make matters worse, the demons had shifted back into the original shape of black figures that flew through the air to surround me. Trying to invade me, but my shield wouldn’t allow it. Darkness engulfed me—the demons slid along my hold, trying to find a way in.
Quickly, I focused on Pye and waited for him to throw more magic at me.
Seconds later, he did. When it blasted me, I opened myself up, allowed it to enter my being. Allowed the dark force to become part of me and gave me a strength that was unrestrained. My blood ran black, my eyes shadowed with black as I returned his magic to him.
It came out in something I’d never experienced. The Black Magic before was still elemental. Pye’s wasn’t. It was energy. It didn’t come out as Air or Fire. It came out as a rippling wave that sped back to him. It felt good. I felt strong and unstoppable.
Pye’s screams echoed through the large room as I continued with my assault, used all his dark power to finish him. His magic came back to me again as he gave a final push to save his life, but the darkness that invaded me made my shield thick, unbreakable.
The second it hit, it rebounded and flew back to Pye. He blew up into a thousand pieces leaving nothing but particles of the Warlock he once was. The demons screamed around me as their leader was now destroyed. They grew in stronger around me. Darkness hit everything.
The air was thick as my vision blurred with blackness. I drew in harder and screamed out with pure vengeance as the demons screeched a loud, high-piercing noise that dropped me to my knees, forced me to cover my ears.
They were everywhere. Fury consumed them as they searched their way through my shield. There was no way out of this. Their screams forced me immobile. I couldn’t move, run or destroy them. I was unable to get a hold on them or pinpoint their location in order to end this.
There were enough of my senses left to feel a harsh wind blow around me. The demons’ screams grew louder. I curled around myself, tried to shield the noise as their intense roars came at me from every side.
Abruptly, they left my shield and flew around the room. Something was happening. The demons weren’t focused on me anymore. Their attention was elsewhere, but their screams made it impossible for me to move or look at what had captured their focus.
The release of their darkness from my shield was a much-needed relief. It provided me strength to revive myself. However, with the distraction of the demons gone, the darkness of the Black Magic within me sank in deeper, eager to take over my soul.
With all the goodness that lived within me, I fought against it, but I was losing. My soul couldn’t fight against the strength of Pye’s darkness. It wanted to consume me, wanted to take me. I wanted it too.
It felt rich and powerful. Momentarily, I imagined everything I could do with it, all that it offered me. I couldn’t deny it any longer. I craved to keep it. To hold the power to stop anyone or anything that stood in my way.
Suddenly, sense slowly returned, everything quieted and the darkness slowly withdrew. My soul was returning. The evil that ran through my blood began to subside. I was left lying, gasping and panting on the floor. When I opened my eyes, Magnus was kneeling beside me, his hand on my stomach. “What?” I gasped. Confusion filled every part of me.
Magnus smiled gloriously. “Job well done.”
He assisted me, holding onto my arms, bringing me up to a sitting position. The room was empty of the demons that were here before, but now it was full with other ones. “What happened?” I had to ask it.
The demon I had met at Magnus’ stepped forward. “You think we would not assist you?” she said snippily.
I laughed. It was all I could do. “I wasn’t really counting on it.”
The room erupted into loud laughter, the weirdness of this situation just got stranger. Hearing demons laugh so sweetly is far from normal.
“Pye was our biggest threat.” She smiled. “Once he was out of the way we took care of the others.”
“You killed the demons for me?” I asked, shocked.
Her smile grew. “Makes you like us, doesn’t it?”
“This…” I gave my head a shake. “I…” I shook my head again, and glanced at