Page 123 of Cosmic Power

Thaddeus brought up the rear, his dark magic vibrating around him. He held it close to his chest, ready to expel it at the slightest sign of aggression.

The crowd gasped in shock, eyes bulging at the sight of the fae as they slowly made their way down the aisle towards the Ancestrals.

Zamorra had to give credit to the fae. None of them baulked under all those eyes, at the intensity stifling the air. They followed after Luther with their heads held high, their purple eyes plastered to the four powerful beings at the head of the room. They didn’t show a single ounce of fear. It made Zamorra wonder if they even felt such an emotion. Without a soul, they probably didn’t feel a damn thing.

When Luther got to the front of the room, he tugged the fae to stand facing the crowd. “Kneel,” he commanded, voice sharp.

Faxon sneered. “I will never kneel at the feet of a lesser creature.”

Thaddeus moved in front of them and clapped his hands together, releasing a red wave of pure power. It washed over the fae, making each of them stiffen. Thaddeus raised his hands and slowly brought them down, red lightning sparking around his fingers. The fae crumbled. One by one they dropped, knees slamming into the ground with such force Zamorra wondered if they shattered their kneecaps. Once the last fae was down, Thaddeus moved to stand to the side, keeping a watchful eye on them.

“As you can see, the fae are very real,” Zvetari boomed, jumping off the platform to stand directly behind the fae. “They are unlike any other being in existence. They possess strength and speed that can rival a vampire. They have the ability to manipulate the air around them, like magic. They’re able to teleport in the blink of an eye, similar to demons. And they have an alternate form, which is ten times more powerful than their current one. In a way, they are a perfect blend of all of us. Smart. Powerful. Vicious. The only difference? They do not possess souls.” More gasps. More shock and outrage. “They are not held back by emotions. Empathy. Compassion. They only know how to cause mass destruction. In a matter of days, millions of these creatures will come to Earth and try to take it. Enslave us all to do their bidding. Unless we stop them.”

Zamorra’s gaze wandered over the room as Zvetari continued to talk. Mixed emotions hung in the air. Some listened with complete focus, anger filling their bodies at his words. Others looked scared, looks of disbelief plastered on their faces. Zamorra didn’t blame them. It was a lot to take in.

“I have seen firsthand the destructive power the fae hold, and believe me when I say if we allow the fae to get a foothold in this world, the fight is over. They will burn, pillage and kill until there is no one left alive to resist them.” Zvetari signalled for Lenore to join him. The Ancestral Light Mage moved to stand behind him, a foot or so taller thanks to the platform she stood on. “I know what I’m saying might be hard for some of you to believe, so I offer you proof.”

Lenore hovered a hand above Zvetari’s head, her hand glowing with bright white power. She held her other hand up, facing the crowd. Magic smothered the air and Zvetari shuddered, his eyes closing. Light burst from Lenore’s hand, projecting images of the carnage the fae wrecked on Alterra from Zvetari’s mind. It played as if they were experiencing it through his eyes, exactly how he saw it.

So much death and destruction. Blood and cruelty. The crowd gasped. Some cried. Others screamed in outrage.

Zamorra had to turn away when she saw a silver-armoured fae rip a tiny little baby from his mother’s arms and feast on his blood. She couldn’t watch. Tears streamed down her face. It was just too horrific.

She sensed eyes on her, but she didn’t have the power to look up. She couldn’t handle watching anymore. The fae had no honour. They killed relentlessly. Women. Children.Babies. It didn’t matter to them. Even when people surrendered to them, dropping to their knees and begging them to spare their children, they didn’t. They laughed in their faces before cutting them all down.

After what felt like a lifetime, Lenore closed her palm and the projection vanished. She stepped back, her eyes glassy. It had hurt her having to watch, too.

Zvetari’s eyes opened and he looked at the crowd, so much sadness lying deep in his crimson orbs, it was heartbreaking. “That was only a glimpse of what they’re capable of. In a matter of days, millions of those creatures will be here to do the exact same thing to the people you love. Unless we stop them.”

“How?” a bear shifter called out, visibly shaken from the gruesome display. “How can we possibly fight against that?”

“By banding together and attacking them before they attack us,” Zvetari responded, his voice strong and clear. “The only way we are going to defeat the fae and protect our loved ones is by taking the fight to them. Stopping them from even setting foot on Earth. We need to all put our differences aside and come together as one strong, cohesive unit.Thatis the only hope we have of winning. Alterra is not the first planet the fae have taken. They are world conquers. They portal from planet to planet, making others bend to their will or die. Individually, we don’t stand a chance in hell. But together, wecanwin.”

Murmurs raked through the crowd. Some nodded in agreement, anger and determination set in their bones. Others shook their heads. Whether it was because they were scared or just disagreed, she wasn’t sure.

“We need as many of you that are willing to fight, to protect this planet, to come forward. If our attempt to thwart the fae fails, what happened on Alterra will happen here. There will be nothing we can do to stop it. Think about it. Hold your loved ones in your arms and figure out how much their future, their livelihoods, means to you. Because I guarantee you, the moment the fae step foot on Earth, the fight is already over.”

Nervous energy buzzed in the air. Shifters twitched uncomfortably, as if they found it hard to sit still. The demons stomped their feet and blew smoke out of their noses, anger coiling around them. The mages looked around in unease. And the vampires gestured wildly with their hands, heated conversations springing up between them.

Humour danced on Faxon’s face. His cohorts looked just as amused by the whole situation.

Anger coiled around her heart like a tight vice.

How dare they.

Letting her anger consume her, Zamorra marched over and slapped Faxon in the face so hard his head whipped to the side, blood spilling down over his chin.

“Wipe that stupid smile off your lips before I cut it off,” she snarled.

Faxon snapped his head back to her, eyes glowing purple. “You’re a tough little one when I’m all bound and chained, aren’t you? I’d like to see you do that again when I’m free.”

“I don’t need to,” she spat, glaring hard. “I’ve already taken you down. Or have you forgotten? Because I sure as fuck haven’t.”

Faxon snarled.

Zamorra turned on her heel and walked back to her uncle’s side.

Void leaned over. “Nice slap,” he whispered, “but I think a punch woulda hurt more.”

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