Supernova c13: Event Horizon (part 1)

Don't hate me for this. I promise i have a plan :D some on twitter may have already expected this to happen but i had to change it from blatantly ripping off a tv show plot haha. 

This chapter is split into two point of views so ill be posting the rest of it by Saturday.

Also I suck at writing battles so I'm sorry its kind skimmed over/skipped. Hopefully you get the idea of what happened. Also new pov character so thats fun

Alena Riley

Chicago, 2230

I took in a deep breath as I let my toes and feet sink into the sand. The waves crashed at my ankles, and I could barely see now the sun had set but the smell of the evening air mixed with the salt water and the calmness of the beach settled the nerves in my stomach.

I didn’t hear her before her arms snaked around my waist and her head rested on my shoulder.

“Come to bed” Ophelia murmured kissing my neck and shoulder, but I shook my head.

“How am I supposed to sleep?” I asked, my eyes focusing on the lights in the distance. We hadn’t gone far from Chicago, it was summer luckily; and on the eve of a war, Ophelia and I had escaped to our favourite beach outside of Chicago where we owned a second home. Ophelia had bought it for me not long after Esther’s spell. Adjusting to being part of the Volturi took a toll on both me and Axton. Axton seemed to deal with it better once he had Clara, but I went home to Esther’s family every night. Whilst I didn’t blame Ophelia or her mother for looking like their relative, sometimes I just needed a break. We often came to this beach early on in our relationship to get away from the prying eyes of the Volturi. Now we had a second home here.

Ophelia didn’t answer my question or push me to talk, she just stepped closer, letting her hybrid body heat keep me warm in the nightly breeze coming from the lake. I held onto her tighter as the silent words passed between us.

Tomorrow I was going to war. I was following a pack of wolves and bears led by a tribrid and a demon into a hell dimension to keep them from bringing an apocalypse to earth and killing everyone we loved.

It sounded utterly and completely ridiculous, but it was happening. At last. Ten years of build up all to be over in a few hours. One way or another. It was finally time.

It was finally time to help Mia face what had been prophesised hundreds of years ago.

The last ten years had been an unimaginable ride and if I survived tomorrow. I knew I would be happy to never see the inside of that throne room again, or stare at the face of a demon, or raise my hand to protect those I loved.

I knew that wouldn’t happen; id always be protecting those I loved but it didn’t stop the tiredness I felt. The tiredness that I felt in my bones.

“I want to ask you something” Ophelia said after a moment.

“What is it?” I asked without turning to look at her.

“Why haven’t you asked me to marry you yet?” she said, and I froze on the spot. I pivoted the best I could in her iron grasp to look at her behind me. She stood straight, to the full few centimetres taller she was than me and our eyes locked.

“Is this really a conversation we’re having now? Of all nights?” I asked her searching her face for an answer as to why this was a topic right now. We’d spoken on marriage, especially after Axton married Clara. They had finally fallen for each other after seven years of dancing around after Axton split from Mia. They waited until this year to marry. They put it off thinking it was distasteful marrying in such a dark time in our history but many of their loved ones told them that just because we were on the cusp of war it didn't mean you should stop living. If they were sure about each other, then they should get married. It was an excuse to spread some happiness around at least. It was only a few months ago but it had been small, close family only and I had stood by the side of my brother as he finally got his happiness, and I knew I was done fighting whatever Ophelia and I had. It had been decades of on and off, of deciding we weren’t right for each other but always finding our way back. The last ten years she had been my rock, my everything and I knew in that moment as Axton found his place next to his wife that I wanted what he had. And above all I realised I had what he had. I had it all along, I was just too blind to see it. Ophelia and I had the most real conversation we had ever had that night, about our past and future and marriage and what we wanted. We had laughed and smiled and talked through the night knowing we were both finally ready for whatever was next.

But I didn’t realise she had been waiting me to pop the question this whole time.

“Isn’t tonight the perfect time? You’re going to be gone for god knows how long. Time works differently in that realm, and you’re going to be facing unimaginable danger. Perhaps I want to know you have something to fight for and to come back to. Axton has Clara. I want you to fight to come home to me.” She said and her lip quivered at the truth of her words. I reached up to rest my hand on her cheek, my thumb catching a single tear that fell from her eye.

“Of course I’m going to fight to come home to you. How is that even a question?” I asked her. It probably wasn’t the right response to her vulnerability, but it sounded so silly to me. Was she really that uncertain about how I felt?

She sighed and shook her face so my hand would fall from her face. She caught it in her own and she stared at me with an intensity that nearly knocked me over into the water.

“Do you want to marry me, Alena Riley?” she asked, her blue eyes bore into mine.

“Is this you asking?” I asked as I tried to swallow.

