Taming Darkness
Chapter 37

~Aleera-

The briefcase slips from her hands, scattering paperwork everywhere when I am hit from the side, my magic dropping as one of her men attacks me. I hit the ground hard, the cold, damp earth pressing against my cheek. From my peripheral, I see my mother trying to scavenge the papers, her fingers grasping at the documents like a desperate animal.

My wings snap open as soon as the henchman unleashes his fire magic. Instinctively, they wrap around me in a defensive barrier, desperately trying to protect me from the searing heat. I scream in pain as the intense power courses through my body, the sensation akin to a thousand burning needles. I channel my own energy into my wings, turning them into steel.

The wings glow a rusty red color from being exposed to the scorching temperature, and I catch sight of my mother running out of the doorway. Fury builds up inside of me like a boiling cauldron as one of her foot soldiers pins me down with his fire. Every detail burns into my memory, and I clench my teeth as I feel the flames licking at my skin, the smell of singed hair filling my nostrils.

Yet, the moment he is close enough, I spread my wings, instantly slicing his body into three pieces. He looks shocked, the horror frozen on his face before his body slides apart and splatters on the floor like gruesome puzzle pieces.

Without a second glance at the man and his grisly fate, I chase my mother out of the house; I nearly stop in my tracks at the chaos outside. The air is thick with the scent of sweat, blood, and fear. My mates are fighting alongside the recruits, their movements fluid and precise, destroying everyone in their path to get to me. I scan my surroundings, my eyes darting over the battlefield, looking for her. I finally spot her trying to sneak away in the midst of the chaos, only the shimmer of her shield giving away her fleeing figure. "Lydia!" I scream out to her, and she stops once more. Her eyes flash, and my mates look in her direction.

"You had your chance," she spits at me, her voice dripping with venom. I snarl at her and shake my head, stepping into the chaos when I notice Kalen behind her. In the next moment, so does she. She smirks, and her fingers come alive with magic. "It started with you, Lydia, and it will end with you," I warn her.

"If I go, I am taking them with me," she growls and spins around to face Kalen.

Darius screams, and my heart stutters as she lifts her hand, glowing with her powers, a cruel smirk on her lips. I don't think about my next move, instead, I feel, allowing instinct to drive me.

"Kalen!" Lycus screams, and Kalen lifts his head. Seeing my mother's outstretched hand, his eyes widen when her magic shoots from her fingertips, only for me to smash into her, making her drop it. I growl, furious that she would try to hurt him again. My mother struggles under my hold, and I refuse to let go, instead flying high into the sky, soaring until I'm with my Phoenixes.

"When I'm out of this, you're going to regret every second of your life. I'll get your mates, and I'll tear them apart, one by one, in front of you."

She really can be stupid. Who else would threaten my loved ones when I have them in a vice grip? My anger roars to life inside me like a fierce storm as my hold on her tightens.

No matter how much she fights against my hold, it merely grows tighter. My rage takes over, a wild, untamed beast clawing at my insides. The power hunters are far away now and occupied by the Harmony-Fae or running for their lives. They wanted vengeance, wanted to spill blood just as theirs had been spilled. That same desire occupies my mind, the same taste for blood as I look at my mother. Perhaps if I were a less selfish person, I'd let those that have lived under her rule be the ones to end her life. But I'm not letting this go; she destroyed our family, destroyed my mates, and all for nothing; for some war we were never a part of.

I squeeze her tighter, traveling higher, and her eyes bulge in her head as she struggles against the supernatural power.

I have light in me, but right now, the darkness has full control and fills me with power, surging through every molecule in my body. My decision to end her only satisfies that dark part of me more, and I scream until my throat hurts. The sound is so feral that it surprises even me, but not as much as what I do after.

My Phoenixes circle above, hearing my call. Hovering in the air, my mother tries to fight, her magic blasting me only for me to absorb it.

"Goodbye, Mother," I tell her, then let go.

She pinwheels through the sky, desperately trying to catch onto something. The Phoenixes swoop in, darting in and out and making her scream as tiny ribbons of her blood fill the surrounding air. She shields her face by holding her hands over them. My babies continue to rip her apart like a school of piranhas in a feeding frenzy.

What's left of her when she hits the ground isn't much; her torso, her head, bits, and pieces of her limbs that they hadn't plucked completely from her. There is no emotion left in me as I stare down at her. She blinks up at me in total shock, her eyes wide with terror and disbelief.

I hover in the air, noting the horrified faces of her power hunters; the Harmony-Fae quickly kill off those remaining. It's what happens when you are distracted in a battle like this.

Spark swoops out of the sky to land beside her, and she coughs, almost gurgles. "Spark," she manages to whisper, though it takes most of her strength.

My hand clenches, but I stay where I am. I trust my Phoenixes; they're a part of me.

He moves closer to her, cocking his head as he stares. Blood coats the ground from all of her wounds. The Phoenixes try to swoop in to finish her off, but Spark screeches at them, and they wheel a safe distance away to perch, watching.

There isn't much he can do anyway. She is nearly dead. Her magic is being absorbed by the earth as she bleeds out. Spark hops closer, and she smiles at him. It appears that she's trying to say his name again, but she can only manage to mouth it.

Spark leans over and pecks at her face, and she replaces her voice again as a long, blood-curdling scream rings out. Spark lifts his head-he has plucked out one eye, and it's hanging by the nerve from his beak. He pecks again, taking her other eye, throwing his head back, and swallowing both of her eyes. Her screams reach a crescendo, but Spark isn't finished; he pecks straight through her skull, cracking it open, and her once-piercing screams finally die out as he feasts on her brains. "Hmm, I guess Lycus was right-Phoenixes do eat eyes," I chuckle to myself, a sense of relief washing over me like the cool breeze that caresses my skin.

With all of the build-up, I replace her death rather underwhelming. I knew she was no match for me once I was united with my Phoenixes, but for all her talk, she was ultimately powerless. What power she wielded came from the numbers she stood behind, not from anything she actually possessed. Piece by piece, they had ripped her apart into nothing but torn flesh and bone, making sure it was at points that would be the most painful, so she suffered every second she had left. The final ultimate revenge was Spark finishing her off when she thought he was the one who would save her.

I stop looking at the mess I made, not wanting to waste any more time. I turn away, eager to be reunited with my mates, and put all of this behind us. It is time for peace and progress. I will hand the vials over to the council, help salvage what is left of us, and we will raise our baby in peace, never letting it know it's related to such a heinous woman. My mates are near; I can sense them fighting to get to me. I land next to the Phoenixes, who are eating what's left of her, and stand tall, witnessing the last of the war. Power hunters continue to try to subdue the Harmony-Fae as they flee the house, but without their leader, they stand no chance against their former captives.

The sounds of battle slowly die down, replaced by the moans of the wounded and the victorious cries of the Harmony-Fae. The air is thick with the scent of blood and sweat, the taste of victory bittersweet on my tongue. I can feel the energy in the air, a mixture of relief, triumph, and exhaustion.

I catch a glimpse of my mates, their faces determined, their bodies battered but resilient as they fight their way to me. I take a deep breath, inhaling the scents of the battlefield, committing the moment to memory as I watch the Harmony-Fae surrounding us fight for their freedom.