Laria laughs again. "You think your little shadow tricks can stop me? You have no idea what I’m capable of now. You’re nothing but a puppet for that goddess inside you."
I don’t respond, channeling my energy into the shadows. They wrap around her, trying to pin her down, but she breaks free with a snap of her fingers. Her blood magic lashes out like a whip, cutting through my defenses and leaving searing pain in its wake.
I stumble back, clutching my side where her magic struck. Blood seeps through my fingers, warm and wet.
Her laughter echoes, sharp and mocking, as she steps closer. "Nestor begged for his life, you know," she says, her voice dripping with malice. "He cried like a child. But I needed him, Brigid. His blood was the key to unlocking this power. And now, I’m unstoppable."
My stomach twists at her words, but I force myself to focus.
"You’re insane," I say, my voice low and steady despite the pain coursing through me. "You think sacrificing someone makes you strong? It just makes you a monster."
Her eyes narrow, and she flicks her wrist. A blade of blood-red energy forms in her hand, shimmering with dark intent. "Monster? Maybe. But I’ll be the monster that ends you."
She lunges again, her movements a blur. I barely dodge her strike, the blade slicing through the air inches from my face. My shadows react instinctively, lashing out at her with tendrils of darkness. They wrap around her arm, yanking her off balance.
I don’t have time to think, only act. My shadows tighten, pulling her backwards as I try to create distance between us. But Laria is relentless. With a snarl, she tears free, her blood magic flaring like a wildfire.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Eira. She’s still standing there, frozen in place, her face pale and her eyes wide with terror.
Her head snaps toward me, and for a brief moment, our eyes lock. Hers are filled with fear, and something that might be regret. She opens her mouth as if to say something, but no words come out, then she turns on her heel and runs away.
"You're in over your head, shadow bitch," Laria hisses, her blonde hair floating unnaturally around her face as if suspended in water.
I dodge another blast of crimson energy, feeling it sear past my cheek.
Another burst of her power slams into the wall beside me, and the large windows shatter inward. Glass rains down, catching the light in deadly fragments. I throw my arms up, my shadows forming a shield, but several shards slice through, cutting my forearms.
"You're making a mistake," I tell her, trying to keep my voice steady as I assess my options. The corridor feels narrower now, charged with magic. "This isn't you. It's the blood magic. It's corrupting you."
Laria laughs, the sound high and unhinged.“Oh you fool. This is the real me.” She raises her hands, and the shattered glass rises from the floor, suspended in midair. "The me that's tired of dealing with a waste of space like you."
The glass shards shoot toward me like bullets. I drop to the floor, rolling to avoid the deadly barrage, but several pieces tear through my shirt, slicing into my skin. Pain blooms immediately.
I need to end this. My power surges, the shadows deepening around me as I pull from that well of darkness inside. It's dangerous to tap into it so deeply. I might not be able to control it. But Laria is leaving me no choice.
"That's it," she crows, seeing the change in me. "Show me who you really are. Show me your rotten core. Before I tear your heart out."
My shadows expand, filling the corridor with inky blackness that seems to absorb the light.
"You have no idea what I'm capable of," I whisper.
Chapter Forty Three
Brigid
The flash comes fast, too fast. Laria's fist connects with my face, and I feel bone grind against bone. My head snaps back as my body flies across the room, crashing into the wall.
"You think you're special, Brigid?" Laria's voice distorts, deeper than before, twisted by the forbidden magic coursing through her. Black veins pulse beneath her skin, spreading like poison from her heart outward. "You’ve taken what wasn't yours. A crown that should have been mine."
I taste blood on my tongue as I push myself up. My vision swims, but I see her approaching, her movements jerky, unnatural. Her eyes now glow an unnatural crimson, thin black webs spidering across their whites, and her skin seems stretched too tight across her bones.
"You did something stupid and dangerous, Laria." I spit blood onto the floor.
She lunges again, inhumanly fast. Her nails have elongated into claws that tear through my shirt, raking my skin. I feel flesh open, warmth spilling down my side.
"Shut up!" she screams, spittle flying from her lips. "I'm stronger than you. I've always been stronger!"
I roll away as she stomps where my head was a second ago, the stone cracking under her foot. The vampire's movements are wild, unpredictable, she's fighting like someone possessed.
