Page 31 of His to Break
This is mine now: my rebellion and my destiny entwined with Azrael’s vision for our future—a future where no one can take anything from us again. As long as I stand here—powerful and resolute—no force can stand against us.
The chaos of battle swirls around me, but my focus narrows to the figure before us. Hagaruz stands tall, the dark elf noble’s sneer twisted with triumph. In his hand, he holds the orb of the contract, a pulsating sphere that seems to hum with malicious energy. I can feel its power thrumming in the air, and dread curls in my stomach.
“You think you can stop me?” Hagaruz taunts, his voice smooth as silk. His eyes glint with something darker.
Azrael’s body tenses beside me; I sense his struggle against the pull of the orb. “No…” he growls, his muscles quivering with the effort to resist its grip.
Hagaruz chuckles, savoring our predicament. “Did you think this was all coincidence? Azrael was born to serve you, Kara. He was always meant to awaken your bloodline.”
“What are you talking about?” I demand, anger flaring in my chest like fire.
“Everything,” he says, his laughter vindictive. “The contract—it was designed to bind him to you, to make you both mine.” He raises the orb higher, and I watch in horror as Azrael’s body jerks forward against his will.
“No!” I shout, stepping between them instinctively, my heart racing as adrenaline floods my veins. “He’s not yours.”
The dark elf noble’s gaze narrows on me, a predatory gleam sparking in his eyes. “You have no idea what you’re capable of,” he continues, relishing my confusion and fear. “I know all about your lineage—the human descendant of an incubus queen who is destined for greatness.”
My breath catches at his words. He knows too much.
“I paid a high price for Azrael’s summoning,” Hagaruz boasts, leaning closer as if sharing a grand secret. “I knew that binding him would activate your bloodline and give me control over both of you.”
“No!” I scream again as another surge of energy washes over me from the orb—a force that makes every hair on my body stand on end.
Azrael fights against it beside me. His determination fuels me; I refuse to let this twisted noble take control of our fate any longer.
“Hagaruz!” My voice carries through the space with unexpected power—a mix of fury and desperation that shakes even me. “You don’t understand what we’ve become!”
He raises an eyebrow but doesn’t respond immediately; instead, he laughs softly—mockingly—as if I'm nothing more than an insect buzzing around him.
“Do you think your newfound strength can rival mine?” His expression shifts slightly; there’s a flicker of unease behind that bravado when he sees how fiercely Azrael stands at my side despite being under siege by the contract's influence.
But I feel it inside me—the incubus energy crackling like electricity beneath my skin, ready to unleash itself upon him.
“Enough!” I command through gritted teeth, feeling a swell within myself—an awakening not just linked to Azrael but intertwined with everything I've discovered about who I am meant to be.
Hagaruz falters for a moment as if sensing something shifting between us—a change that terrifies him more than anything else could.
“You underestimate what we’re capable of,” I say slowly, deliberately pressing forward until I can feel Azrael’s warmth radiating behind me—a reassurance that gives me strength.
“Fight it!” I shout at him desperately as Hagaruz advances again, determined not just to possess us but obliterate our spirits entirely.
Azrael’s eyes flash with defiance even amidst the torment; there’s an unbreakable bond between us now—a shared purpose greater than any dark elf's greed or ambition could comprehend.
I can see it in the tension coiling in his frame and hear it in his strained voice. “I won’t hurt her,” he grits out through clenched teeth as blood trickles from his nose onto his lips—a reminder of how close he is to succumbing completely.
“I’d rather die than betray her,” he manages.
26
KARA
As Hagaruz raises the orb, its power surges through the room, tugging at Azrael's body like a marionette on strings. I see the strain etched on his face, the fury and determination warring within him. “No,” he growls, his voice a deep rumble that reverberates in my chest.
Then he surprises me. In one swift motion, he snatches up a broken blade from the floor, the jagged edge glinting menacingly in the dim light. My heart races as he drives it into his own thigh. Blood spills over his hand, vivid and dark against his skin.
“Azrael, stop!” I cry out, my voice cracking with panic as I rush toward him. But he shakes his head vehemently, face twisted in agony.
“I’d rather bleed out than hurt you,” he grunts through gritted teeth, determination mixed with desperation flickering in his eyes.
