Life - Life & Death Book 1

Chapter 32 - Zivena

Shouts fill the night as I jump back, away from the death pouring from Bloodwynd's hands. My barrier of light is stopping the mist from reaching us but I'm struggling. I'm legitimately holding back a weapon of mass destruction from murdering my friends and family and it's taking it toll. My body tremblings from the sheer pressure building on the barrier and I can feel my power draining at an alarming rate.
"What is the meaning of this?" Aksel snarls, his canines protruding from his snout.
"Use your head, mutt," Aerona snaps in reply. "He is the one that killed our people. He is the one that slaughtered them all." A screech pounds my ears as Aerona tears at her skin, ripping away all that made her human. All that's left is a skeletal figure, gray armor-like skin stretched taut over elongated bones.
"Aerona, no!" Hod yells as Aerona sprints straight at Bloodwynd. Before a long boney finger can even graze the barrier, a voice claps over the island like thunder.
"Stop."
Aerona is cemented to the ground, unable to move. Her strange vampire form quivers with restrained rage.
The mist swirling through the clearing starts to disappear. A shorter man with dark hair and blood red eyes is standing by the open hospital doors, siphoning the mist into his hand. His gaze lingers on Aerona for a moment longer. In the instant his eyes no longer hold hers, she sags to the dirt. But as his eyes come to rest on me, I see no hint of recognition.
Mictain's soul burns deep and bright. It flashes like lightning, forking and splitting. The darkness of his life essence encompasses the island, soaking into the earth. I reach out for him. Even though it isn't his body, I know Mictain's inside. I can see him. The coldness starts to leave his eyes.
"Mictain," I breathe. Relief floods me.
Mictain opens his mouth but Bloodwynd's silky voice cuts him off. "Mictain, you don't know what you're doing. You need to get out of my body. You have no idea the damage you'll cause to it."
"What about the damage you've caused me? Zivena's family? Aksel and Aerona?" Mictain's voice is cold but I can feel the anger burning bright and hot for the man in front of him.
"Get out of my body, Mictain. Now."
"You can talk," I snort.
Bloodwynd starts to shake from the wrath boiling inside of him.
Mictain steps forward and watches Bloodwynd.
A rushing noise sounds overhead and I glance up to see the stars and clouds disappearing, all light from the city vanishing. Shadows and darkness become our prison. I let my power flow into the barrier already protecting us and we're blinded for a second by the light. Bloodwynd snarls at my interference.
"I will destroy everyone here if you don't get out of my body, Mictain." Bloodwynd smiles, "You know I can do it. I killed the Six Clans. I killed those pathetic werewolves and vampires. I took control of your power then and I can do it now."
Mictain laughs without humor. I frown at him.
"You still don't get it, do you? You haven't figured it out," Mictain gapes at him.
"Are you trying to grasp at straws, Mictain?" Bloodwynd holds his head high.
Mictain laughs again, but his voice is so devoid of emotion that I start to worry. "You spent months at least, maybe even years, murdering people to test your spell or ritual or whatever it is to switch souls." Where are you going with this, Mictain? "You were so greedy for power, so ready to murder all those people that you never realized that the power you used was only the residue left over after you ripped me out."
Bloodwynd is silent for a long time. I notice Hod smiling knowingly, pride swelling in him.
"What are you talking about?" Bloodwynd asks, his voice barely controlled.
Mictain shakes his head in astonishment. "Power resides in the soul, not the body. I've always had my power with me, no matter where my body went."
Bloodwynd stares in muted horror. "That's ridiculous."
"Look at the shadows, Bloodwynd." Mictain points at my feet. I glance down and notice that my shadow is stretching towards Mictain. I study the other's shadows and notice that no matter where we stand the shadows extend out to Mictain.
Fear twists like a feral being through our group. The implications of what Mictain is saying is incredible and terrifying. To think the amount of death Bloodwynd was able to bring with only a fraction of Mictain's power. Imagine what Mictain could do with so much raw energy residing in his soul.
"Zivena, can you drop your barrier?" Mictain asks.
I don't hesitate. My power recedes back into me. When the last of it winks out, it takes barely a moment for my eyes to adjust. Just in time. The shadows from above hit Bloodwynd with such force that he collapses under the impact. Mictain's voice cracks like ice through the darkness, "You ripped out my soul and with it you took out my power. What was left was only a sliver of what I can really do." The shadows become thin whips that slash down on Bloodwynd, ripping skin.
"You killed my parents, my uncle," Mictain snarls. "You ruined my life, put on a spell on my mind to make me believe that I killed them. You cut my face, making me think that it was my punishment. All my life, I've been suffering under the weight of this. Just so you could use me when I turned eighteen. My family would still be here if it wasn't for you!" Mictain thunders; fury and rage tunnel down in him like a tornado and his power responds.
The world begins to shake and the ground cracks so violently that most of us stumble and try to keep our footing. Black flames of the Underworld burst from the cracks, heating the freezing air around us, making it feel like we're in the desert and not New York in the middle of winter.
Bloodwynd looks up from where he's lying, pretending he's not almost shitting himself. "If what you say is true." He stands up slowly, taking in every injury. Bloodwynd's hands fly open as brilliant orange energy crackles on his palm. The energy bursts from his hand and Bloodwynd sends a stream straight for Mictain's chest.
He dashes out of the way, just in time. Mictain starts creating illusions to confuse Bloodwynd and while he's distracted, the real Mictain rushes to my side.
"You need to get inside and start searching for Ahren," Mictain holds my eyes for a second before darting away, black fire flaring from his hands.
A fireball flies through the air, hitting Bloodwynd in the shoulder and he stumbles, crying out in pain. But it doesn't stop Bloodwynd from chanting a short spell that causes Mictain to collapse in pain, his screams hit me in the chest and I move to go help him. To go kill the man that has ruined Mictain's childhood and took so much away from him.
Artemis appears beside me, holding me back. "We need to move."
For a moment, we both watch as Mictain throws all of the Underworld at Bloodwynd. Aerona and Kali watch on in fascination.
Mom is laying on the ground, struggling to breathe. Dad and Aksel are by her side.
"I need to heal Mom," I say, my voice shaky.
"She'll be fine for the moment, Zivena. We need to get inside and find your brother and the others," Artemis grabs my shoulder and forces me to look at her. Dirt streaks her face.
I hesitate again.
"Hod will keep an eye on Mictain, Zivena. We need to move now." With her hand still on my shoulder, she shoves me through the hospital doors.