Page 91 of To Crave Truly

I was a fucking idiot.

I whipped out my shadows, pulling them into solid shapes with sharp points. I hurled them at him, revelling in his gasps of pain as I sliced him as if they were knives. My scythe was in my hand before I could even think about it, blocking his attacks and providing me with the shield I desperately needed.

There was a niggle in the back of my mind, halting my attack and causing hesitation when I tried to use my scythe. I couldn’t use my demon to kill him, but I could sure use her to defend me.

“Give it up, Lori. Why fight the inevitable?” Mordecai screamed, his voice a shriek in the night air.

“Because if I give up, who will stand against you? Who’ll stop this madness?”

He launched at me again, but I took a sideways step, dodging his attack before bringing a shadow blade down on him in a sharp arc. Something warm and wet splashed my face and a painful scream rent the air.

A moment of silence descended as I took in the deep wound I’d inflicted on the vampire. A large gash split the shoulder of his long black coat and blood seeped through it. Shock crossed his face as the first flash of fear flickered in his eyes.

I charged at him again, my battle cry loud and fierce. I wasn’t going to let him win. I slammed my hands into his chest, pushing him backwards towards the machine.

“All you need to do is stand in the circle, Lori. Can you do that for me?”

“And make all your dreams come true?” I snarled. “Not a fucking chance.”

We came together again, a clash of fists and fangs, of snarls and snaps. He thrust out a hand, palm flat against my chest, and I flew backwards. My back crashed into the thick trunk of a tree and my breath left me, forced out by the impact.

Then Mordecai was there, right in my face, his body nestled against mine, pinning me to the tree. My blood still coated his chin, and I noticed the wound in his shoulder from my shadow blades was still bleeding. It had slowed down, but it hadn’t completely healed yet. Interesting.

“You know, I was going to make this easy for you,” he sneered, “but now, I think I’ll take my sweet time.”

“Why? Because I pissed you off?”

He barked a laugh. “No, because I just fucking feel like it.”

Mordecai’s eyes gleamed a bright ruby red as they traced the lines of my face. I thought about the moments when I’d caught a glimpse of something warm beyond the madness. Perhaps it wasn’t too late. Perhaps I could still save him.

“It’s not too late, Mordecai,” I said softly.

His mouth kicked up a grin. “Oh, Lori. Are you trying to save me? How noble.”

“Please,” I said, cupping his face in my hand. “Let me help. I know there’s still some good in there.”

“Lori, I…” His words trailed off and his eyes took on a distant look and lost a bit of their brightness.

Was I getting through to him? I wrapped my fingers in the silken strands of his hair and pulled him close, bring his forehead to mine. “Mordecai, don’t let this be the end.”

He took a deep breath and swallowed. “It’s all I know, Lori. All I yearn for. I can’t… I won’t…”

Then the world plunged into darkness as a glow tainted with blood covered the moon. We both looked up at the night sky and watched in fascination as the red light deepened, casting an eerie glow over the cemetery.

“I’m sorry, Lori. I wish things were different, but they aren’t.”

Pain lanced through my shoulder as Mordecai plunged a long dagger through the hollow of my shoulder. It tore through muscle and cracked the bones on the way through my body. There was a jolt as the tip buried itself in the tree behind me and a scream ripped from my throat. Raw and primal. Poison seeped into my veins as whatever magic Mordecai had covered the dagger in began to take hold. My limbs went numb. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t pull the dagger out. I felt so fucking useless. My body started to shut down to the point where I was only managing to stay on my feet because of the dagger buried in the tree behind me. My powers faded and coldness seeped into my bones. This was it. I was dying.

“Such a walking fucking cliché,” he mocked. “The heroine who wants to save everyone. But look at you now. Broken. Beaten. And your band of merry little assassins is spread out, being picked off one by one and for what? Because you think you’re right. You think I’m the bad guy.”

“Go to Hell!” I spat.

“Oh, I plan to. I’m going to go to the Underworld and tear it down, piece by fucking piece.”

Mordecai’s machine started to whir and a bright glow the same colour as the bloody moon poured from the runes that were littered over its surface.

Oh, fuck. It was starting.

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