Page 110 of Legendary

I looked at Nick with his easy on the eyes face, I remembered that smirk that somehow made me want to kiss him even more and I cut my eyes to his chest. The chest that held a heart that was too big and too hopeful. I had no business wanting a piece of it and he had no business trying to keep giving me chunks. Look where it got him.

“Him and his little friend and everyone who is willing to follow you and fight beside you are following a dangerous path. I must admit I do enjoy your little journey but it’s time you said your goodbyes and took your place where you belong.”

“He doesn’t want to change me, you know.”

Lilith brushed my hair back from my shoulder and I moved out of her reach, slapping her hand to the side. She gave me a skeptical look. “And you think I do? You may not know your own power yet, but I made you what you are, and I’ve loved you ever since.” She walked over to me and my feet were like bricks again, unable to move. Lilith tucked her finger under my chin and tilted my head up. “I never want to hurt you, my love, but you will give me no choice and I can guarantee you will not be happy with my methods of getting my way.”

She squeezed my chin, hard. I clenched my teeth as I spoke. “You don’t scare me. You never have.”

Lilith stuck out her tongue and licked at her red stained lips. “And that’s why you were always my favorite. So ferocious. So brave. Bravery is an admirable trait, but sometimes…” she looked back at Nick who had seemed to stop breathing. I made a move to rush over to him, but she stopped me. “Sometimes bad things happen to the bravest people. No matter the intent, you will be to blame.”

I used all my strength and shoved her back. “No! It will beyourfault!You did this!”

She didn’t look mad or upset. She looked content and that was even worse. “I’ve never claimed to be anything I’m not, that’s on you. It’s quite comical watching you play hero when you’ve brought them to their deaths all because they followed your lead. I tried to give you a way to save them, yet you chose to turn away from my generous offering. So, whose fault is it Dani?” I watched the clouds swirl around us and Nick’s limp body began to disappear before my eyes.

Of course, this was all an illusion. A dream state, a mind trap. I had always thought she was in my head before, but this was different. She was really done playing with me, this was her last straw. “You won’t touch him. You won’t touch any of them!”

Lilith stroked her long-manicured fingernail over her chin, unfazed. “I won’t ruin them, my love, you will.” She gave me a wide mouth smile that showed all her teeth. I felt something in my palm, something familiar. I looked down and saw my hand wrapped tightly around the hilt of my dagger. Thick pulses of blood dripped off the hooked tip. I blinked and backed up, noticing blood was covering the floor around me, caked on my legs and my hands were slippery with the warm substance.

“What is this!” I screamed.

Lilith pressed her lips together. “Dimitri did warn you and to think, it didn’t have to be this way.” The room seemed to pulse, and my head was pounding. I kept walking backwards as Lilith’s form kept distorting and then piecing back together. I tripped over something and landed backwards on my back. The clattering of the dagger rang through my ears, and I pushed myself off the ground.

“I loved this chat of ours. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again.” Lilith waved her hand as if to shoo me off before she completely disappeared. There was a dark dust of shadows that surrounded her and colorful magic that looked like Enchanter magic. I was about to yell something back at her when I noticed a pair of feet in my peripheral vision. I let my eyes roam up the body and scurried back as quickly as I could when I realized it was Elise. Blood leaked out of her neck, from the large slice right through it. I moved back further and hit another body. I gasped when I saw Reese, lifeless and covered in blood and I felt the tears, the hurt, the hate for myself because maybe Lilith was right. My back hit a wall that I didn’t even know was there, as I tried to move away even faster, and tried to grab it for leverage as I hyperventilated and rose from the ground.

Bodies manifested and scattered at my feet, each and every time I blinked. It was harrowing but my inner shadow raged and reveled in it. Iwas sick from seeing it, but I wanted more. I didn’t understand, I couldn’t understand. That’s when I noticed Nick in the same position I’d found him in earlier. His head hung down between his shoulders and blood still leaked from his wounds.

