Chapter 54

AURORA

I’d always wondered about my own strength. Was I strong enough to survive my childhood, or even after I’d stepped into the Veil and met Rin? For a long time, I’d just done what I had to do to get by. Fighting back wasn’t an option.

But now, I was beginning to see that fighting back wasn’t just about physical or verbal confrontation. It was about showing them that you were stronger than what they were doing to you. I fought back against my so-called parents by disobeying them as much as I could, even if it was behind their backs. When I entered the Veil, I forced myself to adapt, but soon this world and Rin became my everything.

I wondered if a part of me always knew I was meant to be here, and that I was destined to face this Faerie queen with my new family. She might have manipulated a lot to make me her vessel, but she couldn’t control my will to resist her.

That said, I can’t pretend I was ready for what a fight like this would involve. I knew the queen had to die, and probably her followers too, but that didn’t ease the discomfort I felt at seeing the head of that Faerie. I knew fights like these were always brutal. I just never thought I’d be in one.

Lila, however, didn’t seem scared at all. She just smiled and adjusted her skirt.

“It’s so nice of you to finally visit, Jekia. How long has it been? I think the last time was when my dear husband was alive,” she said.

Jekia didn’t smile back. His face was neutral, but Rin’s wasn’t. He was composed, but I could see the anger in his eyes. He wasn’t moving yet. I wondered if Jekia had warned him to be careful about how they approached this fight and not to let his emotions take over.

“As far as I’m concerned, it hasn’t been long enough. But I admit, I’ve been waiting for this day for many moons. Don’t think I haven’t known what you did to my clan and what you continue to do to me and my family,” Jekia replied.

“Family, you say?” Lila looked at Rin. “Interesting that you’ve accepted this fox as one of your sons and heirs. Wasn’t he the one you wanted to give away when he was born?”

“Don’t twist the truth. Everyone knows what really happened,” Jekia said.

“I won’t fall for your tricks. Give Aurora and Rayne back,” Rin demanded, his voice steady.

Lila slowly wagged her finger at him. “Not so fast, my dear young fox. After all, this girl is quite important to me.”

I gasped as I was suddenly pulled forward, and before I knew it, Lila was holding me by my right arm.

“Don’t…!” Rin began.

But Jekia held up a hand to stop him. “Don’t provoke us. I know what you want with Aurora, but you must understand that we won’t let it happen. Her connection to Rin was never a coincidence, just like Lana’s life with me wasn’t. Whether you fight or not, we’re destined to win, and you’re destined to give your soul to the one you made your deal with,” he said solemnly.

Lila’s anger was unlike anything I’d ever seen. Her beautiful face twisted into something terrifying, her features became unnaturally sharp, and her eyes turned from black and gold to milky white with glazed-over golden irises. Her hand on my arm was ice cold, even through my sleeve.

I heard a sharp gasp and turned to see Fai stepping back. Her sobbing had turned into pure fear at seeing her queen like this. I knew instinctively that this was what Lila had been hiding all along. Her deal was masked by beauty. Now she was revealing her damnation and the transformation she’d tried so hard to hide.

“What the hell?” Rayne whispered.

But Jekia didn’t flinch. I wondered if he’d been expecting this. Maybe the Higher Ones had warned him about what was about to happen.

“It’s about time you showed your true colors,” he muttered. He looked at Rin. “Free your brother and grab Aurora once she’s let go. You two can protect her while I deal with this demonic Faerie.”

“Yes, sir,” Rin agreed without hesitation.

“Just try to kill me, Dog! I’ll have your head to show to the Higher Ones soon enough!” Lila threatened.

As she finished speaking, Jekia seemed to vanish. I’d never seen anyone move so fast, even though I’d been around him and his sons long enough to know they could.

Before I could process what was happening, I was falling backward. It took me a moment to realize that the arm Lila had been holding me with had been cleanly cut off.

I was grabbed immediately and pulled back to where Rayne was. I felt a wave of relief when I saw that it was Rin holding me, but we couldn’t enjoy the moment. Not with what was happening in front of us.

Jekia landed about four feet from Lila, his left hand dripping with her blood. But Lila recovered quickly. She stood up straight, her expression unchanged as she faced him. Amazingly, her arm flew back to her from the floor and reattached itself as if it had never been cut off.

“You’re kidding,” Rayne breathed.

“Just like they said it would be,” Rin muttered, keeping me close as he worked on the chains binding Rayne. “I’ll protect you and Aurora, but you need to get that butterfly out. Even if Aurora’s been controlling it, the witch might take it back now that she’s free.”

“Wait, what do you mean ‘get that butterfly out’?” I asked, not liking the sound of that at all.

“Exactly what he said,” Rayne replied, leaning back a bit. “Keep your eyes forward and stay alert with Rin. I’ll be fine.”

I didn’t want to leave him, but I knew it was best to listen. Rin pulled me closer, his arm shielding my head as he whispered, “It’ll be okay. Just be ready to move if we need to.”

“Okay,” I managed to say, trying to focus on Lila and Jekia.

Jekia had slashed at her several more times, but it didn’t seem to help. Lila just kept reattaching her limbs as soon as they were cut off. She laughed at Jekia’s frustration.

