Chapter 116 — I earned this

Everything happened in a flash. Wilona charged towards me and just as she was about to lunge at me, Liam jumped in and clashed into her. They fought, their bodies crashing into the ground and against the walls as they bit and clawed at each other.

‘I don't know why you're doing this, but I’m not going to let you kill her!’

Liam’s voice boomed in my mind just as he dodged a claw attack from Wilona, and sent her crashing to the ground.

‘What do you even have for her that you’re willing to protect her? That you’re willing to lay your life for her?’ Wilona responded as their conversation echoed in my mind.

‘Because it’s my duty and I'll protect her till I die.’

His words made my heart thump.

Wilona circled him, as she snarled, ‘Then die.’

She surged forward and slashed Liam across the face with one vicious swipe. My breath caught at the sight of his blood splattering on the floor. My gaze fell on Kristen who watched everything from a corner, her body trembling visibly.

I had to get her out of there before she got hurt because Wilona was unpredictable.

Looking at the moon and back at the altar, I still had a little time left. I seized the opportunity to rush to Kristen while they were still engrossed in their fight.

Reaching Kristen, I grabbed her arm and pulled her along with me as we ran away from the scene. At that moment, Wilona’s fierce gaze locked into mine. She pushed Liam away and charged towards us, her eyes filled with pure bloodlust.

She slashed her claws at both of us, but I pushed Kristen forward and took the slash to my back. A scream escaped me as I felt my flesh tear as searing pain shot through me. I took my mind off the pain and kept running.

“Run, Kristen! Don’t look back! Keep running!” I screamed at Kristen who tried to look around to see what happened. Wilona chased us, and just when she was about to jump at us, Liam grabbed her hindleg in his teeth and threw her back.

Giving us time, Kristen and I made it to behind the sanctuary, and we scanned for where to hide her.

“There’s a door here,” she called out and I rushed to her side. I held the knob and tried to open the door but it didn’t come open.

“Fuck! It’s locked!” I screamed out in frustration as I fought with the knob. I started to kick the door with force and I felt relieved when the wood broke apart.

I guided Kristen in and just when I turned to leave, she grabbed my hand, stopping me.

“Your back,” the concern on her face made my heart wretch, “Stay here with me. I don’t want you to go out there.”

I understood her worries but I couldn’t just sit back and hide, “The blue moon is almost rising. I have to be there while it does, and I need to help Liam.”

How I was going to do that; I had no idea, but my determination and strength knew no bounds.

“Please come back safe,” she muttered as she grasped my hand tight.

“I will. I promise.”

She gave me a slight nod and released my hand. Casting one glance back at her, I ran off. I thought of Devyn and tried to send a mind message to him, but I couldn’t get through.

Did he know about Wilona’s betrayal? Was he fighting on his own? Was he okay?

There were too many worries swirling in my head, but I had to face mine and join him.

Rushing back into the main hall, my body froze as all the blood drained from my body, when I saw the sight before me. Liam lay on the ground in his human form surrounded by a pool of blood. He wasn’t moving.

I was too late.

Wilona looked down at his body, her expression unreadable, as her teeth bared with blood dripping down her mouth; Liam’s blood. Sensing me, our gaze locked and her eyes narrowed into slits as a growl erupted from her.

So many emotions were swirling through me. My chest rose rapidly as my heart raced, twisting in pain. I could barely breathe as my head spun. Memories of Liam flashed in my mind, and I felt my knees buckle, trying to give up.

Gripping the altar till my fingers hurt, I reached into my pants and pulled out the silver dagger Devyn gave me before I was taken to Damien.

Despite the pain, rage streamed through me like hot lava, as adrenaline rushed through my veins.

Her betrayal hurt, but I was going to kill her myself, for all the lives she took away. The only thing that would give me satisfaction would be her blood gushing down on me, and the screams of her agony piercing my ears.

She charged and jumped in the air, aiming to attack. I ran and slid on the ground, my wounded back rubbing against the cold tiles, but I couldn’t feel the pain. Directly under her body, I held the dagger in both hands, raised it above my head, and slashed under her exposed belly. It tore deep, and when her blood spewed on me, a manic laugh escaped me.

