Chapter 69

A soft chuckle escapes my lips as a warm hand sits on my shoulder. I don't know why I'm laughing. But I can't help myself, and I can't stop.

"Nieve..."

"I-I'm s-sorry..." I try to stifle my laughter, holding my stomach as tears threaten to fall. Happy or sad - I have no fucking idea. Either way, I can't stop.

She's gone. Theia's gone - as fate so cruelly ordained.

I laugh - because once again, they won. Those three spinsters were playing with Theia's life like it was a game to them. They played with mine, and they played with Freya's.

Theia, as the oldest sister - cursed, to only feel loneliness and death.

Freya, the evil sister - cursed, to only feel hatred and evil.

And me, the youngest - cursed, to only suffer cruelty and life.

Except, now I have Jaxson. And Sophia, Dylan and Grayson. Still, how dare they?! "T-They punish us-... for something we had no control over," I chuckle to Jaxson. "And now, Theia is dead."

A burst of anger wells up inside me, and my laughter dies. "Those damn witches..." I growl, "if they're so bored, how about I give them something to run from?"

I'm playing a dangerous game - I know. But as Theia already warned me, it isn't my destiny to die today, which means - it's soon! It clear to me, these fates have no intention of allowing the Carson bloodline to continue.

I bring my hands together, and before anyone can stop me, I speak those cursed words, "Voce de Oracle, Hecate."

A red crack of lightning engulfs me, and an overwhelming shock of energy and magic thrums through my veins. "Nieve - don't!" Jaxson warns.

I tilt my head. "Why? I'm a spirit of vengeance. I'll make those witches regret ever crossing me!"

"You know, starting a war will never end in your favour," he growls.

I know that, but I don't care.

"Algaria rozaigra," A black hole appears from nothing, cutting through space the size of an eyeball, "come back to me, Theia," I whisper.

I don't know how Freya made it look so easy, I can feel myself slipping in consciousness, but I'm determined to get her back. I feel a presence, and just as I do, I'm knocked down by a powerful force and fall into darkness.

****

Air returns to my starving lungs as I shoot up, shouting her name, "Theia!"

I expect her small arms to curl around me, but they don't. Disappointment and sadness burn my core with its painful presence.

Jaxson catches me and lays me back down in bed - his bed.

"Shh. I'm sorry, Nieve. But opening a black hole like that was too much - even for a God," He murmurs.

"G-Get out..." I whisper, staring blankly at the wall. I don't know if I'm talking to the rush of emotion wrapping their hands around my throat or Jaxson - maybe both?

"Nieve..."

"P-Please. Just get out," I sigh, finally meeting Jaxson's pale gaze. He seems hesitant but nods anyway.

I follow as he walks out. He turns back around to catch my gaze. "Are you okay?"

I smile, "I'm fine."

He narrows his gaze, "I know you're lying."

"I know," I whisper, closing the door gently and locking it in place.

My back hits the door, and the events play themselves over and over again. I take a breath and another as I slowly sink to my knees, trying to block the world out.

I close my eyes and press my head to the door, "tell me, how do I get over this?"

I imagine Theia sitting right beside me, a smile dancing across her lips, *'if I tell you, you have to listen. After all, I am technically older than you now.'*

"Okay," I whisper, imagining her words in my ears.

*'Let it all in. Feel everything. Let your tears fall one last time. Let your heart miss me. Let your soul mourn. And when you finish-...'* I imagine Theia's small head leaning on my shoulder, her eyes drifting shut as she whispers, *'let it be for the last time.'*

I don't know if she would have said those words or not, but I listen anyway. Silent tears fall down my face, my heart clenches painfully, and I mourn.

I don't know how long for - days, weeks, months? The world continues to turn - without me. The suns rises and falls - and I don't move.

At one point, Jaxson comes in. He scoops me up, he lays me down, he tugs me close to his chest, so my back presses against his. And there we sit, in silence - for so long, saying absolutely nothing.

