Chapter 24

24

It felt strange to enter the Continuum. The cold remained the same, the disembodied sensation too. There was trepidation, not mine, but that of my new soul. Afraid of returning to the unlife she'd endured so long.

Fear not, I murmured essentially to myself. I would only be here long enough to figure out my destination. Without Fay to guide, it was up to me.

I thought of returning to the throne room, but what if Leviathan wasn't there? I didn't want to waste time looking and so I concentrated. Thought of his hated smirk, the spicy smell of him, the way he stood tall and confident.

The Continuum spit me out atop a skyscraper, of all places. It turned out to be the right place, for there stood Leviathan, looking over a city currently on fire. Even this high up, I could hear the sirens and fainter, the screams as demons ram amok among the populace.

Despite not saying a word, he knew I'd arrived. He turned with a smirk and drawled, "Come to humiliate yourself again?"

"You always were too cocky, Ethan." I intentionally used the nickname.

His lips tightened and his gaze narrowed. "My name is Leviathan, but you may call me Emperor."

"I don't think so. You're nothing but a petulant boy who threw a tantrum because his daddy didn't love him. He didn't love anyone. Not even his own daughter."

"As if I care about love," he scoffed.

"I know you don't. The sad part is, Morrghan did. She would have done almost anything for you. But you used her. Betrayed her."

"I see someone found her diaries."

"No need to read them when I've got all her memories up here." I tapped my temple. "Did I forget to mention the part where she didn't truly die?"

"Do you think I'm stupid? I was there when the last breath left her," he boasted.

"The physical shell died, yes, but her spirit, that which made her strong…" I smiled and, in a voice not quite my own, said, "You shouldn't have betrayed me, Ethan."

His eyes widened as he shouted, "You're dead. This is a trick."

"Is it?" I raised my hand. "Remember when you taught me this trick?" I conjured fire and wind and shaped them into a beast I'd never seen but Fay had.

"Impossible," he breathed.

I let the fire beast disappear and tilted my head. "Shall we see who's stronger now?"

Before I'd finished speaking, his hand flashed as he tried to pummel me with a fist of air. My shield didn't even waver.

"My turn." I flicked my hand and he staggered.

"I won't be bested by a female," he sneered. He flung magic at me. Fire, electricity, even a funnel of water. I batted them aside and laughed.

"Is that all you have?" I mocked.

His rage seethed, but I sensed a hint of desperation too. "I will kill you."

"How?" I asked sweetly. "Because it won't be with magic." I began tossing missiles at him, made more powerful by the merging of my soul with Fay's.

With my increased ability, I could block his attempt to attack while he struggled to prevent mine. My fire went through his shield, and he hissed as it singed his flesh. My electricity caused his whole body to tremble, but it was the tornado I called, rapid and violent, that grabbed him and lifted him from the roof. It angled out over the street before I released it, dropping him.

I floated to the edge then sank down, heading for Leviathan who groaned as he pushed up from the pavement, body mangled but already healing. A fall wouldn't kill him. I would have to do it.

I advanced on him, the sword I'd kept tucked out of sight now angled in front of me.

He drew his own weapon, and some of his arrogance returned. "You think you can best me with the blade? Our father thought the same. Ask me how that ended."

"I know I'm not better than you. I don't need to be." Not when I had ways of making him kneel.

As I went to push him to his knees, I heard a shout. A glance showed Cain and Vance somehow jogging up the street. How the fuck had they managed to find me?

My distraction almost cost me as Leviathan surged in my direction, his own sword extended. I barely managed to duck and then spin, but he was out of reach, aimed at my lovers.

I threw a shield in front of them to block the magic Leviathan flung even as I darted for him.

He spun and snarled, "If I die, they die with me."

I could see the magic he drew to himself, pulsing darkly, an explosive force that might just do as he promised.

Distraction came in two directions: fire and lightning. Leviathan lost his concentration and that was my cue. I ran for him, focused on one thing only. He lifted his arm to block his chest, but I aimed lower.

With my sword, I speared him in the groin. I then pulled the blade upward.

He screamed before begging, "Send me back to Inferis. You can have this world."

How dare he ask for his life after all he'd done?

My next stroke took his head. It rolled and bounced before coming to rest, the expression on it still wide-eyed with surprise.

It took Cain drawling, "Good thing I insisted on those lessons," for me to stop staring in shock.

I blinked at Cain. "He's dead?" A part of me couldn't quite believe it.

He grinned wide as he grabbed and swung me around. "Fucking right he is. You killed him good. Remind me to not piss you off."

It was Vance's turn next to twirl me as he exclaimed, "You were awesome."

Guess I was. I'd saved the world. Become the hero everyone needed. The only thing missing? A cool outfit and cape.