Endless

Reunion | Aleria

I wanted to die. Luc had been killed because of me. It had been my fault, and I hadn't been able to stop it. It was only fair that I died the same way. Maybe it would somehow make up for his loss in some way. Maybe. I couldn't be sure.

I couldn't trust myself, not after I'd betrayed the protectors yet again. How could I trust the monsters who'd haunted my nightmares?

So I fought.

I grabbed the nearest griffon and snapped his neck, then glanced at five upstarts trying to gain hold of my life. With a mere thought from me, fire licked up their bodies as if someone had doused them in kerosene. Apparently the upstarts realized they were way out of their depth, and they stopped coming. I cast out my senses, seeking out the strongest draws in the room. The griffs wielding them stood off to the side, biding their chance to kill me.

The room buzzed with energy. I sensed the battle being waged between some of the most powerful griffons, Ryan and Nick.

Nick dropped to his knees first. He was still alive, but he wouldn't be for long. Ryan fell moments later.

The bastards were targeting each other. I didn't dwell on it. I threw the hottest fireball I could make at one of the big players, killing him instantly. The remaining big players turned on me. A flood of power drew on my life. If I could only take them out, my death would at least count as a form of vengeance for Luc. I charged at them, ignoring the sensation of my life being torn to pieces. As long as it was in me, I'd spend it killing as many of the griffons as possible.

More and more of them came in, stretching my soul even further, but I slammed into my target, kicking him hard enough to send him flying into a wall. Next, I rammed one's nose into his brain. One came up behind me and I rewarded him for it with a fatal punch to the throat. I blasted another with heat until his insides blistered.

The whole time, other griffons leeched my energy out of me. I kept coaxing myself to kill. One more.

One more.

One more.

I stopped noticing or caring how I did it, just that each successive kill came slower and slower as my fire waned.

More and more griffons joined the fray. Instead of killing me fast, the new arrivals merely used my power to augment their own. They turned on those who came first, fighting each other and, slowly but surely, draining me.

My fire was about to give out when it rushed back into me in full force. My body sagged as I took the brunt of the energy. There could only be one cause for this. A protector was foolish enough to use some of his power to kindle the dying spark in my soul to life. It gave me enough strength to light an inferno in the room and then, as if I'd summoned them, the protectors were there. Over fifty of them.

They released a blood-curdling battle-cry as they sprinted into the battle. They were absolutely ruthless, killing any griffon who dared to put a draw on us. They targeted the griffons with deadly accuracy, lighting some on fire, decapitating others with silver-edged swords.

"Leave them, griffons of the Firm!" one of the griffons shouted. At the command, some of the most powerful griffons there stopped and backed away, surrounding Ryan and Nick. Not one of them dared to place another draw on us.

"Ali!" someone shouted and I followed the sound with my gaze, finding five upstarts working to tear a vampire limb-from-limb. I threw fireballs at them without a second thought, aiming for any draw I could sense, but being careful to avoid striking the vamp. He shot to Nick's side.

It seemed to signal that the tide had turned. More than half the living griffons retreated. I prepared to follow, but a hand on my shoulder restrained me. I turned, preparing to order the protector to work. Instead, I found the one phoenix who outranked me.

My father. With a raw sob of joy, I threw my arms around him, closing my eyes to savor the love I felt as he held me. "I thought you were dead!"

He squeezed me. "Couldn't...not without you." Three words were left unsaid, but I knew what they were. To take over.

"Mum?"

"She was so tired, darling."

Memories of my mother's soft touches and soothing voice flitted back in a million fragments. My throat burned with hot tears I couldn't show. "I'm so sorry I didn't make it in time."

"Oh, darling, we thought you were dead. It was so much worse than thinking you missed another death ceremony."

Maybe my father's words were true, but my sense of loss numbed me anyway.

"Come on. Davenport, make sure she gets home," he said, beckoning Armand to approach.

Armand...

I couldn't face Luc's twin. Not while the memory of Luc's death was so fresh. Instead, I followed my father's gaze to where it rested on Nick and Ryan, both watching me in anguish.

"Milord," Armand said, sounding peeved. "The griffons—"

"Will live to fight another day," my father stated. "As soon as I thank the two who kept my daughter alive."

I forced myself to look at Armand. The sight of him gave me a remorseful pang. I instinctively knew it wasn't the first time.

Armand's jaw clenched, but no one dared to contradict our chieftain.

I didn't say anything, either. What could I say? I hadn't died as penance, so my betrayal stood, and coming out with the truth would destroy us. The hatred ran too deep. After everything I'd learnt and experienced, there was only one sensible thing to do.

I nudged Armand's arm and walked away, knowing he'd follow with his group. I felt pain both from Nick and Ryan before I shielded my power, becoming invisible to their griffon senses at the same time.

"It was you at the hotel, wasn't it?" I asked, glancing towards Armand.

"Yes," he clipped, then gave a pointed look towards the group.

His tense posture and the ticking muscle in his cheek told me to shut up. He was so similar to Luc, but so different. Armand and I had never gotten along. This I also instinctively felt. I faced forward once more and nursed my heart. The stupid thing had gone and broken again.

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