As days go by, I enjoy his company and the silence.

"Do you hear that?" He asks.

"No. Hear what?" I barely whisper.

He's quiet for a moment and finally decides to answer. "Eldora, it's quiet."

I listen for the first time, and no longer do I hear chaos disturb the night. "It is, isn't it."

"The world is changing, Nieve," Jaxson flips us over, so his pale orbs burn into mine with something, "you did this."

I shake my head, "Jaxson, I don't care-..." I try to push him away, but I can't.

"It hurts to see you like this, Nieve. Come back to me," he pleads. What shocks me is that he sounds so genuine.

Seeing him like this makes me realise what I've been doing. I cup his jaw with a feathery light touch and smile, "every time I think I'm better - I'm not. And I finally realise that-... I might never be okay. I-It-... scares me, Jaxson - so much. So, so much. And I want to tell you to take it all away, but I know you can't," I sob weakly, my teary gaze holding his. "And that isn't your fault, and I would never want you to think that it is. I just-... want to be okay..." I turn back around to avoid his gaze, "but my soul is tired, and no one can do anything about it."

A long beat of silence greets us when I suddenly feel Jaxson's face nestle comfortably in my neck. It takes a long, embarrassing minute to realise what he's doing.

He's hugging me.

"Your right. I can't do anything. But I'm going to take a page out of your book-... and hope. We have to Nieve-... because what I thought was impossible has now been proved possible - by you..." He turns my face to stare at me as he says, "you don't have to be okay. You never have to be okay. I'll love you no matter what - *always.*"

My breath hitches as my eyes burn into his, searching for a lie and find nothing. He turns me around again, so I'm on my stomach. His claws slice my dress down the middle as his hot, intoxicating breath fans my exposed flesh.

A soft sigh escapes my lips, but my body freezes instantly at the feeling of his warm lips tickle across the scars on my back.

"You're... breathtaking," he murmurs, kissing my scars. His lips so hot it touches my soul with love and warmth. "Every square inch of you is perfection. Every fucking part. Your mind, your body, your soul - it's all just-... perfect..."

His lips run up and down my scars. His tongue swept across the bumpy and uneven texture of my back, whispering those words over and over again.

"Don't ever doubt the truth from my lips. More importantly, don't ever doubt yourself..." Jaxson crawls up my body, his knee between my thighs, as his hot breath tickles back and forth on my shoulder. "More is going to come our way, and I'm ready to fight - with you. Remember Nieve - no one ever regrets fighting. Even when one loses, they'll look back and be proud they did something. Did something-..." his lips touch my ears as he murmurs the words, *"inspiring."*

I turn around with inhuman speed, my body hot and my mind free. My gaze clashes with his as I flip us over to straddle him. "I love you," I murmur and press my lips against his.

Jaxson responds with equal intensity. My hands find themselves buried in his hair and his in mine. Our teeth clash. Our tongues fight an intense battle of dominance and need and want.

The air so hot and humid and thick with desire, my hips find themselves grinding against his swollen and erect cock. Jaxson growls as his hands grip my thighs in a bruising grip. I gasp in both shock and want once my back slams against the wall violently.

Jaxson pulls back and stares at me, his pale eyes darkening as he pants hoarsely, "I've wanted to do that for a while now."

I blink as his words dawn on me, and a surprised laugh bubbles past my lips. Jaxson tilts his head, "you don't think it was hot?"

"No, it was..." I curl my arms around his neck, my breath fanning his ear as I whisper in a sinfully innocent tone, "maybe I'll ask you to spank me next."

Jaxson growls lowly under his breath, his body stiff as his mind wanders to what I imagine a very kinky place. Jaxson presses further into me, eating the distance between us until I can only feel him. Everywhere!

"You're going to regret saying that," he grumbles, his forearm leant against the wall beside my head as the heel of my foot nudges his pants down - a dark challenge glints in my eyes, his gaze narrows.

