Chapter 66

There she is, sitting in a monk position, her eyes closed - waiting. A large blue and green bonfire burns behind her, its heat crawling across my skin but, it doesn't burn.

Her long icy white hair cascades down her back and sits behind her on cave grounds, relaxed. I know she knows we're here. The cocky curve of her lips proves it.

Sophia makes the first move, "Alikurda verous," her voice sounds deeper as her eyes turn blue. Her heels stomp into the ground, and the roof of the cave falls onto Freya.

Freya stays in her position, her eyes remaining shut. The stones hover just inches above her head, and her eyes finally flutter open. She sneers, *"do not mock me, Witch."*

She lifts a single finger, and the stones aim for us. Jaxson removes his coat, takes a frighteningly calm step forward. His body hunching low as fur replaces skin.

The large rocks are like pebbles against Fenrirs monstrous size, and Nia's eyes bleed through mine, eager to fight beside our mate. Freya finally stands, her stance turning feral.

"Even if you are stronger than one of us, you won't stand a chance against all of us," Grayson drawls, his arms stretched wide to emphasize his point.

Freya tilts her head, saying, "you're the son of Chaos, are you not? If anything, you should be on my side. After all, the blood and destruction I have planned will satisfy your insatiable hunger for the rest of your long immortal life."

Grayson smirks, "what can I say-... a little Wolfe taught me loyalty tastes far sweeter than blood..." with those words, Grayson is just a breath from her, "and she's right."

In the next instant, his fist lands against her jaw, sending her spiralling through the cave walls.

Just as we're about to follow and kill her, Freya appears behind me suddenly and clashes with my body. The two of us fall onto the ground, and Freya lands on top - her hands wrapped around my throat.

She starts to float off the cave grounds and carries me along. My toes barely brush the floor. Her hand tightens, and I can feel she's trying to break my neck, but before she can, my nails peel away to reveal my claws.

I rip my hand through her chest, prepared to rip her heart out - only to stop. Both fear and shock consume me, unable to understand what the hell is going on.

Freya smirks, her pearly whites painting red as blood seeps from the corners of her lips. "What's wrong?" Sophia asks, confused as to why I'm not doing anything.

Freya tosses me away, and Fenrir catches me. His paws curl around my body, hugging me close to his chest. My eyes remain on Freya's, "your heart..." I murmur, *"where is your heart?"*

All eyes snap to me, but I keep my gaze locked with Freya's. "Far away," she chuckles, her eyes flickering to the floor as her fingers dance back and shoot towards me, an array of ice spears ready to cut through me.

I couldn't move, still shocked by the revelation. How am I suppose to kill her? She doesn't have a heart. How the hell is she supposed to die? No wonder the Gods fear her. They were right too. She can't die.

Freya's mere existence defies the laws of life and death. She isn't just immortal - she's something else entirely.

Fear pulses through me violently - I can't see a way to win. Can we win, or did we just come here to die? I mean, the possibility of taking my life today was real - but the rest?

I can't let them die because I want to live, but how the hell am I supposed to kill someone who sits between life and death? It's a joke - there's no way-...

"You may not have a heart, but you still have a body."

That voice belongs to Charming, his tone as cold as Freya's ice. I finally look up, my violet eyes wide, staring at Charming's hand puncture Freya's chest. She barely acknowledges him before the sound of Freya's spine breaking reaches all our ears.

Freya falls to her knees in a crooked position, and Charming appears beside me - a soft smile playing on his lips. He crouches down to my height, a gentle smile dancing across his lips. The same smile I trusted all those years ago when he first saved me.

"Come on, Wolfe, if she doesn't have a heart, then we'll tear her apart until there's nothing but ashes. Don't give up on this minor setback. After all, there are worse things than death," he encourages, holding his hand out to me.

My mind flashes to all those years ago, to the safety net he provided for me.