She landed on her legs, still standing. I pushed myself off the ground and stood facing her.

‘I underestimated you. I don’t know what it is that makes you special, but you’re something.’

I tilted my chin up, not bothering to wipe her blood moving into my eyes, “I’m no killer, but your life is the first I’ll take,” I pointed the dagger at her, “And I’m going to enjoy doing it.”

Her chuckle reverberated in my head, “We’ll see about that.”

When she ran towards me, I should’ve been running away, but my legs pushed me forward as I held onto the dagger. When our bodies almost collided, I raised the dagger to stab her head, but she dodged my attack and knocked into me, sending me flying across the hall.

My body crashed into the wall, and I thought I heard a bone crack in my back. Jolts of pain shot through me and when I hit the ground, my vision became cloudy.

Yet, I pushed myself back on my feet.

As we ran towards each other, I dodged her claws aiming at my head, and struck her face with the blade, missing the targeted area as she moved; her eye.

Before I could reach out for another attack, her teeth clamped on my wrist with the dagger, biting hard as I screamed in pain.

The pain made me release my grasp on the dagger and she flung me with her teeth, till my body crashed into the stone altar. I hit my head so hard that I heard my skull crack.

My vision became hazy, and when I tried to push myself off the ground, I screamed in agony from the excruciating pain in my wrist and my head.

When I looked at my injured wrist, I understood why it hurt so much.

My hand was hanging loose, almost completely dismembered from my wrist. All that held it was a narrow bone. When I placed my other hand behind my head and brought it back to my hazy vision, my hand came out bloody.

I was in pain, losing too much blood. at this point, I wasn’t going to make it. Yet, I didn’t stop trying to move, even though it was futile.

‘Give up already, Gina. It’s over.’

Through my vision, I could see Wilona’s intimidating wolf form approaching me, taking her time, because she thought she had already won this fight.

‘You made this hard for yourself. If you obliged, I would’ve made death come easier, quicker, and painless for you.’

I hated how gentle she sounded like she was doing me a favor.

When she towered over me, gazing down at me with those green eyes that had always looked at me like a friend, I could see what I had always missed in them.

The hatred and the jealousy.

‘This is for a greater cause.’

“Bullshit! You’ve always been intimidated by me, that’s why,” I was surprised I could still talk, or maybe it was my anger fueling me, “You were always stronger, but you felt I wasn’t deserving of this power. You hate me because you can’t have it, and the best option for you is to kill me.”

There was silence, but then she laughed, ‘You’re smart.’

“And you’re a greedy bitch. You can’t have it all.”

My gaze shifted to the altar quickly then back at Wilona. The moon’s glow was almost over it. I was having this conversation just to buy as much time as I could.

‘I know. Why do you think I killed my own family? Why do you think I worked so hard to be at the top?”

Her words sent chills down my spine, but at this point, her words didn't surprise me. She was the definition of evil, and I wished I had known sooner.

“You’re the true monster, and I’ll never forgive you for Praya, for Liam, for everything, and I hope you rot in hell, where you fucking belong!’

‘They just happened to be in my way, and I never let anything stop me from achieving what I want,” she bared at her teeth, ready to snap at my head, ‘That’s enough last words. Goodbye, Gina.’

Right on cue, the blue moon’s glow shone fully on the altar. Mustering all the strength I had left, I sent them to my legs.

Giving Wilona one last look, I spat out, “Fuck you!”

I kicked her so hard in the face, that I heard her jaw snap, sending her flying. Pushing through the pain and dizziness, I propelled myself off the ground and rushed to the altar.

‘Nooo!’ her scream almost blocked my mind as she rushed towards me with incredible speed, but surprisingly, I was faster.

I placed my battered hand on the altar and my blood traveled through the paths. Wilona was already in mid-air, about to grab me, when I shut my eyes.

A gasp escaped me as a sudden burst of energy surged through me. My eyes opened on their own, meeting the moon’s gaze.

An immense amount of energy burst out of me and pushed Wilona back with so much force that she collided with the Sanctuary’s door.

Everything went still and I breathed easily as energy flowed through me. When the moon finally passed, my head fell back. I pushed my head forward and when my gaze met Wilona’s, I saw the fear in her eyes.