“I don’t know how this works. I was raised by a very traditional mother. I was always taught I had to wait for a man to ask for my hand. I don’t think my mother expected to have a gay daughter,” she laughed but I let out a small smile before I shook my head. I didn’t think she gave her mother enough credit. Whilst Naarah was indeed centuries old, there had never been a time in the past several decades I considered Naarah didn’t approve of her daughter’s preference in partners. In fact, I knew with all my heart that Naarah just wanted her daughter to be happy.

“Perhaps she didn’t foresee the redundancy of teaching you the archaic ways of chivalry, but I don’t think for a second your mother cares that you’re gay, my love,” I chuckled, and she rolled her eyes.

“I know she doesn’t, she’s only ever been supportive. I’m just saying. I was told stories of princes and men sweeping me off me feet. My mother wasn’t progressive enough back then to tell me stories of a beautiful witch doing the sweeping,” she smirked, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Ophelia, do you want to get married?” I asked after our laughter died down.

“I want you. I want to call you my wife and share everything with you. I want to have children and to raise them with you. If this whole demon thing has taught me one thing, it’s how incredibly strong and brilliant and beautiful you are, and I will not lose you. Not tomorrow when you go through that portal, not in my lifetime.” She confessed and it was my time to have tears falling from my eyes.

“I’m gunna ask for a rain check on the children, at least for now. But the wedding, yes. Yes, I’ll marry you Ophelia,” I said, unable to stop the smirk on my lips as I leant forward to kiss her. She returned the kiss as a peck and pulled away.

“But you’ll have kids eventually?” she asked.

“I think it’s a topic for another time,” I said, really not wanting to get into this now. Not right now on the eve of the biggest battle of my life.

“Do you want children Alena?” she asked, and any smiles had disappeared, and she stared at me with such an intensity I knew she was going to wait until I answered her truthfully. I also knew her well enough that this would be a deciding factor for her. She loved children and I knew she wanted one of her own one day, if I were to say no there was no way she would tie herself to me in marriage.

“I do, I do, Ophelia but we need to think about a lot before we consider how we have children, or whether they should be biological or not” I said with an equal intensity. This was the twenty third century, female couples had been able to create biologically shared children for decades in a lab. It was expensive as hell but possible and I knew Carlisle would be more than happy to help us conceive with science if that’s what we wanted. But the power in my bloodline worried me, plus Ophelia was a child of Lilim. Should a child of Nephilim and a child of Lilim be creating anything together? What kind of power would our child have? Especially when combined with Ophelia’s hybrid vampire side.

I wasn’t sure Ophelia had fully thought it through.

“But you’re willing to have them, adopted or biological I don’t care. You want children.” She said as if this was the clarification she needed. I held my tongue as I nodded. It would be a long and complicated conversation and there was no way I was ready to have them in the next ten years, not after what the last ten years did to me. But I knew she wasn't asking me for them now. She was asking for an olive branch, a chance. I wouldn't deny her that at least.

“I’m willing to discuss our options.” I nodded. She gave a soft nod as she leant in to kiss me again.

“I understand your reluctance with biology. I do. So just your openness is enough for now,” she said against my lips as she kissed me yet again.

I knew that was a tough conversation for the future but as her warm arms embraced me, I knew it was a conversation for another time.

Right now, my only thoughts were of her, and how I was going to get through tomorrow.

---

I didn’t know when I had fallen asleep, but the buzzing of my phone woke me, Ophelia was curled into my side, her chest rising and falling calmly. She could sleep through a hurricane, I was sure. I was going to make sure that changed if we ever did have children. I gently moved to grab my phone and saw Clara’s name appear. I frowned as I answered it.

“Clara is everything okay?” I asked.

“I’m so sorry to wake you,” she said but her voice shook.

“Clara?” I asked and shot up in the bed. This did wake Ophelia, and I felt her hand touch my lower back in support.

“I’m… I’m outside,” she said, and I could hear the waves crashing on the phone.

“I’ll be one minute,” I said and hung up. I immediately jumped from the bed and pulled on the closest clothes I could find. Ophelia did the same and followed me at a distance to the door. I opened it to see Clara standing there, tears in her eyes as she stared at me.

“Where is Axton?” I asked instantly looking behind my sister-in-law for my brother.

“He’s asleep. I left him at home.” She said. What the hell was going on? “I had a dream, and I couldn’t wake him. I couldn’t tell him what I saw!” she was sobbing again. “But I had to tell someone.” She explained. I reached for her hand and pulled her inside the small cabin. “Axton said you guys were coming to your cabin for the night before. I’m really sorry to disturb you both,” she said but her words were coming out in sobs.

“I’m going to make some hot cocoa; do you want some?” Ophelia asked as I led Clara into the cramped living area. I nodded at my girlfriend and give her a small smile of thanks as she disappeared. I turned back to Clara who was trying her best to control her breathing.

“What did you see Clara?” I asked but I was suddenly terrified for the answer. For her to be in this state, for her to be so emotional that she didn’t even want to tell Axton… something horrible must have been shown to her.

