The Blood Rite

Chapter Thirty Seven

Ruby dropped, a sound between a gasp and a scream escaping her as the ball passed directly over her, whipping her hair back in a wave of heat. I'm going to die, she thought. She lifted her eyes to Erik and Sonya, ready to chicken out when he threw another one. She jumped to the side, her improved speed aiding her as she barely dodged it.

"Come on, Ruby," Erik called, "stop him."

"How?" she cried, slightly hysterical.

Henry threw another. Ruby couldn't do much except try to avoid getting burnt. Erik and Sonya called out to her throughout the whole thing, told her to do something. She couldn't. Her heart was pounding, echoing in her head, and adrenaline was coursing through her. She couldn't think past the fear.

Soon her body fell into rhythm and she spotted his pattern. Dodge left, drop, jump, and dodge right.

I want out, she thought helplessly as she fell back from three smaller balls of fire. I want out. I want out, I want-

A large ball of bright orange came hurtling at her with a speed she'd never seen and caught her arm. Ruby cried out, flying back and hitting the ground with a dull thud. She swatted at her burning arm in a panic.

"Roll, Ruby!" Erik yelled.

She barely heard him among the white hot pain. She rolled and smothered the flames. The world spun. Ruby felt like she might shake apart into tiny specks. She couldn't catch her breath. He'd hit her. He had actually hit her.

Finally, when the dizziness and nausea passed. Ruby shoved hard up to her feet. She whirled on Henry. He'd purposely been holding back, wearing her down and making her fall into the pattern. Anger she'd never felt before rose inside of her. She tasted blood on her tongue. His blood.

"Ruby?" Sonya asked wairily. Ruby ignored her.

"You want to play dirty?" Ruby asked, raising her hands, "then I will play too." She didn't know what she was saying. She'd given complete control over to her anger. The fury and pain guided her palms up and out, then in. With a sharp jerk, she flung them out.

Erik had only enough time to shout her name before the power shot out of her in a long cresent of golden white light that flew directly towards Henry. It's knife sharp edges gleaming with its own light.

Henry's eyes went wide with the first expression she'd seen on him the entire time she'd known him. Fear.

He dropped down, barely avoiding the bottom of the blade. She was ready though and sent out another in a spinning arch directly toward where he crouched. The hit landed.

"Ruby!" Sonya cried.

The cresent lay embedded in Henry's gut, his blood spilling over in rivulettes. She remembered the feeling of metal driving into her gut and hoped it hurt the same for him. Worse even. Ruby didn't move, didn't blink as he doubled over, blood dribbling from his mouth and collasped to the ground. Erik rushed to his side.

"What the hell?" He snapped.

Sonya ran towards her, "Hey! Snap out of it! You aren't in any danger!"

"He hit me," Ruby growled.

Sonya snatched her hands, which had been unconsciously moving to form another arch, "Stop it! You could have killed him. Look at me, Ruby. Look at me!"

So she did and what she saw there made her pause. Sonya was scared of her. Something in Ruby calmed. She felt the chasm return to it's position, leaving her to wake up and face what she'd done.

I almost killed him, she thought numbly.

The darkness inside of her had nearly consumed her. Ruby understood now what it was more than ever. She had evil in her. An evil that had taken control and made her nearly kill a man whom she didn't know. A man who had ultimately been trying to help her.

Tears stung her eyes, "I'm so sorry," she croaked. Sonya's shoulders relaxed but the fear she'd felt, caused Ruby's chest to squeeze painfully. The night disappeared around them, taking the cresent blade from Henry's gut and leaving Ruby's sins out on display for everyone to see.

She tore her hands from Sonya's. "Will he be okay?"

Sonya nodded, "Yes. Ruby, are you okay?"

"Yes," Ruby said. She refused to meet anyone's eyes. She couldn't handle it if she saw their fear again. I'm not a killer. "I'm going to go to dinner."

"Okay," Sonya said, nodding, "Okay."

Ruby turned and left. She kept her eyes on the ground the entire walk through the mansion back to her room. It wasn't until she was alone that the tears fell. She collasped onto her bed, sobbing.

What was she becoming?

A monster, a voice answered for her. She agreed.

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