****

*"What's a small little pup like you doing out here?"*

*I say nothing, consumed in my fears. Blood painted the once beautiful scenery, as dead bodies lay at my feet, but for some reason, I can only stare into his eyes.*

*It never crossed my mind he could kill me. The kindness in his eyes was like taking a breath of fresh air - still, I couldn't move. He tilts his head as I hug my knees closer to my chest.*

*He shrugs his cloak off his shoulders, revealing a simple white top beneath it.*

*I couldn't move, watching his actions with curious eyes as he sits his cloak on the ground and takes a couple of steps back.*

*He watches, unmoving. A smile still splitting his face and kindness glittering his amber gaze. My toe unconsciously reaches out to tap the soft fabric.*

*With hesitance, I shuffle and sniff the material. I don't know how long I examined it. The man just sat down and waited. I don't know how long, but he just watched.*

*It isn't until I wrap the cloak over my shoulders that my unspoken question reflected in my eyes - Why?*

*"Well, what kind of gentlemen would I be if I let a beauty such as yourself shiver?" He chuckles.*

*Beauty? Is he saying I'm pretty?!*

*'Nia, he said we're pretty,' I relay the message to Nia, questioning if he means those words. Nia whines, grieving over our broken bonds and reality hits.*

*"Wow!" The man chuckles, "Easy there, Wolfe. You have a gorgeous set of beautiful eyes - red would only taint its purity - no?" I nod, I don't mean to, but my body moves before my mind can catch up.*

*He looks around, his eyes lifting to the fiery skies, and for the first time, a frown adorns his beautiful features, "hey-..." he whispers, leaning forward slightly as if to share a secret, "there's this dessert restaurant a few miles south, have you ever had chocolate?"*

*****

"W-Why did you save me all those years ago?" I murmur - holding his eyes with mine.

He blinks, thrown off by the question. His brows draw together, but it seems he already has his answer.

He sits his hand and my head and pulls me close, his forehead touching mine, a small smile crosses his lips, and his eyes closed as mine remains wide open.

"Because-... we shared the same eyes."

I hold my tears, knowing what he means, "you forget who we're fighting beside. Don't fear, Wolfe. We're not alone anymore - we have friends now," he takes my hand and guides me up to my feet and turns his attention to Freya. "She doesn't have your fast healing abilities. Remember, there's always a solution."

Grayson steps forward, "hmm, he's right. If you don't have a heart, it only means you've cursed yourself-... which mean you have a weakness."

I've heard of cursed demons - they're called shadows. But I've never heard of one cursing themselves. Still, there's always a price to pay. What's the saying again, *'when you curse someone, you're just digging your own grave.'*

Fenrir's paws tap beside me, and my gaze turns to his. His eyes are soft but fierce - a wolfish grin splitting across his face. Charming's right, I forget who I'm with - I'm not alone.

I crouch low to the ground and allow Nia to come forth. She's smaller than Fenrir, but not by much.

Freya groans and raises her hand, creating an ice wall between us, and herself and the flame. "We have exactly two minutes, and the kings will align, hurry!"

Sophia falls in front of us - from above. A crimson light dancing off her, and deadly spikes shoot forward, piercing through the weak points of the wall. Jaxson and I slam our bodies into the unbreaking wall.

Charming slams his fist against it violently.

Grayson shapes his wings into a sphere and drills into it.

Sophia continues with her onslaught of magical attacks.

Together, we're close. Our bodies push through the ice wall with fierce determination. Freya crawls on her knees to the flame, her body inching closer and closer.

With her every movement closer to the flame, our bodies worked harder to break the barrier.

*Five-...*

Nia slams into the wall, a crack split the last layer of ice.

*four-...*

Another crack splits across it, "Faster," Sophia roars. Freya's fingers reach the stones outlining the eternal flame - she's close!

*Three-...*

Panic engulfs me, and adrenaline sears through my blood, forcing me to hit harder. Nia's bones continue to break and heal themselves, but I can barely feel it.

*Two-...*

Freya uses the stones to pull herself forward, and another crack shakes the icy walls so violently the cave groans.

*One-... *

We push through the last barrier as we all run forward, ready to tear Freya to shreds. Her fingers are just a hairs length from the flame when Nia's claws pierce her back.

At this moment, a white light engulfs Eldora so bright it pierces through the caves and outshines the eternal flame.

For a moment, everything is blank. I can't see anything. But then the light diminishes, the three kings fall out of alignment, and my body lifts off the ground and flies away by an invisible force.

My back crashes against the cave, and I can see I'm not the only one. It seems we're all hit by the invisible force. I blink through my blurry vision.

Nia and I glance up. There is Freya. A skull crown on fire sits on her head, the sclera of her eyes is now entirely black, and her irises burn a frightening azure.

She smirks, victory glinting in her eyes.

We were too late.