“You can do the mind thing right? Like Axton?” she asked as her voice shook. I nodded, even though I was meant to be conserving my strength a simple head dive shouldn’t use up too much magic, so I raised my hands and watched as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew exactly what to do as I rested my hands on her temples and closed my eyes.

I was pulled into her mind, and she showed me the vision she'd had.

Death. So much death. And then the reason Clara was so distraught, the vision began flickering, two alternatives presented themselves. One where Ignacio drives a knife through Mia’s heart and one where Mia does the same to Ignacio. Both visions were flooded with emotion and pain. Both an option but one thing was clear. One of them had to die. The sacrifice would cause a tidal wave of power that would finish the fighting and end the threat once and for all. The sight of Mia's version, of her absorbing the power and exploding almost blinded me. That wave would kill anyone on that plane of existence, including us, including the wolves and the bears. There would be no survivors.

I felt like I was being pulled out of Clara’s brain as I sat back and gasped.

I stared at Clara, and it was clear she had been grieving Mia before she was even cold. Grieving and understanding the pain Axton would go through at seeing Mia dead with a knife in her heart. She hadn't put two and two together, she hadn't yet realised that kind of power being released from them would kill her husband too. She was too fixed on the image of Mia dead on the floor.

The vision was clear. One of them had to die. Mia or Ignacio. It didn’t matter who. The death of one would spark the power in the other, giving them everything they needed to commit genocide on demons forever.

“I couldn’t tell him. I just… I know I’m a bad wife. I know I should have woken him. This information needs to be known, I know it does, but I just couldn’t be the one to tell him. I couldn’t.” she said and I knew the look on her face was a look of familiarity. That grief, that pain. It was her pain because she had buried a husband only a decade ago. She faced the pain of burying her human children in the near future. This woman knew pain that immortals in her family have only ever seen. I reached for her, and she held onto me as her breathing calmed and she let our embrace comfort her. I was in shock. I didn’t know what to say or how to respond.

And above all, I didn’t know how I was going to tell my brother. When was I going to tell my brother? Should I even tell my brother? I was fairly sure we could protect ourselves from the tidal wave of power. We had shield spells that were impenetrable, ones that tapped into the raw angelic blood in our veins. As long as I was at Axton's side when either Mia or Ignacio died we would be enough. But should I tell him about Mia's possible death? I wasn't sure.

Ophelia walked in with three cups of warm cocoa and paused at our embrace. I gave her an encouraging smile as she came to place the mugs on the table next to us.

“I’m going to take care of this, okay?” I asked pulling away from my friend. Her eyes locked on mine, and she gave me a small nod. I reached for the mug and handed it to her whilst taking my own and bringing it to my lips. She sipped on it slowly and Ophelia offered her a blanket in the cool cabin. There was no heating in this home. We didn’t need heating when Ophelia ran at a hundred degrees, and we only ever came here in the summer.

Ophelia moved to tuck herself behind me. It was an instinctual gesture as the three of us curled up on the small couch. We sat there drinking our mugs in silence and my mind raced.

Clara had done the right thing, we both knew Axton would try to handle this but it could risk his own life in the process. I loved Mia, of course I did and I didn’t want her to die nor for her to lose her imprint but if it was what destiny had chosen, to save the planet, to save Esther, to save humanity, I would let it happen. But I wasn't sure Axton would.

Axton would rather sacrifice himself than let Mia get hurt, I didn’t know how far that sacrifice went. Would he risk the world to keep her alive?

If he knew of this vision going into a fight, he wouldn’t stay focused, he would be constantly watching and making sure Mia was okay, he could risk his own life just out of sheer distraction and carelessness never mind doing something stupid to save the tribrid.

I couldn’t tell him. I wouldn’t tell him.

But that didn’t mean Mia and Ignacio didn’t deserve to know. In fact, they needed to know. We would be gone for hours but for our family, for those left behind, it would be days and the quicker it was over the better. I had to leave it to Mia and Ignacio to decide what needed to be done. It was their choice. Maybe the pack was enough, maybe if we fought hard enough, we wouldn’t need to make the sacrifice. Clara’s dreams were subjective just as Alice Cullen’s visions were. It didn’t mean it had to happen and to tell my brother something on a ‘maybe’ wasn’t worth his life to me, even if he'd ultimately hate me later. He kept me safe for decades, I would return the favour whether he liked it or not. Mia was a big girl now, she deserved to make her own decisions and if there was ever a time she deserved the right to choose her fate it would be now. I would take the news to her and her only.

Clara went home after an hour or so, I told her my thoughts and I was glad she agreed with me. Even though she knew her husband may hate us both for it if things turned out badly for Mia. It was worth it to guarantee he returned to us. He was too blinded when it came to Mia, and I was curious to see how deeply Clara understood that.

There were no goodbyes when it came to me and Ophelia. We arrived at the Volturi estate as the sun rose in the sky. The grounds were buzzing with life and people coming and going between the mansion and the courtyard and the park grounds at the back of the estate.

