Touch Me ✔

Chapter Forty

I closed my eyes, inhaling slowly and powerfully.

When I opened my eyes, I felt entirely different. The first thing I saw was the ceiling of the abandoned theater. I could hear cries of pain and anguish around me, but there was no more fear to be felt within me.

I easily lifted myself from the floor of the stage slowly, as if too quick of a movement would shatter the world around me. My eyes traveled without concern over my skin, where the black crimson glow was continuing to spread over me dangerously. It pulsed with deathly power. I could feel it from the core of my heart to the surface of my skin.

I stood with ease, tilting my head to the sky as I sighed loudly with content. The now-useless bracelets on my wrists snapped to pieces, falling to the floor around me. There was a sudden responding silence. I slowly turned my head, taking in the view around me. I initially noted a lot of blood. From what I could discern, after taking my magic, Desmond had released everyone and was easily striking them down with each attack they launched towards him. He had Sebastian in his grip, a hand in his chest as if preparing to rip his heart out. Leanna was unharmed, no doubt only participating as an audience. And now they all watched me with disbelief.

"You can't be...," Desmond began. I looked at his hand and the heart he held was suddenly like grasping at the burning sun. Desmond hissed with pain and surprise, ripping his hand from Sebastian. Sebastian fell to the ground in agony, heart intact, and Desmond turned on me with anger and disbelief. "You can't be alive. I took it all."

Desmond's skin was bright with the Genesis power. I couldn't feel the warmth that power gave. My own skin was dark with cold magic, the pain of it like an illness. But I wasn't concerned. As I watched, I could see the glow of his skin begin to darken, mirroring my own flesh.

"You did," I answered, my voice the throaty one of the Phoenix. "But your father made sure your greed would be rewarded kindly. If you had resisted even the last drop, you would have lived. If you had found satisfaction in the temporary, you would have been given an eternal reward of exceptional abilities. But you, you took it all. And so you will feel the poison you cursed on your coven; on your family."

Desmond coughed mildly, looking perplexed. His gaze glanced from me to his own skin, only just taking notice of the poison beginning to claim his power with ease. He looked bewildered and then angry.

"You... you were poison," Desmond said with realization. He lifted his hand to use that power against me, but just as the Heart of the Phoenix took from the Genesis coven on that horrible night, it took from him now. His power was diminished. Desmond growled with frustration. "I'm still a vampire. I've killed you once, I can do it again."

Desmond suddenly lunged at me with supernatural speed. I took a step to the left nonchalantly as he flew past me. He attacked again just as quickly and I dodged with ease. He swiped at me with dangerous claws and I ducked, twisted, and teleported out of reach.

"Leanna," He roared angrily. She giggled, pleased to be called on to assist. Desmond lunged for me again and I danced around him, twirling as Leanna swung for me and missed. I teleported around them; staying just enough in reach to allow them to dance on the stage with me.

And then Leanna swung one of those nasty punches at me as I dodged Desmond. I was intrigued by that fist of hers which had caused me so much pain over those past nights. I reached for it almost like a small girl reaching to pick a bright flower from a field. My hand clasped around hers, halting her punch with ease as if it she hadn't used her vampire strength at all.

"Poor little Leanna," I mused curiously, looking at her fist in my grip curiously. Desmond charged at me and I put out the palm of my other hand, knocking him away like swatting an irritating fly. I looked to Leanna again who suddenly didn't look so excited to be where she was. "Look how weak you are."