Nikolai

Lucious is flying above us, burning everything his fire can touch; he doesn't care if the people he harms are on his side or ours.

"Draq, Dru," I yell out to the twins, hoping to be heard over the screams of those being burned alive. "Lucious must be stopped. If he continues on this way, nothing will be left."

The twins both give each other a knowing look, communicating in a way that only twins can before they acknowledge me.

"We will do our best to make you proud, your highness," Draq replies, bowing his head before shifting into his massive beast.

"If anything happens to us, just know that we fell with honor," Dru states, bowing his head as a sign of respect before shifting into his great beast.

Anya gasps in astonishment, this more than likely was her first time seeing a dragon up close, reminding me that she'd come along with us.

"Marques," I commanded the merman, "I need you to take Anya somewhere safe."

"You need me in this battle," Marques states urgently, glancing over at Kade, a protective look in his eye, but no, that couldn't be right. They'd just met.

"I need Anya protected more. Without her, I'm not sure I can save Mary completely." Marques is still hesitant, and I do what most Kings won't. "Please," I plead with him, "You're the only one on our side who knows the ends and outs of this territory. Anya needs to be protected."

Marques reluctantly agrees to take Anya to safety, but he looks at Kade one more time before he leaves. Kade isn't paying attention to Marques's looks. Instead, he's fighting with Nevaeh, trying to get her to see why she, too, should seek safety with Marques.

"No, Kade," Nevaeh shouts. "I owe Mary my life. I owe Nikolai my life. I will not hide from this war. I may have started as your slave, but I know I am so much more now. I will stay by your side, and I will fight." She states firmly.

"But Nevaeh, I can't risk you being a distraction," Kade replies urgently, pushing her toward Anya and Marques.

"Trust me; I won't be." She replies, crossing her arms, proving to Kade that he wouldn't be able to change her mind.

Marques is looking around now, watching the fires from the war in the sky and our enemies coming closer to us, "If we don't leave now, I won't be able to get anyone to safety.

Kade gives Nevaeh one more pleading look, but she's set on her decision. "Go ahead and leave." I tell Marques, "Anya will be the only one going with you."

Within minutes of Marques leaving, hellfire is sent raining down on our little troupe, sticking fiercely against the shield Ambrose created to shield us. The witch Befana, cackling above us as she hit the shield repeatedly with the hellfire that she'd conjured up.

"This shield won't hold for much longer," Ambrose shouts, his voice sounding strained from the amount of magic he used to hold the anti-magic ward in place.

"Then we shall separate and let you take Befana one-on-one. We can't afford to deplete your magic." I yell back, the storm of magic hitting our shield sounding like a heavy rain storm pounding on metal sheets.

"You go right, and I'll go left!" I shout at Kade, pointing toward him and Nevaeh, then pointing right in case he couldn't hear me over the noise. "If we go opposite directions, it'll be hard for Befana to focus her magic. She can't attack us all at the same time.

Ambrose spotted a pattern in Befanna's attack, and as soon as he spotted a chance for us to separate, he lowered his shield, his release of magic throwing Kade and me in opposite directions. I luckily landed on my feet, having expected the rush of magic, and am quick to unsheath my sword, killing the enemies surrounding me. As I'm making my way to the mansion-like house, Ash calls his home. I'm hit with a vision of a memory that isn't mine.

Mary is lying on a small bed in an empty chamber, her skin is as pale as a ghost, and her chest is barely moving, the only sign of life her body is showing. The witch Baba Yaga is hovering over Mary, a knife glinting in her hands that she has pressed against Mary's neck, not hard enough to cause her harm, but enough to make her bleed. I feel a sharp nick on my neck, and when I reach up and touch it, I can't feel a wound on my neck, and I'm not bleeding; the pain is coming from the exact location Baba Yaga had cut Mary; this wasn't a memory shared with me; it was a scene happening right at this moment. I can feel my vampire pushing through, and this time, I don't hold back, and I don't feel even an ounce of guilt as I slash through the men in front of my mate and me. I cut through them like a tiller would blades of grass, my sword cutting them down as if I were the angel of death carrying out sentences. I leave a bloody path in my wake, but my only thoughts are on rescuing Mary from the evil clutches of that witch. As I march closer and closer to the entrance of Ash's home, the vision placed in my mind starts to fade, my thoughts of vengeance overpowering any reasonable thought in my mind as I kick in Ash's front door, making my way into his home.

It isn't until the door crashes behind me that I wonder if perhaps this was a trap.

"Nikolai, how nice of you to finally show up. Welcome to my humble abode." Ash sneers, standing in front of his now closed door.

I can feel the intensity of the magic go up around the home as even more powerful wards are placed.

"No one will be able to help you now, Nikolai." Ash sneers, his upper lip curling in a snarl.

"I won't need help taking you down, Ash." I snarl back, partially shifting into my vampire form, readying myself for his attack.

Ash follows suit, only partially shifting, as hair sprouts from his arms, his nails sharpen into claws, and his canines elongate, showing off his lethal bite. I use my vampiric speed and slash into his chest with my sharpened nails just enough to cut through his thick skin. By the time Ash sees my attack coming, he's too slow to counteract it, putting his hands up a minute too late, making me the first to spill blood.

"Return my mate now, and I promise to give you an easy death," I shout, taking a step back, smiling cockily as blood seeps through Ash's wound and drips onto the floor.

"Do you really think you'll make it to your mate in time, Nikolai?" Ash questions me, an evil glint in his eyes, "Mary is as good as dead."

I charge him again, but Ash sees me coming as he uses his brute strength to grab me around the waist and slam me down on the ground. I Let out a hiss of pain when I felt my ribs crack against the hardwood floor, but I let Ambrose's magic, that I'd stored from my feed, travel through my body, healing my broken ribs.

Ash looks at me, shocked, but that doesn't stop him from repeatedly charging me. He uses an array of magic from the different supernaturals essences he's stolen, but I manage to block them all; it's like I have something in my body that's heightening all of my senses, making me stronger and faster, giving me the ability to thwart my opponent at every move, that's when I recall the magic the Sprite had infused into me, she'd said she carried the magic of premonition inside her. It made me realize that I wasn't faster or stronger than I once was; I could just see every move Ash was about to make before he made it.

Ash quickly began to grow weak the longer our fight continued as if something was draining his magic, eating it up quicker than he could regenerate it, which should have been rather quickly since he'd stolen the essence of an elf possed the skills of regeneration.

"DO IT NOW!" Ash shouted, taking me by surprise, causing me to become distracted now.

It wasn't until I felt the knife slicing across my throat that I knew what Ash had just had done, but he'd distracted me just enough to plunge his hand into my chest and grab hold of my chest.

"Long live the King." Ash smiled in triumph as he began to squeeze my heart.

**AUTHOR NOTE**

***I think while writing this chapter, I became one with my character Alpha Ash, there was a wicked part of me that wanted to write the end and watch all of you panic, but the Mary side of me won over. Don't worry, the story isn't over just yet.***