We walked hand in hand to where the pack was being assembled and preparing and where Axton and I would ultimately open the portal for everyone to pass over. We paused on the stairs leading down from the mansion courtyard and Ophelia brought my hand up to kiss the back of it. I turned to look at her and we said no words as she gave me a soft smile. She leant forward and kissed me softly before dropping my hand and walking away.

It was easier this way. Ophelia arguably had the most to lose than anyone in the world today. Mia was her best friend. And if neither Axton nor I returned she’d have forever lost her aunt too, as well as me. I knew she was struggling to process this. She often said over the years how she tried not to think about it because the fear of the situation would overcome her, so I let her process it how she wanted to and if that meant she wanted to kiss me and walk away like it was just a regular day I would happily play into her narrative. I watched her across the park as she went to her mother’s house where I knew she wouldn’t emerge for the next few days.

I sighed grateful she would be with someone to support her through this as I took the steps down into the hustle and bustle of the pack and Volturi guard members that were setting up parameters and counter measures in case it wasn't us returning through the portal but an army of demons.

Not that anyone really stood a chance at this end. The remaining power in the Volturi consisted of Esther’s descendants. Her daughters and grandchildren and their gifted powers however they all had to stay away. Not one of them could help in this war, not when it came to facing demons head on. Their connection with Esther and her bloodline meant they were vulnerable. They may have inherited her strengths in their powers, but they also inherited her weaknesses. They had been strictly told to stay away from the Volturi for the next few days just in case. Not that there would be much of a world left if we failed in our mission. It was all on us, us and Mia and Ignacio. I saw them conversing across the grass and knew I had to somehow get them away from the pack and guard to tell them about Clara’s vision.

My eyes fell on the figure of my father following Mia around like a lost puppy and I frowned.

What the hell was he doing here? I knew Cain loved Mia, in a weird prodigy student adoptive daughter kind of way but as far as I was aware he was staying out of the way, and no one knew of his relationship to Mia. No one except me and Axton. Why was no one questioning him? Why was no one wondering why he was here? His magic was as useless as Ophelia’s or any other witch when it came to demonic power. He had promised to make some arrangements with the few Nephilim he knew left in the world to create safe havens should the world go to hell in the next few days, but I never expected him to show up now. I watched others converse with Mia, seemingly oblivious to the ancient all-powerful warlock at her heels. He was talking, rattling more like it, to Mia as she moved around the area. It looked like she was ignoring him except every now and then she’d turn to glare at him before moving on again. He must have a glamour on of some kind to keep him hidden to everyone except Mia. And myself and Axton of course. He couldn’t hide from us. I looked over to my brother and his eyes caught with mine.

He’s been here for ten minutes. My brother thought to me.

Can anyone else see him? I asked and he shook his head from across the clearing.

What’s he doing? I asked making my way slowly over to my father and Mia.

From what I can gather from a distance, he’s trying to persuade her to stop. To stay here.

Seriously? She can’t do that, war will come eventually, if it isn’t through Esther, it will be through one of her children or the demons will find another way. It must be done this way to protect the most innocents.

He can’t lose his precious prodigy. Axton mocked.

You know he loves her. I scolded him. Axton was not one for tolerating our father. Cain was a complicated kind of parent. He had never been a very good one, but he tried in his own ways. It wasn’t exactly his fault his mind had been messed up by Lilim over centuries of going between her enemy and her lover and back to enemy. It wasn’t his fault his children were constantly hunted and taken by her, that we, had been taken from him. He tried, but my brother had deep routed daddy issues that I wasn’t sure the decades had helped. Especially when Cain took interest in Mia. He had helped her, trained her in secret for decades. Axton always feared he was priming her for something, priming her to be at his beck and call when he needed power beyond imagination.

In forty years, he had never once called on her though, I had seen their interactions over the decades and Mia was one of the few people, actually I think the only person, that could handle and control our father. Even if Axton was right and initially Cain was the one that acquired Mia to control her, it was certainly the other way around now. Mia had him wrapped around her finger.

Before I even reached the pair to talk to my father he was gone. Mia caught my gaze but didn’t acknowledge what had just happened, so I tilted my head towards the houses nearby to get her and Ignacio to follow me.

I was grateful that she was compelled to follow.

I was very aware of the hum between our powers as she and Ignacio followed me. It felt like two magnets repelling each other. I knew she could feel it too as we disappeared from view of the guard and the pack.

I leant on the wall of one of the houses in the estate. They both copied against the wall of the house next door. We were a good two meters apart.

It was painful being this close to them but doable, especially since I had to tell them what I knew.

“What did he want?” I asked. Mia rolled her eyes.

