Chapter 28: Devastation 🌶️🌶️🌶️

REYNA

I placed my empty coffee mug next to the other dozen that had collected around my bedroom. I hadn’t left my room in days.

There was nothing outside but disappointment and devastation, so why would I?

There was nothing that would make me feel better.

Nothing that could fix this.

I had ~killed~ my boyfriend.

My boyfriend who had turned out to be a ~killer.~

It was all so fucked.

I had spent the last few days trying to wrap my head around it.

Derek’s powers had been enhanced by the Haze imbalance, and he had decided to take it on himself to kill supernatural creatures that he viewed as a threat—before they could harm anyone.

But Derek was the real threat. His idea of right and wrong was twisted.

Snow was an innocent. Sure, she had unfathomable powers that scared the hell out of me, but she wasn’t some rabid dog that needed to be put down.

No, that was Derek.

And I was the one who had put him down.

It felt even more fucked-up because he had done all of that killing for ~me.~ To protect ~me.~

In a way, this was all my fault.

I just wished that I had recognized the signs earlier.

Maybe then I could’ve helped him.

Derek didn’t need to die. I could’ve gotten through to him. Gotten him help.

I could’ve…

But now it was too late.

He was gone.

Maybe if I never left this room again, I wouldn’t hurt anyone else.

A soft knock on my door signaled my sister’s entrance as she poked her head in. “Reyna? Can I talk to you?”

“I don’t really feel like talking,” I said, turning away.

She came inside anyway and sat next to me on the bed as I pulled the covers up to my chin.

“You can’t stay in here forever, sis,” she said, looking at me with concern. “I know the world seems like a cruel place, but hiding away won’t solve anything.”

~When had Anya become the level-headed one?~

“You can’t understand what I’m going through,” I said stoically. I hadn’t cried since the moment after I had killed Derek. It was like a black hole had opened up inside me and sucked away all my emotions, leaving me empty.

“You’re right, I can’t,” she responded. “But I do understand that even though there were no winners in what happened, you did what you ~had~ to do to save Snow and Jed. Without you, they probably wouldn’t be here.”

I hadn’t seen or spoken to Jed since the incident. Raphael cleared him of all charges when it came to light that Derek had not only been the killer but had tried to frame Jed.

Derek had always hated my closeness with Jed, and because of my relationship with both of them, I had put Jed in danger.

It was better for everyone if I just stayed away.

Anya brushed my greasy hair out of my face and sighed. “I wish things were different, Rey, but we have to find a way to move forward. Just like after Mom passed.”

I turned away and sank into my pillow. ~Moving forward… I don’t even know which direction that is.~

“Tonight is the carnival, you know,” Anya said, trying to adopt a cheerier tone. “Will you go with me?”

I didn’t respond. The carnival only made me think of Derek. It was the reason we had met in the first place.

“You put so much hard work into it. It would be a shame for you to miss it,” Anya said, rubbing my back.

“No, thank you,” I said in monotone. “I’m good here.”

Anya sighed again and got up, taking a few coffee mugs with her. “You know I’m here if you need me,” she said, closing the door behind her.

Right now, I just needed to be alone.

EVE

I watched Raphael without him knowing, my scent masked by a little concoction I’d gotten at the Black Market.

The water cascaded down his muscular pecs and his rippling abs as he stood in the shower, washing the soap off his body.

He was still every bit the Adonis that he had been when I had first met him.

It had been a while since we’d let loose together, and I was in a rare, playful mood.

I dropped my clothes to the floor and used my cloaking ability, sneaking into the bathroom.

His big cock swung between his legs as he ran his hands through his wet hair, slicking it back.

I walked into the shower, still cloaked, and got on my knees. I grabbed his cock and put it in my mouth, sucking vigorously.

I watched his eyes widen in surprise, and I had to keep myself from laughing while I tried to continue blowing him.

“What the fu—”

I dodged out of the way as he tried to find the source of his pleasure and swooped around behind him. I grasped his dick with both of my hands and began stroking it as he grunted with gratification.

He whipped around, but I ducked down, his hard dick nearly poking me in the eye.

“What the hell is going on here?” he growled.

I grabbed his firm, round ass with my hands and couldn’t help but let out a muffled laugh.

