Divine Destiny: Serendipity Saga Book Two

Chapter Fifteen

I came back to myself in a rush, coughing, gasping, my chest on fire. No. Not my chest. My everything. My body pulsated with agony exploding again and again. It pounded on every nerve, slamming my entire being in unimaginable pain.

I was on the floor and struggled to my feet, forcing the pain into the back of my mind. Carson was beside me, sneering into the darkness. Eolis had been knocked away by some sort of blast. The woman had vanished.

And before me, was Valeria. The once imprinted on my boyfriend, conniving bitch that helped Henrick in his conquests and sent me spiraling down the path of vampirism—not that that had been a bad thing exactly.

Her face was contorted in a furious grimace. She wasn't looking at me, her wild violet eyes locked on Carson.

I lurched at her without a thought which broke their line of sight. I wheeled my arm back, unintentionally gathering a fist full of power. When I slammed into her, her head whipped back with a resonant crack. The energy in my fist slammed into her, sending her into convulsions again and again.

I stood over her dazed and bloody mass. She stared up at me for a long moment. Then, her eyes darted to the side and a grin exploded on her face. She looked manic, downright insane even.

A warm hand clamped down on my shoulder. I turned to find Carson standing nearer, breathing hard, his eyes glowing.

"Carson?" I asked, calling out to him. Trying desperately to drag him from whatever encompassing spirit had claimed him.

He shook, his face contorting in a snarl. His grip on my shoulder loosened, until he removed his hand altogether. He sagged forward, hands on his knees.

"Carson?" I begged, nearly a whisper.

He was breathing hard still, his chest heaving with each inhalation, as though he couldn't quite get enough air. With every breath, the pain thrummed, as though trying to break free of the mental box I had shoved it into. He wouldn't look up at me, his hands clenched until his fists shone white.

"C-Carson," I breathed. He didn't respond, just fought his internal struggle. The he went still and slowly, with an agonizing strangeness, he peered up at me, his green eyes blank. It was as though he were my Carson but equally someone unrecognizable.

He straightened, walking straight past me and scooping Valeria up in his arms. My heart thudded our pain once more but it had nothing to do with a supernatural bond this time, the pain rang solely from my own heart and spirit.

My Carson who was not mine, gazed at me over his shoulder, a pair of peeking violet eyes glaring at me with a malicious glee appearing from beneath his shoulder. He was blank. Empty. Not my man who still sometimes struggled with his burdens. Not my man who loved me more than I could ever love him, with a peaceful, selfless kind of love.

He carried Valeria past a conscious Eolis, struggling to his feet. He carried her out, stepping through the curtain unimpeded. He ventured out into the night with her. And he was gone.

Eolis came roaring up to come, razing my frozen form forward as I stared after the trail of the man I loved. His hand clutched around mine as the entire village shook.

"Kyra, I know what just happened but we can't stop right now. They're here," he whispered in a rush, leaning his face near to mine where I could avoid his eyes no longer.

I nodded numbly, letting myself be led out of the hut and into chaos.

Both kinds of beings, elves and witches presumably, dashed across the clearing, gathering items and family members and rushing into huts, drawing a similar grey sheen over their abodes.