Had I done this?

I let out a shrill sound as my dagger manifested itself back in my hand. Fresh blood on the blade as if it was always meant to be that way. I shook my hand to try to get it off, to let it go, but it was glued to me. I violently shook my head and I felt myself crying harder and harder. The air grew still and silent then. It was a deafening silence that I didn’t like. I peered over at Nick's sullen form and all at once, his head tilted back, and his eyes opened wide. His mouth opened and a silent scream erupted.

I shot up from bed, screaming and thrashing. I kept my eyes shut tight, swinging my arms around, wanting to remove the mental image from my mind, but it was replaying over and over. My dagger felt like a weight in my hand, pulling me down into darkness I knew, but maybe it was one I didn’t want so deeply anymore. My throat was dry, but I kept screaming, I kept begging for a way out.

Hands wrapped around my arms and tried to hold me still while I flailed around needing to find a way out. “Dani! Dani! Stop! It’s me.” The voice was familiar and did something to my insides. It halted the toxic waves rumbling through my body. I started slapping at the hard chest in front of me, blinking my eyes open. I pushed and tried to get away, but the hands held me in place. I felt my body start to shake.

“Dani! Stop! Wake up!”

“No! No!” They were shaking me. My eyes fully opened, and the pieces started forming, the picture started to come together. Nick’s face became my primary view and my fists pounding at his chest moved slower and then eventually stopped. He was breathing heavily, and his eyes looked crazily around my face. There was so much worry coming from him. He was right here. He was fine. “Nick.” I had to make sure he was fine, he was real. I patted his chest, his shoulders, and traveled my hands up his neck to his face, making sure that every single feature was as it should be.

He released his tense hold on my arms and slid his hands up to my face, holding me there so he could inspect. “Yes. I’m right here.”

Elise and I were different in how we displayed our feelings and emotions. She liked to pretend like she didn’t have any and I simply showed mine in parts. Throughout whatever this was between Nicholas and me, he was slowly collecting those parts. It wasn’t my favorite thing, knowing someone was rummaging delicately inside my emotions, making themselves at home,but I couldn’t say I didn’t like not feeling so alone. He had done the same and ultimately given me his heart, so I felt like it was my place to make sure no harm came to it. I always made sure no harm came to the things that were mine. That’s exactly what Nicholas Cassial was.

He was mine.

Tears fell down my face as I spoke. “She got into my head. You. Everyone. Bleeding and dead because of me. I should have listened to her, I can’t…Nick…I can’t.” I could barely make out sentences. My head started to ache just from trying to formulate a response. I was choking on my own words, and I hiccupped trying not to flood this entire room with my tears that were of no use to anyone. His thumbs brushed under my eyes, and he pulled me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me.

“I’m fine, okay. I’m right here, I’m fine. Everything is okay, baby,” He whispered, reassuring me as he smoothed down my curls and kissed the top of my head.

“I’m the problem, Nick.” I said, my voice muffled against his chest.

“You are not the problem. Stop believing her and start listening to me,” he pleaded. “We are with you. I’m with you, existing with all the scars. You’re not a monster.” His heart was beating loudly against my ear.

He wanted to believe so much about me that I wished I could join him in his ideals. I was very capable of the things she made me see, I was capable of doing so much more damage. I absolutely didn’t hate being a demon, but sometimes Ididhate the way it made me feel when I wasn’t on a high from torturing or manipulation. When I was alone without Elise’s sass or another demon’s body pressed against mine to dull the pain.

I lifted my head up and saw the concern etched on his face. His eyebrows pulled together as he tried to assess what to do next. I nearly climbed him to get to his face and kiss him. He didn’t pull back, but he was surprised. His lips weren’t as open for a moment, wondering if he should give into what was happening. I moaned against his mouth and used all my strength to push him back onto his pillow and swing my leg over his body, straddling him.

His hand touched my shoulders and pushed me up. “Dani, what are you doing?”

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