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~ KATALEYA ~“Necromancy is one of the deadliest abilities one can possess. One that no one on this earth should ever have been given access to. It doesn’t just raise the dead. It twists the very basis of reality. It callously tears at the veil between life and death. Those who practice it aren’t just summoning spirits. They, like Mama said, rip the spirits from eternal rest, warping their very essence into something vile and inhumane. The dead do not return as they were, but as hollow, tormented shadows, bound by the twisted will of the necromancer.”His eyes seem to darken as he speaks, making the room suddenly feel colder. His voice sounding deeper… “And with each stolen soul, a price must be paid, with blood, sanity, or worse, with your own soul. The magic itself festers like a sickness, corrupting all it touches, and dragging its wielder deeper into madness. It is said that the more one commands death, the closer one comes to becoming part of it. Until they, too, are enslaved by f
~ ENRIQUE ~“Done,” I say as I step back, lowering my hands, and the intense surge of magic I was using disappears. The tear in the veil is now surrounded by a double set of cages made from powerful steel, reinforced by magic. Each pillar of metal is four times the size of my thigh. Each one is bolted and welded.I don’t know how, but using this power comes naturally. I look over at Ahren as we stand in the dome of air in the depths of the water that Benigno and Antonio had created.Ahren had sped things up greatly by transporting these. Even with magic, it wouldn’t have been easy to manoeuvre these to the bottom of the water.“Thank you for your help, kid,” I say as I look at the barrier we have created.“No need to thank me. I wanted to help you,” he says quietly.I cock a brow. “You’re acting like you fucking know me, or is it you wanted to help your cousin?”“No, I don’t know you yet. But you are with Kataleya now, so I will get to know you more,” he answers, rubbing his hands toge
~ KATALEYA ~It’s dark and cold, a chill that bites into me. My heart lurches as I open my eyes, realising that I’m back in the crypt. My stomach churns sickeningly, knowing I won’t be able to wake up from this. I was put to sleep.I keep my breathing calm as I look around the dark stone walls, markings cover it, symbols and a language that seems somewhat familiar, some that can be made out, others that look more like scribbles.But something is missing, the embodiment of pure evil itself. Why can’t I sense him?If he isn’t here, then where is he and how did I end up here if he didn’t summon me?My stomach sinks. Does this mean he really might be inside of Enrique?The very thought makes my heart squeeze with fear and unease. I scan my surroundings again, this time trying to listen out for any sound that hints that something might approach.No, I can’t let it scare me. We are the ones who are going to win this!Azarakh isn’t here. I should make the most of it. I’ll take a look around.
~ KATALEYA ~My eyes widen.“With enough lights to keep any trouble away,” he says, kissing the top of my head.He really is a romantic, and I love it.I smile as we enter the clearing, the sound of the waterfall is welcoming, but it’s the entire ambience and set-up that takes my breath away. There’s a large canopy bed facing the lake surrounded by lanterns. The water also glitters with twinkling glowing orbs beneath the surface and floating petals which aren’t getting washed away despite the waterfall. There are lanterns floating in the air and I realise it's magic.“Did you do this?” I ask softly as I take in the table that is set up with candles, laden with plenty of dishes and desserts that make my mouth water.I look at him when he doesn’t reply to see he’s watching me. He shrugs.“Maybe a little of it.”I turn and wrap my arms around his neck. “Most of it, and I love it. Thank you, Kiké,” I whisper, as I caress the back of his neck before tugging his head down. He pulls me flush
~ ENRIQUE ~“What is it?” “I think you just gave me the answer.” She looks up at me, placing a hand on my chest. “I think what we need-”I place a finger to her lips shaking my head. “Unless it involves me, maybe it’s better that I don’t know,” I say softly.Her eyes sadden but she nods in understanding as she rests her head against my shoulder again sighing. “Maybe for now it’s better I don’t. I really don’t like keeping things from you.”“I know, Mi Amor, but it’s better this way. But we’re still working together, regardless of if there are some details I cannot know.”She nods and we fall silent, enjoying each other’s company, and I know she’s pondering over what she had just figured out. Light over power, I know it's something to do with that, but if Azarakh has some kind of connection with me then I won’t think about it. I push the thought out of my mind and continue feeding her, enjoying it more than I’d admit. Stealing a kiss or touch here and there.It’s crazy how at peace I
~ ENRIQUE ~“Gone? Where?” Kataleya asks. I lower the letter so she can read it with me, as I now read it properly, having skimmed it over the first time.The sounds of nature grow around me as I try to remain calm, staring down at the paper.Dear Master Enrique, if you are reading this, it means I am no longer beside you. My duty has been completed, and so my time is also complete. The turning of the tide came, signalling the end of my duty and with it, the light that will now guide you is now with you, in the form of our Queen Kataleya Rossi.I understand that I have failed you countless times throughout your life. As you grew, I was unable to keep the bond between us strong as I should have and I lost you. I am sorry. I did my best and I can now tell Mi Rey, Alpha Yamil Escarra, your great-grandfather, that I am more than certain that his line will continue on without the curse of beasts from the immortal lands to poison the Escarra bloodline any longer.I am proud of the man and th
