137

137
Ashley’s POV

My blade sang through the air, cutting down another enemy soldier before he even saw me coming. Blood sprayed across my face, but I did not slow down. Could not slow down. There were too many of them. Around me, the battle raged in chaos. Witches cast spells that lit up the night sky. Werewolves fought in their animal forms, tearing into enemy soldiers with savage efficiency. The smell of blood and smoke and magic was so thick in my nose I could barely breathe. But I fought on. I had something to prove tonight, to Diana, to my coven, to myself.

“Ashley, damn it, fall back to formation!” someone shouted behind me. They could go to hell. I didn’t come here to fight in a formation. My eyes scanned the battlefield, looking for one face amongst the masses. The traitor. The one who had betrayed us to Malachi. The one who had captured me, nearly got all of you killed, gotten me changed into this freak-show being.

As I passed an open line of Hell-Hounds fighting soldiers, I finally saw him across the field. He had taken up with Malachi’s dark magic people. That was really all I needed to see. Rage was in my chest with a head, and it wouldn’t die down. I turned, pushing my way through the fighting soldiers to reach him. My new powers since I’d gotten back have sung to life, familiar and yet so different. Silver energy, the energy of Earth, wrapped around my hands, and my fiery arrows sharply incinerated anyone in front of me.

One poor guy tried to swing at my head with his sword. I ducked under and drove my blade into his stomach. I continued moving. The traitor was closer now, fighting with the dark magic. I could see him better. His face looked darker. Not his skin, he and I were the same in that regard, but… tainted. The dark power was rubbing off on him already. I knew I needed to kill him tonight. I may never become a warrior in our coven’s eyes, Diana’s eyes, but he had to die.

“YOU!” I screamed. The sound was strident. He heard me but didn’t know where from. He turned, eyes wide with fear at me.

“Ashley,” he snarled, his voice warped with dark power. “I would have thought Malachi’s beasts would have torn you apart by now.”

“I am more difficult to slay than you presumed!” I retorted.

I lunged at him, dagger aimed at his heart. He parried with his own weapon, and we two began to fight in earnest. Blade met blade again and again, creating sparks each time it did, and making me think I was entirely out of my depth. He was a force to be reckoned with, one enhanced by Malachi’s pet darkness. However, I was quicker. My new powers allowed my body to risk blurring with the speed of my actions, and it was nearly impossible to keep up with them. I cut at his side, and he barely evaded, the dagger slashing through his armor and cutting his skin. He hissed in agony and aimed a blast of power in return. I erected a shield of silver light which absorbed the dark energy and threw it against the wall, shattering it.

“You’ve become better,” he said, circling me cautiously. “You’re still fragile.”

“I’m not weak!” I growled. “And I’m going to make you pay for your treachery.” We collided once more, blades moving so quickly they were almost invisible. My pulse raced in my ears; my muscles ached with the effort. However, I pushed myself even more, drawing on reserves of power I hadn’t known I had. I kicked him in the chest, forcing him to take a step backwards. As I leapt on him, my blade was at his throat.

“That’s for digesting us.”

“Did you truly believe you could defeat me?” he taunted. “Malachi schooled me himself! You’re merely a silly girl pretending to be a fighter.” His hand moved too quickly for mine to follow. Dark power snaked over my hand, burning like molten metal. I screamed, letting my weapon drop. He began to step out from under me, a cruel smirk on his lips.

He lifted his hand, and a cloud of black hellfire gathered around him. I struggled to move, but my body refused. The last spell with dark magic with me had taken away the ability to move.

“Die.” A storm of darkness flew towards me, and I closed my eyes, accepting my failure. I gave in to my hatred, I left the ranks only to take revenge personally, and now I would pay. But the deathstroke did not fall.

I opened my eyes and saw a huge werewolf standing in front of me in front of the traitor. The spell had hit a wolf, one of Diana’s elite guards, Kael. He suddenly appeared and was barely able to stay on his feet.

‘’NO!’’ screamed. Kael turned his head and looked at me, and I saw forgiveness and understanding through his eyes. How could he forgive me? How could this mighty knight fall to save me? Then he lay down. Real horror and guilt crushed me. Kael had a wife, he had children, and he died because of my stupidity. The traitor laughed.

“Charming, but now you’ll die anyway.’’ Raised his hands, and the silver blaze erupted from them. I was ready, and the silver energy expanded to create a huge explosion. It burned the skin off his face, and he flew with a shriek and crashed into a crowd of his soldiers. I ran to Kael. He was alive, but dying. The spells ate away at him from the inside, as if he would rot before he died.

