Page 29 of Bitten By Chaos

“Put my sister down.” The words that escaped my throat sounded like they’d come from someone far more frightening than I.

In answer, Grival reached behind his shoulder with his free hand and withdrew the curved sword, as black as a void. Out of instinct, I narrowed my eyes to find Zoe’s terrified aura already bending toward the hungry weapon. There was no time for debate, so I moved as fast as I could—which was pretty damned quick. My hands glowed with electric golden magic as I grasped the hilt above the demon’s grip and yanked using both vampire strength and Merlin’s power.

In slow motion, I watched as Grival’s smug expression melted into one of incomprehension and then fear as I leaped backward, now holding Soul Eater. I felt the tug of his magic attempting to call it back, but I held on firmly with the magic I’d absorbed from the strongest wizard of all time.

Wind whipped around us, blowing twigs, leaves, and everyone’s hair into a chaotic cyclone. The only one untouched was me. But even as I watched, the blade in my hands began to bleed its dark magic down the hilt toward my flesh. Freezing cold where it caressed my skin, it called to my anger, whispering encouragement in my mind to feed it Grival’s soul.

“Let. Her. Go.” I repeated through gritted teeth.

Grival dropped Zoe to the ground where she scurried over to Hazel and pulled her lover’s body over her lap. Julian, I noticed, had moved strategically closer, blocking Grival’s access to our friends.

“If you lose this battle, little psychic, I will tear apart every person in this clearing before taking you back with me to suffer.” Grival took a menacing step forward, tugging harder on the sword.

But my arm was encased in the darkness of the thing’s aura. It seemed to like me, which truly freaked me out. Still, if it helped me carve out the demon’s heart, I’d use it.

“You won’t touch another soul,” I promised, still unable to recognize my own voice. “Kneel if you want a swift death.”

Julian’s head jerked toward me, confusion on his beautiful face. But he’d confessed his jealousy and his need to control me. Perhaps if I removed his head and fed him to Soul Eater, I’d end his misery and keep the pretty part.

The second the thought shot through me, I tried to release the sword. But it stuck to my hand like it was superglued there no matter how hard I shook it. Horrified, I was distracted enough for Grival to lunge, but Julian collided with the demon’s body before he could reach me and tore into the massive shoulder with his fangs.

“Get off!” I screamed at the sword, swinging it into a tree trunk with the intension of leaving it stuck inside. Instead, the tree withered into a husk before my eyes as its energy glowed around the blade.

Shit.

Julian’s body flew past me and onto the ground, bone protruding from his arm, face and chest covered in blood. He stood back up just as fast and flew toward the enemy.

“Someone, help!” I screamed, using my foot as leverage to try to loosen the weapon.

In answer, hoof beats rose from somewhere in the woods, and a screech shook the treetops. Above, the moon was temporarily blotted out as the form of an enormous black dragon swooped down from the sky. Tears squeezed from the corners of my eyes as Karma dove directly toward Grival, knocking him away from Julian, and picking him up in one taloned foot.

My heart soared along with Karma as he tipped vertically toward the sky. But Grival pried open the claws surrounding him, rending the air with a huge crack. Karma dropped the demon and fell, screeching in pain even as he morphed into his Raven form and fell into Binx’s hands.

I forgot about trying to release the sword. Instead, I lifted it above my head. Releasing a savage cry, I ran for the demon, halfway to his feet, ready to feed his dark soul to my companion. His eyes widened as the weapon sliced down through the air with a whoosh.

My arms and body trembled as my swing was halted midway to Grival’s neck. The sound of metal meeting metal rang through the night from the unforgiving weapon that blocked me, and I found myself gazing into one shining black eye set in the whitest coat I’d ever seen. Poppy whinnied in greeting, and I watched as the dark energy of the sword released my hand and disappeared into the blade, surrounded by sparkling silver magic that emanated from the unicorn’s horn. She’d used it to stop me from killing Grival, and somehow made the power retreat.

“Thank you,” I said, tossing the sword away with vampire strength so that it flew into the surrounding trees. I’d have to deal with it later.

Grival had recovered by the time I threw the weapon away. And Poppy lowered her horn toward his heart. She stamped the ground with her front hooves and snorted.

A sneer worked over the demon’s face as he drew in a deep breath. I knew what he meant to do, and I’d seen the damage of blue demon fire. I wasn’t letting him hurt another soul.

With a cry of anger, I leaped over Poppy and tackled the last demon lord to the ground, shoving his face into the dirt. Sapphire flames erupted from beneath the spot where I held him down and engulfed both his head and my forearm. Pain seared through me like I’d dipped myself in acid, but I pressed harder, punching at his ribs with my free hand. Skin, bone, and sinew gave way as blood spouted from his side. My hand reached through unnamable innards, hot and wet and spongy, until I closed my fingers over his beating heart and yanked with all my might.

The flames died and the body beneath me sagged as I held up the vile black bulge in the air. Julian pulled me off the body, words of concern lost in the buzzing of my brain.

I glanced once at my blackened arm, which began to shed its ashen bits, revealing new, raw skin beneath. It would heal. I was a vampire.

I’d killed Grival and retrieved his heart.

I felt oddly calm and empty of guilt as I pried myself from Julian’s hands and looked around at the chaos.

Zoe stared at me, unblinking, fear still fresh in her aura. I spared another look at the black heart I held on to, though the beating had stopped.

It was over. We’d won. We’d defeated the board members.

A smile crept over my face as sound rushed back in. I ran toward Zoe, who cringed away from my prize, but I bit into the new flesh of my other wrist and tipped blood into Hazel’s mouth. My sister refused my blood, saying she could just use a charm at home, and it wasn’t that bad. But the look of disgust on her face sent a jolt of sadness through me that I had no time to linger on.

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