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Authors: Ash Krafton
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her heat and the invisible brush of feathers he recognized as her aura. She touched his chest, fingers finding the sickleshaped scar and tracing it in the dark. "You?"
She looked deep into his eyes, like she'd done that first night, and he spun around the center of her touch. She gasped, recognizing, knowing. He was left with a crisp linen-feeling that purified him. The touch of a Seraph.
She kissed him, tenderly, her swollen body pressing against him when she lifted on her toes to reach him. He reached out to hold her but she shoved him back, catching him off guard.
The portal screeched open, and a great wind gusted out, chasing debris around the room in eddies of power.
"Sunny!" His voice cracked with panic.
"No, no. It's okay now." She smiled, her beauty undimmed by the dust on her face or the tears on her cheeks. "There is hope, after all. I thought I could defeat him, do it on my own…but it got too hard for me. I couldn't spare the precious energy to fight."
"I thought I lost you."
"You haven’t lost me. I had to leave—to draw him away from you, away from his source of power. He thought he chased me at first—oh, his pride! He thought he was so clever!"
"Him?" Jagger shook his head. "Who?"
"Acheron."
Jagger spun to look over his shoulder but Sonya grabbed his arms.
"Focus! Don't let this all be in vain!" She raised his wrist, his rune sword still in his grasp. She took the flat of the blade between both palms and swiped it, from hilt to point, leaving a pearlescent glow upon the edge. The light pulsed gently.
The sword hummed in his hand.
"I will mask your presence. He will not sense you. This is your split second of advantage. You must strike. You have to do what I failed to do."
The portal widened, a cold light emanating, a swirl of mist hovering over its surface. Sonya squeezed his arms, taking back his attention. "You have only this one chance. We will have time. Not now, but someday. I promise. We will have time again and we'll have a future. All of us."
She staggered backwards a step. The portal appeared to be pulling her.
"Sonya!"
"No, Jag. I have to go or else…that bad thing I knew was coming would actually happen. It's him, Jagger. Acheron will succeed if you fail."
A crash sounded distantly, a slight tremor in the floor.
"That's him. Do it, Jagger. You have to do it."
She slipped out of his grasp entirely as the portal pulled her. The mist seemed to reach for her.
"Sunny. I…"
"I know." She reached for his face, drawing him to her for a gentle kiss. "And I promise. We will be together again."
Sonya kissed him again, sending a cool tingle over him. The same glow that had covered the sword now pulsed over his skin. She pressed the shotgun into his empty hand. "It's all up to you."
The portal yawned and surged forward. She raised her hand in farewell, other hand cupping her middle—she smiled—
A fist of light emerged, grabbing her and pulling her in before the gateway slammed shut. The energy coiled and twisted like a tiny tornado, spiraling down to the floor and condensing into a flicker. Gone.
The air settled when the portal closed, and the room fell silent and still. Crypts held more breath than this.
Her image, a silhouette of red flare glare and white portal light, still burned on his retinas. Her condition was obvious.
That's why the crystal lit. She's carrying the blood of Tallon. My blood.
Pounding sounded again, this time closer. Jagger sprang back against the wall moments before the door flew open.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are, sweetheart." A tall, slender man, dressed completely in black, stepped into the room. He pushed back his cowl hood revealing a slick of silver hair and a gleam of blood red eyes. "Game over."
DEMONS
Jagger held his breath. How long has it been since he looked into that face?
Acheron paced a circle, hand outstretched. "Come on, now, honey. I'm tired of running after you. And if I'm tired, I know you gotta be dragging your ass.
She looked deep into his eyes, like she'd done that first night, and he spun around the center of her touch. She gasped, recognizing, knowing. He was left with a crisp linen-feeling that purified him. The touch of a Seraph.
She kissed him, tenderly, her swollen body pressing against him when she lifted on her toes to reach him. He reached out to hold her but she shoved him back, catching him off guard.
The portal screeched open, and a great wind gusted out, chasing debris around the room in eddies of power.
"Sunny!" His voice cracked with panic.
"No, no. It's okay now." She smiled, her beauty undimmed by the dust on her face or the tears on her cheeks. "There is hope, after all. I thought I could defeat him, do it on my own…but it got too hard for me. I couldn't spare the precious energy to fight."
"I thought I lost you."
"You haven’t lost me. I had to leave—to draw him away from you, away from his source of power. He thought he chased me at first—oh, his pride! He thought he was so clever!"
"Him?" Jagger shook his head. "Who?"
"Acheron."
Jagger spun to look over his shoulder but Sonya grabbed his arms.
"Focus! Don't let this all be in vain!" She raised his wrist, his rune sword still in his grasp. She took the flat of the blade between both palms and swiped it, from hilt to point, leaving a pearlescent glow upon the edge. The light pulsed gently.
The sword hummed in his hand.
"I will mask your presence. He will not sense you. This is your split second of advantage. You must strike. You have to do what I failed to do."
The portal widened, a cold light emanating, a swirl of mist hovering over its surface. Sonya squeezed his arms, taking back his attention. "You have only this one chance. We will have time. Not now, but someday. I promise. We will have time again and we'll have a future. All of us."
She staggered backwards a step. The portal appeared to be pulling her.
"Sonya!"
"No, Jag. I have to go or else…that bad thing I knew was coming would actually happen. It's him, Jagger. Acheron will succeed if you fail."
A crash sounded distantly, a slight tremor in the floor.
"That's him. Do it, Jagger. You have to do it."
She slipped out of his grasp entirely as the portal pulled her. The mist seemed to reach for her.
"Sunny. I…"
"I know." She reached for his face, drawing him to her for a gentle kiss. "And I promise. We will be together again."
Sonya kissed him again, sending a cool tingle over him. The same glow that had covered the sword now pulsed over his skin. She pressed the shotgun into his empty hand. "It's all up to you."
The portal yawned and surged forward. She raised her hand in farewell, other hand cupping her middle—she smiled—
A fist of light emerged, grabbing her and pulling her in before the gateway slammed shut. The energy coiled and twisted like a tiny tornado, spiraling down to the floor and condensing into a flicker. Gone.
The air settled when the portal closed, and the room fell silent and still. Crypts held more breath than this.
Her image, a silhouette of red flare glare and white portal light, still burned on his retinas. Her condition was obvious.
That's why the crystal lit. She's carrying the blood of Tallon. My blood.
Pounding sounded again, this time closer. Jagger sprang back against the wall moments before the door flew open.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are, sweetheart." A tall, slender man, dressed completely in black, stepped into the room. He pushed back his cowl hood revealing a slick of silver hair and a gleam of blood red eyes. "Game over."
DEMONS
Jagger held his breath. How long has it been since he looked into that face?
Acheron paced a circle, hand outstretched. "Come on, now, honey. I'm tired of running after you. And if I'm tired, I know you gotta be dragging your ass.
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