Page 82 of Veiled Yearning

I can feel Nicolas expanding his power now. Cait whimpers, and Roman lets out a low grunt of pain. Gavril’s face is all stark lines and deep shadows, as he fights to hold up against the increasing pain.

Now. Now. Now.

I have to do this now.

Now that my ability is enhanced, I can borrow so much more magic than before.

Like a sponge, I soak it all in.

There’s so much energy here, and I grab at all of it, bringing it inside me.

Gravity flux from Alex upstairs. Xavier’s control of electricity. Hallucinations. Telekinesis. And all the stolen abilities from Nicolas. A crippling stun. Blinding sight. Immolation.

It’s all within me, whipped into a frenzy, desperate to get out.

“What are you doing?” Unease tinges Nicolas’s tone. “Stop it.”

I pin him with my gaze. My voice isn’t shaky anymore, but strong and confident. “No. And I will not let you win.”

25

The End

GAVRIL

It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen.

Chiara is like a warrior goddess facing off against an enemy. Beautiful. Determined. Strong.

It was first her eyes, and now her entire body is glowing.

As proud as I am of her, I’m afraid, too. What if this is too much for her? What if this is too much for one body to hold?

Nicolas doesn’t sound confident anymore, his voice pitching up as he commands her to stop. Threatening to kill her if she doesn’t.

But she doesn’t stop.

Instead, she flings everything at him in a wild collision of sound and light. Crackling and exploding, a chaos of fire and electricity. A hurricane of wind crashes into him. The ground shakes. He shrieks; a shrill sound of agony.

He collapses to the floor, twitching and moaning. His skin is seared and blistering, and his face is a mass of boils and burns, rendering him almost unrecognizable. All the power he was using against us disappears like the calm in a storm.

Now. Before he gets a chance to recover, I have to do my part. Finish this once and for all.

I don’t know how much time I have, so I leap at Nicolas, my blade raised and ready to strike.

His eyes are almost swollen closed, so he has to peer at me through narrow slits. Even so, he knows who I am. And what I’m about to do.

After all this time. All the death. The violence. The evil caused by this one monstrous person.

And it’s about to be over.

“No,” he starts. His voice is weak, but strengthening with each word. “I’ll bring you in, Gavril. And Chiara. You don’t have to kill—”

“Yes.” Poised above him, I lift my blade. Time seems to stand still. “I do.”

Using all my strength, I bring the blade down.

It’s a reckoning. Justice at last served.

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