Finally, Raphael caught me, and I dropped my cloaking, now letting my naked body press against him as the water trickled over us.

“I knew it was you,” he said with a smirk.

“Oh really? You didn’t think it was some invisible Hazed creature who went around giving blow jobs?” I asked slyly.

“That would be one monster I’d gladly let run amok,” he said, laughing.

We kissed passionately, our wet bodies rubbing up against each other. Raphael picked me up, and I wrapped my legs around him.

His cock rubbed against my clit, and I moaned, wanting him to impale me with his slippery sword.

“Don’t hold back,” I said, licking the water droplets from my lips. “I want that Alpha dick to split me open.”

“Then you’d better dig your claws in and hold on tight because you’re in for the ride of your fucking life,” Raphael said with a sexy snarl.

He plunged his cock inside me—now literally every inch of me was wet.

He pounded me against the wall as I let out a series of uncontrollable whimpers.

“Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes! Yes! Yes!”

He kept going. Harder and harder. My eyes rolled back.

“YES! YES! YES!”

I was coming over and over and it felt heavenly.

Raphael couldn’t hold it in any longer. He pulled out, spraying his load every which way.

As he got out the last drop, he leaned his head against mine, looking satisfied.

***

I was in a good mood for once, following our escapade in the shower. As I primped in front of the mirror, brushing my hair while Raphael shaved, I had an idea.

“I want Snow to have an experience that doesn’t involve fighting monsters,” I said. “I want her to feel like a normal kid for once.”

“What are you thinking?” Raphael asked, turning toward me as he perfected his stubble.

Snow was far from a normal kid, but that didn’t mean that I couldn’t help her feel like one.

“I want to take her to the carnival tonight. I want both of us to take her.”

Raphael smiled. “I think that’s a great idea. We’ll go together. As a family.”

***

As Snow walked between us, hand-in-hand, she wore the biggest smile on her face.

The carnival was a marvel of lights and cotton candy and rides that spun so fast they made you sick.

It was exactly what Snow needed. Seeing other kids her age running around and having fun. Being normal.

Nearly all of Lumen had turned out for the event, and I could see why. The kids had really put together something special.

I knew that Reyna had contributed a lot to the success as well.

I spotted Anya and Martin over by the Ferris wheel, but didn’t see Reyna with them.

“Come on, Snow, let’s go say hello,” I said, approaching them.

“Eve! So good to see you,” Martin said, giving me a hug. “And you too, Raphael.”

“Where’s Reyna?” I asked Anya as she looked at the ground. Her eyes were filled with apprehension.

“She…she wasn’t feeling up for it,” Anya responded. “She’s going through a lot.”

What Reyna had had to do… I knew how hard it was for her.

I’d almost had to kill Raphael, and it had completely torn me up inside for ages.

“Do you think you could talk with her?” Martin asked, looking at me hopefully. “You have a way of getting through to her.”

I nodded. “Yes, I think that would be a good idea.” Normally I’d dread a conversation like that, but my maternal instincts were really shining through lately.

Snow started pointing excitedly at the Ferris Wheel. “Do you want to go?” I asked. She nodded emphatically.

“You two can ride it. I’ll wait here,” Raphael said, gesturing for us to go.

It would be a nice mother-daughter moment for us. We climbed into the swinging cart and started drifting upward as Snow giggled with glee.

It was so good to see a smile on her face.

When we got to the top, the ride suddenly lurched to a stop. In fact, the lights on all the rides and stalls seemed to be flickering.

The air got humid, and the atmosphere became thick.

~Oh no. This is just like last time.~

I looked over at Snow; her eyelids were fluttering open and shut. She looked like she was having a seizure.

Her powers were going haywire again.

“Snow! Snow, honey, just relax!”

~KA-BOOO-OOO-OOM!~

A massive blast rattled the entire sky, and when I looked up, I saw some sort of black hole, spewing lightning and dark energy that ripped through the atmosphere.

Was Snow causing this?

“Snow, you have to stop! You have to get contr—”

My eyes widened with dread as a one-hundred-foot-long tentacled creature emerged from the black hole, sludge oozing from its pores.

It was a motherfucking ~kraken.~