139

139

DIANA

My world stopped as soon as I saw her. My mother. My mother Thin, bruised, barely able to stand between Malachi’s guards. Her once beautiful face was gaunt, her eyes hollow from suffering. But those eyes found mine across the battlefield, and I read in them love mixed with fear.

“No,” I whispered. The word was torn from my throat.

My magic flickered and died around my hands. My concentration broke like glass. All the power I had been channeling against Malachi dissipated in a single instant. He took his opportunity. His dark energy slammed me, lifting me off my feet and throwing me backward. I hit the ground hard; my magical shields managed to keep my bones from breaking. I struggled to my feet, gasping for breath. But I couldn’t look away from my mother. She was there, so close and yet impossibly far away. Her hands were bound with dark magic, a sickly purple glow, a sword pressed against her throat.

“Mother,” I said hoarsely. She opened her mouth to reply, but no sound came. Malachi silenced her with dark magic.

“Touching, isn’t it, a reunion between mother and daughter?” he said, his voice dripping with false sympathies.

“Let her go. She doesn’t have anything to do with it.”

“Oh, but she does,” he laughed. “She has everything to do with it. After all, she’s the reason you exist. The foolish witch who thought it was a good idea to fall in love with a werewolf and create a mongrel child”.

“Don’t call her foolish,” I snarled. “It’s not foolish to love my father.” “But love made her weak. Love got her enslaved and tortured for years. Love ruined your entire life.”

My magic. I tried to gather it again, but my hands were shaking so badly. I could not breathe. My mind raced, searching desperately for a way out of this. I could attack Malachi, but his guards would kill my mother before I even got close. There was no good option. “I have an offer for you,” I hate how calm Malachi sounds. His voice has this undertone of understanding, as if he truly wanted to help me. “Surrender yourself to me. Swear your and your children’s loyalty to me, and I will spare your mother’s life.” I have thrown my disbelief in his face.

“You lie,” my voice lacks conviction.

“Maybe. Or maybe I do not. You will not know until you try. Refuse, and I guarantee she dies right now. Right into your eyes.”

I can’t. I can’t allow it to happen. I swallow. My throat is so dry. My eyes are tearing up. My throat hurts so much. My head is spinning. I looked at my mother again. And she is staring at me. Really staring. She is telling me something with her eyes alone. And then she did something I never expected her to do. My mother shook her head ever so slightly. Nobody saw it, but I did. Her eyes dared me. No. They told me. No, Diana. Do not.

My mother. Who had suffered because of me for years. Who had been enslaved and tortured but never fell out of love with me. Who had given everything so I could have a shot at life. She would never forgive me if I were to give up now. But how could I let her die? How could I just stand here and watch as they killed the woman who gave me life?

“Diana,” Dante’s voice again. “Ninety seconds. Keep him talking.” I met Malachi’s eyes and swallowed hard.

“You said you would spare her life if I were to surrender.”

“Yes.”

“And you would heal her? Let her live a life of comfort?”

“I give you my word.”

“Your word means nothing to me,” I snapped, buying time. “A monster of your caliber, even your word means death’”

“That may be,” he said, but there was something off in his eyes. “But you have no other choices, assassin.”

“There’s always a choice. As long as I live, there is always a choice.”

“There is none left for you.” My father raised a hand, and the sword pressed into the guard’s neck harder. A thin line of blood appeared. Mother’s eyes widened slightly with pain, but she started shaking her head at me.

“No,” I said. I snapped my head to Malachi, who blinked in surprise.

“What did you say?” he asked.

“I will not surrender to you,” I said, louder this time.

“Not ever.”

“Then your mother dies.” I turned to look at her, at the steel around her throat. Fresh tears poured down my cheeks.

“If she dies, it will be because of you,” I said. “Not because of me. Mother—Mother, I am so sorry. But I cannot give him what he wants. I cannot doom thousands to save one, even if that one is you.” My mother’s face softened on the screen, and she looked at me. Pride shone in her bright eyes, and she nodded slowly. Permission. Something inside me broke at the nod, and I sobbed. But I was ready, magic loose around me, never breaking my stance.

“You would let your own mother die?” disbelief was in Malachi’s voice.

“My mother would rather die free than live enslaved,” I said in tears. “She taught me that. Some things are worth dying for. Freedom is one of them.”

“HOW TOUCHING. AND FOOLISH.”

“It is not foolish to stand for what is right.” His face twisted, and he glared at me.

“VERY WELL. WATCH AS I KILL HER. WATCH AS THE LIFE DRAINS FROM HER EYES. AND KNOW THAT YOU COULD HAVE PREVENTED IT.” He raised his hand, and the dark energy began to gather around it. HE was going to do it. Growing to kill my mother right before my eyes. I wanted to shout, to rush forward. But I stayed by Dante’s side.

“THIRTY SECONDS,” its voice whispered to me. Time began to move slowly. MY heart beats were echoing in my ears. I could see every brilliant detail of my mother’s life. Could FEEL the weight of this moment.

“It’s time to say goodbye, Diana,” Malachi said frostily. “THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO DEFY ME.” He started to lower his hand. But it was chaos that attacked me.

The giant black wolf burst on the trees’ edge behind his guards. Dante. His jaw was sealed around the neck of the guard who was holding his sword. The guard felled, blood gushing out. More wolves rushed in, striking Malachi’s guards like lightning bolts. Three guards perished in seconds, and others fought for their lives. Malachi whirled around, and HIS concentration was in ruin.

“WHAT? NO!” I did not hesitate. My hands flew up, and I released everything. The blue lightning sprang across my fingers and crushed him, sending him backward. I charged to my mother.

I dropped to my knees beside her, and I gathered her into my arms. She was unconscious, but she was also breathing. Alive. “Mother,” I sobbed. “Mother, I’m right here. You’re safe now.” Her eyes fluttered open weakly, and she looked at me, smiling.

“Proud of you,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. I reached out to touch her cheek.

“Save your strength. We’re getting you out of here.” Dante shifted back to human form. “We have to move. Malachi’s getting back up.”

“Help me carry her.” Together, we lifted my mother. She was so frail and so light, but she was alive. We began carrying her back toward our lines, Dante’s team providing a ring around us. Behind us, Malachi bellowed in anger:

“You will pay for this, Diana!” I didn’t need to look back. I needed to get her to safety. Arrows whistled through the air, and the enemy soldiers tried to use their bodies to block our movements. However, our allies were already there and were fighting to keep us safe. We made it past the boarder line and the healers pushed forward. They took my mother from my trembling arms. I watched them work, my body trembling in pure relief. Dante wrapped his arms around me once again from behind. Sobbing, he said, “You did it. You made the right choice.”

“ almost lost her.”

“But you didn’t. She’s alive. And she’s proud.” Unable to talk, I nodded. Around us, the battle still raged. However, it was different. Our soldiers fought with a newfound conviction. I wiped my tears and straightened. There was still a war to fight. Together, Dante and I turned toward the battlefield. In the distance, Malachi was standing alone. His face filled with a rage so strong. I whispered, “This isn’t over.”

“No, but we have the upper hand,” Dante said.

“We end this tonight. No more running. Tonight. Malachi falls.” My hands flamed up into blue magic, it was so intense that I had ever felt it before.