Chapter 96 Chapter 96

Chapter 96 Chapter 96
“No.” A rage-filled sob escaped my lips that shook the night around us, and an endless stream of scathing, hot tears poured out of my eyes. 

The pain I felt was nothing like I’ve ever felt before, not even the pain of getting stabbed in the heart by my own cousin compared.

Holden was dead.

He died protecting me.

He died to save my life.

Behind the pain, the loss, and the gratitude lay an ungodly amount of wrath that threatened to consume me, because none of this would have happened if it weren’t for her. 

Everything that had ever gone wrong with my life was because of her, and I was done letting her take my life away from me. I was done being a pawn in her sick, twisted game.

Gianna.

Tonight, I end her.

\---

Holden's lifeless body was still cradled in my arms as I let all the pain and wrath bubble within me.

In the back of my mind, the fleeting thought of our crumbling relationship rushed around, reminding me of all the fights and misunderstandings we had shortly before everything went to hell. 

But even with that knowledge, the only thing I could think of as I stared into his still form was the fact that he died for me, and his killer was standing right in front of me.

"Holden…" Gianna whispered, taking a hesitant step towards us.

"Don't you dare speak his name." The scream that erupted from my lungs was loud enough to stop her in her tracks. "Don't you dare stand there and act all innocent, like you didn't just kill an innocent man, like you didn't try to kill me, like you didn't sell out your entire species for a taste of black magic."

Slowly, as if I was handling a sleeping baby and not a cold, dead body, I slid away from my ex and rose to my feet. Heat rushed through my veins, sending flames out of my palms that I did not remember summoning. 

A sudden warm breeze surrounded us, seconds later turning into an ever-growing storm. A tiny, barely recognizable voice in my head whispered of the danger to come, but I was too consumed in my fury to pay attention. 

Underneath my feet, the ground shook, and rocks floated around in a dizzying manner, some even zooming by my face and barely missing it.

"I always knew you were selfish; it was obvious in the way you treated everyone. Hell, we all knew you were a conceited, back-stabbing bitch, but this, this is a whole new level even for you." 

My hair was floating around me, strands of white locks getting in my eyes before the wind tore them away. A sharp gasp brought my attention to the rest of the group, who were all staring at the scene unfolding in front of them in shock and barely masked fear. 

The heat that consumed me would have scared me once upon a time, but all I felt now was power.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Gianna's voice trembled as she shielded her face from the onslaught of the storm. "I didn't do anything you're accusing me of. Why are you making all this up?"

"A liar till the very end, I see."

"I'm not lying." She screamed again. "I didn't betray anyone, and I sure as hell didn't mean to kill Holden."

"I said," I took two steps towards her, "Don't you dare say his name."

Flames, as fiery as the deep pits of hell, surged from my hands and consumed my entire body from the top of my head to the tip of my toes. I was nothing but fire and wrath, and it was all directed towards my dear cousin.

"Lilith." Kira screamed, "Don't do this."

"Why not? She didn't have a problem with killing people; why should I?"

"You're nothing like her," Rose exclaimed, "Don't do something you might regret."

"Oh, I won't be regretting this."

"Ahri." Ivan's voice was like a bucket of cold water poured over my head. But what's one bucket to do against the raging inferno?

"Don't call me that," I screamed against the loud wind.

—

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something bizarre. My once white locks, now consumed by the flames, were slowly darkening and turning back to the raven hair I once had. As if my own body was trying to remind me of who I was.

But Ahri was weak. She was too naïve and too trusting, and it got her killed.

Lilith was nothing like that.

The gasps of shock that escaped my friends went unnoticed by me this time. All of my senses were focused on the murderer standing before me.

"Kill her or we will." Eli harshly wiped the tears off his face.

"We won't let her get away with this." Kevin backed him up.

My decision was already made, and I didn't need to be told twice.

In a last attempt to protect herself, Gianna summoned her fire and launched another attack. Her power was not to be taken lightly, which was clear after what she did to Holden, but it didn’t even come close to grazing me. 

One flick of my wrist sent her flames into a nearby tree, and my shield, as if insulted, flickered brighter. If I had any doubt in my mind about her guilt, it vanished completely.
A cry of pain, anger, and betrayal escaped the deepest darkest corners of my soul, and my flames leapt forward.

Rose screamed, Kira dived forward, and Gianna stood still, paralyzed with fear. Fire surrounded us all, and in a split second, Rose summoned a shield of branches, rocks, and dirt to protect the rest. 

However, my target was left unprotected. Blinded by anger and driven by the ever-throbbing pain of her betrayal in my chest, I commanded the twisting branches of the tree to hold her tight. Unable to move or run away, Gianna began to squirm.

“Please don’t do this. She cried.

“Please, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to, I swear I didn’t want to hurt anyone.”

I closed my fist, and with it, all the air supply vanished from her body. As she gasped for breath, the twisted pleasure of not having to hear her beg anymore sent a shiver down my spine.