Death Hall: The shadows tail (book 4)

Ch.23 We all fall down, together

Brandon-

I couldn't hold it back anymore, I was tired of the running away and at least this time I had a promise and that promise was gonna be kept. "Brandon I don't know how much longer I can protect her. Promise me you'll watch and protect her for me?"

"But sir, I don't.."

"Brandon please, she's the last thing I have left and I can't lose her like I'd lost her mother all those years ago. Just promise me this, you'll protect her no matter what happens and when it all comes down to it, I'd be more than happy to call you my son." He then disappeared before my eyes leaving me to make a choice 10 years ago.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I looked up at nearly and tears started streaming down her face and she dropped the sword that was in her hand and fell to her knees. I looked in her eyes and she just noded and smiled at me, "Yes," was the only words I heard before she started coughing up blood. I instantly looked up behind her and saw her mother clinching her fist, holding what looked like a black beating heart. I looked down at nearly anger taking over my fear. No i'm not gonna lose her like this, I've faught to hard to be happy and i'm not gonna let some self centered bitch take it away from me. I stood up and nearly grabbed my hand and held it tight, I waited a few seconds till her breathing cleared up a little then helped her stand up. Our flames intertwined finally turning a solid neon purple with a gold aura around us. She leaned into my arms and I held her up, she stood up on her tiptoes and whispered in my ear, "just you and me ok. Let's go home." She came back down to her normal height and looked me in the eyes mouthing the words please before going into another coughing fit. "I promise baby, but daddy's got something to take care of first," I sat her back down gently and walked toward her mother. I drew my sword and even its flames were purple with a gold aura.She smiled and just squeezed the heart harder sending Nearly flat on the ground barely breathing. I looked back at her then at her mother my eyes changing to a solid purple, "YOU BITCH!" I jumped at her and stabbed my sword in her shoulder causing her to throw the heart in the air, but before I could catch it she shot a fire ball at it and it burnt turning into ashes. "NO!" I growled and in a blink of an eye my entire form changed. My wings turned into feathers even though they were still their dark, soulless black. My scales turned into skin and my fingers turned into daggers instead of their normal claws, my teeth all became sharp leaving my eyes to be their new neon purple. I started attacking her not letting anything stop me, I was a monster and I was gonna live up to my name. I sent blow after blow to her face and kicked her so hard she flew into the wall behind her and created a crater. I grabbed her by the throat and held her up against the wall and began stabbing her in the chest with my daggers. "This is for throwing Nearly out, this is for treating her like utter shit, and this is for making her suffer all these years!" After each punch my adrenaline and anger spiked up. She just laughed the entire time until I stabbed her where her heart should be and she stopped laughing and blood began pouring out of her mouth. I growled out the words, "You will pay for your sins." I then jumped up and ran up against the wall grabbing her head while back flipping off the wall pulling her head off and landing with blood all over the ground. I was breathing heavy trying to calm down and catch my breath when the smell of her blood completely took over my thoughts sending an erg to finish her off. I took one step towards her when the ashes came back to mind, SHIT NEARLY. I ran over towards her still in my new form and picked her up and laid her on my lap. Her lifeless body laid in my arms and all I could think about was how horribly I had failed her father. I threw my head back and let out a roar of pain and looked back down at her and laid her back down on the floor. "Come on nearly if I can come back so can you." I flicked my wrist and two balls of fire appeared in the palms of my hands, "come on baby," I threw my hands down on her chest and a flicker of her flame came but left. "Come on, Come on, COME ON!" I did it over and over till....nothing. Not a breath was taken, not a single move was made just, dead silence. Tears streamed down my face as I knelt to the ground while holding her in my arms when he appeared in front of us.

"Brandon you can't give up. She's still...."

"No she's not I've tried everything."

"Not everything," He flicked his wrist and a golden orb of light appeared.He handed it to me and closed my hands around it. "Don't let it go, but channel it through your body and into your soul." He looked at nearly and smiled, "You are one now, fix her, son." He disappeared and the room returned to its dark, cold and quite eerie state.

"Mend her soul so you can become one, ok I can do this." I tried focusing on trying to channel it, but nothing happened. "GODDAMNIT WHY WON'T THIS FUCKING WORK!?" After a good 10 minute tantrum I finally calmed down enough to try again. I inhaled deeply slowing my breathing and heart rate down to nothing. "Come on nearly you can do this, we can do this, together."