Not until he was mended all together. Not until I’d walk him to hell myself.

My limbs were melting to liquid, turning entirely a glistening white. There was little time left. So little.

Visha, the heavy voice at the back of my mind called desperately.

I’m sorry, her voice echoed back. I’m sorry.

It wouldn’t work.