Losing Battle

Ch. 22 Sell Your Soul

"Look at him," Grace whispered in my ear. "He needs you to save him." I looked at the spell then back at him again. He lay on the floor his body had started to fade away. Tears slipped down my face as my heart cracked. "He would die to help you but you won't say one spell to save him!"

"James," I gasped looking away from him. There it was, the invisible line stopping me from saving his life. My moral code warned me not to say the words staring at me from the murky grey pages of the book.

"He loves you," Grace said into my other ear. "You can say it, for him."

"I give my soul willingly to bring back something lost," I chanted as the words glowed red. "I give my soul in place of his." I gasped as the dark energy filled my body, it felt addictive and powerful. I watched as his body became solid again as Grace smirked evilly before me. James's eyes flew open as he stood. I could see the disappointment in his face as his eyes landed on the book in my arms.

"Chrystal, what have you done?" He said sadly as Grace took my hand.

"What she needed to do," Grace said as we teleported away. I suddenly couldn't remember why I cared for James. I also found myself craving the darkness like a long lost love.

"Teach me," I said as she smiled.

"Of course young one," she said as we walked into the mansion that the order of Kiam owned. I gasped as Grace hit the ground unconscious. I saw a trank dart imbedded in her back. I turned to find a man standing there.

"Who are you?" I demanded bracing myself for an attack.

"A friend," he said putting his weapon away. "Chrystal please don't go down this path."

"What is wrong with this path?" I snapped harshly.

"Chrystal you don't want the darkness. You can still go back to James. You used the dark magic to save a man who wasn't supposed to die and so if you want you can reject it," he said firmly.

"Why would she want that?" Lake's voice cut through the silence. Lake pulled the dart out of Grace's back before walking toward me. Lake took my hand in his gently.

"Chrystal please, don't listen to them," the man said. I faced Lake with a seductive smile. My lips caressed his hungrily, igniting the darkness inside me.

"I see my son has done his job well," Grace said getting to her feet.

"Son?" I muttered as Lake smiled at me.

"Chrystal this is my mom," Lake said as Grace approached the man still pleading with me to leave.

"Now what to do about you," she said before plunging a knife into him. The man's eyes went wide before he collapsed onto the floor. I watched with pleasure as the man bled out. Lake's hand rested on my side as he held me.

"I've missed you Chrystal," Lake said as his mother faced us.

"So when's the wedding?" She asked as the ring appeared on my finger.

"Can we tomorrow?" I asked as he nodded.

"Mom can you find her a suitable dress?" Lake asked her as she nodded.

"Chrystal let's go try on clothes," Grace said leading me to my old room. Once inside the room she conjured three dresses. One was a black mermaid gown, the other two were white.  One was a crisp white the other an off white, goldish color. I found myself drawn to the black gown. I pulled the dress on the dress hugging my curves. "That's the one."

"The dress is beautiful," I smiled as she took my hand.

"Do we have to wait for tomorrow?" She asked as I looked at the ring on my finger.

"See if Lake wants to because I can't wait to be his," I smiled at her. She rushed off to ask him as I swept my hair into an updo. I conjured a diamond comb pushing it into my hair in the back.

"He's ready for you," she said conjuring me a bouquet of red roses. I followed her down the stairs and out the back door. Our eyes locked and all I could think was how powerful he was. My lips parted slightly as I reached him, the darkness inside me purred at him. We joined hands as his mother did the unification ritual. I felt our darkness melding together becoming one. He smiled at me pulling me close. Our lips touched sending his darkness rushing through me.

"You are stunning," he whispered as I looked into his eyes. We made our way back into the house quickly.

"There's nothing we can't do now," I said as his mother laughed.

"CHRYSTAL!" A voice rang out. Lake held me close seeing it was my father. He had a crossbow laced with salt in his arms.

"Back off," Grace ordered using her body to shield us.

"Let go of my daughter," my father said as Lake's arm snaked around my waist.

"She doesn't want to leave," Lake said as I clung to him.

"I don't believe you," my father growled.

"Chrystal do you want to leave?" Lake asked pulling out of my grasp.

"Lake," I gasped reaching for him.

"Chrystal please," my father pleaded. He wanted me to be his little girl but I couldn't bring myself to leave Lake, to leave the darkness.

"She's gone, don't you see that?!" Grace snapped when suddenly he pulled the trigger. The arrow shot forward heading right for Lake.

"No," I gasped as the arrow wedged itself in Lake's side. He hit the ground with a heart stopping bang. I ran to his side as tears pooled in my icy eyes. Grace looked back at us, and for a moment, I saw genuine fear. She wasn't a heartless monster. Lake's face crinkled with pain. I knew pulling the arrow out would hurt both of us but it was the only way to save him. My hand gripped the metal arrow pulling it out. A whimper escaped my lips as I tossed the arrow aside. I looked at my palm to find a bloody blistering line where the arrow touched my hand. Lake was pale, too pale and on the verge of death. I stood rage filling me, no one touches what's mine. My father took a step back as I conjured a fire. I saw the terror on my father's face.

"Chrystal please, I know you are still in there. If you remember me it wasn't your fault," he said as the fire began to rip into him. He bit back the scream as I watched. He deserved it for trying to force me to be what he wanted. He tried to take my newly discovered power from me!