I hold the sceptre in front of me with two hands and recite the chant.
‘Sceptre of Divine power
I open my heart to accept my new fate
Grant me your power to defend all those at stake
May my heart stay true
As I transcend from old to new
This fate I accept with all my heart from you.’
At first, the sceptre lights up, but then nothing else happens.
‘No!’ Thypon shouts again. He then looks down at Magnus and aims his staff at him. Power surges from his staff, and a blue electric bolt strikes him. He convulses as the strike runs through his body. His eyes slightly open, ‘Nina,’ he whispers.
‘Magnus!’ I shout. But his eyes close, and his body goes limp.
Alec and I stare at one another and breathe heavily at his demise.
Thypon laughs and then aims his staff at Damon.
‘No!’ Queen Maia screams. She forms a purple ball of light at Thypon and throws it toward his face. Kadva then stands by her side and forms a blue orb he throws at Thypon.
Suddenly the gem on the sceptre lets out an explosion of light, and I’m lifted from the ground. My back arches as a dark mist swirls around me.
Everyone looks at me, transforming then Alec looks back at the guardians. ‘Everyone attack and keep attacking. We must keep Thypon at bay while Nina transforms and can seal him.’
Everyone nods and follows Queen Maia and Kadva, using all their power and every spell they know against him.
The witches create storm clouds and strike him with lightning and, using the fire spell, throw flames at him.
Quinn uses her little silver wand, striking him with zaps that burst into silver glitter each time it hits him.
Reaper mind-links me, ‘Nina, I’m flying toward you against my will. I’m not sure what’s happening,’ he says.
‘Maybe because we are bound, it might have something to do with my transforming into a goddess,’ I mind-link him back.
As I see Reaper flying toward me, the dark mist from his feathers flows toward me and seeps down my throat. I feel something under my skin in my shoulder blades forming and forcing its way out. I fall to the ground and scream. I try to scratch my shoulder blades and feel a bone and something soft. I pull at the softness to see black feathers in my hand. ‘What is happening to me?’ Suddenly the pain and pressure in my shoulder blades intensify. I scream as Reaper flies into my chest and comes out my back. At the same time, he goes through my back. Two giant black wings extend out and open. Dark mist forms all around me. It flickers like a flame. The sceptre turns to dust. I turn my hands to see my palms. I watch as the dark mist flows slowly through my darkened veins. I feel its greatness, its power. I have never felt anything like it. My arms jerk creepily, along with the rest of my body, as the power continues to take over my body and consume me.
I notice Alec has moved Magnus away and is checking his vitals. Alec’s shoulders slump, and he stares at me through the dark mist swirling around me. He shakes his no, confirming Magnus is dead.
‘No!’ I scream.
A massive sphere of black mist forms around me and bursts into sparkling black dust that rains down on everyone.
The emotions of Magnus’s death and the immense power I now hold have completely consumed me.
I feel the anger and rage building inside of me. Everyone starts to worry as my eyes turn black as night, and my veins become even darker. You can see them from a good distance. I flap my large black feathered wings and descend into the sky. I hold my palms open, and large spheres of black electricity form. Thypon dodges most of the attacks from the guardians, and the ones that manage to strike him only do minor damage. He laughs at them but stops when he makes eye contact with me. His eyes narrow. Being a giant, he strikes the guardians with his arm, sending them all flying. I throw my electric bolts at him. He constantly jolts and yells in pain.
Tears roll down my face as I stare over at my beloved Magnus, but then to my horror, I watch as Alec bites into his neck. I’m mortified that my Blood Flame is draining my mate of his blood. I form more dark magic into the palm of my hands as I’m about to throw it at Alec to get him off, Magnus. Thypon slithers toward me with great speed and strikes me with the power of his staff. I fly back from the force but simultaneously throw my sphere of darkness at him. It hits him, and he falls back. As I fly back toward him, he readies himself for the next attack. The trinket box nearby shines for a moment. Him and I attacking each other is not going to stop him. We could fight each other for days, weeks, centuries. I have to seal him to stop him, but he needs to be distracted, so I can use the spell without being struck and having to start the spell over again.
The guardians have returned to us and continue to fight Thypon, even though they know they are no match.
Quinn flutters her little wings and flies up to Thypon’s face. He laughs at her as she unties a little brown pouch from her waist, pours the contents into her hand and blows it in his face. His eyes flicker, and he flails his arms around, hitting her.
‘Quinn!’ I yell as she is flung hard into the ground. She doesn’t move and remains limp.
But Thypon now appears disorientated. He looks around and up at the sky as if he is seeing things and begins to strike the clouds in the sky as he mutters strange words.
Quinn had used her fairy dust on him. I remember how it made me disorientated and see things. I smile at her braveness and cleverness.
While he is distracted and attacking clouds, I know it’s the perfect time to cast the spell to seal him.
Everyone drops to the ground as it rumbles and shakes. We turn to see the horde of minotaurs, death worms and harpies coming our way.
Wands! I can’t cast the spell if I have to fight them off. Suddenly from behind them, we hear roars and screeches.
Vermilion appears with all the dragons behind him. They are following his lead. They circle the horde of creatures, trapping them from getting to us and attacking them with fire, bolts and poison. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Vermilion must have convinced the dragons to help us.
I turn back to Thypon and the trinket box and hold my hands out, directing my palms at him.
‘Within this vessel shall hold thee
Forever sealed for eternity
No more harm will be done
Seal the darkness to protect everyone
No more dangers, no more harm.
Seal this creature and let this be done,’
I feel the power surge down my arms each time I say the spell, but it doesn’t seem to be enough power to seal him, as nothing happens.
Suddenly Reaper perches on my shoulder, Queen Maia places her hand on my arm, and then Yiselda places her hand on my other arm. I smile at them before Kadva touches me. Ria, Fern, Ela and Lilac all then place their hands on me, and Ember sits between my feet, rubbing her face against my leg. They begin the chant the spell, and I join them. The power intensifies down my arms as I Absorb their power as we chant together,
‘Within this vessel shall hold thee
Forever sealed for eternity
No more harm will be done
Seal the darkness to protect everyone
No more dangers, no more harm.
Seal this creature and let this be done.’