“He was just being protective. Telling me I had to stay here, that we’d think of another way.” She said dismissively. I wondered if she truly understood the weight of having Cain worry about her. That he hadn’t shown much of that concern to his own biological children in decades. I shook the thought from my head. Her hand ran over her necklace that sat between her breasts, the long chain and the pendant that was magically infused to send her to Cain at a single thought. She never took that pendant off. She hadn’t in decades, it was her beacon to my father. I tried not to feel hurt about the fact he had ignored me and Axton. Surely, he knew that we were also risking our lives today. He didn’t even spare us a glance before he left. Did he care if he lost his own children? Or did he only care about the power he’d lose if Mia died? Maybe Axton had been right all along.

“This isn’t about my father; I have something to tell you both,” I said and swallowed nervously. “You have to understand no one can know what I’m about to tell you. But I couldn’t in good faith let you cross into the portal without knowing,” I explained.

“Knowing what?” Mia asked. I scanned their faces, the two people that had given up so much, sacrificed so much for this cause.

“Clara came to me last night. She had a vision,” I explained, and Mia raised an eyebrow at my words. She looked over to where the army was assembling to catch a sight of Axton who was making preparations.

“He doesn’t know. Clara knew if she told him, that he would lose focus. He wouldn’t be able to handle the news or process it in time to act rationally when we were on the other side and it could cost the war, or his life,” I added, and Mia now turned to me.

“What did she see?” she asked but I knew, I knew from the look on her face she already knew. There was only one thing that would rattle Axton. Only one thing that Clara would hide from her husband; the death of the only other woman he loved.

“Your death,” I said, and I was proud of myself for not breaking on the word. My eyes were locked with hers as I said it. My best friend, my closest friend for so many years. Oh, how I missed her terribly. I missed her smile, I missed her laugh, I missed our movie nights and our chats. I missed seeing her with my brother, I missed seeing her happy and being happy around her. I couldn’t help the tear falling onto my cheek as I stared at the face of the girl I had shared forty years of my life with. She may have been my brother’s girlfriend, but she had been my sister through it all.

“Explain,” Ignacio replied, his voice tight and snappy. I didn’t look away from Mia as I told her about the vision, how I told her that it only ended one of two ways. With one of them dying.

“Mia,” Ignacio warned softly, he had felt her anger. Her control slipped quicker than I noticed it. It had been years since I had been close enough to Mia to recognise her tells, her outbursts. But Ignacio knew instantly, before she even began to show signs of her temper. His hand went to rest gently on the back of her neck, the other on her cheek and jaw as he pivoted her to look at him. She didn’t look up. Her eyes were focused on something not there as if she was watching something in her mind.

* “Mia, mi destino, mi luz,” his voice dropped as he continued to rattle off terms of endearment in Spanish that I couldn’t hear. It took a moment for her eyes to focus on the face before her. “We will exhaust every option first. We will fight.” Ignacio reminded her. But she hadn’t said a word.

“I’ll leave you alone” I said softly and began to walk away.

“Thank you,” Mia called after a moment. I turned back to look at her, she was still standing close to her imprint, his hands on her face but her eyes locked on mine. “Thank you for telling us. Thank you for not telling him.” She said and her eyes fell on Axton who was watching us all from afar. I’d have to come up with an excuse before he wondered what was going on.

I gave a small nod before I spoke.

“I’m so sorry, for everything.” I said and my voice cracked at the words as I walked away, leaving the couple a moment of privacy.

“Everything okay?” Axton asked as I reached him at the front of the army that was now in formation ready to enter the portal Axton and I were going to make.

“Yes, I had a message from Ophelia to give her,” I lied smoothly. I hated how easily he believed me, giving me a small nod, and pulling out the paper with the spell on it we needed. It was pointless really. We had both had it memorised for years. Those words that would open a portal to a demon realm, but I think he liked looking at it for reassurance, for a distraction and to make sure our main job was done correctly. I refused to tell him that the second time we would cast that spell he might be carrying the corpse of his first love home. Either her corpse or the broken shell of a wolf without her imprint should Ignacio make the sacrifice instead.

I stood with Axton as the wolves around us began to settle, thanks to Nova Cullen they were bouncing on their feet ready for a fight. Nothing had been taken from them so the usual anxiousness and fear was still in many of them but stronger traits were there to overcome them. They had been training a decade for this moment, I just hoped they were enough.

Mia and Ignacio walked over to us hand in hand to stand in front of their pack. The sight was incredible to witness, nearly a hundred wolves and bears stood in formation in front of the pair of them. Their heads bowed in respect as their alphas took a stand. At the front was the largest two of them all, whom I knew were Zac and Leah Black. They had lent their giant pack to help and in doing so submitted to Mia as the true alpha of them all if only for a time. I had little to do with the pack but I knew through Ophelia that whilst Zac and Leah had given Mia power over their pack, they were still the joint alphas and could order their wolves as if they were still in charge. It was more of a partnership than a full handover of power. They all answered to Mia, no matter what. The sight of the tribrid with her army laid out in front of her would be a sight I would never forget.

