Elder Zeller blurred, knocking into Roselle when she stood shouting and throwing her arms out, and both of them hit the ground hard as he took her down.
Elder Farrar just raised a hand, a beam of gold shooting from his palm, and Tristan was floating in the air inside a gold bubble…until Elder Farrar flicked his hand. The bubble slammed to the ground, cracking, and knocked Tristan unconscious.
I bent over Tristan’s limp form as I glowed white, hearing all of the supposed spirit Elementals shouting when their power wouldn’t work. I chose a diamond dagger from my secret cache…and knifed Tristan with my glowing blade.
He awoke from the vicious stab, a wild noise erupting from his mouth. White ash poured from the wound, and abruptly he was no longer there. Except for a pile of tiger bones, a diamond collar, and a mist of pure white floating to the heavens.
“Holy shit,” King Zeller shouted over some of the few still battling, disgusted and shocked at the same time. He kept a hand on an unconscious Reese, staring wide-eyed at the bones then back to Reese. “They’re fucking zombies, or some shit?”
Close enough.
Not saying a word, I quickly raced toward him before Reese woke. Pulling the stars’ fire down through the blade of my dagger, I stabbed him in the arm King Zeller held out for me. Like Tristan, white ash poured from the wound before Reese instantly became a pile of bones and clothes, a white mist rising into the air and disappearing.
This was how I worked, taking care of Roselle next.
Then Mr and Mrs Damon.
I saved the worst for last. I walked around the table with the shell-shocked Kings and Elders behind me, where Elder Merrick had Leric on his stomach in a complicated position so the Elemental couldn’t move at all. I motioned for the Elder to lift Leric’s head as I squatted in front of them. Elder Merrick grabbed a handful of Leric’s hair, yanking his bloody face up while keeping a firm grip on him.
My smile was cruel as I stared down into silver eyes. “Whoever you are, you will die for this little game you played.”
A disgusting sneer lifted his lips. “I’m surprised you figured it out, you stupid bitch.”
I hummed lightly, twirling my dagger. “It definitely took me longer than it should have. But you’ll still die in the end.” My lips curved even further. “Especially when I tell the One what you’ve been up to.”
He laughed, one bloody eyebrow lifting. “You mean, like fucking you?”
My chuckle was breathless, and I spoke in a high-pitched, fake sympathetic voice. “Whatever do you mean?” I lifted my dagger straight. “We didn’t fuck because you couldn’t, what was that again?” I let the dagger point downward. “Oh yeah. You couldn’t get it up.” An innocent expression. “Or don’t you remember?”
His eyes narrowed instantly. “That was this body’s fault.”
I didn’t need Brann snorting to tell me that was a lie. The first one told by this ‘mind’ that was caught.
“Somehow, I doubt that, since the real Leric Damon has many women who just love to talk around the Temple about his prowess.” I shook my head, my eyes guiltless. “I do believe that problem belongs to the mind behind that body.” I faked a gasp, throwing a hand over my mouth, before I flicked a finger at his face. “That would be…you.”
I smiled, then I pulled out my silver knife from under my jacket. “I just want to test a quick theory.” I twirled the silver knife through my fingers before I stabbed his right hand.
He grunted, shaking the barest bit.
“Oh, God. I’m right.” I smiled happily, seriously thrilled with this aspect. Many cruel thoughts ran rapidly inside my mind with the proof he could feel pain.
“Fuck you, bitch. You were more than happy with everything I gave and said to you.”
“Mostly. When you didn’t have to mind-spell it.” I lifted the silver knife, running the blade up his arm slowly, cutting him in a very fine line. “You played the perfect role, getting into not only my psyche, but the others’. Which only makes me wonder why you wanted to be ‘in’ so badly. Why you wanted everyone to trust you. Why you wanted everyone indebted to you.” I sighed, enjoying watching him shiver in pain, his teeth grinding. “But, I know what you’re doing right now.” I glanced into his silver eyes. “Stalling as you are. It won’t work.” I wiped my silver knife on his shirt, the red blood smearing grotesquely against the white cotton. “It’s time for you to go away.”
I arced my dagger of stars’ fire viciously into his head, stabbing him right through the temple. White ash poured out around my blade before his body disappeared. Elder Merrick quickly adjusted when only bones and clothes appeared under him.
The white mist lifted and disappeared, heading back to its true owner.