Page 57 of Cry of the Damned
Maw opened wide, I bit into Novus’s shoulder and drove her way. She cried out in horror as her cloak caught on fire, and the fiery beast whirled around her, searing her skin and flesh and bones until she disintegrated into ashes, her cry drowning, spiraling into her damned ever after.
I was dimly aware of my body by the edge of the spring, pushing away from the toxic water and curling into itself. But that part of me was inconsequential now because Iwasfire.
I was power.
Relishing the fluidity of theFirebeast, I galloped forward, running straight for the remaining guards and magistrate. I leaped over the spring and headed toward three blue-clad men as they crowded in front of the passage where Ila, Bethel, and Rob fought for their lives.
I’m coming, sister!
As I engulfed their bodies, the guards screamed in agony. They dropped their white-hot swords and tore at their skin as it melted off like wax from a candle.
I had only to touch them and the immense heat immediately consumed their flesh and incinerated what was left, leaving behind only floating ashes that settled into small piles.
I might have felt guilt at the utter and absolute obliteration of life, but the Firebeast seemed to have a mind of its own. It was rage and vindictiveness. It was centuries of hatred passed down from generation to generation. It was revenge and hunger for justice. A final sentence to damn those who slaughtered thousands of innocents with impunity.
Neither Jazmin Bronte nor Sheela Ashoona held back when the steep price for the Academy’s heinous crimes came due. The scores had to be settled and today there was no mercy. No reprieve.
The Firebeast charged through the cavernous space, picking its targets carefully. It rocketed past the innocent, finding the guilty and doling out their punishment.
Cries of agony rose and fell as entire lives were extinguished in a matter of seconds. When everyone within the chamber was reduced to nothing but dust, the Firebeast ran toward the secret exit, and burst right through the thick slab of rock, melting it to magma and flowing outward, sending the awaiting foe scattering back.
But the molten rock at their feet became the least of their worries when they saw the enormous incandescent wolf coming at them.
The host of guards turned tail and ran. They dispersed over the grounds, dashing in different directions. But there was no escape from the swift justice of the Firebeast. There was nowhere to go but to the pits of hell where they would pay for their crimes for the rest of eternity.
When it was all said and done, smoke billowed upward, tainting the dark sky. The smell of burned flesh and agony clogged the air. But it was the quiet and swift blanket of justice that fell over the grounds that prevailed over the day’s horrors, over the death of many men and women. It was the silence that ensued that seemed to echo through time, as if reaching out to let all the innocent know their senseless deaths had been avenged.
Softly, the Firebeast padded through the ash-littered battleground, its flaming edges fading slowly. Only satisfaction coursed through its fiery being.
Without making a sound, the beast found itsChieftesscurled up on the stone ground. It nuzzled her neck, fitting his snout snugly there. Gently, lovingly, the beast curled up next to her and, with time, found its way back into her ferocious heart.
CHAPTER 22
Iblinkedmyeyesopen to the gentle sound of flowing water. Cries of battle and agony echoed in my ears, but they were only in my imagination. I was lying on my side, cheek pressed against the cold stone. The cavernous chamber stretched before me, empty. Slowly, the moments before I passed out replayed in my mind.
The Firebeast.
Me. That had been me!
I understood how I’d tapped into my magic, and how I used what I learned in Rob’s body to change it, to become the one in Bethel’s augury. But despite this knowledge, and the devastation I’d created, I still couldn’t believe—
My hand flew to my neck as I remembered the wound Magistrate Novus had inflicted. It was gone. Panic suddenly exploding in my chest, I sat up and glanced around.
“No!” I cried out when I saw Kall, Maki, Novuk, Ila, and Bethel sprawled on the floor right behind me. The guys were in their wolf shapes, while Ila was in her human form, lying next to Bethel.
Every single one of them was pale, unmoving. Their eyes were closed, betraying not even a small flutter. I trembled on the spot, heart pounding, terrified of reaching for the tetrad bond to find it silent.
They’d been fine when the Firebeast, whenIhad attacked. I left them untouched, and now…
“They’re fine,” Rob’s voice echoed through the chamber as he walked out from the passage that led to the dungeon. “They’re just exhausted. It took all their energy to heal you. First, those three.” He pointed at the triad. “Then Bethel and your sister. I think Bethel was drawing energy from her or something. You were in pretty bad shape after,” he waved his hand around the chamber, “and because of…” he slid a finger across his neck.
“I see,” I said, my voice hoarse.
They had given everything they had to save my life. Immediately, I allowed a small trickle of my energy to start flowing through the tetrad bond. I let it float to Maki. He would recover first, since he was the smallest, then he would be able to help me with Kall and Novuk.
As my heart slowed down to a normal rhythm, I kneeled next to Ila and brushed sweaty hair off her forehead. She was warm, and from up close, I could see her chest rising and falling gently. I smiled, relief washing over me.
“Thank you!” I murmured, caressing her cheek.
