Page 171 of Cursed Heirs

“Shit,” I grunted.

And then I did it, my flames erupted from me, combating the hellfire and pulling it from melting my flesh, said flesh even healing as I invoked my phoenix fire.

Constantine looked far too pleased with himself as he held the Orb between us and it started drawing streams of Alena’s magic and flames of mine into itself.

It forced both of us to expend more power to offset what it was taking so I could stop the hellfire from ravaging me and Alena could stop my flames from burning her.

Just what the demon wanted.

“That’s it,” he was saying to himself as the Orb levitated from his hand and started spinning. “Just a little more and I can perform the spell.”

“We’ll undo it,” Alena told him, vehemently.

Constantine laughed. “I’m sure you’ll try. And I’ll delight in punishing you for it. All four of you this time, actually. I’m looking most forward to it.”

“Sick fucking bastard,” I spat.

“You’ll find out just howsicksoon enough.”

Alena choked then, drawing both our attention. Her power flickered briefly, before she managed to get back control.

I watched as the black veins on her arms started disappearing bit by bit, and everywhere else they were visible.

“What’s happening?” Constantine demanded. “I thought Saryan was unconscious.”

“He is,” she uttered, gasping as she struggled to hold her magic steady while something or someone seemed to be siphoning the black magic out of her.

Constantine drew closer, just shy of touching her power, examining what was happening. “This is much faster than he could achieve in his state. It’s something else. Someone else.”

An explosion of bright white light ripped through the area.

Abigail Rose appeared a second before she fired what looked like a Taser at theHellborn.I watched in astonishment as it connected and then snuffed out the flames somehow, a colorful hue taking its place, holding it back, it seemed.

As Constantine stared at it, stunned, Abigail blasted him across the forest with her white power.

As the sounds of him grunting and hitting tree after tree in the process echoed all around, she snapped her fingers and Alena and I were released from our binds.

As we dropped to the ground, we both snuffed out our magic.

“Mom, what—” Alena started.

But her mom interrupted as she grabbed her hand and then started drawing out the rest of the black veins and we watched as they traveled between them and crawled along her skin instead.

“No, Mom!” Alena cried, trying to pull away.

But Abigail held fast, until I saw the last of it leave Alena.

And then she let go, staggering back a step and panting.

“Mom, what have you done?”

Before she could answer, a roar sounded, and then the wind whipped around us violently.

Abigail shot out her hand and caught Constantine mid-pounce, her hand wrapping around his throat and holding him off the ground.

Holy. Shit.

He flailed as she held fast.

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