“I’m not going to give a speech. I’m not going to stand here and pretend that what we’re about to do isn’t dancing with death. I have had the honour and the privilege to know each of you these past ten years, I’ve seen you grow and become stronger, I’ve seen you all take this fate in stride and confidence, and I cannot be prouder of my brothers and sisters. Thank you for answering the call, thank you for what you’re about to risk to keep our world safe.” Mia announced. She barely spoke louder than a whisper for she was connected to the pack even when she was in human form. The wolves and bears all moved, falling forward onto their front arms as they all bowed before their alpha. As they raised back up Mia turned to Axton and I.

“Let’s do this,” she called across the distance we were keeping apart. I nodded; my heart began to pick up in rhythm as I turned to my brother at my side.

“We got this Lena. We’re coming home. We will come home,” he said almost like a prayer, his eyes darted to the back of the Volturi mansion where the balconies were visible. I knew he was looking at the balcony attached to his and Clara’s apartment on the second floor. I didn’t want to look up and see if his wife was there watching him go. I lifted the vial of Ignacio’s blood that had been prepared for us earlier and we began the incantation to open a demon portal to hell.

The portal opened with a blinding light. Axton and I staggered back, giving Ignacio and Mia room to enter first. I watched as Axton’s eyes locked on Mia as she made her way towards the burning entrance to the demon dimension.

We weren’t sure exactly what it would be like in there. All we knew was that it was the home realm of the demonic creatures that walked the earth in the spirit realm. We knew they would be corporeal there and easier to kill than when they entered our world during celestial events, and they were perfectly capable of being ripped apart by wolf or bear jaws.

Mia and Ignacio clasped hands again as they took the step through the distorted light, the wolves and bears in perfect formation began to follow their alpha through the portal to hell.

Axton and I were bringing up the rear. The portal would close with our blood passing through sealing us from our realm. If our blood spilled again on the other side, the portal would reopen, and the demons would be free to pass into our world willingly. A large price to pay if we failed. I looked behind us to see Pancrazio, Matthew, Benjamin and Asta Cullen, the current leaders of the Volturi, standing by the stairs into the Volturi mansion. A small nod from Zio, in respect, gratitude and understanding as we finally took the step to follow the pack into another realm.

The realm was cold. Not in a drop of temperature but just the feel and the look of it. The sky was a dark purple, the ground a mist covered navy void. In the distance were mountains but you could only see them momentarily through the wind of darkness, spiralling into tornadoes on the skyline. The wolves stayed in formation, waiting for their orders from their alphas. Axton and I took the long way around the pack towards Mia and Ignacio, but remaining a safe distance.

Ignacio pulled out a vial from his pocket. Inside the glass was black blood, a combination of his and Mia’s they had prepared earlier. He opened it and poured it onto the ground.

“Our blood will call them” he explained to those around, letting it drip to the floor as if ringing a dinner bell, the snarls that echoed in that moment sent a shiver to my spine.

The corporeal demons began charging at an unprecedented speed towards us, waves and waves of them. My eyes locked with Mia, and I knew, I knew she would fight. She would make the wolves fight in hopes that they had done enough to win without a sacrifice. I nodded, as if I was agreeing with her. I couldn’t ask her to die, not before we exhausted every option first.

The sound of teeth tearing into flesh was deafening. All around me, for how long I wasn’t sure. It had to be hours, hours of fighting, hours of wolves and bears falling, hours of demons dying. I tried not to think about how hours here were days at home. How long had they already been waiting for us? How long had Ophelia waited for me to come back to her?

I shook the thought from my head, all that mattered right now was this. Protecting them and our home.

Axton and I did as much as we could to protect as the wolves and bears fought, whilst also fighting off the few we could. Axton kept looking over to Mia, to that familiar white snow wolf that was now stained with black blood of her enemies. Ignacio was like a force to be reckoned with; he was using his demon form to annihilate the battlefield. Watching him change between corporeal and incorporeal, watching him command shadow magic and shatter demons with a blink of an eye, seeing how successful he was at watching Mia’s back, I thought, just for a moment that it was enough.

Watching him and Mia fight together, side by side, a force to beyond description was awe inspiring. The way they moved, the way they had each other’s backs, constantly, it was like watching a dance. A perfectly choreographed and practiced dance. But as the hours went on and the less magic Axton and I could use without fully draining ourselves I knew we were at the climax. We had to win in the next few minutes or go out in a blazing glory. I could see Ignacio saying things to Mia, but I was too far to hear the words exactly. He looked frustrated and I was momentarily shocked when he nudged her hard, as if he was attacking her or trying to force her to pay attention. She snarled and suddenly appeared in her human form before him.

I had made my way closer to them in an attempt to defend them as Axton made his way closer to the mass of where the pack was trying to play defensive and catch their breaths.

“No Ignacio, no” Mia spoke and turned her back in time to blast a demon with her magic. She had been mostly fighting as a wolf, using magic in small forms but she was now fully human, she had pulled her dress on with a swift one-handed movement and now fought with just her magic.

