Goddess Luna herself to rule this universe. You formed a pack of rogues,” he spat, “and took the Montana Pack by deceit. And now, you have been killing Vampire Kings and Queens to gain power.”
“So you do know I have powers.” Nikolai smirked. “Let me tell you who I killed recently. I don’t think you’re quite updated with your knowledge, or else you wouldn’t have come here without proper backup otherwise. Xillian-the King of Air.”
Fuck.
He killed him? I grinned.
Nikolai raised his hand in front of him and opened his fist and began closing it. The air in front of us shifted, like Nikolai was collecting it in his fist. Lysander and his group of enforcers clutched their throats and began choking.
The next second, a portal opened up and a young woman stepped out. She had long raven black hair and black pools for eyes. And she was wearing the robe the Elders of High Council wore.
She muttered a chant under her breath. The air shifted again and Lysander and his comrades could breath again. She sure is a strong witch.
“Elder Yolanda.” Lysander and his men heaved before bowing down.
Yolanda? How the hell did she look younger than she did more than a decade ago when we last saw her?
“Leave right now, Nikolai, or else I will be forced to take grave measures.” Her words were sharp as a whip. I wanted to make a pun about grave and cemetery but I refrained myself. I got a feeling that she wasn’t one to be messed with. Something about her wasn’t quite right.
“I don’t think that’s anything new for you. Since you already sold your soul for youth.” Avalyn’ eyes were sharp as she spoke.
I heard a couple of gasps besides me. Anna and Malone.
“Mother?” Malone spoke, “is it true?”
The fuck? She was his mother? How old was she?
“It is,” Avalyn spoke, “I can see void in the place of her soul. And she stinks of dark energy and bad decisions.”
I really need to catch up with my family once this shit is over. Clearly a lot has changed.
“Another word and I will end you, faye.”
“I would love to see you try.” Nikolai growled and everyone stepped back from him at the sheer force of energy radiating from him. He was clearly still reeling from the after-effects of her being taken away.
Goddess helped anyone who dared to threaten his Queen.
“You are misguided, Nikolai. Apologise to your father and follow the right path. You are going to fulfil the greatest prophesy of all time. You need to reject this faye and yo-”
“Burn her.” Avalyn snarled, her eyes flickering… red?
The moment the words lefts her mouth, Nikolai’s hand shot up and flame shot out, instantly burning Yolanda.
A shrill, ear-piercing dark scream escaped her mouth before I saw her figure disintegrate in the flames.
Nikolai stopped when she was finally silent and on the ground.
When he fired, the flames had touched the ground too the grave lit up on fire, turning the soil black. But it didn’t stop at one grave, the fire spread to the other graves surrounding it, turned it black before spreading further ahead. It spread like wildfire.
“What have you done?” A gravelly voice spoke and a face popped out of the robe in front of us. Yolanda wasn’t dead after all. But she wasn’t young and beautiful anymore. She was old as fuck, like she would die any minute. Her hair had turned white, her black eyes had turned pale green and her skin sagged off her frail bones.
His fire was truly holy to undo the black magic she had done on herself.
“What was right.” Nikolai replied.
Yolanda muttered something under her breath and before I knew it, more witches started popping up and chanting spells-most probably to stop the fire. But no chant, no spell, nothing was stopping it.
Suddenly, I was able to feel the connection with the real world again, the cloaking power of Pythonissam wasn’t affecting me anymore.
‘They’re all healing!’ Mikhail’s excited voice immediately popped in my head. ‘Good work brother!’
‘Thanks.’ A grin spread across my lips at the good news.
‘Update?’ I asked Andrei, glad to be able to mind-link again.
‘Wintercrown is secured and we’re engaged in a battle in Red Moon. The odds are in our favour,” he replied.
Things were finally looking up. But we needed to get out of here, this place was becoming a small version of fiery Hell and I had no inclination to burn to my death.
‘Wait.’ Andrei’s voice popped in my head again but this time, he had Nikolai, Avalyn and Mikhail in the loop too. ‘All the Mystic Lupus wolves just suddenly disappeared!’
‘They’re popping up here. All of them.’ Mikhail’s voice then shifted to a whisper. ‘Also, Nikolai, Adrik is here. And he looks pissed.’
And that’s when I felt it. The pain of the empty bond was enough to drive me to my fucking knees.
Tears filled my eyes. I felt the pain in my bones.
“Dimitri?” Avalyn’s voice met my ears.
I looked up but I could only see her blurry figure. “Sofiya is dead.”