Page 104 of Malcolm

“I was trying to trap you inside,” she said, smiling.

“Oye!” she shouted.

Oye moved to run forward to try and protect her cousin, only to be stopped by Castian. “Don’t. You’ll be shredded the minute you touch it.

She glared at him and slapped at his hand. “Let me go, Castian.”

He shook his head, looking from her worried expression to the ring of light. “It’s too late.”

“No.” She whipped her gaze back to her cousin. “Lanias!” she yelled at the top of her lungs. “Lanias, I’m coming! Castian, let go!”

Alek gritted his teeth before he yelled, “Witch, remove this barrier.”

Lanias laughed weakly, her eyes on the demon across from her. “Sorry, no can do.”

Alek hissed, his eyes losing color. “Remove. The. Barrier,” he commanded, his eyes only on her. “Remove it. I will save you.”

“And ruin my last scene,” Lanias joked before her legs suddenly went out from under her. She hit the ground hard. “No, thanks. Oye, are you listening?”

“Lanias,” Oye screamed, pulling against Castian’s hold, “Don’t you dare do this to me. Don’t you dare,” she cried, as tears ran down her face.

“That’s my Oye, so stubborn,” Lanias said, her voice growing quieter. “I want you to know I don’t regret anything. I love youguys. I’m doing this out of love. I willalwayslove my sisters; remember that,” she finished with a whisper.

“Enough of this.” Legos lifted his sword and brought it down, piercing through Lanias stomach. Her body jerked from the force of the blow.

“Lanias,” Oye wailed her cousin's name as her eyes widened in horror. She pulled violently at Castian’s hold, but he refused to let her go.

Eliza watched from within Malcolm's arms, tears running down her face helplessly. This was her fault; she felt the scream burning in her throat but refused to let it out.

Alek didn’t cry; the vampire didn’t say a word. He just stood there; his stillness more frightening than anything else he could have done.

“C-checkmate.” Lanias coughed as she reached out with her trembling, blood-covered fingers and grabbed Legolas’s sword. “The end.”

The light snapped to life, turning orange as it shot towards the sky like a flame. Everyone was pushed back. Their shouts and screams of surprise wiped out as the orange light bisected the sky, and the wind speed increased so fast the trees lurched back. The ground rumbled at the disturbance.

“No!” The demon's high-pitched scream was followed by black lightning hitting the ground as he fought being absorbed. “No, no, I have not lost,” was his dying cry before it was abruptly cut off.

It was a long time until those who remained could move.

Alek was the first. He headed straight for where Lanias had been, but there was nothing there when he got to the column. He stared at it; nothing remained but her blood.

With shaking fingers, he reached his hand out, only to sharply draw it back and clench it into a fist. Then he fell to hisknees and threw his head back, releasing a deep throat scream holding bones-crushing pain

Oye pushed herself up and staggered forward as she shook her head in disbelief, “No, No, this can’t be real,” she said, turning away from the sight to be pulled into Castian’s arms. “Let go, let go. I told you to let go!”

“Shh, I know, I know my love.” Castian pressed his cheek to her head, even as he took her hard slaps to his chest. “Blame me, I’ve got you.”

Eliza stared silently ahead, her restored memories leaving her in numb shock. “It’s my fault,” she said, her words thick in her throat. “I-I should have—” She couldn’t finish. She was the reason Lanias was dead. “If I hadn’t run off.”

“Stop it,” Malcolm said, gathering her into his arms. “You couldn’t know this would happen.”

The silence was thick with mourning.

Sorrows

Raijin

Raijin slowly pulled the phone from his ears and didn’t move.

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