I looked around. Everyone was exhausted, bodies of wolves and bears littered the floor, although I was happy to see not as many as the dead demons. Axton was blasting magic, protecting the wounded wolves about fifty meters away as the remaining wolves fought, but fatigue was hitting them, their movements were slower, lazier. I watched as Mia surveyed her pack, as she noticed the dead on the floor her eyes locked with mine. Tears flooded her eyes, but she did not let them fall.

I saw it in slow motion and so did Mia. As she had turned to check on the wolves Mia was open for attack when suddenly Ignacio was behind her, corporeal and in the way of the large claws about to rip Mia apart. I expanded a shield quickly knocking the demon that had slashed Ignacio wide open. My heart slammed in my chest. Was this it? Did it matter how one of them died? It had been a sacrifice after all. Was that enough? Was this going to fulfil the prophecy Clara had seen? Because as I saw the wound that marred his torso there was no way anyone would survive that.

Mia turned in shock. She didn’t say anything as her eyes fixed on her imprint before her. I faltered for a moment on the spell but managed to hold it up to protect them both whilst Mia accessed his injuries.

“No,” the word slipped from her lips as she fell to her knees next to Ignacio, the black blood pooled fast, too fast for any magic or ability to heal through. His eyes were fixed on her as his fast breathing got slower and slower. The black blood soaked into Mia’s clothes as she cried over him. It wasn’t often Mia Cullen cried and my heart ached at the sight. Mia’s body was shaking uncontrollably. I knew that vision I had seen in Clara’s head was about to come to fruition.

I held my shield around them but scanned the battleground for my brother.

Axton was still across the field protecting some of the wolves, but he was further away now than before. I needed to reach him. As Ignacio died Mia was about to be flooded with more power than anyone had ever experienced in living memory. I needed Axton and soon. We needed to work together to protect everyone here from Mia’s wrath. When Ignacio stopped breathing, it was about to be a blood bath. No power on earth would be able to stop her. But angelic power would. Mine and Axton’s power.

“Mia,” Ignacio whispered through the blood that he was now choking on. His hand lifting for a moment to touch the fabric of Mia’s dress as if to reach for her but there was no strength left in him.

“No,” Mia was sobbing, uncontrollably sobbing, I could see the dark shadows of her power building up around her, I could see the rage beginning to form in her eyes as she took in what was happening before her. Ignacio opened his mouth as if to say something else, but he had no energy, no life left in him to speak. Mia reached down; her lips met his in a soft goodbye kiss that surprised me. I wasn’t friends with Mia anymore, but Ophelia was, and she had told me the pair had been platonic for ten years. Had something changed? Had they made the step to change their relationship so close to their demise? My heart ached at the thought. Mia’s tears fell onto Ignacio’s face as his heart and breathing stopped. His now empty gaze was still on Mia above him.

The scream that left Mia’s body was soul crushing. I dropped the shield and bolted as fast as I could towards Axton.

“Axton!” I tried to scream over the sound of battle and Mia’s war cry. I ran as fast as I ever ran before to my brother. He pivoted to look at me at the sound of Mia’s scream and his face dropped. I saw so many emotions flash over my brothers face in that moment that I struggled to pinpoint each of them.

There wasn’t time for words or an explanation. We had to act fast. He joined our hands, and we barely got a sentence out of the spell when the second scream that came from Mia echoed around us. I looked over to see how the shadows of her power were swirling and storming around her, lightning and fire and moonlight combined in the tornado forming around the grieving tribrid. At the sight of the cataclysmic power before us mine and Axton’s shield expanded larger than we’d ever produced before. Pure angelic magic lit up the dark realm encasing every wolf and bear inside it. The only one we left out was Mia as her head tilted back and her arms spread wide as her soul shattered. 

I would never forget the sound of that scream.

The power that erupted from her was nothing like I had ever seen before. The power that had accumulated around her in a tornado spread like a tidal wave through the mist. She stood, her face stained white with hot tears as she directed each bolt of power into any demon or creature she could see. All whilst the waves continued to expand, covering the entire realm I had no doubt. It covered our barrier like a tsunami, but we were safe within. As long as Axton and I held onto the spell we’d be safe as Mia continued her rampage. I caught the sight of her face, but I saw nothing there, no joy, no life, no compassion. Everything that had made Mia, Mia, was gone and I saw only death in her eyes as her power continued to pulse around her.

It was lasting too long. Whatever it was she was doing in her grief was straining me and Axton. I could feel my power faltering, but Axton held strong. He kept me focused, coaxing me to look at him. My power was being drained faster than I had ever felt before. I felt as my body tried to replace it, to replicate my power as it flooded from me in waves faster than should be possible.

“We’ve got this Lena. Think of Ophelia. We have to go home. We’re going to make it through this,” he said, and I nodded in response. Focusing on an image of Ophelia. The image of her in white saying ‘I do’. The image of her holding a child, our child. The image of her smiling. But the pain… the pain of my power, the pain of this spell was crushing me. I felt the tears falling onto my cheeks without permission. I stared into the eyes of my brother. My twin. We could get through this. We had to.

