Page 39 of Darkness Consuming
I see it the moment the offering takes. Within seconds, her eyes black out into wide inky orbs that blink vacantly up at me. The screaming halts, the trembling of her body relaxes into an eerily calm state.
Just like Nollix always did.
I swallow thickly as I stare down at the beautiful woman who’s never looked more different than she does right now.
The part of her soul that the offering draws out isn’t at all the way Nollix or Cameron explained it. She isn’t a warm and glittering apparition of her beautiful soul.
A fuming black mass of drifting smoke exits her body in a jerking motion. It seems to tear right out of her like it’s much stronger than her physical form. My feet stumble wanting me to step back from the darkness, but I refuse to let go of her hand.
Cameron’s lips part while he just stares up at the wafting shadow that’s drifting toward the ceiling. It takes it’s time rising high above us.
What if … what if that isn’t Vi at all? What if that’s just dangerous underworld souls?
And we just released them.
“This better work, Warlock.” I never take my eyes off of the ominous smoke.
“Yeah, I hope it does.” Uncertainty is in his quiet tone. The sound of his voice pulls away every ounce of hope I have.
My attention cuts to him and fear starts to stir within my chest.
Fucking Warlock.
The smoky mass that I pray to the goddess is Violence, shifts across the room until it hovers just above the crashing struggle of Jeriko and Nollix. My friend’s sword clatters into the far corner. Jeriko’s fist collides with Nollix’s jaw and the impact of it leaves a crazed smile on Nollix’s face. There’s seriously something wrong with him.
He takes the hit and lets Jeriko come right back to him before Nollix slams his head into Jeriko’s. He staggers back. Amandria helps her father stand with a stain of crimson covering her long white dress.
As Jeriko advances, never once pausing for pain, Nollix rushes to grab the hilt of his fuming sword. It glows with such intensity it’s like looking at the sun. Nollix heaves the blade at an angle, Jeriko steps back from the blow but the tip of the blade slices across his cheek. Blood drips from the unscarred side of his face. It slices the length of his features wide and deep.
Another scar is added among the others.
The King rises to his full height and waves a simple hand—his one good hand—toward Nollix and, with unseen strength, the blade clatters noisily to the iron floor. His magic hums through the room, and for a second, we’re all looking at him.
A pleased and prideful look is in his features when he has all of our attention.
Until his gaze rises.
Darkness looms above him.
Hesitation tenses the King’s movements. He takes a curious step closer, standing between Nollix and myself.
His words are an astonished whisper. “Violence.” He seems in awe while Amandria shrinks back in terror. “My sweet, sweet, Violence.” At the sound of her name, she drifts down to him, lingering between the King and me. I can only make out shapes and shadows of the people behind her fuming frame.
Her father reaches out a frail hand to the growing ominous darkness.
“You’ve finally become everything I knew you could be, Daughter.”
Nollix’s head begins to shake back and forth and I wonder if the rage within me is a mixture of his feelings and mine.
This man was supposed to protect her. He was supposed to love her.
All he wanted was to destroy her.
And that’s not going to happen anymore.
Nollix’s movements are quick as he storms across the room toward the Mad King of Fallen. With too much strength, Nollix raises his foot high before kicking hard into the center of the King’s back. The jarring impact causes the old man to stumble forward.
The mass of darkness is right there to catch him.
