SURVIVE (THRIVE: Book Two)

Chapter 78- Revenge

 Everything hurts, and I feel myself gasping for air as I wake up, frantically looking around. It looks back in the dining hall.

"Easy, easy," Magnus says calmly, I had been lying over his lap "You're safe now, she's gone," he explains. My heart pounding, I look over to where she had been lying and see Aurora and Roxie examining her body. Marissa seems to be keeping her distance.

"Did... did I..." I mutter, trying to remember what happened before I had blacked out.

"Breath, it's okay." Magnus says reassuringly "Aurora, she's back." he calls across the room. Suddenly, Aurora perks up, rushing over to kneel beside us.

"Oh thank god," she sighs in relief "You scared the shit out of me when you didn't come to after the Gate collapsed."

"She's dead?" I ask shakily "Was I... what did I do?" I feel anxiety starting to take over as the gravity of what happened begins to weigh on me.

"To be completely honest, I'm not sure." Aurora sighs "You enveloped her in your energy, and next thing we knew, there was a burst of light and everything collapsed." she explains carefully.

"So, it's true? I'm the one that took her life?" I ask in terror. Roxie, seeming to overhear us comes over and looks down at me sympathetically.

"Don't do that to yourself," she explains worriedly "If you hadn't one of us would have. It was the mission, and considering the plethora of lives she has taken and everything she has done, you have protected more than you destroyed."

"I agree with the queen," Magnus adds "She had been waiting here all day for an opening to attack your mom and get Ember back. Now we have an even bigger problem on our hands."

"Oh god," I say, remembering what happened before we went in "Where's daddy?"

"Still out with Nixi," Nadia explains from across the room "I saw some of the special missions guard heading out, so I think Nixi is planning a full sweep of the city."

"Are you sure that's a good idea considering what she's capable of?" Magnus asks nervously.

"It's either that or leave the citizens to defend themselves, and I'm not going to let that happen. These soldiers have trained for special combat with us, so at least they have some idea of what they could be up against." Roxie explains confidently, making her way across the room "Diego, Steven, get this body out of here and get it burnt. Use the crematorium in Sanctum." she commands, and the guards from the doorway come in and lift Cleo's limp body.

"I'll go with them," Nadia states, following them out. Marissa seems pained as she watches them take her away, this must be conflicting for her to see. Looking down at my hands, I feel uneasy knowing what I've done. Tatia was a monster of a person, but after seeing how she and her friends had started, I can't help but feel sympathy for who she had become. Maybe there could have been a chance for redemption, but now, we'll never know for sure.

"We don't have a lot of time," Marissa sighs "Ember is going to tell them we captured Cleo and that I'm on your side. I'm guessing even if Gaia doesn't want to strike immediately, her husband will."

"You said Tex is reckless and has earth-related abilities?" Roxie asks, hopping up to sit on the table.

"Let's just say, if the ground starts shaking soon, he's coming." Marissa sighs "Mentally speaking, he isn't the smartest, but he's strong-willed. I only hope Arsen and Nixi don't run into him first." she explains.

"Now that Cleo's gone, we need to go out looking for my mother," I state bluntly. Roxie seems to hesitate for a moment, but sighs, seeming to know we don't have another choice.