Amaranthine (Willow Shadows Book 1) (21 page)

“You will pay for everything you have done,” Khalida spat in anger just moments before she ripped his heart out, tossing his lifeless body to the ground.

Walking over Braedon’s corpse, she narrowed her sights on Lacey who stood before her in disbelief.

“Kill her!” She ordered at the remaining members of the Ubil coven members that were taking steps away from her as she inched forward, ready for blood.

With a swoop of her hand, wind knocked the men backwards, making thuds and moans as they each hit the ground. As Khalida came closer, Lacey rose ten feet in the air, echoing a grim chuckle.

“You’re stronger than I thought. I will give you that, but I have a surprise for you, little sister,” Lacey snarled.

Within seconds Lacey no longer appeared before Khalida but became the hideous creature that was in the SUV when Carey had attempted to kidnap her.

“You,” it snarled.

Khalida kept moving forward, never taking her eyes off the dangerous creature. Every move was careful and calculated. She knew one wrong move and it would be her life that was over, but she was motivated by revenge.

“Yes, me, big sister. Isn’t this what you wanted?” Khalida spoke sarcastically.

“No. I want you dead,” it grinned.

“Why? What did I ever do to you?” Khalida challenged.

“You? Let’s see, sis. The night our mother died and we were separated, you got the better end of the deal. You got our doting, loving aunt to love and care for you. I got people who wanted a slave, people who locked me in a cage and beat me for years while you were living your life while I was being abused and battered,” hatred seethed from the creature.

Doubt clouded Khalida’s mind thinking about all of the years of torment her sister had to endure. Tears entered her eyes which gave the creature the upper hand in catching her off guard. Khalida threw her hands in front of her as a ball of fire came towards her and stopped it, Khalida amazed that her hands had the power to stop it not even a foot from where she stood. Controlling the ball with her mind, she lifted it higher so that she could see her sister. This creature that stood before her was her sister, and if things had been different, she wouldn’t be as she was, evil and full of hate. But, things weren’t different.

Lacey threw another ball, only this time Khalida forced it back to her sister, knocking the air out of her as she fell back to the ground. Slowly stumbling to her feet, the creature was barely able to stand, blood pouring out of her shoulder where the fire had connected. As one last mocking laugh echoed through the woods, Khalida threw the other deadly ball of fire. As it hit target, the creature flew back crashing to the ground.

Khalida carefully walked over to where the unmoving body of her sister lay. Transformed back to her human form, her bare naked body was lifeless. Khalida reached down, closing her sister’s eyes as tears fell from her chin. She would never know what could have been, and she would never know her sister. A snap of a branch caught Khalida’s attention as she twirled around to see Luke limping towards her with his famous arrogant grin, relief swarming her as she realized he was alive.

Khalida darted towards Luke, placing her lips on his instantly, carefully wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Of course. You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” he snorted.

“It’s finally over.”

“For this round, it seems that way,” he replied.

“She was my sister,” she sobbed, clenching Luke tightly.

“I know,” Luke returned her embrace as he kissed the top of her head, pulling her to him closer, “You saved my life, Khalida.”

“I would do anything for you, Luke. I love you.”

He sighed deeply, cupping her chin in his hand and looking deep into her eyes with blue passionate eyes. Kissing her, he pulled her closer, Khalida lost her breath as he sweetly whispered, “I don’t know what I would have done if something happened to you.”

Placing a kiss on his cheek and then covering her face in his chest, tears rolled down her face as she started to unravel, but she became distracted by cries in the background. Looking through the smoke and trying to find the source of the desperate cries, her eyes zeroed in on Razi, and she noticed that he had someone pulled into his lap, slumping over a lifeless body. His shoulders quivered and his head shook, screaming “NO!” over and over. Falling to her knees, her body went numb. Razi’s desperate cries where replaced with inconsolable cries of her own. Khalida didn’t need to rush to his side to know it was Vega.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I
want to give a big thanks to Shannon M. Hernandez for helping me with my craziness and my editing. My words would still be jumbled without her. Last but certainly not least, I want to thank my family, especially my wonderful husband for supporting me with my dream to write and loving me the way that he does.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

G
rowing up in a small Texas town, I have always loved reading books of all kinds. I found the desire to write through the love for reading. I still live in a small Texas town with my husband, our children, and our dogs. When I’m not busy writing, I enjoy spending time with my family,
trying
to garden, and playing with my two lab fur-babies.