“What, now you suddenly want me?” I scoff.
Kyan’s jaw clenches and his knuckles turn white. Eziah chokes, clawing at his hands and I whimper. “Fucking choose Marabella, either you stay or I fucking kill him!”
I swallow and look at my brother, who doesn’t want me to give into him. “Kyan!” I growl, feeling Kora finally come forward; I actually wondered if I had lost her. Though groggy and out of it, relief floods me as she takes in our surroundings.
“Choose Ella; what will be?” Kyan snarls, finally turning his head to look at me again.
Eziah”s eyes flash, and his hands let go of Kyan’s wrist and smash against his chest. Eziah’s eyes bulge from his head, and I see his hands glow brightly. Kyan looks down at them when his eyes meet Eziah’s, and he smirks.
Eziah’s magic tries to burn and taint Kyan. But Kyan is something else, and now, he is showing in a clear display just how little of a match my brother is against him. He chuckles as Eziah’s power grows with his anger. “You may be a Gemini wolf twin, but you are no match for a Demi-god witch hybrid,” Kyan snarls.
Black tendrils suddenly sliver up Eziah’s arms as Kyan’s shadows seep out. Darkness taints Eziah, making him gasp and I rush to get to my feet so I can help my brother when I am ripped backward and into Jonah’s lap as he grabs me.
“Agree, you need to agree with him. Kaif won’t allow you to leave, and neither will Kyan. You need to agree, Mara,” Jonah whispers as his arms wrap securely around my waist, and my back meets his warm chest.
“Kyan, let him go!” I plead. I just want to go home; I am sick of rejection, sick of the drama. And with how furious Kyan is, I am afraid to remain with him.
He needs to calm down and grieve before I allow myself to try this again. Kyan has made it clear he doesn’t want me, made it clear that he will do whatever is necessary to keep me safe. Even if it means destroying both of us in the process.
“He’ll kill him, give in to him,” Kora begs in my head, urging me to do what he wants, no matter how much remaining here with him would torture us.
“What’s it going to be, Ella? You try to leave, I kill him. You stay and he lives, so pick. I have lost enough tonight, and I won’t lose you a second time!” Kyan warns as my brother chokes.
“Kyan, please,” I whisper in my last attempt.
Kyan shakes his head. “No, a life for a life; that means yours is mine now!”
“Say yes, I won’t let him hurt you again,” Jonah murmurs below my ear while my heart thumps erratically. Kyan snarls as his grip grows darker and his hands become engulfed in shadows.
“So be it!” Kyan snarls, and my eyes widen.
“I’ll stay, I’ll fucking stay!” I scream, thrashing in Jonah’s arms as he tries to keep me away from Kyan, who looks like he has let the darkness take him over. Kyan, however, doesn’t let go. Instead, the darkness creeps into my brother, poisoning him, tainting him, and snuffing the light from him.
“Kyan! She said she will stay, release him!” Jonah growls at him, holding me tighter, and Kyan glares at Eziah, his breathing harsh before he huffs and lets him go with a shove.
“She’s not staying here, with you!” Eziah roars. Eziah goes to attack him but I move quickly thanks to Kora, also lending me her strength and elbow Jonah and rush forward, and get between them.
“She fucking stays,” Kyan snarls him, unfazed by my brother, who looks like he is on the verge of passing out.
Kyan reaches for my arm. “Try it Ella, you’re not leaving with him!” Kyan threatens, but I pull away just before he manages to lock his fingers around my wrist and instead grab my brother’s as he sways.
Eziah leans into me as he staggers, then rights his balance. The moment he does, Kyan’s hand grabs my shoulder, his fingers digging into my skin. “Stop, I will be fine; Jonah’s with me,” I whisper to Eziah.
I glance at Kyan, who is still glaring at my brother, and his eyes go to mine. “I’m staying,” I tell Kyan who growls
“I know,” is all he says, like the decision was never mine. It wasn’t
Kyan bends down to grab Lucas. My eyes move to Jonah, who nods to us both. I owe Jonah to stay, and I prefer to stay with him over going home to tell my mother that Eziah is dead because of me.
“You’re not safe here,” Eziah sputters, and I hold my hand against his chest, trying to stem the bleeding.
Ignoring his words, I look up at him. “What did you do to him?” I snap at Kyan, who only glares at Eziah. But he says nothing. “Why aren’t you healing?” I ask, looking back at Eziah.
“Guess that gene I got from mom,” Eziah huffs.
“Kyan, help him,” I plead, but he ignores me. Instead, he grabs Lucas’s body, tosses Lucas over his shoulder and shoves past us.
“He can help himself,” Kyan growls, walking out of the room naked, carrying his uncle down the stairs. Tears brim in my eyes. Everything is so fucked up. Kora is no help; I only have the ability to kill things, not heal them, and my brother is bleeding out because of me, and Kyan refuses to help.
“The dagger, it transfers power, you have power Mara, you can help take it from him,” Dominic’s voice suddenly appears in my ear, and I turn to look for where it landed. My eyes spot it on the floor where it has been kicked under the dresser, and I rush over to grab it and Jonah pounces on me, instantly trying to rip it from my hand.