Page 120 of Live Like Legends

This felt like losing and I hated to lose. I especially hated to lose to someone who was unworthy of being victorious. My eyes had followed Natalia as Dimitri brought her over to where he had Dani. Zane was yelling at him to bring her back, but it was no use. I wanted to help her; I wanted to help everyone. I caught sight of all the bodies that littered the grounds. Some of them were angels I knew and some were ones I hadn’t met yet, but it made me want to vomit all the same.

Thoughts about the last time this many angels were dead and scattered at my feet flooded through me and my head started spinning. It was already hot, but I felt myself starting to sweat profusely. The restraints kept my chest from rising like normal,so the restriction on my breathing wasn’t helping. I should have seen this coming. I should have madesurehe was dead. I was stupid to believe otherwise; this was clearly all my fault and I would never get to tell Garrett how sorry I was. My eyes burned from keeping my tears at bay.

“Deep breath in, deep breath out, Nick.” Reese had his wrists tied together, his bow inches away from his feet. He gave me a look that told me to do what he said.

I nodded, taking in as much air as I could and then letting it out. My chest hurt, but I did it again.

My chest felt hot, but this wasn’t from Dimitri’s power. Iknewthis heat. I looked down at the way my chest had a slight glow to it. It wasn’t bright and overwhelming but it didn’t need to be. It soothed me in a way, but it also had this yearning to it. I let out slow breaths, letting my body mold to the welcomed invasion of light. I looked over at my father, who was staring right back at me.

I had my strength, sure, but I liked to think I owed so much of it to this man. He couldn’t douse me with words of wisdom or sharp wit at the moment, but his eyes told me so much. I had to hope mine did the same. My father had so much power now and he had to use nearly all of it in the first fight since acquiring it. I was sure he was tired and drowning in the need to re-energize, but if I knew my father at all—that wouldn’t stop him. I was able to raise my hand just a tiny bit, letting him see the light that formed at my fingers. His eyes roamed from my fingers to my chest, seeing the light that glowed there. He moved his head towards where Dani was and his eyes widened in what I hoped was understanding.

I kept pushing my own light, trying to mend together all the pieces of it I could feel. I gave my father a small smile, my voice a bit rough. “You are stronger than any of this, Dad. Jonahwouldn’t have given the power to you if he didn’t think so.” I hissed when one of the shadow demons kicked me in my side.

I coughed, rolling over but keeping up the persistence of my light as I heaved out a breath.

My father pulled at his restraints, but this time I noticed he wasreallypulling. His face was strained and reddened by the amount of energy I knew he didn’t have but he pushed through. Light ignited around his body, dimming and becoming bright over and over again. It was being shut down and amped up causing my father to have to push more, exert more power.

The guards that watched us were on edge but seemed to think nothing would happen. They likely assumed we were trying to fight against a losing game. The black ropes that held my father in place began to burn and melt. The one at his mouth glowed and started to shrivel up.

I squinted when the light became too bright to look at head on, closing my eyes for a minute. I heard a grunt and something that reminded me of a squeal before I opened my eyes again. My father was standing proud, his chest broad and the aura he presented was felt.

He opened up his hand, letting light protrude from it and towards me.

One day your light will be just as big as that all on your own, but sometimes

it’s okay to get a little help.

My light would be just as big as my father’s, but I wouldn’t be the one using it.

I felt my restraints pull away, dissolving up around me. My light felt stronger and ready for anything. My father started to say something but stopped short, punching a guard clear through the chest with his power. My father was much different than Jonah when it came to his power. Jonah was never one for physical altercations so he used the power for more emotionalsituations, he let others feel his authority over them. My father would like me to believe he enjoyed talking things through, but a good rumble was something he appreciated and the power he now had molded to that.

I grabbed my sword and paused when I got to Reese. I heard my father yell in my direction, “I have them, now go!”

Reese gave me a solid nod before I seamlessly fought through demons that barreled towards me. I swiveled out of their holds, while also piercing through the chest of one guard. I shoved my sword’s pommel into the head of another. I let my light amp up my blade before I plunged it into the shadow demons, letting them fall to the ground without a second glance. I got up to a tree, seeing Beetee and watching her breathe shallow breaths.

The snake shifter caught my eye and her eyebrows furrowed. Blood soaked the area around us and the wind rustled the leaves on the trees. The smell of brimstone nearly clogging my lungs.

I didn’t know much about what Dani planned to do but I didn’t think twice when I let light expel from my hand straight to her body. It was eager to get to her as if it wanted nothing more than to mingle with hers.

Another light caught my eye and I blinked looking to my left. My breath caught when I saw the pink haired demon extend as much of her hand as she could out to Dani. Her head rested on her arm as she let light flood from her fingers, as if it had been there all along and just waiting for a reason to be released.

The jolt I felt burned, but it was a good burn. It was the kind that made you hesitant at first, like you weren’t expecting it. Then it becomes something that you can handle, something you can settle with and learn to enjoy. Nick’s light flooded in and I watched as Dimitri reared his head back, continuing to press his nails into the back of Natalia’s neck. It was quick the way my light no longer cried out in pain, but seemed to jump for joy over having its companion back. That joy doubled over when a new light forced its way in as well. This one was foreign to me. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but when my light didn’t shy away I didn’t think to question it. My light embraced this new one while my shadows tried to fight back against Dimitri’s own darkness.

My thigh was starting to bleed slowly and I took a deep breath in, letting my mind go numb enough to let both lights stand their ground with my own. I heard Natalia moan in pain as Dimitri dug his nails in deeper.

“You are so cute when you try, pretty girl, but all you can do istry.” Dimitri gripped Natalia’s neck harder and flung her backwards.

I pointed my fingers at my thigh, seeing the light grow bigger than before. Ithadto work. I had to rely on the light to help me, without my shadows. I had to hope that being vulnerable to it wasn’t wrong and I wasn’t completely fucked. “Allyoucan do is wish younevertouched me.”

I let the light fly from my fingers and onto my own skin. It hit my wound, seeping in and I let out a scream at the way it burned. Dimitri pulled back, moving his head from side to side.

“What are you doing!?” he yelled, reaching for me, but then slinking backwards as his shoulders tensed. It looked like whatever I was doing was hurting him from the inside.

I pushed more light into my scars, seering my skin. Shadows flew out of my now open wounds, they snapped at me and shrilled at the way they were pushed out. Dimitri pressed his hand to his skull; he tried to morph back into his old self but the two parts of him kept shifting. I was disrupting his mind.

I bit my own tongue at the way my skin sizzled. The restraints loosened inch by inch and when I was close enough I gave it my all. I pressed my palm firmly to my thigh and Dimitri lunged for me.

“You stupid girl!” he roared, being thrown to his knees by his own destructive mind. His restraints slipped away from me, so I got up hurriedly, feeling the pain in my thigh almost immediately when I put pressure on it. Dimitri looked behind me as he continued to wince. “I will make sure you areneveras happy as you could have been!”

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