Page 27 of Balor

She left the room without another word. I heard the lock click into place, and I let out a breath. I hoped she kept her mouth shut to my father. He didn’t need to know I’d rather die than remain here, or exactly how powerful my child would be. Although maybe he already knew and that’s why he wanted to destroy them.

Talking to the bitch had been risky. I knew she was only out for herself. Now I just had to hope me escaping would benefit her. If she thought it did, then she’d help get me out of here, even if it just meant causing a distraction long enough for me to slip away.

Had Balor noticed I was missing? Was he already searching for me? I could only hope he’d find me in time.

“Where are you, Balor?” I whispered. I needed him, more than ever. I didn’t think I’d ever escape this place on my own, and clearly Anne-Marie wasn’t going to be of any help either.

I didn’t want to die here or lose my baby. All I wanted was a chance at a happy life, with Balor and our child at my side.

Was that really asking for too much?

Chapter Ten

Balor

I stood in the dimly lit room. Shadows pulsed with my own anticipation. I clutched the family grimoire, the leather binding worn and ancient. It echoed with the weight of generations. My heart pounded in my ears, each beat a testament to the gravity of what I was about to do.

Balor Hades. Luke Williams. The duality of who I am. I’d kept my identity a secret, but it was time they understood who’d been leading them. Every member of the club had seen me as Luke Williams. They hadn’t realized the man who’d saved their lives was the same one who’d founded the town and made Darkwood the safest place for our kind. Until I’d told them. But telling them and showing the true extent of my power were two different things. I’d been holding back. Now that Belladonna had been taken, I didn’t have a choice but to take this next step.

My fingers tightened on the cover of the book. I’d read the words inside so many times the pages were soft, even if the cover was hard and cracked with age. The energy in the book hummed against my palm, the pages warm. It was time to unleash the darkness inside me. To become what I was always meant to be. Even before, during the war, I’d hadn’t fully unleashed my powers. Admittedly, the thought scared me a bit. I worried I’d become a monster, one Belladonna wouldn’t want to stay with any longer.

But I was doing this for her. I’d give up my soul, my very life, if it meant bringing her home safely. Letting the dark magick take over, fill me completely, was a small price to pay to save my family.

I opened the book, the pages crackling with power. The air grew heavier as if the room itself anticipated what I was about to do. I’d never spoken the words aloud, never tapped into the depths of dark magick. But now it was time.

I felt the stares of my men, and the weight of what I was about to do pressed down on me. I drew in a breath, let it out slowly, and focused on the words. I could do this. I had to do this.

My voice dropped to a near whisper, the words foreign on my tongue. I raised the book, my gaze locked on the page. “Magicam tenebras clamo ad te. Reple me virtute tua.”

A surge of energy coursed through me, hot and electric. My body stiffened, my back bowing as the power grew. My veins glowed, the light brightening under my skin. It crawled up my arms, down my chest. I watched in macabre fascination.

Beautiful. Horrifying.

My heart raced, each beat strong and unyielding. A drum heralding my transformation. I could feel the darkness moving through me. The room dimmed, the shadows pulsing, dancing as the light flared brighter under my skin. The air grew thicker, my breath coming faster. It smelled of ozone, of earth. Like a storm had blown in.

Power. It surged through me, a living entity in my veins. My fingers tingled, the energy building as if it wanted a way out. I didn’t know if I could contain it. It seemed to seep into the air, the tension rising. I closed my eyes, drew in a breath, and let it out slowly.

“I take what is mine. I claim it. All of it.”

I felt the power shift, and it pulsed faster under my skin. Stronger. I heard my men shuffle back a step. I opened my eyes and turned to face them. The energy crackled along my nerves, sparking at my fingertips.

“You’re…” One of the men swallowed hard. “Fuck me. You’re really Balor Hades.”

I gave them a smile, the darkness inside me moving closer to the surface. “And now you know why this is my town.”

“Luke…” The man shook his head. “I mean, Balor.”

He seemed to be at a loss for words. They all were.

I turned to the book and flipped through the pages. The energy crackled, the power surging through me again. I found the spell I needed and ran my finger over the words. My lips moved silently as I read it. I could feel the darkness inside me responding.

I’d have to be careful. I didn’t know if I could pull it back once I let it out. I’d never been trained. Not by anyone with enough power to contain me. I’d had to figure it out on my own.

I took a step back, then another. I felt the energy shift again. The light under my skin flared brighter. The book fell from my hand as I screamed, the darkness pouring out of me. I fell to my knees, my head dropping forward. My body convulsed with power. My men cursed, but I couldn’t focus on them. I had to ride the wave, let it wash over me. Through me.

I’d claimed what was mine. All of my power. The air around me distorted, distorted. Like it had taken on a life of its own. I watched in horrified fascination as the air rippled, much like heat waves over pavement. The shadows on the walls stretched and twisted, as if they were trying to escape the confines of the room. I could almost feel the room breathing with me. Whatever was in me, it was affecting everything around me. Warping the very air.

My eyes glowed, the light otherworldly. I could see the reflection in their eyes. I’d never felt such power. It pulsed along my veins, sparking at my fingertips. Was this what my father had felt? Why he’d wanted to be more? The energy crackled in my ears, the sound nearly drowning out everything else. I flexed my fingers, feeling the magick arc between them.

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