Page 37 of Chains of Nightshade

"The beast grieves," one of them sneers. "How pathetic."

My tail whips out, catching him mid-laugh. The crack of his spine echoes through the clearing. "Grief?" Blood drips from my claws as I turn to face the others. "This isn't grief. This is rage."

Their spells hit me like burning brands, but I barely feel them. Nothing can match the pain already tearing through my chest. I launch myself at the nearest elf, my hands wrapping around his throat.

"You want to see a monster?" I crush his windpipe, watching the light fade from his eyes. "I'll show you a fucking monster."

Three more dark elves attack from different directions, their magic forming a cage of lightning around me. I laugh, the sound raw and broken.

"You think you can cage me again?" My tail sweeps in a wide arc, smashing through their barrier. "I've got nothing left to lose."

One of them stumbles backward, fear finally showing in his eyes. "What are you?"

I grab him by the face, slamming him into the ground. "I'm your worst nightmare." My claws sink deep into his flesh. "And I'm just getting started."

The remaining elves try to retreat, but I'm faster. My coils wrap around two of them, squeezing until their bones crack like twigs. Their screams are music to my ears.

"Please," the last one begs, dropping to his knees. "Mercy."

I lean close, letting him see the emptiness in my eyes. "Mercy? Did you show her mercy?" My tail tightens around his chest. "Did you try to save her when she jumped?"

His answer is cut off by the sound of crushing bones. I drop his lifeless body and slither to the cliff's edge. Blood drips from my scales, mixing with the dirt beneath me.

"Wait for me, Vera." I look down into the abyss. "I'm coming."

17

VERA

Magic surges through my veins like liquid fire, lifting me from what should have been my death. The wind hisses around me, but I no longer feel its chill. Instead, power courses through every fiber of my being, transforming my once-frail body into something... magnificent.

My feet touch nothing but air as I hover above the jagged rocks below. Raw energy crackles at my fingertips, dancing like lightning across my skin. This must be what it feels like to be truly alive.

"What is this?" I whisper, but my voice carries on the wind like thunder. The magic responds to my thoughts, swirling around me in patterns of light and shadow.

I glance down at my hands, watching as they glow with an inner radiance. Gone is the trembling weakness that has plagued me my entire life. In its place, strength flows through me, steady and sure.

For the first time, I feel complete. Whole. The constant ache in my joints, the perpetual exhaustion - all of it vanishes in this surge of power. My body straightens, no longer bowed by the weight of servitude and shame.

A laugh bubbles up from deep within me - not the timid sound I'm used to, but something rich and full. Free. The magic pulses in response, sending ripples of energy through the air around me.

"So this is what I am," I say to myself, feeling the truth of it in my bones. "This is what I was always meant to be."

The dark elves' shouts from above seem distant now, insignificant. Their power, which once terrified me, feels like nothing compared to the storm raging within me. Even thoughts of Aurel fade into the background as this new sensation overwhelms me.

I rise higher, letting the magic carry me upward. My body moves with a grace I've never known, light as air yet charged with untamed power. Freedom courses through me - not just from slavery, but from everything that once held me back. Fear. Doubt. Desire. They all fall away, leaving only this glorious sensation of pure, unbridled strength.

From my vantage point above the cliff, I watch Aurel's massive form weave through the dark elves. His serpentine body crushes one while his hands snap another's neck. The battlefield is a symphony of violence, and he conducts it with brutal precision.

My newfound power thrums through me, but it's not excitement that fills my chest - it's rage. Pure, unfiltered hatred.

"Look at you," I whisper, watching him fight. "So noble now, coming back for me?" The magic crackles around my fingers, responding to my anger.

A dark elf charges at Aurel from behind. Part of me wants to call out a warning, but I bite my tongue. Let him suffer. His massive tail whips around, catching the attacker mid-stride.

"You used me." The words taste like poison on my tongue. "Trained me, touched me, made me believe..." My voice catches,but the fury pushes through. "Made me believe I was worth something."

Below, Aurel roars as he tears through another opponent. His eyes dart to the cliff's edge, searching. Looking for my broken body, no doubt. The thought makes my blood boil hotter.

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