Beloved Beast

Chapter Forty-Three

"I don't have to fight you, Sera," Veda replied just loud enough for Elle to hear. "You are your own undoing."

"Mother would be so disheartened to know that she birthed such a blunder." Black eyes grew more animated with power as her arms bridged wide, her voice crackling with unbridled static. "Nothing will satisfy me more than putting you in the ground where you belong."

With a wrathful cry, Sera whipped her arms downward, generating a massive blast of energy that breached the water barrier, but Veda managed to thwart its fierce momentum with her own blast of power, preventing it from branching further and from striking them. But the impact rocked the elder on her heels and her frail extremities visibly quivered.

The precipice trembled as the surplus of energy crossed, and a new fear clamped round Elle's heart.

They were going to plunge into a watery grave!

Sera slowly inched forward, every step driving Veda back, her wilting features a thing of horror as she rotated her palms.

The first signs of tension surfaced on the white witch's face. Veins began to protrude from her slim neck and blood trickled from her nose as she fought to harness her power, compelling the rain to descend harder.

Sera's grin was smug as she rivaled her sister in power, but with her attention and energy focused solely on Veda, the fire that caged them suffered as a result. It burned less, waning beneath the hard, perpetual rain until, at last, it was snuffed altogether.

Relief flooded Elle's chest as she caught sight of Don – he was alive, but the feeling was fleeting. The palpable energy emanating from the sisters was thick and cloying and proved too much for the shaken precipice to bear. The ground beneath their feet rumbled a second time and then it began to crumble at the edge.

All of the air fled her lungs in a rush as she scrambled to get vertical.

Sera laughed manically, either unaware or purely unbothered by the earth chipping away mere feet from where she stood.

From Elle's peripheral, something slid and clattered nearby.

Still on her knees, she lunged for the weapon just Sera screeched a sound of inhumane rage, this time, her discharge of power finding its mark. Veda faltered as she was struck and then she was hurled into the air, landing precariously close to the disintegrating edge, her willowy frame rolling limp.

My God ... was she dead?

With its conductor silenced, the rain instantly tapered to a drizzle and the sea receded.

With her heart in her throat, Elle tucked the dagger at her side but when she twisted to confront the evil at her back, she gasped, horrified to find Sera looming above her.

The dark mage beamed from ear to ear, those sinister eyes as black as the agitated sea, gleaming with triumphant glee as she palmed her dagger.

Terror gripped Elle's body and her pulse leaped like frightened prey; her thrashing heart heavy and replete with tremendous regret, knowing that she may never have the chance to tell Don how she loved him. Or that she forgave him. Hot tears sprang to her eyes as his thunderous cry clipped the subdued night, the wretched sound squeezing her heart tight, urging her to behold him one last time, but she couldn't bring herself to do it, for if she did, she knew it would tear her apart.

Her beloved beast was coming for her ... but he wouldn't make it.

"At last, you are mine," Sera declared with a harsh, exulted laugh.