章 48: Chapter 48
Sending love to @Jenny_3965 and @Bryanna_Wilkes. You kept me going so early in this journey and that means so much to me!
*****
She stood amidst the chaos, the black smoke billowing around her like an extension of her wrath. The destruction was beautiful, in a way, and she reveled in the power she held. Her laughter was like music, ringing out over the wails of the dying. The magic flowed through her, fueling her with a dark energy that consumed her soul.
"Stop this madness!" A man's voice bellowed from behind her. "Your sister is far gone, this kingdom is not the target of your fury!"
She turned around, cocking her head at the creature that dared to admonish her. A sly smile covered her lips as she blinked at him. Even the white of her eyes turned as black as coal, just like her irises, her darkness had now clouded her completely.
The man's eyes started to bleed as she muttered a spell that barely passed as a whisper. He fell to his knees as he held his throat, as if he was being choked. Blood started to spew uncontrollably from his ears, nose and mouth. Within seconds, her father's body had turned into a corpse, the sight only emitting another string of hysterical laughter from her.
She was a force to be reckoned with, and nothing could stand in her way. The Centaurs, proud creatures of the forest, had fallen to her power as easily as autumn leaves in the wind. The fairies had burst like little clouds of smoke, unable to withstand for a second against her.
As she walked through the destruction, the once-lush forests now withered and dead, she felt a deep sense of satisfaction. The land that had rejected her, the family that had betrayed her, would pay for their mistakes.
She closed her eyes, letting the memory of that familiar face wash over her. The face that had caused her so much pain, that had taken everything from her. The face that laughed as she suffered. With a scream of rage, she opened her eyes, the black irises now blazing red with vehemence.
She was unstoppable, and she would not rest until every last person in the kingdom lay dead. Her magic was all-consuming, a dark cloud of destruction that left nothing but ashes in its wake. The people screamed in terror as she approached them, but their fear only fueled her fire.
With a flick of her wrist, she summoned another burst of smoke, sending it rolling towards the castle. The large fortress shook like a leaf in the face of her power. The stone walls crumbled, the wood beams splintered, and the people within burned alive, their screams echoing through the land.
The magic pulsed within her, driving her forward, urging her to destroy. And she would, until there was nothing left but a desolate wasteland, a reflection of the emptiness in her heart.
Ana bolted upright in her bed, desperately gasping for air. She ran her shaking hands to cover her sweat slicked skin as she heard Khai's concerned voice calling out to her.
"Ana, are you okay? Baby, are you in pain?"
She attempted to steady her breathing as he took her into his arms, whispering for her to breathe. The cries of the creatures from her dream that were screaming for help, still echoed in her mind. She could remember everything vividly, except for one detail: the face of the woman behind the destruction.
She furrowed her brows to concentrate, but the details that were clear only seconds ago had now started to turn hazy. Rubbing her eyes, she tried hard to recollect the woman's face, but all she saw was a blurry figure in a red cloak.
Khai brought some water to her lips and she took small sips as she brushed the nightmare aside.
He cradled her face in his palms as his fingers gently stroked her hair. "Did you have a bad dream?" He asked her with a smoldering gaze.
She nodded and took a deep breath in, taking comfort in his scent.
"It's okay. I'm here. You're here with me now." He muttered.
The moonlight cast a pale blue tint on his tan skin, highlighting the sharpness of his features. His long eyelashes skimmed his cheekbones as he blinked at her. Ana devoured him with her eyes before leaning in to kiss him.
He sucked at her lips with the thirst of a parched man, as he pushed her to lie on her bed. When he was finally able to taste her soft tongue, he tightened his strong arms around her to pull her into his chest. A small moan escaped her as he relentlessly caressed her palate.
Ana felt like she was drowning in his kiss as he pushed his tongue deeper into her mouth. Swept away in his passion, she wrapped her leg around his waist and pulled him closer to her hips.
But just as suddenly as it started, Khai abruptly pulled away, as if finally coming to his senses. He sat up and ran his hands through his raven black hair before roughly rubbing his face with his large hands.
Ana's breathing was ragged, as she watched him without blinking, momentarily thrown off by his actions. "What…?"
When he looked back at her, a flash of frustration passed his eyes before they turned impassive. He attempted to force a quick smile but immediately gave up. Sighing, he laid his head on the pillow and pulled her close. Gently patting her head, he acted as though nothing had just happened. "Do you want to talk about your dream?"
Still reeling from their passionate kiss, Ana shook her head. "I barely remember it."
Over the last week, Khai had been avoiding her bedroom like a vampire with a daylight curse. He refused to spend any time in there with her, except to sleep next to her at night. He wanted to spend all his free time during the day with her, but just not in her bedroom.
Once, he even came to the library and sat long hours with her, flipping car magazines while she caught up on classes with Meghan. Lunch and dinner were always in the dining hall and he walked her to her room everyday after training before quickly bolting off to soccer practice, returning with exhaustion that was unusual for him.
She asked him to take her to the waterfall once again, but he used her injuries to dodge that as well. If it weren't for his constant affections and doting outside of the bedroom, Ana would have thought he was trying to end their relationship.
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