Defying Destiny (Afterword Academy #3) - Katie May Page 0,64

need to find her and end this,” I growl out, and I don’t even sound like myself anymore. The trials we endured…they hardened me. I don’t think I’ll be able to recognize the girl looking back at me in the mirror.

“Auston!” Braxton bellows, cupping his mouth with his hands. I see my Angel on one of the highest rocks, attempting to shoot down at the ragtag army with rapid efficiency. His head whips up at the sound of Braxton’s voice, blue eyes immediately flitting to my face, and it’s that distraction that costs him.

A Ghost materializes behind him, her body slowly growing tangible as a wickedly sharp blade appears in her hand.

“No!” I run forward, lifting my scythe and shooting a wave of power at a group of incoming Angels. They careen against the side of the rock, heads snapping at unnatural angles, but I don’t stop. I can’t stop. Not with Auston’s survival on the line.

The Ghost girl furrows her eyebrows, momentarily stilling, and I leap around Auston and slash at her with my scythe. She automatically lifts a hand to protect her sensitive neck, and my weapon cuts cleanly through the flesh of her arm. She releases a pained grunt as her free hand slices at me blindly, nicking my sleeve.

Behind me, I can hear Auston, Braxton, and Caius engaged in a battle with a group of Demons who have descended from the sky. Preston is stabbing erratically with his borrowed dagger, eyes shrouded with fear.

“Stop this,” I hiss at the Reaper girl, one who I vaguely recognize as Tasha from one of my classes.

“You just had to steal him from me, didn’t you?” she hisses, envy flaring to life in her dark eyes.

“This isn’t you,” I say, raising my hands in a placating manner. “It’s a spell that Lilith—”

“Why doesn’t Preston love me?” Her lower lip protrudes in a pout, and it’s only then that I realize what she’s envious of.

“You have a crush on Preston?” I ask, but instead of answering, she releases a shriek of rage, lunging forward.

I duck before her blade can make contact with my skin and roll forward with an agility I didn’t previously possess. I wonder what else I can do, but I don’t waste time pondering that.

She twists towards me again, hatred emanating from her eyes, but before she can lower her blade down, I bring my scythe up. It embeds itself in her stomach as her face contorts in shock. Her body begins to flicker, becoming translucent and then solid and then translucent once more, but through it all, the scythe remains embedded in her abdomen. As she falls forward, I wrench the scythe from her skin and roll to the side so she won’t land on me.

I pant heavily, my lungs struggling to replenish their air supply, as I twist my head to the side, staring into her lifeless eyes.

I killed someone.

Horror threatens to consume me, threatens to eat me alive, but rage at Lilith keeps the pain adequately at bay.

If Lilith hadn’t amplified this girl’s envy…

I have no doubt that the crush she had on Preston was small. Maybe she just found him attractive. But because of Lilith, that tiny crush turned into a murderous rage, one that cost her her life.

One thing remains abundantly clear—Lilith has to pay.

“Are you okay?” Preston demands as he hovers over me, eyes wild with panic. He extends a blood-soaked hand and hauls me to my feet.

My heart breaks at seeing my kind Reaper so distressed. He’s not a killer; I don’t think he’s even capable of hurting a butterfly.

And yet…

My sweet man is covered in blood that isn’t his own, and his dagger is coated in a fine layer of it as well.

“We need to stop this,” I pant as Preston assesses me for injuries. When he has confirmed that I’m okay, that I haven’t been hurt, he steps away, relief evident on his face.

“We need to find Lilith,” he agrees as my other Fated gather around me. Each of them is haggard and disheveled, covered from head to toe in blood and guts, but their eyes are hardened with determination and vengeance. They’re as desperate as I am to stop this senseless fighting. To end this war once and for all.

I meet each of their eyes, hoping they can see the sincerity in my own. The grim determination.

“And when we find her…” I pause, taking a deep breath as my entire body shakes with nerves and adrenaline. “And when