Page 40 of Live Like Legends

Elise paid her no mind. “Not in my nature.” She created a ball of that same-colored magic in one hand, while simultaneously letting her tail linger and wait for the next time it was to strike.

I placed my hands on the floor, pushing myself up. I flexed my fingers and rolled my neck, as I readied myself. I pushed off the ball of my foot as I ran towards her. Her tail swooped low, but I jumped over it gathering all the combined power of light and dark power that I had as she let two balls of her own dark power out, the red coloring surrounding it sparking every few moments.

I went to reach my hand up and stop one ball of dark energy at me, when I saw that a few inches from touching it, my power reached out to take hold of it all by itself. My power sucked it up and I threw it over to the left. The magical wall Natalia had added encapsulated it and the interior of the room vibrated. I quickly did the same thing with the other ball of energy, throwing it to my right. Garrett swiftly moved Beetee off the side before she got struck by it.

I felt something like a scaly rope wrap around my wrist and found that Elise’s tail was cinching itself around my arm. My body was twisted around, and I landed flat on my back, while my arm was still suspended in the air by her magical appendage. The venom pulsed itself along my skin, the feeling in my arm slowly growing numb.

My teeth clamped together with how the venom burned as it sedated my right arm. Her tail unraveled and started to slither its way over to my other hand, but I snatched it up, feeling my own power eject itself against her tail. I didn’t feel the venom like I thought I would, but I saw lines of golden light shoot down towards the base of her tail followed by dark shadows spiraling.

Smoke flared and she yelped in surprise, throwing out multiple rounds of dark magic as she pulled her tail back. The appendage was wafting smoke flames as she brought it backcloser to her body. I was starting to get the feeling in my other arm again as I threw out my magic at her attempt at a counterattack; each one flying into the wall and being absorbed.

Zane went to steady his High Priestess each time, but all she did was simply watch in utter amazement at what she was witnessing. When everything had settled, I felt sweat along my forehead and the back of my neck. I looked down at my hands, creating my own balanced ball of power between my palms and then letting it disappear.

I really didn’t know if in a different setting I could control it again. I didn’t know if the same victory I felt now would be the same for when I was faced with something much bigger than my friends.

I supposed the what ifs were a nonstarter at the moment. Fretting would get me nowhere.

Elise patted her tail, letting it move behind her and then disappear altogether.

“That’s what you get for fucking with her,” Reese scolded, wagging his finger at her.

“Bite me.” Elise did a flicking motion with her fingers, sending a red flaming stream of darkness in his direction that connected with his stomach. He landed against the wall behind him with a grunt.

Beetee started to get in between them, while Natalia strolled over to me, taking my hands in hers. “You really are a sight to see.”

“Let’s just hope everyone else feels that way when it matters.”

Natalia laughed, which like always, came out like the more charming music. “Right now matters just as much as any other time. Every piece of progress you’ve made, every single time you give the light and dark a place to call home, that matters. A round of applause and praise doesn’t make your success any less of a success.”

The door opened causing all of us to halt our conversations. I felt Nick before I saw him, bringing a smile to my face. That smile was immediately eliminated when Morgan walked in behind him. Her eyes darted around the room and whistled.

“Well, this is nice.” She pressed her finger against the magic. “We wouldn’t want any more destruction now, would we?” She blinked over to me with a smile that made my blood boil.

“Heaven’s Gate could use some modifications, so maybe a little destruction is what it fucking needs.” Elise tilted her head to the side, getting a narrowed glance in her direction from Morgan.

Nick pushed past her, taking the longest strides possible to reach me. “So how did everything go?”

“I think I can do this.”

I wasn’t going to wait for whatever was beyond that dark ripple to come to us, even if Elise said it was only a matter of days. I would get Garrett his family back, Elise could have her furry companion she claimed to not think much about, Beetee could protect her moms, Nick would have an entire story to tell his father once they were on speaking terms again and I would take out this darkness, whether that was attributed to Dimitri or Lilith. Or both. Purgatory had been a place where I’d been manipulated, and I wanted to take that back. There would be no thinking when I got there; I didn’t get raised from the dead for any more thinking.

Ariel could think I was doing his bidding and fighting for him to make this realm better, but once it was all said and done, he could kiss my ass. The day that Ariel picked up a weapon or lifted his fucking finger to protect this realm would be the day he got my respect.

He placed his hand on my cheek, letting his thumb slide along my jaw. “I alreadyknewthat. I meant like any issues.”

“Oh, no, well I almost burnt Elise’s tail off but that’s not a big deal.”

“Oh, fuck off, it is a big deal,” Elise countered.

Nick opened his mouth to speak again but Morgan cut him off. “Since you seem to be doing so well, Soul Seether, then I’ll be sure to tell Ariel that you are more than prepared to do what you do best. He is eager to know that you are right on track, following directions.”

“I’m sure he is.” I slid my arms around Nick’s body, resting my head on his chest as I stared at her.

She flipped her hair over her shoulder, the translucent shine of the magic from the walls bouncing off the lens of her glasses. She placed her hands on her hips. “Nick, why don’t you let her continue being the most obedient hybrid she can be, hmm?” She motioned for him to back away from me and follow her.

Nick looked down at me and then over his shoulder at the waiting guardian angel. She had already spent the entire morning with him and yet, she still wasn’t satisfied. I caught Reese out of the corner of my eye, aggressively rolling his eyes and I caught my laugh before it tumbled out.

“I think she has done well for today, we can always end early,” Natalia offered. I felt the buzz of pride in my veins.

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