Page 76 of Roman

“Roman, help!”she screamed as Tora stepped closer to her, the dagger in her left hand.

Panic flooded him.“Tora, don’t do this!”Roman pleaded.

“I have no choice,” Tora yelled back, looking at Roman, her glowing eyes tormented, tears flowing down her face.

Her arm facing Armaros was shaking from the strain of all the magic she was using.He could tell Armaros was trying to fight back, his eyes glowing just as bright as Tora’s.

“You do have a choice.She’s innocent.Please don’t do this,” he yelled, spreading his wings and getting ready to fly across the room as she raised the dagger.

Everything happened so fast.The second Tora let Armaros go, she used both of her hands to plunge the dagger toward Charlotte’s chest.Roman shot into the air, knowing he wouldn’t make it in time to save her.

“No!”he screamed as the dagger came down.

Maalik abruptly appeared in the middle of them, facing Charlotte, the dagger sinking into his back.Roman watched in horror as his brother didn’t even flinch from the dagger.Instead, he placed his hands on either side of Charlotte’s head and snapped her neck.Her blonde hair shone red in the gate’s light as her lifeless body fell to the ground.

Roman landed next to Charlotte, falling to his knees and pulling her body into his arms.“Charlotte, my love.I’m here,” he said, knowing it was too late, that she was already gone, her heart no longer beating.The wind coming from the portal slowed down, and the red glow faded into a brilliant golden light.

“No, no, no.What have you done?”Tora screamed at Maalik behind him.

Roman leaned over Charlotte, pressing his forehead to hers.Charlotte’s eyes were closed.She looked like she was sleeping.He gently leaned down, softly kissing her lips as he grasped a handful of her blood-stained golden hair, bringing it to his face and inhaling her heavenly scent.A scent he would no longer relish in.A scent he would be forced to live without.His angel,gone.

The pain of her loss tore through him like a blazing, uncontrollable fire.He roared so loud that the chamber shook, becoming louder as his demon rose in full force.His blood felt like acid in his veins.Maalik, his brother, his fucking brother, killed his love, his soul mate.He would have vengeance.He gently placed Charlotte’s beautiful body on the ground, stroking her bruised, bloodied face.Then he rose.

Eyes on fire, his body exploding with uncontrollable rage, he spun on Tora and Maalik.Roman roared again, baring his fangs as they both covered their ears, the room shaking once more.Dust and debris fell from the roof.

“You fucking killed her!”he bellowed.

“Wait, Roman,” Maalik pleaded.

But it was too late.He didn’t want to hear anything the murderer had to say.He took his angel from him, and now he was going to take his head.

In one swift movement, he hit Tora, and she flew back, taking Armaros out at the same time.Maalik flashed out of Roman’s grasp.He had his hands raised out in front of himself as he backed away.“Roman, I need you to listen to me.”

Roman stalked forward, spreading his wings wide.“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.You were supposed to be mybrother,” he roared the last word, snapping his wings and shooting through the air.

Maalik tried to flash, but Roman was too fast.His hands wrapped around his brother’s throat as he picked him up and slammed him against the chamber wall, embedding him deep in the stone.

“Roman,” Maalik’s scratchy voice was barely a whisper.

It was too late.His demon had taken over; his mind was nothing but the roar of the monster that lived inside him.He would never be the same now that she was gone.He would tear this world apart and kill everyone that got in his way.Living without Charlotte wasn’t an option.His chest hurt too much; he couldn’t bear it.

Roman took one hand off Maalik’s throat and started clawing at his chest.He needed to stop the pain.If he ripped his own heart out, surely the pain of her loss would stop, if only for a moment, he thought in a crazed, anguished haze of grief.He didn’t feel a thing as he started clawing deeper, starting to rip a hole in his own chest.The pain of his loss consumed him, spreading through his body like a virus, killing everything inside of him.There would be nothing left but the demon and Roman knew he would lose himself forever.Nothing would bring him back.

Maalik thrashed in his grasp.“Please listen to me,” he rasped, trying to breathe.

Roman snapped out of his grief for a moment, his fiery eyes focusing on his brother once more.He stopped clawing at his chest, returning his bloodied hand to Maalik’s throat and squeezing harder, slowly, to drag out the pain.

You will suffer!

“No,” he grated back.

He would hear his brother’s voice no more.He increased the pressure, causing Maalik’s larynx and vocal cords to break.A smile slowly crept over his face.Now, he won’t have to listen to whatever lies Maalik was trying to tell him.Whatever sick excuse he was trying to feed him about killing his angel.

The pain etched on Maalik’s face fuelled his vengeance.He wanted his brother to suffer.He wanted him to know nothing but pain before he ended his life.

Armaros came up behind him, pulling at his arm.

“Roman!Don’t make me hurt you.”

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