Chapter 49: Fighting the darkness
Leia–POV
My heart ached, throbbing in synchrony with the numbness that spread throughout my body as I watched Kai depart, leaving me in our shared desolation. The once vibrant threads of our mate bond seemed to have vanished, yet when my fingers grazed over the mark on my neck, their mark was palpable. It was as if they were still there with me. Tears brimmed in my eyes, each droplet symbolizing my shattered hope. I wished fervently that this was all a dream, a ghastly nightmare that I would soon wake from, but the gut-wrenching truth was that it was happening. It was real. Everything we once had was now in ruins.
Lilith, reveling in my despair, observed me with a sinister smile. "You are just crying and not begging me to spare you," she taunted. I hastily wiped my tears away, directing a determined stare into Onyx's triumphant eyes. The power within me, dark and light, stirred as if it had just awoken from a slumber. I could sense the suffering of the other packs, their agonizing cries echoing in my ears as the darkness power spread across the wolf realm.
The painful roars of the wolves, coupled with the news of countless deaths, ignited a fire of anger within me. Lilith's menacing look didn't give me any respite or allow me time to adjust to my newfound strength. She advanced, wielding her magic against me, but I deftly dodged her attack, twisted her hand, and imbued my magic into my palms. My magic, a blend of dark and light, seared through my hand and pressed against her chest. Lilith moaned in pain, struggling to free herself, desperate to distance her body from my devastating power.
In a final attempt to escape my grasp, Lilith used her power, pushing me away and causing me to hiss in pain as her dark magic struck me. "You killed my mates," I cried out, my voice echoing with agony, "and I will kill you for taking them away from me." The earth seemed to quiver in response to my outcry, and even Lilith looked surprised at the potency of my power.
"How can you still have such power?" she demanded. "I killed your mate, your power should be easy for me to wield and extract." To this, I responded with a solid punch to her gut.
"My mates gave me their power before they passed, you monster," I snapped back at her, the word 'bitch' too kind for her cruelty. I continued to pummel her without respite, each of my punches enhanced with my magic. Lilith, in a desperate attempt, erected a magical barrier around herself, trying to push me away and buy herself some recovery time.
My fists relentlessly hammered against Lilith's defense barrier, each punch fueled by my determination to keep her from healing. Hatred flared in her eyes as she cast a spell to mend her wounds, but my constant assault wore down her shield until it crumbled. As Lilith braced herself for battle, she assumed a defensive stance, hoping I would tire out. But she was wrong. My anger, pain from losing my mates, and guilt over failing to protect them only energized me.
"You crazy bitch!" Lilith hissed, realizing her defensive strategy was faltering and she was the one wearing thin. She held up her hand to shield herself from my next punch, destined to leave a nasty bruise on her face.
"You want your mates back, right?" Lilith taunted. I glared at her, skeptical.
"Are you suggesting you can bring them back to life?" I scoffed. Lilith nodded, attempting to persuade me. "Enough with your games! You've already caused so much pain and taken my mates from me. I won't fall for your false promises and let you slip from my grip."
"I'm telling the truth," Lilith insisted. Suddenly, a wave of magic struck me from behind. I groaned in pain as I realized I had been tricked. Another shadow wraith stood there, as powerful as Lilith.
"Meet my King Hal of the shadow wraiths. He won't spare you. Together, we will take your powers," she spat, her smirk growing wider at my discomfort.
"Don't think that just because you've summoned this...this fucker to help kill me, I'll go down easily. I swear, I'll drag both of you down with me," I declared, staring them down with unwavering determination. Lilith and Hal roared with sinister laughter, mocking me. I picked myself up, summoning my magic, and attacked Lilith and Hal. They dodged, but I wasn't deterred. The fight was far from over.
"Come on, don't shy away from fighting me with all your strength," I taunted, a sinister smirk spreading across my lips. Lilith narrowed her eyes at me, and I met the gaze of Hal, her shadowy partner, though I couldn't discern any emotions on his featureless face.
Magic crackled around me as they charged, their combined power bearing down on me. Yet, I felt my own power ignite in my palms, and I unleashed it upon them. The impact of my strike sent them sprawling, and I could sense my magic sizzling and crackling, making it difficult for Lilith and Hal to fight.
Our battle raged on. I landed some punches and received a few myself, but all the while, I noticed Lilith's weaknesses. Seizing the opportunity, I struck her down with my power. Lilith moaned in pain as I kept hitting her, and Hal was destroyed, reduced to pieces by my light power. Lilith cried out at the sight of her partner Hal dying before her.
"Do you feel the pain, now that you have I killed your husband " I mocked, looking down at the weakened Lilith. As her strength ebbed away, the dark clouds scattered, and the distant sounds of battle ceased.
"Don't kill me. I'll do anything you say," Lilith begged desperation in her eyes.
"It's too late to beg, Lilith. You took my mates from me and I can't bring them back to life," I screamed, my words choked with pain. At my roar, Lilith flinched. Tears of sorrow and fury streaked down my face, my heart aching for the mates I'd lost.