Page 36 of Celestial Shadows

EILISH

Plains of Reckoning

“So, the day has come that we finally meet,” Abedon says as he runs a hand through his hair, mouth curling into a smile at the edges. He is handsome and there’s a confident swagger to his walk.

“I’m not interested in your conversation,” I spit at him.

He chuckles at me. “I have heard so much about you and yet I feel as if I know nothing at all.”

My steps are light, deliberate. Abedon watches me closely. I hear the familiar roar of the dragon that laid waste to The Veil Forest and Pyre’s home. Harpies circle above my head, no doubt drawing on the death and pain that thickens the air. “From what I gather, you and I aren’t so different.”

“I am no abomination.”

If he means to upset me, it doesn’t work. “Though we are both products of foretold prophecies, only one of us can rise as the new power.”

“You see yourself as my equal?” His laughter mingles with the thrashing bodies and explosions of magic that rage around us. “You’re a child, Eilish. These people may call you their queen, but you are a plague, a leech that will suck this world dry, if given the chance.”

“You’re wrong.”

Abedon shakes his head. “Morrigan was the same in her youth—headstrong and yet so naive.”

“Morrigan was a woman driven mad by love and fear, a woman who chose to betray the realms in her search for power rather than do what was right,” I hiss. “She had to die so we can build a future. Elioth had to die as well. Now, you are all that stands between the realms and peace.”

“A dragon, Harpies, spellcasters, and necromancers... you think you can beat me with your rebel army? You’re a fool, Eilish.” Abedon swings his sword. I barely deflect the blow. Vibrations shoot down my arms, causing me to cringe. I grit my teeth and dig my heels into the dirt. Abedon attempts to knock me off balance. My blood-drenched hands slip on the dagger and my grip falters. I bash my head against Abedon’s skull. He stumbles back and I fight against the throbbing in my temples.

My fingers curl tighter around the blade and, for a moment, I think it’s all that can protect me. But that isn’t true. I’ve been given the power to protect myself—power to make sure that I, and those who are like me, never have to be victims of fate again. I drop my dagger. It falls into a puddle of blood. Abedon chuckles darkly. The condescending glint in his eyes makes me want to carve them out of his head.

I lash out with a stream of light. Abedon grabs ahold of it as though it’s a physical thing. I can see it burning his hands as he pulls me closer like the beam of light is some sort of mystical rope. I try to retract the spell. It doesn’t work. Abedon’s face contorts into a sneer.

“Your grace tastes so sweet.” He yanks me against his chest and licks a long trail along my neck. Then he spins me around, but his hold is bruising. Each time I try to wrestle free, he grinds his erection against me.

“I can be forgiving, Eilish. Join me and allow me to feed off your power. Be my queen and no one else has to die.”

He uses his hold on my power and lifts my arm as though I’m a puppet on a string. My fingers curl slightly and black bleeds into my lightness, tainting it with cold shadows. Rock begins to from the sky and as I look upwards, I realize my magic is ripping the gargoyles apart, one at a time.

“Stop!” I yell as tears stream down my face. Lightning flashes and the elemental dragon flies over the last sliver of light in thesky. Dragan releases a furious cry. My companions rush towards me, but are stopped by a vortex of power that surrounds Abedon.

“I will allow them to live,” Abedon says as he faces me with intent. “Only if you agree to be my queen, Eilish. Only if you agree to be my wife.”

“She will never agree to aid you!” Silvanus yells from behind me.

Abedon turns his corruption on Silvanus as the god approaches from behind. Silvanus fights Abedon’s power—using his own magic as a stream of energy that pours out from his chest. But Abedon turns his darkness towards Silvanus. And, little by little, he forces Silvanus’ energy back. Silvanus crumbles to his knees.

I open my mouth to scream once more, but something begins to unfurl inside me. I reach for it, summoning it to the surface. I see nothing... hear nothing... but I feel it, all the same.

I am power. And power flows up and through me.

Raw, unfiltered magic erupts from my body. The untamed hunger of my succubus side fuels my lightness and I unleash the power of the angel and the succubus at the same time. My wings wrap around Abedon and he pulls his attack from Silvanus, facing me instead. His eyes go wide as he feels the power radiating from me.

I reach for his head.

“You can’t defeat the darkness!” he yells at me.

“I don’t want to defeat the darkness,” I reply, hardly able to recognize my own voice. “But the new world will have no place for beings like you.” I use my power to force Abedon onto his hands and knees.

He tries to fight the surge of magic flowing through me but it’s too strong, even for him. The lightness and darkness within me gush, each fueling the other until I feel as if I’ll explode if I don’t release the power immediately.

I face Abedon and hold my hands out towards him. His eyes go even wider as I funnel everything within me into him. As soon as the energy hits him, he clenches his eyes shut tight and then attempts to raise his hands to fight me. But my power is too much for him. It’s too much for me and all I know is I have to continue emptying it from myself and into him. I have to fill him until his body can’t take anymore.

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