~ ENRIQUE ~She nods as she cups my face, still crying, and I wipe those tears away gently.Goddess, she’s beautiful.“And you’ve always been my all,” she whispers.I smirk arrogantly. “I know. I’m pretty hard to resist.” I wink at her suggestively, making her giggle.“Goddess, you’re so perfect.” She flings her arms around my neck, and I catch her as I drop back onto the bed with her on top of me, the feel of her pressed against me awakening the beast of desire once more.“That I don’t agree on. I’m not perfect, Mi Amor, you are. I’m just fucking blessed that you want me.” I inhale her scent, inhaling deeply. Maybe the Goddess hadn’t abandoned me, but that will be seen on the Blood Moon.Either way, she’s mine and I’m hers.“We can agree to disagree,” she replies softly, brushing her fingers down my chest.I comb her long locks back, admiring her for a moment before I lean in and claim her lips in a deep, passionate kiss. One that starts the dance of electric sparks to course through
~ ENRIQUE ~She pulls away sooner than I want and begins kissing me just as I had her. Every kiss, every flick of her tongue, and every nibble sends pleasure through me. She makes her way down my chest, flicking my nipples, glancing up at me to see my reaction. But just when I think she’s going to continue downwards, she tugs on one, making me tense.She giggles breathlessly and I reach down, cupping her chin in my fingers as I admire that mischievous face before she takes my hand, kissing my forearm above the prosthetic softly.She then continues downwards, worshipping every part of me before she reaches the band of my boxers and slides them down. Her eyes flashing as she gazes at my cock. She looks up at me as she flicks her tongue over the top, so fucklng tantalisingly before she begins kissing me along my adonis belt, her hand stroking my cock, all the time maintaining eye contact.Fuck, that’s hot.Everything about Kataleya rocks my fucking world, and having her pleasure me only m
~ KATALEYA ~I wake with a gasp, my lungs clawing for air, it feels like I’m drowning. I suck in a breath, clutching my throat. My heart is thudding but it’s as if the sound of it is coming from all around me, reverberating through the chilling darkness. It’s too silent.This place… it’s similar to Azarakh’s crypt, but not quite.It holds the same evil. Feeling something move, I look down and realise something cold and slimy is clinging to my legs, black tendrils - slithering as though alive.I gasp as I scramble to my feet or try to. The stench of rotting meat and damp earth so thick it feels like it’s inside of my mouth. Shuddering, I try to get up quickly, flinching as pain rushes up my waist and I touch it; there’s no wound, but the pain remains.How did I even get here?I frown slightly, trying to remember what happened.That woman! Her face was so warm and innocent. Was she a part of this? I touch my head. It hurts too.Dragging myself to my feet from the tar-like slime that cove
~ SKYLA ~Rayhan…I won’t forget this moment, and it won’t be one of those good, happy memories. This one is devastating. The heartbroken Delsanra who has always rushed to help others despite the risk to her own life. Ray…. Ri…Despite everything, they always were there for us, but in their time of need, where the fuck were we?Fuck! Why them?Raihana now wraps her arms around Delsanra as both women kneel on the ground, their grief so strong, their pain so sharp it could carve away flesh from bone.There has to be something we can do!Enrique is examining the symbols, his power swirling around him subtly.I look up at Royce, “Let’s try to open the portal, maybe he’s ok. Royce, Dante, you both saw the symbols-”“It’s too late for that. Kiara said Ahren felt the shift in power. He is now the Alpha of the Black Storm Pack,” Dad says brokenly.“How can he be Alpha?! He doesn’t even have his wolf!” I shout. This can’t be happening!“Love…” Royce wraps his arms around me tightly.“We have to
~ DELSANRA ~“Rayhan…”Something isn’t right, I know it.I know I shouldn’t leave my spot, but the worst is sorted. I warn a few of the warriors I’m moving, and I rush to the crack where Rayhan and the others disappeared. I jump in, creating a barrier around me to protect myself from the crawlers that are still trickling out from the ground.They’re coming in smaller doses now, but they are still resilient.“Does anyone know if they managed to find the opening?” I ask worriedly.“No, not yet. We lost contact ” Liam replies, worry clear in his voice.He’s currently manning the break in the packhouse wall, making sure no crawlers get inside to the people.“We need to get down there!” I hear Sky shout from somewhere above.“What happened?” I ask.“I don’t know. Royce called for help!”My heart thuds as I keep going, moving as fast as possible.I can sense both her and Raihana not far behind me, the urgency and fear within me growing. I suddenly stop as a powerful pulsating that comes from
