He let out a feral cry and rushed me again, but this time I was ready. I waved my arm and whispered the word “wall”. Boaz crashed into an invisible barrier separating us. He stepped back, his eyes burrowing into mine. Something tickled my skin, as faint as a feather’s wisp, and I smiled in understanding.
“You’re trying to take my power, aren’t you? Like you did to Eve. That’s not going to happen.” I paced back and forth, enjoying his frustration. “Before I destroy you, I want you to witness the destruction of the few things you might actually care about in this world.”
Boaz wasn’t listening as he was frantically searching for a way around the invisible barrier.
“Let’s start with your feeder girls downstairs, shall we?”
His head snapped up. “What are you going to do?”
My eyes grew big, and I felt evil dance within them.
“Burn,” I said.
An explosion downstairs rocked the house. Boaz cried out.
“And how about the immaculate gardens that you take such pride in?”
Boaz’s eyes flickered to the window just in time to catch the woods bursting into flames.
“This isn’t necessary,” he shouted.
“Oh, but it is!” I shouted back. “You will be destroyed by the very evil you created. You stupid idiot! Did you really think true evil would share power?”
Frustrated, Boaz tossed a dresser across the room.
I closed my eyes briefly and opened them again. “I lost focus. Where was I? Ah, yes, destroying your ‘creature comforts’ of life. How about your precious opera house?”
Boaz stopped moving. “Impossible!”
“Is it?” I closed my eyes for just a moment before I snapped them back open and said, “Done. The Metropolitan Opera House is no more. Now for that Hell Hound of yours.” I stared at Hunwald, who was barking furiously at me.
“Don’t do it, Eve. Not Hunwald,” he said.
“I’m not Eve,” I cried. The wolf’s fur ignited. Boaz was upon him in an instant with a blanket trying to snuff the flames.
“Awe, how touching,” I said.
Boaz stood up very slowly. His chest heaved and, with both hands, he pushed against the invisible wall. I tried to fight back, but his rage proved too great. He broke through it with a ferocious veracity that sent a blast of air striking me square in the chest. I flew backwards out the same window my father had been thrown from only minutes before.
I hit the ground hard then, after taking a deep breath, I stood up and looked at the grand mansion one last time.
“Burn,” I said, and I walked away.
Behind me, the very flames from Hell consumed their master and his home.
Chapter 23
I returned to the only place I knew—my parent’s home in upstate New York. Unfortunately, Erik and Sable were nowhere to be found. The torture I’d put them through would be my finest work yet. I had no doubts that Erik had survived the fall. Sable must have sensed what was coming and ran outside to either prevent it or fix his injuries. None of it mattered to me, though. As soon as I sensed them (most likely they were guarding their location with magic), I would destroy them like I did the Opera House.
It was a disappointment to still have Eve’s memories, most of which were useless to me. There was the potential of many painful memories that I could have relished in, but whenever I tried to recall Eve’s juicy abuse, they were cut short and replaced by a silly place she called Eden. This infuriated me because I only wanted to remember Eve’s grotesque mistreatment.
It had been days, and I was incapable of sleep as the evil within me refused to hold still. It was restless and always searching for a way out, to destroy and mangle. I wish I could’ve released it all, but it would be stupid to destroy everything. What would be left? As a result, I released the evil in little spurts, destroying only what was necessary. I’d already burned the area around the home; I could still smell the smoke from outside. Only the mansion remained intact, but just barely. The only thing that saved it was focusing my dark magic on different areas of the country like I had with the Opera House. I’d picture it in my mind and then imagine its destruction. Buildings I’d visited, places I’d seen. Burned up in flames.
Containing the power required a lot of concentration, which gave me a constant headache. I forbade the servants from using all lights, allowing only the use of candles. This helped alleviate the pain somewhat as evil was not as restless within the dark. The first servant who balked at my request keeled over dead. The others obeyed out of fear just like they had with my parents. I knew the drill.