I was fine.
My shield had absorbed it.
Besides, I was focused on dealing out damage, not whatever I happened to sustain in the process.
To this one motherfucker right here in my grasp, his blood streaming down all over my fingers.
“What are you—”
I flared my power and pushed it into him.
He roared out into the room and tried to pull away, but he couldn’t. I had him rooted to me.
“You wanted my power so badly. You fucked all over me to gain access to it. So, tell me, how does it taste?”
“This is… you healed me… with this. It’s the same—”
“When you had those veins, that rot. The moment you handed that burden over to me, there became nothing there left for my death magic to target. So now, it’s just damage. Well, not just any kind of damage. This isn’t pure Necromancy. It’s death state magic. The whole of what I am.”
“You’re… infecting me… withdeath?”
“Yes. Yes, I fucking am.”
“Win, shit. No,” Zayn cried. “Not yet. Can’t be yet.” He grabbed at my arm, but he couldn’t move me while my shield was up. It didn’t hurt him either, though, I wouldn’t let it.
I went on, watching with immense satisfaction as Ruxnoth’s face twisted in pain—and fear. Actual true fear.Good. See what it feels like on the other side for once.
“The delicious irony of this whole thing is that I can’t do this to anyone else. Only you. Made possible solely by your own actions.”
“What are you… talking about?”
“Oh, you know, you infecting me? Being‘inside me’as you disgustingly insist on putting it—my veins, bones, blood? All the living warmth infusions you forced on me, then made me addicted to? The Fuel Core was the final thing to stabilize a latch for me, so I could do this. Well, and me setting you up by pretending I was healing those veins, that rot, to help you. Nah, not so.” I grinned. “So now I have a unique map and handle on you, all thanks to your efforts. Mmm, tastes so good, I can’t quite quantify it. So much for your godly status, huh?” With my fingers still buried in his flesh, I yanked him down to his knees and he roared in agony. “That’s right, kneel to me.” My eyes flashed. “Say it. Say the words. Tell me you’re my True Celestial bitch.”
“Win, stop. He can’t pass into the Valley with his warped magic still a factor. Remember? Remember how he could destabilize it, even harm the whole fabric of the place?”
“Then I’ll go with him and keep him bound to me so he can’t do that. Until you guys find a way to render his warping inoperable.”
“No! That is not fucking happening!”
“I’m sorry, Z. I don’t want to leave you all again, but… but this motherfucker… he’s too dangerous. I can’t let him go free.”
“He’ll be dealt with soon either way. Really soon, Win. We talked it over. You know the deal there. Please just trust in that.”
“I trust in all of you, but him… he twists trust… you can’t see him coming. It’s not safe. None of you are safe!” I drove more of my death magic into Ruxnoth, watching his skin now starting to tinge gray. It wasn’t desiccation—it was pure death coming for him.
“Winter!”
“Didn’t you hear me? You’re not safe! None of you are safe so long as he’s here!”
Zayn shoved his hand through his hair and started pacing erratically.
And then he bellowed out,“Vax! Vax!”
I didn’t even get the chance to reconcile what Zayn was doing, when the wall to our right blasted to pieces.
And then my breath caught in my throat as Vax strode on through, not the least bit fazed by it, and even the stone at his feet being crushed to ash as he passed through it.
Fucking shit.
