Chapter 67

Nia withdraws back into the safety of my mind, so now I sit on the cave grounds watching in absolute shock the power extruding from Freya.

It momentarily occurs to me I'm naked, but the current circumstances prevent me from caring.

Freya tilts her head and stares at the roof, blinks, and it all shatters. Jaxson is already over me, holding me bridal style and disappearing into the blackness.

But as soon as we all attempt to disappear, we're forced out. "Don't leave yet, little sister. You and I - we have a prophecy to fulfil," Freya chuckles, causing me to freeze.

"I won't let it come to pass," I snap. Even Freya's voice feels wrong to hear. As I look into her eyes, there is no light - only evil. She's become something - something else entirely.

"What is she saying Valerie, the prophecy is already passed?" Sophia's voice shakes, trying hard to hide the fear lurking within her gaze.

"Ahh, so she hasn't told you..." My heart drums wildly, considering the possibility that I will have to die. "That if we were ever to come face to face in battle, neither of us would survive."

Jaxson growls lowly under his breath, "I-Is that true?" Charming murmurs.

I keep my gaze locked with Freya's, my tone blank, murmuring the words, "yes." I can feel their betrayed gazes seep into my skin like poison - but I keep my tone cold. Unwavering.

"When did you know-..." Jaxson murmurs, burning his gaze into the side of my head, "before you promised to return to me?" His hand reaches forward to snatch my jaw in a bruising grip, so his eyes meet mine, "or after?"

"It doesn't matter... because I never planned to die here," I growl, not in anger - but determination. "I came here to defy fate. I came here to save the world and live the life I've only dreamt of with the man I love. Not even this dire situation will change that."

My hand inches forward to intertwine with Jaxson's, but I'm pulled forth by an invisible force towards the Seress blade sitting in Freya's hand.

Jaxson quickly snatches my arm to prevent me from going to her. His eyes darken, and his fist pounds into the ground, "Audun." The words whisp past his tongue softly, and seconds later, a white misty portal opens, and everyone's eyes widen.

An enormous dragon escapes the mist, and all I see is his scaly skin glistening jet black. His underbelly glows a volcanic red, cutting through the air with its large ten-foot wings.

Whatever power Freya uses to pull me towards her - stops. I fall into Jaxson's arms, and we watch Audun blow a breath of fire at Freya. I barely feel its heat, but it melts the cave around us.

The sky is black, different shades of neon colours streak across the canvas, glowing beautifully. The suns begin to separate from each other as the moons return to their orbits.

Audun snatches Freya, the two flying through the air trading hits. Her ice was too powerful to be melted by even this monstrous fire-breathing dragon.

I don't know how long we watch them, my eyes unable to look away. Ice and fire dance across the sky as silver and red fireworks sprinkle across the sky. Beauty always comes with destruction.

There isn't an opening for anyone to attack, maybe Grayson? But he's too busy staring at the war waging in the skies. "We should help him," I drawl.

"No, Little Wolf. We'll be in his way. the dragon can handle her," Grayson smirks, his dark eyes never once shifting from the sky. "Just enjoy."

I listen and watch the dragon destroy mountains and evaporate oceans with his hot breath.

"You need to leave."

I blink, Jaxson's words registering only moments later, before shaking my head. "You know I can't do that!" I snap. "I'm royalty now, and your mate. There's no way I'm going to back down now, not after everything we've been through to stop her."

A loud crash appears before us, the collision almost knocking us back. Once the dust clears, Audun is staring back at us. My gaze travels to his neck, where a chain of ice wraps around his large thick neck.

Freya looks beaten down. It seems Audun has weakened her, but he wasn't enough. Still, we can use this to our advantage.

Before we get the chance to strike, Freya pulls my body forward by an invisible force - again! I land only inches from Audun as she forces me to my knees. Freya hovers above me with a pleased grin.

"No!" Jaxson growls, they all run to save me, but Freya's faster.

"Down," with just a single word, they're all pressed to the ground, unable to move.

Freya floats towards me, holding a blade in her hands. I try to fight the weight of my body, but it's impossible!

Audun growls, and my gaze snaps to him. My eyes meet his fiery ones, and from the murderous look seething in Audun's gaze, forcing him in a submissive position will come with some deadly consequences.

The moment my eyes see his large white canines, I can't look away. They look so deadly that I feel intimidated just being so close to him. From the feeling of his harsh breaths against my face, I know if Freya doesn't release him - she'll regret it.

"Audun...!" Jaxson growls, fighting the weight of gravity as it pushes him down.

"Your attempts are futile. I own it now..." Freya scoffs, daringly running the seeress blade - meant for me - down his face and past his nostrils.

I don't know if my eyes were playing tricks on me, but a deadly grin takes form on Audun. Within seconds, he bites off Freya's hand - along with her only means of killing me - and swallows.

Not a drop of blood escapes her missing limb. Freya looks angry, but only because the blade melted on Audun's tongue like chocolate, finally destroyed.

My eyes widen as Freya screams in absolute fury. Audun seems unaffected, bored actually as his eyes flicker to mine. But then my gaze shifts to the ice crawling across his scaley skin.

"Audun-..." Jaxson drawls - softly this time. "Return - you're injured." The fierce dragon growls, not in anger but because he doesn't want to leave Jaxson here. It's only now I see the deep stab wound under his arm. *"Now!"*

In an instant, Audun shatters the ice, holding him captive to Freya and breaks free of the ice crawling up his legs, glueing him to the ground to escape back into the white mist.