~ ROYCE ~We kept going down, and the deeper we go, the more I feel a power that is fucking immense and there’s only one other aura I’ve felt with this much power and that was Apophis’.“Do you guys feel it?” I ask, my voice low, but even then, it feels too loud in this darkness. Occasionally, a crawler or two will hiss and claw at us as they come from somewhere beneath us. A confirmation that we are headed in the right direction.“The aura?” Dante mutters. “Yeah, and I have no idea who it belongs to.”His unease is obvious, and I remain on alert. My royal mark is glowing, and I am not the one who is summoning it forth. Almost as if it too is warning me of the dangers ahead.“Don’t worry I won’t let anything happen to you both.” Rayhan jokes, although we’re both stronger than him.“Don’t fuck around,” Dante’s harsh reply comes.Rayhan turns to him, a flicker of concern on his face. “Dante, do you want to turn back?” he asks.“All three of us?” Dante replies.“I speak for myself. You tw
~ ENRIQUE ~Magic fills the air, strong and powerful and I know it’s Raihana’s. I can feel Delsanra’s reinforcing the barriers, her magic feels different, and there are parts that are not like ours – not from Hecate.Raihana is working on blocking out the moonlight, in a huge attempt to completely stop the crawlers from coming out of whatever shithole they are coming from. Jose quickly filled me in, and I sent more power to both witches, giving them the strength to continue.They are two witches alone and they are doing a lot. Royce, Rayhan and Dante have gone down to find the exact location. ‘Send some warriors to handle the crawlers so they are not burdened.’ I command Jose.It doesn’t even make sense that so many crawlers are able to get in. It’s not a fissure in the veil, but that’s something that’s been obvious from the start. The crawlers have appeared everywhere at any time, not from one point like the chupacabras. They had a different way to get through. Another means that we n
~ KATALEYA ~My eyes widen as I turn sharply and stare into Enrique’s molten gold eyes.“Enrique!”‘No!’ Azarakh shrieks, the earsplitting sound hammering into my head causing me to flinch.“I’m sorry it took a while,” Enrique murmurs in his deep, beautiful voice that makes my stomach flutter. I shake my head before looking back towards the spot where Dad had fallen. I can’t see him! I can’t sense a heartbeat amongst the storm of crawlers.“How did you break free?” I ask softly, torn between running to Dad and keeping my hold on Azarakh.I know Enrique is in control for now. I can sense his presence, his aura strong and free from darkness.“You needed me,” he answers softly as he stands tall. “You’re my strength, Mi Amor.” My heart surges with so much emotion as we gaze into one another’s eyes, pink and gold, perfectly complimenting each other.Azarakh’s form has solidified as he fights to keep a grasp on Enrique, but he’s failing.His unearthly shrieks are all that he has left as Enr
~ KATALEYA ~Azarakh’s mouth twists into a snarl as he lifts his claws, aiming for my heart. I can see the glint of triumph as he lunges at me, but I hold my ground, letting him think he’s got me. But the moment his claws dig into my waist, slicing through fabric and skin, the smell of the hot rush of blood, and the sharp sting of agony makes me cry out. I suck in a gasp, gritting my teeth as I clamp my hand around his wrist, ignoring the searing pain at the contact.In a single motion, I call forth every ounce of power I have, letting it surge forward in a blinding wave. A scream leaves me as I put everything into it. My blinding pink aura swirls around him in a flash, engulfing him completely. Azarakh recoils, his shrieks cutting through the night like metal scraping against metal. He claws at his prison of light, his form writhing, his shadowy form twisting in agony as he tries to escape and get away from my aura.But not this time. My aura is like an iron cage holding firm, shackli
~ KATALEYA ~‘We can share! I told you together we could have had it all. Yet you declined!’ Azarakh hisses, but he’s still only clinging to Enrique. The shadow form still surrounds him, but he hasn’t possessed him yet. Or perhaps he can’t.I fuel my power forward, trying to reach through our half-formed bond.“I would never choose you,” I say, my voice quiet yet firm. “Never.”‘You served your purpose, and you will continue to do so. That is why you were chosen, whether you wished for it or not.’ He chuckles darkly.What does he mean?“How do you have a hold on, Enrique? He is not evil,” I ask as our powers continue to slam against one another, attacking, hammering against one another. Light against dark.‘We were created from the blood of the same goddess. One could say we are brethren.’ I shudder at the very thought as his evil eyes now burn into me. His sharp teeth stained with blood. ‘The Goddess Hecate created us for another goddess, yet she betrayed my goddess by creating someon
~ RAYHAN ~“Alright, let’s do this,” I say, looking at Royce and Dante the moment the three of us are within reach of one another.“We’ll have your back and cover you from behind,” Royce says.“I’m assuming you can’t mask the moon, Magic Fingers?”“I wish I could, but with that tornado thing going on, it would need a lot of power without being sure of the results.”“And you would call every single crawler to you,” Dante adds.“Not necessarily a bad thing, really. I could be the decoy,” Royce answers as they both cut through the crawlers and I asses the area.“I don’t think so,” Skyla says through the earpiece.“Don’t worry, Love, I’ll return to you in one piece. But call me back if you need my help, Raihana, I’ll be there.”“Thanks, I’ll let you know,” she replies.“It’s intriguing how our auras attract the crawlers but somehow Kataleya’s is the only one who isn’t attracting crawlers with her aura. Instead, hers is deflecting them,” I murmur as I look through the storm of crawlers, aur