My Soulmates and I

My Soulmates and I
Allison

One moment, I’m choking. Every breath burns. The collar at my throat drinks greedily, ripping magic from me like it’s tearing at muscle instead of power. My hands claw uselessly at Varyn’s wrist as my vision blurs and dark spots crowd the edges. My heart slams hard against my ribs, panicked and failing, and all I can feel is loss. Power is being dragged out of me. The bond is stretching thin and breaking. Then everything reverses. Power floods back into me in a violent rush, so sudden I gasp as it slams through my veins. It tastes like Christopher. Heat and smoke and iron and something unmistakably his. It lights up every nerve, every blood vessel, every beat of my heart until my body hums too loud to contain it. The collar screams, and blue light fractures along the metal before Varyn can even finish lifting me. My hand moves on instinct. My fingers close around his throat. The bond snaps into place with Christopher at the same time Varyn's eyes widen in shock. I squeeze hard until his grip falters and his hand jerks away from my neck. Air tears back into my lungs in a broken gasp as I drag him down with me. We hit the floor together, the impact knocking the breath from both of us. I don’t let go. I roll fast, fueled by rage and the need for justice. I come up on top of him and plant my knee against his chest, my hand still locked around his throat as I push myself to my feet, dragging him with me like he weighs nothing at all. The illusion shudders. Firelight flickers and distorts. The walls ripple, the room folding in on itself like it’s losing cohesion. The cage rattles violently. I haul Varyn across the floor, my grip unyielding, until I reach the bars. I slam him into them once, hard enough to rattle iron, and then again, closer. The cage dissolves, iron evaporates, and stone melts away as Varyn sputters and struggles for air. The illusion collapses in on itself with a sound like shattering glass, and suddenly, we’re back in the corridor. Back into the pitch-black darkness.

Reality settles around us, but the power I've been gifted doesn’t dim. It flares brighter. Blue light pours from my hand where it’s wrapped around Varyn’s throat, so bright it paints the walls in harsh relief. My magic sings, fed by every bond I carry, every connection roaring awake all at once. I feel whole. I feel complete. Varyn claws at my wrist, choking, eyes wild now instead of calm. The man who built cages and illusions finally understands he’s lost control. Christopher is there now on my side, solid and free, as he was always meant to be. I turn my head just enough to look at him. He’s breathing hard, chest rising and falling, his gaze locked on me like I’m the only thing keeping him anchored to the world. The bond between us burns hot and real, settled into place inside our hearts where fate knew it belonged.
“I love you,” I say.
The words leave me steady and sure.
He doesn’t hesitate. “I love you.”
The sound of it hits deeper than the power ever could. I turn back to Varyn.
“This is for him,” I say quietly.
I lift my hand, and claws slide free, sharp and gleaming, shaped from Evander’s strength. They sink into Varyn’s chest with a wet sound, tearing through flesh and bone like it’s nothing. He screams, the sound breaking and raw, and I feel the impact reverberate up my arm. Shadows coil instantly, thick and black, wrapping around his limbs and pinning him to the floor as Rhaziel’s power answers my call. They hold him still when he thrashes, when he tries to fight, when his body finally understands what’s happening. Hellfire ignites as Kael’s heat floods my veins, furious and bright. Flames roar to life around my arm, burning through skin and blood, cauterising and destroying all at once. The smell of scorched flesh fills the corridor. Varyn’s scream turns to a gurgle. I lean closer, my face inches from his, and push into his mind. Cassian’s power slides into place without resistance, sharp and invasive. I don’t linger. I don’t explore. I deliver the message clean and direct, straight into the core of him. This is for my mate. His thoughts fracture under the weight of it. Finally, I pull everything in. Christopher’s magic surges up to meet mine, wild and unwavering. I gather it, shape it, and release it in a single devastating blast. Blue light erupts from my hand, obliterating everything in its path, and Varyn’s heart disintegrates.

There’s no blood, no remains... just a hollow, smoking cavity where my hand had been, and the body beneath me goes still. My claws retract, the shadows release, the fire dies, and silence rushes back in, heavy and absolute. I stand there for a long moment, breathing hard, power slowly settling back under my skin. My hands shake as the aftermath hits, the adrenaline ebbing just enough to remind me I’m still in my body. Christopher’s hands come to my waist, steady and grounding.
“I’ve got you,” he whispers.
I lean back into him, just for a second, letting myself feel that it’s over. Varyn is dead. The corridor remains dark, but the air feels lighter, like something rotten has finally been cut free. I straighten and turn in his arms. Christopher’s hand comes up slowly, like he’s giving me time to pull away if I need it. His fingers are warm as they cup my cheek, his thumb brushing just beneath my eye, grounding and real. I lean into the touch without thinking.
“You are the most incredible woman I have ever known,” he whispers.
I lift my hands to his wrists, anchoring myself there, and when he leans in, I meet him halfway. The kiss is gentle and sure, nothing rushed, nothing taken, but everything in my life seems to fall into place in this very moment. This is where I was always meant to be, to find him, to save him, to complete the last bond tied to my soul.

When we finally pull apart, I rest my forehead against his for a heartbeat longer, breathing him in. I lift my gaze to find Cassian standing a few steps away, blood on his blade, expression calm and proud. Evander is beside him, broad shoulders squared, eyes steady. Kael leans against the wall, arms crossed, grin soft instead of sharp. Behind them all, Rhaziel stands with shadows quiet at his feet, watching us as if something sacred has just been confirmed. We are still standing. Together. My soulmates and I.