Page 42 of Tears of Ruin

The moment the first bolt of electricity crackled toward us, I shoved Noam aside, pivoting just as another streak of blue fire arced through the air. The force of it singed the ground where I had been standing, the scent of burned earth and ozone thick in the air.

Silo didn’t hesitate. He hurled another strike, faster this time, aiming straight for my chest.

I was faster.

With a sharp pivot, I dodged left, my body moving on instinct. My fingers twitched, power surging through me, but I didn’t call on the flames just yet. Not until I understood his rhythm.

Malachi lunged forward, his sword flashing in the dim light, but Silo twisted, his body shifting with unnatural speed. A clawed hand lashed out, aiming for Malachi’s throat. Giovanni intercepted, his daggers a blur as he blocked the strike, spinning low before driving a blade toward Silo’s ribs.

The demon disappeared—vanished like a shadow slipping through cracks. I had no idea they could do that.

He reappeared behind me.

A sharp jolt of electricity lanced through my body, sending pain screaming through my nerves. I staggered forward, gritting my teeth against the burn.

“Noam, get back!” I barked, forcing myself to move despite the lingering agony.

A flicker of movement in my peripheral vision… Silo was already raising his hands for another strike.

I moved before he could release it.

Summoning every ounce of heat within me, I threw my arms wide, and fire erupted. The entire battlefield was bathed in gold and crimson, the sudden flare of flames momentarily blinding. Silo stumbled back, snarling, his smug confidence flickering.

“You think fire scares me?” he spat.

I didn’t respond. Instead, I thrust both hands forward, sending a torrent of flames directly at him. He dodged but not fast enough. The edge of my fire licked across his side, searing flesh.

His screech echoed through the night.

I advanced.

Silo snarled and lashed out again, this time with tendrils of blue lightning snapping toward me like whips. I didn’t flinch. My flames surged higher, meeting his attack head-on. Sparks and fire collided, sending a shockwave rippling outward.

Malachi struck from the side, his sword slicing through the air, but Silo twisted at the last second, catching the blade in his bare hand. The steel sizzled against his palm, smoke curling, but he didn’t flinch. Instead, he grinned—a wicked, knowing thing.

“Pathetic,” he sneered then sent a blast of raw energy that sent Malachi flying backward.

Giovanni didn’t wait. He was already moving, a blur of shadow and steel, his daggers carving a path through the air. He was relentless, driving Silo back step by step, his movements too fluid, too precise to predict.

I took my opening.

A surge of fire shot through my limbs, and in a single instant, I shifted.

The force of my transformation sent the flames around me into a frenzy. The world tilted, the air bending around me as I spread my wings wide. The heat of my power pulsed, a living entity, hungry and unstoppable.

Silo’s confidence faltered.

I saw it in his eyes.

Good.

With one mighty sweep of my wings, I launched myself forward, talons slashing across his chest. He staggered, fury contorting his face as he tried to summon another strike—but I didn’t give him the chance. I raked my claws downward, slicing deep.

The ground shook.

Silo let out a choked sound, stumbling back, his hands trembling as he pressed them against his wounds.

I landed in front of him, towering over him, my golden feathers glowing with the heat of my fire.

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