“Fuck, this is barbaric.” Graham says, mouth open and eyes wide. Armor clangs loudly against swords as blood sprays out coating the battlefield in a mix of black and red.
“What a mess.” Nyx tsks, sliding up next to us. Her sword is unsheathed as she takes up a wide stance, readying for the incoming wave of soldiers. “Once they get to about there...” She points to a rock formation not far in the distance. “… use your magic to blast them back.” She instructs me.
I nod my agreement, readying myself. I see them breech the exact spot Nyx had pointed out and reach inside of myself, letting the magic coat my body before sending it out in a burst of power. It washes over the front line, pushing them back and allowing for our soldiers to advance.
The clouds release a downpour as I hold my power in place, pushing with everything I have. My feet begin to lift from the ground and my eyes fill with light. Strings of power stream down from my hands as I wrap them around the seven surrounding Chaos. I recognize their evil faces, squeezing hard as the tendril of magic slink around their necks, pulling them from their horses. They kick their legs and pull at their necks to no avail. I watch as their lives begin to flicker out of existence. Just a few more seconds and they’ll be gone.
Suddenly, I’m knocked from the sky, landing in a heap of crumpled bodies. Chaos shoves his stolen power at me, lighting my body up with jolts of electricity. I don’t even have time to shield myself before he sends another jolt throughout my body. Electrocuting me until Nyx steps between us. He falters, seeing his daughter in the line of fire. “Stop this, father. Please.”
My body aches, the smell of burnt skin wafts in the air. I send out a wave of healing throughout my body and manage to stand on shaking legs. The tips of my blonde hair are tipped in black from his little light show.
“Nyx, you could never understand my vision.”
“Maybe not, but you could never understand me, because you were never there.”
He tilts his chin up assessing her, fending off an attack from a soldier that’s brave enough to try and take him down. He throws off the attacker easily with a wave of his hand.
The battle rages all around us. I see Lukas and Graham managing to fight off demon after demon. I scan around us to find Salem and Walker running their swords through the same solider, while Sloan beats back two men. They’re all covered in dirt, blood, and sweat. The demons keep coming and I throw my power out at one that tries to come at me with an ax raised. Garrison and Pierce take on a lion looking thing that gnashes it’s pointed teeth in their faces while hitting a wall of people behind it with its long tail.
Hades is surrounded by a wall of demons that tackle him to the ground. He manages to burst free, melting their bodies with one look.
Walker gets thrown back and catches Chaos’s attention. Stumbling, Walker turns to face the demon.
“There’s no saving me, Nyx. This is who I am.” He says.
I’m too slow to catch the moment he stabs Walker right in the heart.
CHAPTER62
Chapter Sixty-Two
SALEM
SONG: GANGSTA’S PARADISE BY 2WEI
Iwatch in horror as Chaos’s sword pierces through Walker’s armor, breaking through to the other side and straight through his heart. Chaos sneers victoriously and spits on Walker’s face as his life slips away before my eyes. My soul feels like it’s been fractured. The pain rips through my body like it’s my own heart that’s been stabbed. Screaming with tears falling down my face, I scramble over the bodies between us, but it’s too late. “Walker, please, no!”
Chaos unsheathes his sword from Walker’s chest, letting his lifeless body crumple to the ground. Becoming one of the many fallen soldiers that liter the battleground.
He smirks at me, a mixture of black and red blood coats his face. My body goes cold. I feel his essence slip from me. Our bond irrevocably severed. That place in my heart that belongs to him slips through my fingers, no matter how hard I try to pull on our bond. Grief threatens to consume me. He can’t be gone.
Persephone saunters over between us. “Oh, did that one mean something to you?” She swings her sword with practiced ease. “This can all be over if you just hand over the box.”
“Fuck you.” I spit out. Rain pelts my face, sticking my hair across my forehead. Rage floods my veins, and a whisper of my magic brushes up against my broken heart. I grasp onto it and pull with everything I have.
Chaos crumples to the ground. “Stop her!” He cries out, clutching at his chest.
Persephone comes at me, sword knocked, ready to stab me. I close my eyes and it feels like time slows as I call my magic back into me where it belongs. It floods my nerves, coiling around me and raising the tips of my hair on end as if I’d rubbed my head on a balloon. My rage saturates every cell in my body. I open my eyes and see the moment Persephone’s blade pierces my chest, cracking through my armor, and landing against the box.
Her eyes go wide as the blade grazes the outside of the box. It cracks the exterior with enough force that the power from it overflows into me. My magic sucks it down. I feel every emotion at once. All the madness, the anarchy, the discord, the anguish that it wishes for me to unleash on everyone around me. It begs for me to spill it into the world. I convulse on the battle strewn ground, fighting to hold it at bay. Images of what the world could be if I only gave in flit against the backs of my eyes.
Skye rushes over to me and locks her fingers with mine. Her touch jerks me out of the trance.
“Salem. Salem, listen to my voice. You need to fight its power.” Hecate runs over to my side, her face slashed across her cheek. I haven’t even seen her until now. She must have been lost in the sea of soldiers. “Skye, be her anchor. Mix your power with hers.”
Skye frowns, concentrating, holding my hands in hers. I feel the moment Skye’s magic hits mine. Lightning flickers above us as our power builds. Wind whips against us, rain muddying the ground beneath our feet. My head gets thrown back with a rush of power flowing between us. Our hands become alight with flames, though they don’t hurt our skin. It spreads, encompassing our bodies, flickering around us until it forms a circle around us. I screw my eyes closed tight as I hear Skye’s voice penetrating my mind. “Push it down with me, Salem.”
“I can help you bring him back.” Another voice promises, showing me a life with Walker.