I saw as he looked back over to Mia. The conflict and pain in his face as I knew he wanted to run over and comfort her. Mia fell to the ground almost in slow motion as the cloud around her dissipated.

I felt the barrier disperse around us and the weightlessness of the withdrawal hit me instantly. I wavered and I saw Axton reach to catch me. But it was warm strong arms that held me instead and I turned to see Lucan Cole, Nova Cullen's imprinter, sheepishly smiling down at me in his human form. He respectfully held me at arms length and kept me steady as Axton’s eyes went wide.

“I’m okay,” I managed to mumble. “Go to her.” I said with as much strength as I could muster. I leant heavily into Lucan as he held me, and he moved so we were now sitting on the blood-soaked floor.

“Thank you,” I murmured to him. I could almost hear Ophelia and Nova conspiring with Lucan. I already knew that he had been near me to catch me as I fell in honour of his girlfriend and mine. I didn’t care in that moment my girlfriend had been conspiring behind my back to keep an eye on me. His warmth felt familiar, his warmth felt like Ophelia’s as he let me lean on him and I took comfort in that.

My eyes fell heavy but I had to stay awake. I had to see what was about to happen and I had to help Axton return us home. It all depended on us. The demons were gone, disintegrated into nothing under Mia’s power. The threat was over, but we still had to return home.

Axton turned and nearly fell over as he ran over to Mia. Axton was stronger than me, but that spell had still taken a lot out of him.

He reached for her and managed to lift her into a cradle as he walked over towards us. I looked behind him to where Ignacio lay. Mia’s clothes and hands were as black as the blood-soaked ground. Only it wasn’t demon blood she was covered in; it was her imprints.

Mia woke moments later, she jerked at the contact that held her before her realisation hit it was Axton holding her.

“We can’t touch,” she gasped. Her words were barely words. Her voice sounded like she hadn’t used it in years. Raspy gasps escaped from her in panic.

“Yes, we can,” Axton said defiantly as he held her tighter to him. For the first time in ten years, he was hugging her.

There was no time to explain what had happened or why Mia was suddenly able to touch Axton without feeling the pain or magic repelling. Was it because Ignacio was dead? Was their link severed? It was the only explanation as to why the pair of them weren’t in pain.

We’d have to consider it later because I knew there was no time for chat. We had to get back. I saw Vicente move slowly over to the blood-stained ground where Ignacio lay.

“We need to take him back.” He said as I saw silent tears flood down his cheeks.

“Anelie might be able to bring him back.” Zac Black asked coming over now also in human form. It was a pointless hopeful statement but there was a shred of chance. If Clara’s vision had been true and Mia’s outburst had destroyed everything demon related, was he now just human? Was Mia back to being just a tribrid with no mystical link to the demonic? That had to be why Axton could hold her again, right?

There was hope he could be brought back, that's all that mattered in that moment. 

Vicente bent over his friend, his brother, as he gently lifted him into a cradle in his arms. As he stood before the pack my eyes scanned the battleground. Whether they were still in wolf form, bear form, human form, injured or alive, they all bowed.

I gasped at the sight around me as every shapeshifter paid their respects to their fallen leader before them.

It suddenly hit me that it was over.

Mia had committed genocide. She’d fulfilled her destiny.

We’d won.

But at what cost?

“There’s a chance,” Vicente agreed looking at Zac Black as he brought the body over towards us. We all knew the chance was slim. Ignacio wasn’t like others, no power worked on him, it was more than likely Anelie’s still wouldn’t work on him. But we had to try. We had to try everything. And we would.

“Are you strong enough for the portal?” Leah asked me as she walked up to my brother. I shook my head as Axton answered for me.

“Alena is drained. I’ll do it. I’m just going to need a little boost” Axton said as Mia pulled away from his chest. She would be overflowing with power from her display. Mia was infinite, each of her supernatural sides fed off each other. She never drained so long as she fed each side, not like me and my brother. She was a pure power bank. The amount of power she had wielded would have killed anyone else. It probably would have killed Ignacio had he been the one to omit the wave instead. Her existence had been made for this. It was good that it had been her, although I was sure Mia wouldn’t agree with me.

I watched as Mia offered her power to my brother. I could see as it hit him like a drug. It had been so long since either of us had felt Mia’s force I couldn’t imagine the power my brother felt in that moment. He stumbled for a moment as he dropped his grip on her. He took a deep breath before slicing open his hand and using his blood and the spell we both had memorised so well we'd probably never forget it for the rest of our lives to take us all home.

As the portal began to materialise before us, my adrenaline began to wear off. We were safe. It was over. We had done it.

Darkness pressed in my head, around my vision as I finally succumbed to the drain, and I remembered feeling the warm strong arms tightening around me as I fell and blacked out.

 

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* translation: my destiny, my light