Beneath The Water (Complete)

Fifty-Four

This was it.

I took a deep breath as I glanced over my shoulder to see the camp fading behind me. I couldn't believe that I was going along with Kane's plan. I knew I was covered, elves and magic users surrounding me, but I had no idea where they were. For me, it felt like I was alone as I walked to my death. I did my best to keep my head high, breathing calmly as I continued to place one foot in front of another.

The woods grew quiet, the crickets stopped and my whole body tensed, my eyes flickering around to find something in the darkness. "Leena," it was Kalliope stepping out from the woods with a lantern.

"What are you doing here?" I was quick to snap, shaking my head. "You can't be here, you have to go!" I objected she wasn't even supposed to know about this plan unless Cora talked with her.

Kalliope didn't say anything, just smiled faintly, looking me over. "I'm so glad you didn't fight." I shook my head, not understanding. "I really didn't want to have to kill Cora and everyone else, they had been so nice since I burned down Hollowview." My heart stopped beating for a second as I tensed, my voice becoming trapped in my throat. "It would have been a shame to kill the Unchained in their sleep, they deserve to die in the battlefield against my demon army."

"No..."

"What's wrong, Leena, you look like you've seen a ghost."

My legs didn't work, the air seemed thick and heavy as I was unable to catch my breath. All I could do was stare at the world came crashing in around me. Kalliope was the sorcerer, my friend had caused me so much pain, killed all those innocent people? "Why?" Was all I could get out.

"Why what?" She asked, raising her arms and motioning around us. "Why this? Why the humans, why kill all demons, why you?" She offered me different questions before laughing. "Don't worry about it, just know that you're home now."

My eyes became clouded with tears, a wave of emotion washing over me as I tried to comprehend what was happening. "Why me?" I finally asked.

"Honestly? I didn't even know who you were, just knew you were an immortal my spell could reach between the rift." I shook my head, my hands trembling by my side as she laughed coldly, "What, did you think you were special, Leena? You just happened to swim by and I used your life essence to switch our places. Once I was back, it was easy to open the doorway open more and bring the humans through." She continued to laugh coldly, "Such greedy creatures, aren't they?"

My trembling hands clenched into fists, "You ruined this world, tried to slaughter an entire species, for what? More power?" I was now shouting, my plethora of emotions all came together to form a ball of anger which sat in my chest, weighing me down.

Kalliope just continued to laugh, waving my hatred away as if we were still friends, "The mermaid extinction was all the humans, they didn't trust you. I just suggested that they join everyone to kill the demons - the demons which weren't under my command anyways. Everything after that was my greed."

I let out a screech before lunging. "Why?" I cried as she stepped out of the way and I slid into the dewy grass.

"Power, my dear. Those mages thought they could banish me to a magicless world and it would stop me? Little did they know, they kept a rift open." She knelt down, grasping my jaw, "A rift which got me to you. Thank goodness you came back through or else they could have just tried it all over again. Now? The hole between our worlds is forever closed. I am here and it is only a matter a time before everything bows." I jerked back from her touch and she gripped onto my hair, pushing my face in the dirt. "You will be the first. You will be my right hand. You will be my weapon."

"No!" I screamed, rolling away from her. "Ethan!" I called out, it wasn't the signal which was planned, but it worked.

An arrow came flying out from the darkness, and I felt a pain in my calf as it landed. Kalliope let out a scream, glancing down to her leg as a chorus of cries came out from the woods. A united front charged in, Kalliope's gaze landed on me, betrayed. "Watch your friends die," she hissed, the ground shaking as black wisps rose, solidifying as they hit the air to turn into all different types of demons ranging from small imps to large Torek demons.

An unplanned war had started as I stared at Kalliope from the ground and noticed one important fact, as pain radiated from my calf, an arrow rested in her leg, gushing blood. I watched as she bent over and pulled it out, another rush of pain rushed over me and we both cried out.

I took a breath as the battle raged around us, spells and the fire from Kalliope's spells made the woods as light as day. My eyes shifted to slits, claws appearing and as a three-legged demon sprinted by, I didn't make an attack. I watch Kalliope as she summoned fire to her hand, ready to throw it. I brought my claw to my forearm and pushed down, drawing a line which instantly appeared on Kalliope's forearm as well.

My eyes widened as blood trickled down her arm, her wound matching mine. The Unchained could never win against this many demons and with one single swipe, I could end it all. Kalliope's eyes turned to horror as she was almost able to sense my realization. "Leena, no!"

It was too late. I didn't know where my friends were, but I knew that didn't matter. The demons would slaughter them, if not today, tomorrow. For as long as Kalliope was alive, the demon army lived. We were connected, I was her right hand, I could end this war.

With all five fingers, I brought my clawed nails up to my skin and tore through my human skin, then scales. Dark red blood rushed out from my throat, Kalliope's spell instantly dissipated as she clutched her throat, blood rushing between her fingers.

Pain was a secondary emotion to pride knowing this could all be over. Death didn't scare me and the last thing I heard as my back hit the grass was demons crying out as chaos unleashed now that their leader laid dead in the woods.