Page 31 of Revenge of the Forgotten

“Vega, Vega, help!” The voice was no longer the crying voice of her father, but the harsh voice of her sister—she didn’t even sound the same, her tone haunted.

Vega and Bridger rounded the corner and there she sat, cross legged in a chair with their dad suspended in the air above her.

“Marlena,” Vega said on a breath. She raced towards her sister, ready to shake her until the crazed look in her eyes disappeared. Flame licked up Marlena’s arms. Vega’s gasp reverberated off the walls of the grand meeting hall, and she was stunned into complete stillness. “Are you doing this? Oh my gods. Let him down.”

“What? How?” Bridger stammered, his sword drawn.

“You want him down? Okay.” Marlena beamed.

Whatever power was holding Jonan twenty feet over their heads died off, and he crashed to the floor. His body shattered, bones cracking when he hit. He didn’t scream—didn’t make a sound.

Vega ran to his side, hands roaming her dad’s body for any sign of life. “What are you doing, Marlena? How do you have fire? What have you done?” The questions poured out of her mouth while she searched their father for a pulse.

Marlena’s eyes were fixed on the new flames burning emerald at the ends of her fingertips with awe in her eyes. “I’m doing what everyone wanted me to do, what I was born to do. I’m ruling.”

“This isn’t ruling! You murdered our mom, their friends, our family!” Vega’s tears stained her cheeks with mascara.

“Maybe you should have been paying closer attention to me, to what our beloved parents were putting me through instead of falling for my allies’ son—instead of pushing me to the side like I was nothing to you. I told you you’d get hurt, but you didn’t want to listen to me. The signs were all right there, but you missed every single one of them.” Marlena pulled at the roots of her blood-stained hair. “Fuck, if you just would’ve listened to me, Vega… I wouldn’t have to kill you.”

Marlena moved with the speed of a Fortis-born warrior. Vega didn’t see it coming, but Bridger did.

His hand tangled in Marlena’s wild hair, throwing her to the ground with force strong enough to crack the marble flooring.

“You two are pathetic!” Marlena squawked. She pounced off the floor, leaping at Bridger, but he was ready again and shielded her blow for blow—she was faster than she should be, but Bridger would always be one step ahead in battle.

“Dad, please, we have to go.” The broad man groaned, shifting under Vega’s touch. “Please, please wake up.”

Bridger’s sword hissed, slicing through the air where Marlena had been. Her invisibility cloaked her, but Bridger could feel her, knew she was right behind him. Her arm wrapped around his neck, and he used that force against her, flipping her over his shoulder and sending her crashing to the ground again.

“Vega, get out of here!” Bridger heard her father screaming through labored breaths over the sound of Marlena’s newfound fire soaring past his head. The flame scorched his arm before he rolled to the floor with a snarl, ducking out of Marlena’s path.

“I’m not leaving you!” she yelled.

Bridger couldn’t take his eyes off Marlena. He was holding her off, but it seemed that with his every move, she had a new power to surprise him with.

“Bridger!” Vega screamed, her voice pleading for help with her dad’s blood-soaked body.

His forehead gleamed with sweat, and though he was stronger and lasted longer in a fight than anyone else in Tolevarre, Bridger would burn out eventually—the powers of their world weren't infinite.

This wasn’t the Marlena he’d sparred with for fun, or the Marlena he’d been asked to train. She was quicker, more agile.

What had she done to herself?

“Kinda busy here, love!” He sliced at Marlena, forcing her to draw back.

Vega stood, keeping herself in front of her dad. Her lightning crackled at the base of her palm, ready to join the fight. “Marlena!” she called, distracting her long enough to steal the attention off Bridger. When her sister turned, Vega’s lightning lurched forward.

Marlena moved like she’d seen the attack coming. “I’ve had enough!” She stomped her foot on the floor, and everything around them in the home shook. The walls cracked like spiderwebs, and the marble under them began to crumble to the level below.

Vega swayed, but she didn’t stop, fighting more, pushing more. Marlena always moved just in time—no matter if the attack was from her, Bridger, or a combination of them both.

“They’re in here!” Voices rang from behind, and the second Vega heard them, a force shot up around her. Bridger’s shield blocked them from the outside world.

“We have to go! We have to leave!” Bridger huffed.

“Please get him. I can’t leave him!” Vega begged.

Bridger groaned in frustration, gripping at the dark strands of hair that fell out of the slicked-back look he wore tonight—his vexation grew, but it wasn’t malicious. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her. He would burn all the worlds down for her if she asked. “Okay, we get out fast. My dad’s whole army is on her side. They will not let us go if they get their hands on us. We grab your father and we go.” Vega nodded. “You and me, Kitten.”

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