Freya doesn't seem pleased. An annoyed frown crossing over her face. "Protect him all you want, Qusayr. But once I'm finished here, and with the gods, I'll be sure to visit your precious little beasts."

Freya brings together her left hand and severed right arm together, touching only briefly before pulling them apart. A small black hole emerges, from that another and another.

Five small whirling black holes appear, and she tosses them into the sky. One stays with her, far enough to keep its distance and the other shoot off North, West, South, and East.

*"Ahh...!"* Sophia screams. My head immediately snaps to her - she looks so weak. Her features begin to pale, and her body withers painfully. Charming's frustrated roars reach my ears.

And it isn't just her. Jaxson and Grayson look equally affected.

"W-What are you doing to them - stop it!" I scream. Freya only chuckles.

"I am merely doing what I promised, taking Eldora's power for myself. Your precious Qusayr seem to feel their precious planet dying," now that I think about it, I can feel Freya's power growing. It's the black holes!

Almost instantly, chaos and disorder scream in my mind. My wolves fears reach such levels of potency it sears through Nia and myself. Thousands of voices reach out to me - for comfort, warmth, tranquillity.

They scream - They cry - They die. Their pain becomes ours!

It too much, too quick. I don't know what to do!

"You see..." Freya says, her low voice manages to reach my ears, "I may not be able to kill you, but..." Freya leans close, her lips a breath from my ear, "You'll never be able to stop me."

I force my eyes open, staring back at my friends - my mate. I then turn my gaze to Freya, her white dress painted red from her chest to her feet. Her wounds have healed, taking my mind back minutes ago.

I blink, trying to clear my mind of the voices when something occurs to me.

*'Kyro...'* I reach out to Kyro, hoping he hears me.

*'Valerie, something is happening...'* Kyro's voice reaches through the thousands of wolves screaming in my mind, but only barely.

*'I need you to stand behind Freya, don't engage!'* I stress. I have a plan, but it's just a working theory. Something Sophia revealed plays in my head.

In seconds, Kyro appears behind Freya. His concerned eyes reach mine, and he unsheathes his weapon to strike Freya, *'No! That won't work. Use your abilities and make her body heavy for even her to carry herself!'*

Kyro stares at me like I've lost the damn plot, but as my gaze pierces into his, he listens. I turn back around, staring at my friends. The black holes whirl faster, taking everything like a vacuum as it follows Freya.

*"Dylan!"* Sophia cries. I turn to stare at Charming. His body lifts off the ground, the black hole hungry to devour him. If Sophia wasn't holding onto him, he'd already be gone.

But with as weak as she looks now, the black hole will take Sophia if she doesn't let go.

"No," I whisper. Charming smiles and stares at Sophia with adoration burning in his amber eyes.

"It's okay, Red. Let me go," he whispers, his words so soft and soothing - like a lullaby.

Sophia cries, holding onto his hand tighter. Vines sprout from the cave, and she takes hold of it with her free hand once she begins to slide across the floor.

Sophia doesn't let go. She only holds onto him tighter, "I love you, baby. Nah, fuck that - I'm fucking obsessed with you. That why I have to do this..."

Tears streak down Sophia's eyes and one by one, Charming fingers release their grip around Sophia's wrist.

*"NO!"* Sophia loses her grip on him, and he flies towards the back hole.

*'Kyro, now!'*

My gaze snaps to Freya, the sudden shock of her body weight causing her to release her hold on us, and I quickly tackle her.

The two of us sink into darkness, and we appear at Lilah's field. How? Freya must have taken control of my warp space.

It doesn't matter because the black hole follows as I suspected.

I wrap my hand around Freya's neck, fully prepared to rip it off, but I couldn't. Her hand snatches my wrist, trying to rip me away - but I don't allow her to.

She's too strong - even with one hand! If I don't let go of her, she'll rip my arm off, but if I do, then I won't get another opportunity like this again. "Lithusa Gurack!" Freya screams. Something shoots out of her and flies into the sky.

Both our gazes travel to the sky, and my eyes widen, watching the crimson moon break in two. The sky turns white, not a speck of colour to be seen.

She's finally done it - she has broken the doors of Olympus. Now only I'm standing in her way.

"You cannot stop me! I will be a God amongst Gods!" Freya laughs like a maniac as I stare wide-eyed at the world I barely recognise. Destruction, death, chaos reigns supreme.

All this because I finally want to live.

Tears fall from my eyes, knowing what I have to do to stop Freya.

"How ironic - that your weakness IS weakness. You see, you can't feel any of us because you're the strongest creature on Eldora. All that power inside of you prevents you from sensing us. That's how I'm able to do this..." I rip through Freya's abdomen and hold her spine, so she has no way to escape me.

Freya laughs, "that barely tickles."

"My purpose wasn't to hurt you..." I smile and wrap my arms around her, pulling her close to me as I whisper in her ear, "it was to trap you."

Within seconds, we disappear and appear close enough to the black hole to take us both.

My eyes find Jaxson's, hot tears streaking down my face. "I'm sorry, Jaxson."

For the first time, fear holds my sisters azure orbs captive. She tries to warp away, but I'd pull her back every time. I wasn't going to relent. I smile, "don't fear, sister, it just Death."

"STOP!" A familiar voice screams, but it's too late.

It seems Jaxson was right - Fate will *always* find a way to win.