Page 39 of Chains of Nightshade

"What we shared was a lie." The ground trembles beneath my feet. "You taught me to be strong, then left me to die when I needed you most."

His massive form seems to shrink. "I came back?—"

"Too late." My laugh sounds hollow even to my own ears. "Always too late, Aurel. Just like when you promised to protect me, to teach me. Empty words from a snake."

The raw anguish on his face would have broken my heart before. Now it only fuels my rage. Let him suffer. Let him feel a fraction of the pain he caused.

"You want forgiveness?" I raise my hand, magic swirling around my fingers. "You want to make things right?" The power builds, responding to my fury. "Then suffer like I did. Break like I did."

His eyes widen as my magic surrounds him. Good. Let him know what it feels like to be helpless, to be at someone else's mercy.

"Please," he whispers, but I'm done listening to his pleas.

I've spent my entire life being weak. Being used. First by the dark elves, then by him. Never again.

The weapon clatters to the ground at Aurel's feet, the sound echoing through the battlefield. His massive form, once so intimidating, seems smaller now as he raises his hands in surrender. The gesture makes my magic surge hotter.

"Vera, I—" His voice cracks, those golden eyes that once captivated me now filled with something I've never seen before. Fear? Regret?

I don't let him finish. The magic erupts from my hands before he can speak another word, a bolt of pure energy that slams into his chest. The force sends him flying backward, his serpentine body crashing into the blood-soaked ground with a sickening thud.

Pain contorts his features as he lies there, but he doesn't move. Doesn't fight back. His chest heaves with labored breaths, yet his hands remain open, unthreatening.

"Fight back," I snarl, my power crackling around me. "Show me the real Aurel. The one who used me and left me to die."

But he just lies there, those golden eyes fixed on mine. Blood trickles from the corner of his mouth, yet he makes no move to defend himself.

"Get up!" Another surge of magic dances at my fingertips, ready to strike. "Stop pretending to be noble. Stop acting like you care!"

His voice comes out as a whisper, rough with pain. "I'm not acting."

The words hit harder than any physical blow, but I push through the ache in my chest. "Liar. You've never been anything but lies."

Magic surges through my fingertips again, slamming into Aurel's chest. His massive body crashes into a tree, the impact splintering the trunk. Blood trickles from his mouth, but still he doesn't fight back.

"You think you can use me and get away unscathed?" Another blast sends him rolling across the ground. His scales scrape against the rocks, leaving trails of blood.

He pushes himself up on trembling arms. "Vera?—"

"Shut up!" My power wraps around his throat, lifting him into the air. "All those sweet words in my dreams, all those promises—lies!" I slam him back down. The ground cracks beneath him.

His golden eyes meet mine, filled with something that looks like regret. But I know better now. Everything about him is a lie.

"You taught me to be strong." My voice shakes as I send another wave of magic crashing into him. "Taught me to believe in myself." Another blast. "Made me think I was special to you!"

Aurel coughs, blood staining his lips. "You are?—"

"Liar!" The magic explodes from me in a devastating wave. His body flies through the air, crashing through trees before hitting the ground. "You lied to me!"

Tears blur my vision as I stalk toward his broken form. My hands tremble, but the magic remains steady, crackling with raw power.

"Look at me now." I lift my hand, gathering more energy. "I am magic personified. Everything you taught me, turned against you."

His chest heaves with labored breaths. "I deserve this."

"Yes, you do." My voice cracks, tears spilling down my cheeks. "You made me believe you cared!"

The magic builds between my fingers, ready to strike again. Ready to make him suffer like I did.

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