EVANGELINE.
Evangeline. You must not let him strike your-
Don’t!
She needs to know!
I push Zerachiel away with immense force, backing up a little while trying to drown out Luna's and Evelyn’s voices in my head. I can’t focus if they’re arguing.
Zerachiel growls as he raises the dagger, lunging at me once again.
“Zedkiel, if you can hear me … fight this!” I shout breathlessly, fending Zerachiel off.
He’s strong, and I know what I need to bring myself to do.
I spare a quick glance around; wolves and vampires are clashing in all directions. There’s a darkness growing around them. I can sense it, and I can smell the blood, feeling pack links breaking away.
Our warriors are dying … unnecessarily.
Our people are suffering once again.
“Stop, Zerachiel! What do you get from this?!” I shout, my eyes blazing.
“This is your doing, Evangeline. Look around! Wolves and vampires are both dying because of your selfishness,” Zerachiel taunts, his eyes blazing with hatred.
“My selfishness?” I raise an eyebrow as I spin around, kicking him in the stomach.
He staggers back. “I was thinking you’d choose to be by my side. What of the bond? It clearly never meant enough to you.”
“It did, but I will never side with a monster!” I snarl as Luna’s voice breaks through my mind, making me falter.
Be careful, Evangeline! Please-
Don’t alarm her in the midst of battle,
She must know! You are carrying our pup! Be careful, Evangeline!
I freeze. For a moment, I’m shell-shocked.
Time seems to slow as Zerachiel continues to spout hateful words, but I can’t comprehend them anymore as I realise what this means.
I’m … carrying a pup, a baby, my baby.
I can’t die … The fact that I’m ready to die defeating him is no longer a solution.
For our pup, I must live on.
Don’t worry, you won’t die. Your pup is protected by the gods. It’s why you didn’t even know you were pregnant. Focus on the match,
You care only for yourself!
Her emotions are full of anguish as she worries for the pup. How did I not know, but they did?
Because you needed to focus on the battle ahead,And no, I do not care only for myself.
She’s right. No matter how powerful the negativity and rage that is seeping through the bond from Zerachiel is, I can’t let it deter me.
“Let’s end this Zerachiel, once and for all,” I say, now turning to him with renewed determination. “Your time has come. I will not let you commit any more sins,” I say quietly as I raise my sword. My eyes blaze as I run at him.
I raise my sword, using my powers to force him to remain rooted to the spot.
“No,” he breathes as time moves slowly.
I’m almost there when he suddenly reaches out and yanks someone in front of him. I try to stop, but it’s too late, and my sword slides through them.
Blood splashes across my face, filling my nose and mouth.
I gasp as I look down, and it takes me a second to recognise the woman. My heart thumps as I stare down at the woman, who coughs.
“It’s alright … settle this … without destroying one … another …” she whispers as her life begins to fade.
Several shouts from around us pierce the air, and I look up sharply at Zerachiel.
“How could you?” I whisper, my voice shaking.
But he doesn’t care. A menacing grin is plastered across his face as he steps back, letting the woman’s body fall to the floor without any remorse.
“Now, now. Whatever will Zedkiel think when he finds out you killed his precious mother he only recently found?” he chuckles, and all I can do is stare down at the body in utter horror.
No. This can’t be happening.
But it is. I’m frozen in place as I stare down at the dead body of none other than Zeina Aton.
I killed her.
My eyes blaze as Ziahra’s cry of despair knocks me out of my reverie.
“How dare you use her as a shield?” I snarl.
“She will revive!” Someone panicks, but I know she won’t. After all, my sword holds divine power.
“You shall pay,” I snarl as I stare at him. There’s nothing more to think about.
"You can never destroy me! I am a part of you!"
I have to destroy him as fast as I can and right the wrongs of the past. Now is the time.
Raging power surges within me, and I jump up, using a tree behind me as leverage before I spin in the sky, raising my sword and calling to the Tree of Bonds. I feel my blade change weight and shape within my grasp as I ready myself to kill him. The intense power of the weapon in my hand made the very air around me ripple.
I’m inches away from Zerachiel as Godric, Ragnar, and Kash grab him, forcing him in place. I see the tension in Kash’s and Ragnar’s eyes. Their hopes rely on me. Keeping full faith that I’m doing the right thing.
You are,
At the last moment, I see Zerachiel’s eyes return to normal, glimmering green-gold.
Zedkiel.
My heart thumps, but I know I can’t doubt myself; I aim to kill Zerachiel, not Zedkiel, regardless of if he is in charge.
“Evangeline,” he murmurs softly.
That’s Zedkiel.
He wants to say more, but he doesn’t, almost as if scared he will make me hesitate.
Our eyes meet, but there is no judgement or hatred in his eyes, simply acceptance. My heart breaks into a thousand pieces as I drive the sword created from the wood of the Tree of Bonds through him.
Agony tears through me as I feel his pain through the bond; my eyes sting with tears of guilt, pain and sadness. My hand slips from the handle of my sword as the other men are blasted back by the sheer force that is radiating off us in raging waves, and my feet hit the ground.
I can’t breathe. My mind is empty. I can’t feel or sense either Evelyn or Luna. My heart is full of a thousand emotions that are ripping through me like a terrifying storm. I don’t know if this is how it’s supposed to be; the pain is too much.
I look up at Zedkiel, wanting to tell him what Luna had told me; tell him we have a pup, tell him that I love him, but … when I open my mouth to speak, only blood comes out.
I’m proud of you, Little Mouse. You did the right thing,
Tears stream down my cheeks as I feel the bond between us shattering. The wound may or may not kill him, but the excruciating pain within my chest surely will kill me.
‘I…’
I can’t speak.
His arms wrap around me despite the fact that I can hear his heartbeat fading away. Even with his last breaths, he is trying to comfort me.
I got you, Little Mouse.
No. What have I done?
He holds me as we both fall to our knees. The silence of the aftermath of that intense blast fills the night.
The war is over … isn’t it?
The evil is gone … isn’t it?
My eyes look into those beautiful ones of my mate, blurred by my own tears.
Did I do the right thing?
Did I carry this out correctly?
Doubts that are too late to confirm.
I love you, Zedkiel. I love … you …
I can’t breathe. Darkness is swallowing me up, and I let it.
Through the pain and as I feel myself being pulled into the darkness, a single question niggles at my mind.
Did I succeed?