“Keep living.” I was trying to heal from the spell using the energy that was left in me. “No, hold on, keep living.” He looked at me with gratitude. sweat beading on his broad forehead where the black down formed the shape of a wolf-head.

“Protect them.” These were his last words before his eyes closed and he took his last breath.

I felt pain lacerating my chest. Kael was gone because of me. I was foolish enough to be guided by hatred and a thirst for vengeance.

The battle raged around me. But I stood there, holding Kael’s body close to my chest, my tears mixing with the blood and dirt covering his still form. A scream tore through his voice, and I looked to see a group of young witches, barely old enough to be on a battlefield, surrounded by enemy soldiers. There were only a handful of them left and they were trying to stand their ground, but they looked ready to drop. Their shields would not hold. In seconds, they would be dead. Something in me snapped.

But this time, it was not just rage. It was not just fear. It was determination. Kael had died saving me from whatever they had done to me. I would not let his sacrifice go in vain. I placed his body gently on the ground and stood up. My hands began to glow with silver fire, brighter than ever. I could feel the new powers flowing through me, every nerve alive and filled with magic. I sprinted towards the witches, faster than I had ever ran before. The soldiers saw me and raised their weapons. I did not stop. Just before I reached them, I slammed my hands into the dirt. Silver energy exploded outwards, and a heart dome surrounded the witches, throwing the soldiers outside. They crashed to the ground, shaking.

“They call you hero. They say you fought Malachi’s beast and lived. I almost laughed. Hero. A stupid little girl who got someone else killed. But I couldn’t look at their hopeful, trusting faces and continue thinking like that. I couldn’t change what I did or undo what I had done when I had killed Kael. But I could try to honor the sacrifice he made for me by being better; by not putting my own anger and desire for retribution above the lives of others. I’m just trying to make it right. Like you.”

The enemy was drawing closer. The barrier was weakening. I was growing weaker. “When this falls, I want all of you to run. Get back to our lines. Do not stop. Do not go back for me. Please understand?”

“What about you?” I was still speaking to the children.

“I’ll keep them away long enough for you to get away … die here.”

“What?” “What about you?”

Before I could respond to their protests, I heard a familiar howl. It came from Dante. The giant beast that had been spearheading the enemy force shattered through the line between us and the enemy soldiers in his wolf form, his pack bursting through with him. Dante and his wolves made quick work of the remaining enemy forces. They secured the area in a few minutes. Dante marched towards me, his green eyes hard. “What in the fuck…”

“I screwed up. I let my anger guide me. Kael died because of me. He took advantage of me.”

“I know. And I will spend the rest of my life making sure his choice was not wasted.” Dante studied me for a long moment, then nodded.

“Get these young ones back to the medical tents. Then return to your position. We are not done fighting yet.”

“Yes, Alpha.” I gathered the newest witches and began leading them back across the battlefield. All around us, fighting roared. Our forces were holding the line, but that was all—they couldn’t advance. Malachi’s army just kept coming. As we walked, I thought of everything we’d been through tonight. My own stupidity. Kael’s sacrifice.

These young witches I’d saved. I’d learned revenge wasn’t something to be taken lightly, that needlessly endangering myself because of obsession had direct consequences. Kael had told me to protect our people. I would do exactly that. No more playing my own games. Never leaving the formation. Until the Elder came, I’d fight smart. I’d fight for other people, not myself. We made it to the med tents with no other incidents. Healers, their hands and clothes covered in blood, surged forward to inspect the newest witches. One of them, the girl who had proclaimed me a hero, turned back to me.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. “You saved our lives.”

“Just doing my job,” I answered, and walked away. I felt something shiver within me as I turned back toward the battle. For the first time since my capture, I felt like a part of my burden lifted away. I couldn’t undo my mistakes. But I could learn from them. I could be a better person. Kael’s face flashed in my mind. I wouldn’t forget him. I wouldn’t let his death mean nothing.

As I drew my weapon once again and ran back towards the fighting, but this time I’d remain in formation. As this time I’d be a part of the team, and when I saw enemy soldiers being a threat to my allies, I’d be the one to stop them. No more chasing after revenge; no longer acting impulsively. Just a warrior fighting to preserve her people. Once more I cut down an enemy soldier; I levied a thunderbolt at the enemy. While doing so, I saw a gigantic explosion to the battlefield’s core. I saw Diana and Malachi facing each other in the air, their powers colliding in a blaze of pure light and darkness.The real fight was just beginning.