Shattered Mirror [Rewriting]

Chapter 19 - Burning Fires

Aaron twisted the dagger in his hands and watched his reflection distort across the delicate vines creeping along the blade, watched the rose twinkle in the shade as though it had some ever-present fire in its depths. The sight was enough to make him pause and consider what he wanted to do and enough to make him hesitate but he could not understand why. It was a normal weapon, designed and crafted by a blacksmith in his home village at the request of his sister and yet it held more power than any magical spell in existence. Just the feel of the cool metal against his palm sent a jolt to his heart. A jolt hard enough to shatter the intense bloodlust coursing through his veins, urging him into committing a murder he would never have considered before and it was all because of her. All because of Aisha. The first person who had found out about his choice of work, the one person who had accepted it almost immediately and the only person who had eventually come to support him. She would never have approved of such a senseless killing and that thought alone had more of an effect on him than any seduction spell Thana could put on him. Aisha did not think him a villain despite his uncanny appearance to all of those present with him in this world. Aisha did not think him a villain despite his line of work and the ease with which he murdered his contracts. That was why the dagger had so much of an effect on him; it alone had the power of memory and those memories had the power to remind him exactly who he was and who he was not.

"Don't fucking what me now. You wanted to fucking kill me so get it over with already. You've already killed one of your teammates." Liss voice distracted Aaron from his attempt to fight the still strong, quickly recuperating bloodlust raging through his being and he clenched his teeth in the vain hope that he would outlast it. He could not, would not, give in to this baser desire Thana had somehow locked into and enlarged, blowing it so far out of proportion all the assassin could think of was plunging his daggers into anything that lived and breathed. A pleasureful snap echoed through the air and he could not resist turning toward it, every fibre in his magically dulled body praying it was some violence to feed his disgusting, insatiable need. Aaron grunted and tried to turn away again but the sight of the squirming shifter had him enraptured, enraptured until his distorted mouth managed to wheeze one word:

"Run."

The assassin immediately swivelled around, quick enough only to barely glimpse the vampire speeding toward him but too slow to spring out the way or defend himself. A cold, iron-like hand wrapped around his neck while the other latched onto his robe and again, before he could even think of defending himself, Seth propelled him into the air. Aaron heard the wind whistle passed his ears and as he was about to gauge his approximate speed from the sting against his exposed flesh he collided with something that broke his speed almost instantly, knocking the air right from his body. His head cracked against the tar with such ferocity that the spell Thana had put on him was immediately dislodged, disorientating him further beyond the agony that erupted from the back of his almost certainly concussed skull.

"I knew you were weak!" Seth hollered, the veins in his neck protruding so far they looked as though they would pop out at any second. He took a step closer to the grounded assassin but did not have a chance to speak further before a fireball the size of a grapefruit ignited the fabric on his back. The flickering red and orange pulled an enraged scream from Seth as he twirled like a demented ballerina in an attempt to stifle the flames but it only made them brighter. Jezebel materialised at his side to help him but he spun so fast her jets of water either sprayed passed him or wet all the wrong places.

Bavita skidded to a halt next to Aaron and tried to tug him off Liss, terrified that the speed at which he had collided with her had seriously injured or even completely crushed her. "Aaron! Move!" Her heart hammered wildly in her chest because she knew the distraction Alena had bought them would soon expire and if they did not have Liss safely away from the villains they were all in serious trouble. Luckily there were only two bad guys that she could see. The assassin jerked to life when their creator groaned from under him, half climbing/half rolling off her with a terrifying clumsiness that was completely unlike him. It was evident to anyone with eyes that he was dizzy and Bavita feared Alena would have to use more magic on healing once she was done dealing with Josh. There was nothing for it if it had to be done. "Are you okay?" the seeress aimed her question at both Liss and Aaron, her eyes flicking between them both. The pale girl had hefty roasties on her palms, along her arms and even across the one side of her face. Her jeans were shredded in the front and she was a picture of pure horror with the blood trickling down her limbs and onto her clothing.