45. Kali

"What?" My heart stopped. I whipped my head, looking at Amaros. "No."

"Yes," he mocked cruelly. "We don't need him. You must be taught a lesson for running from us and stabbing my son in the back. Actions have consequences, Kali."

"Don't," I screamed, lunging forward to get between Zan and Warner. "Please, don't do this."

Arms wrapped around my waist, hauling me away. I slammed my elbow back, hearing a grunt from behind me.

"Fuck," Viggo groaned as he got a hold of my wrists and pinned them behind me. "That actually hurt."

"Get off me," I snarled, all coherent thought gone as I watched Warner struggle in Zan's hold. "Zan. Don't do this. Please."

My voice cracked. Zan glanced over his shoulder at me, and his eyes locked on mine. There was no regret on his face. No indecision. Only cold indifference. He didn't have to say anything. I already knew what he'd choose.

And it wasn't me.

"I'll never fucking forgive you," I cried hoarsely.

"Kali, calm down," Viggo breathed in my ear. "It's going to be okay."

"Fuck you," I hissed, tears of anger filling my eyes. "Fuck all of you. Kill me. Because if you don't, I swear I'll do everything I can to ruin you all."

Amaros chuckled. "You won't have a chance to do that. Finish it, Zan."

Viggo held my wrists captive as I fought with everything I had. Zan faced Warner again, grabbing the sides of his head.

"No," I screamed, anguish slicing through me.

Zan twisted hard, and I didn't even hear it when Warner's neck snapped to the side. His body fell in slow motion as everything inside me shattered. A loud hum filled my ears, blocking everything else out. Viggo was the only reason I didn't fall to my knees. Tears blurred my vision as I stared at Warner. He wasn't moving. Wasn't breathing. He was gone.

It hurt.

It hurt so fucking bad.

I parted my lips, attempting to suck air into my lungs. But I couldn't breathe. I blinked rapidly, feeling lightheaded.

Why was I fighting so hard?

What did I have left?

My best friend was gone. The only family that I had left was dead. Killed by the monster I was fucking falling for.

I had nothing anymore.

Stumbling forward, I vaguely realized that Viggo had let me go. I dropped to my knees next to Warner, placing my hands on his chest. Our memories flooded my mind. He was my first friend. I'd gone through everything with him. A sob escaped me as the buzz of voices around me grew louder.

"Get her." Amaros's voice rang out amid my haze. "It's time to go."

A hand gently landed on my shoulder. "Kali."

Zan's voice cut through me like a jagged knife, ripping me to shreds. I flinched away from his touch as a newfound emotion tore through me. I'd experienced anger before. Rage. But this blinding-hot wrath that wrapped around me was something that overrode all of that. I felt strong. Powerful. The sorrow was still there. But it was spurring me on.

I leaped to my feet and spun around.

"Don't touch me," I snarled, hatred seeping into my voice. "You'll never touch me again."

His jaw clenched as he eyed me cautiously. "Kali?—"

"No," I screamed, my voice loud and strong. "Nothing you say will change anything."

"It doesn't matter." Amaros spoke up, and I looked past Zan to him. "Walk or don't. Either way, you're leaving with us. Right the fuck now."

Zan reached for me again, and with a yell, I shoved him away. I witnessed shock flare in his eyes when he stumbled back a step. My body was thrumming with this energy that I couldn't tame. And I didn't want to. I wanted them all to fucking suffer.

"Grab her. Now."

Rowan's voice was barely heard over the sudden barrage of bullets that began flying through the air. Amaros let out a furious yell when he was hit in the stomach. Viggo and Pax were already on the attack, lunging for the closest humans. Vampires and PARA members flooded the field as they went after each other.

Zan ignored the carnage happening around him as he came straight for me.

"Kali, I know you hate me?—"

"Hate is an understatement," I growled, backing away.

For the first time since all this had started, his mask cracked, and regret flooded his face. But it didn't matter. Nothing he said or did could break through. He'd wrecked whatever it was that we had.

I cried out when someone else grabbed me from behind and began dragging me backward, making it impossible to get my footing. He raised his other arm, firing off three shots right into Zan's chest. I fought to free myself and then let myself drop. The man muttered a curse, going down to the ground with me to try to keep me in his grasp.

Norman climbed on top of me, and I clawed at his face when he tried getting a hold of me to haul me back up.

"How lucky we are," Norman said roughly. "We have both of you. Which means we don't have to play this bullshit truce with those bloodsuckers."

He let out a frustrated grunt at my thrashing before backhanding me across the face. Pain exploded over my cheek and my mouth when my lip split open. A warm trickle of blood ran down my chin as Norman fisted my hair and yanked, making me cry out.

He climbed to his feet, dragging me up with him. Then he looked to the right and muttered a curse. Following his gaze, I spotted Amaros coming after us. Fuck, he was fast. And Norman knew that too. He looked back at me, indecision in his eyes. He knew as well as I did that Amaros would kill him in a heartbeat.

"I'll see you again," he said under his breath before shoving me to the ground and racing away.

I scrambled to my feet, not getting more than a step before a hand wrapped tightly around my arm.

"No," I shrieked as I was swung around.

Amaros's eyes blazed in triumph until they drifted down my face. Disbelief filled his gaze before a smug smile tipped up his lips. He brushed his fingers over my chin before I could jerk away.

"You can choose to be the light or the dark. One cannot survive without the other," he murmured, speaking the haunting words that I'd read to myself over and over while growing up. The ones I always imagined in my mother's voice. "Which will you be, Kali? The light or the dark? I guess we'll find out."

He broke the stare, glancing down. I followed his gaze, and what I saw had my heart freezing in my chest.

Smeared on his fingers was blood.

My blood.

And it wasn't red.

It was pitch black.

The color of all the souls surrounding me.

To be continued…