Werewolves Be Damned - By Stacey Kennedy Page 0,84

she had the real sense she wasn’t using the full force of her magic, but she was grateful Zia had put some sort of control on her.

She definitely didn’t trust herself.

Lazarus sucked in a harsh breath and Nexi smiled, knowing whatever she’d done had worked. But what had she done? Pictured it in her mind and that’s how it all worked? Was this a visual thing for her magic to ignite? She really didn’t know, and she honestly didn’t care at the moment.

The why and how weren’t important. The only thing that mattered: ending this with Lazarus tonight.

Opening her eyes, she caught sight of Lazarus rocking on his heels as if he tried to vanish, but her magic held strong. She approached and, once settled in front of him, she stared up into his face.

His malicious eyes didn’t hold half the strength and arrogance she’d seen before. “You know, there’s nothing special about you. You’re just a vampire who has done some seriously cruel things. Things you can never be forgiven for.”

Surprisingly, she found her emotions were in a far different place than they had been when she arrived tonight. “I thought when I had you here I’d want you to suffer for all the pain you’ve caused me. Now, I’m not doing this for me. I’m doing this for all the lives you’ve stolen.”

With her magic awakened and flaring inside, she drew on the warmth coursing through her blood. “My only hope is that wherever you go from here, those you’ve wronged will be there waiting for you.”

Perhaps Zia was right—her magic was natural and she only needed to trust in it, because she didn’t doubt herself. The burning sensation from before announced its presence again, even if she felt more in control now.

Focusing on that single sensation, she pulled on Fire. Heat warmed her palms, guiding her how to use the Element. Dropping her sword, she raised her hands and demanded Fire to release, and flames instantly surrounded her hands, as loud gasps sounded behind her.

She remained focused on the fire rushing from her palms, a bit surprised it didn’t hurt. The flames pulsed light blue, heightened by orange swirling lines. But the moment the magic connected with Lazarus, purple flames erupted over his torso and spiraled around him.

Nexi blinked once, then all that remained of the terrible nightmare was a pile of ash at her feet. She blinked again, stunned how fast it all went down. Here, one second. Gone, the next. “It’s done. He’s dead.”

When silence at her back remained, she turned to face the others, greeted by astonished expressions. “What?”

“You killed him?” Haven exclaimed.

Nexi glanced at the ash on the ground—yes, very dead—then she turned to Haven again, feeling the shock rushing through her soul sister. “The problem with this is…?”

Zia’s eyes twinkled. “You killed him without touch.”

She shifted on her feet, feeling like a spotlight was beaming down on her head, and she shrugged. “I figured Tillie would’ve done something like that. It seemed only right to end his life with my magic instead of my sword.” She turned to Kyden, and even his eyes held a slight sparkle, causing her to gape. “For cripe’s sake, why are you all looking at me like that? Have I done something wrong?”

Kyden closed the distance, and pulled her against the hard planes of his body. “Not something wrong. It’s just–”

Zia butted in with a small smile. “Using fire defensively is an unusual gift to obtain from the Elements.” Talon and Finn stepped in next to her, and she added, “Those who do possess Fire train hard to control it and you didn’t seem to have a problem using yours.” Her head tilted, and Nexi didn’t overly enjoy Zia’s scrutiny. “What were you thinking of when you did that?”

“That you were right—it did feel natural.”

A soft cough drew her attention to the right. Her spirits soared even higher as she took in Valor’s smile as he approached with Briggs at this side. Without a single hesitation in her mind and so grateful she could barely breathe, she ran into his arms.

He tensed at first—clearly, the Patriarch didn’t offer many hugs— but then he softened and wrapped his arms around her, overwhelming her with his woodsy scent. “Thank you so much,” she whispered. “Without you, the wolves wouldn’t have told us anything…I’ll never forget it.”

Valor hugged her tight. “I’m glad to see you’re safe.”

Pushing out of his arms, she stared up into his warm eyes. Considering how she