"Oh? I doubt that" I muse.

His eyes burn with promises of punishment and cruel intentions. My core burns with need as I rub my wet folds against his freed cock. Lapping my juices all over him, teasingly.

Jaxson growls and flips me around and away from the wall. He ties my hands behind my back with one hand and bends me over, "challenge..." He growls and slams into me without warning or preparation. I scream in both pleasure and pain, "accepted."

He pulls out of me, and just as he's ready to slam back inside me, the door knocks.

Jaxson growls, his tone shaking the walls of the entire mansion - and my vagina. I try to muffle my moan as the vibrations send a surge of electricity straight through me to the tip of my toes, my back arching on impulse.

Jaxson eases back into me, torturously. "J-Jaxson-... y-you should...Oh!" I moan, biting down on my leg to muffle my scream.

"What?" He growls to the man outside. The idea he can hear me makes my body hotter, and my core burns. It feels wrong, but right. And fuck, my mind is in turmoil.

"U-Um, we have an issue that urgently needs your attention," a voice stutters fearfully on the other end.

Jaxson seems to notice the growing heat between my legs and roughly pulls me up by the hair, a soft gasp escaping my lips as he continues to pump in and out of me slowly.

My back arches as my head sit on his shoulder, "you like that, don't you? Someone being so close to witness you like this, yet so, so far..." He chuckles darkly.

His lips find my neck, sucking and nipping as he slowly pumps in and out of me, his hand travelling down my stomach between my pussy lips to rub my clit. I gasp into his neck as he continues to torture my body, knowing full well he isn't going to make me cum.

At least, not with someone being so close - sadistic bastard!

"Jaxson...!" I growl.

"Hmm?"

"Either go or make me cum right now!" I snap. I expected him to go. I really don't want to be heard moaning and crying as Jaxson takes full advantage of my body to do with as pleases.

But then he snatches the back of my neck and bends me over, so my ass is hanging into the air.

I quickly jump up, but he holds me in place.

"Jaxson!" I hiss, he looks equally annoyed.

"What?"

"Go," I demand.

"No."

"Yes."

He growls at the commanding tone in my voice, but I growl over him with equal determination. Our voices are so deep and throaty and perfectly harmonised that the mirror shatters.

Jaxson quickly protects me from the flying shards and glares down at me. Gritting his teeth together, he storms out of the room before I can remind him he's naked.

I barely see the warrior on the side of the door react before it slammed shut again.

I barely reach his trousers when my knees fall to the floor, and images and scenes flash through my mind like a movie.

****

*We're standing beside the once glowing blue depths of the lake, which is now stained red. I stare, shocked as Amu and Troy float in the blood - dead.*

*Rain pelts down on our bodies, eager to wash away the sins tainting the night as lightning streaks across the skies in outrage.*

*"I never wanted it to be you," I murmur to the man standing opposite me, his pale eyes never once wavered. "It was never supposed to be you. You were never supposed to carry this burden."*

*I cup his face in my hands, pressing my body against his to touch my lips to his one last time. "I-I love you, Jaxson."*

*He smiles. His arm curls around my waist to press me impossible closer. His phantom lips tickle across my lips, whispering, "I know."*

*He draws his hand back, and the blade pierces through my flesh and into my heart.*

*Time seems to take a breath as blood spills from my lips. I never once remove my gaze from his hauntingly beautiful ones.*

*And as I sink to my knees, he follows. I lay in his arms in a pool of my own blood, the sound of his beating heart lulling me into a slumber I'll never awaken from.*

*So, with the last of my strength, I trace my blood-covered hand across the tears streaking down his face. "Forgive yourself... for me."*

*With those last words, my hand falls, and death takes me in its arms one last time.*

****

I don't need someone to tell me what that was. My mother went through it, so did Elias. And now, so have I.

I've just foreseen my death.

"Now, where were we?"

**THE END**