“Keep trying. You can’t kill me by cutting me up. I’m invincible!” she taunted.

“I doubt that!” Jekia shot back.

But before he could attack again, Lila’s body started glowing gold, and a familiar fiery light exploded around her. Somehow, I managed to slam my hand on the floor in time to create a blue barrier of butterflies to shield us from the flames. I glanced back to see Rayne kneeling, his head bowed. Blood pooled on the floor beneath him from a mutilated butterfly, and he clutched his bloody throat where he’d ripped it open.

Another figure was with him, tearing a piece of her skirt to press against his wound. “Flora?” I found myself saying. “Stay focused, my lady and master. I’ll take care of Master Rayne,” she assured me.

Rin looked around. “Where’s Fai?” he asked.

“Handled,” was all Flora said.

As the barrier fell, I finally saw Fai lying near the door where she’d tried to escape. A pool of blood was spreading beneath her, and her rigid, pale body confirmed she was dead.

But we had bigger problems. Lila was still standing, laughing as Jekia struggled to get up from where he’d been thrown against a wall. He didn’t look injured, but he was having trouble standing.

“Father!” Rin called out. I heard Rayne choke out the same.

“What a pathetic display, Dog. I thought you’d be a challenge after all this time. You must be getting old,” Lila sneered.

Jekia finally stood, shaking his head before glaring at her. “Don’t underestimate me. Time and age mean nothing to me,” he warned.

He moved as fast as lightning, and in a flash, he’d decapitated her. I covered my mouth, a strange mix of fear and relief washing over me. He had to have killed her this time. No one, not even a monster like her, could survive being beheaded.

Rin looked relieved. “He did it,” he sighed, turning to check on Rayne. “How are you holding up?”

“It’s better, but that was hell,” Rayne admitted, his voice weak.

Jekia joined us, kneeling beside Rayne to examine him as Flora moved the bloody cloth. “It’s not too deep. We should be able to treat it easily,” he said.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve been stronger,” Rayne whispered, pain in his voice.

“Don’t start. Even Father had trouble with her last spell,” Rin reminded him.

Jekia placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I don’t blame either of you. Even I struggled with those ancient spells. No one expects perfection, even from us.”

“At least the witch is gone,” Rin said, wrapping an arm around me. “Are you okay?”

“I think so,” I replied.

But as I spoke, a strong pulse from the stone in my throat made me double over and gag. Sinister laughter echoed around us.

Flora stiffened, looking scared. “It can’t be,” she whispered.

I barely noticed Jekia standing beside me as Rin held me, trying to help. The laughter continued, and I knew, somehow, Lila was still alive.

Rayne and Rin followed their father’s gaze, and I saw Rayne’s golden eyes widen with shock and fear. Somehow, I managed to look where Lila’s body had been, now seeing it standing headless. She walked over and picked up her head, holding it in front of her.

“Really now,” she said in a deeper voice, “did you think this would be easy? I told you, you can’t kill me. My body is invincible!”

The rush of energy that exploded from her in that moment sent us all sprawling. Rin managed to keep his grip on me, and I caught a glimpse of Jekia grabbing Rayne and Flora, preventing them from crashing into the ground. Lila pressed her head to her bloody neck, where it reattached itself, the skin knitting together as if the wound had never existed. She was still laughing, a sound that echoed with madness.

Rin growled, his patience finally snapping as he rose to his feet. His golden eyes were ablaze, and I could have sworn I saw the shimmer of additional tails behind him. “I’ve had enough! If one cut won’t kill you, then maybe hundreds will!” he declared.

I felt a sense of helplessness wash over me as I watched him charge at her. His speed was almost on par with Jekia’s, but Lila was effortlessly keeping pace with him, using her hardened skin as a shield against his clawed attacks. Even with Jekia joining the fray, it seemed like neither of them could make a dent in her defenses.

But as I watched, something caught my attention. Each time she hardened her skin to protect herself, there was a faint glow deep within her throat.

Hold on. Could that be…?

Sionn’s voice echoed in my mind, along with the memory of Flora’s words when we first met. To defeat Lila, I might have to make a great sacrifice. That was why Sionn had given me this dagger.

But I was hesitating, even though I knew what I had to do. The fear of potential death was overwhelming. I had been fighting so hard to stay alive, and the action I needed to take could mean my demise.

But my fear began to morph into determination as I saw Rayne getting to his feet. He saw his father and brother struggling, and he wasn’t about to back down when they needed help.

However, he was in no condition to fight. His body was weakened from his injury, and his attacks were nowhere near as powerful as Rin’s. Rin, for his part, was also trying to protect him along with Jekia, but that gave Lila the upper hand. She sent all three of them crashing into the marble floor with another surge of fiery power.

“Give it up. Even you stand no chance against the powers of the Abyss!” she snarled.

Seeing them struggle to move was more than I could bear, and my resolve solidified. Even if it cost me my life, I couldn’t just sit here and watch them die. I loved them. They were my family. And more than that, I loved Rin more than I ever thought I could love anyone. If there was anything worth giving my life for, it was him.