destruction, and on that day filled with tears and questions, I gave in to the darkness burning me from the inside out.
The darkness that everyone claimed was evil wrapped its comforting arms around me and mourned my loss. Soft whispers encouraged me that better times would come, and that what was once lost could one day be found once my purpose had been fulfilled.
The light never did that.
Those people who sang hymns to the heavens turned their backs on me and the people who served them when it ceased to work in their favor.
This ending was what they deserved.
If I had to sacrifice myself in order to make them lose and feel the pain I’d experienced centuries ago, I'd do exactly that.
If not more.
"You may leave, Ana. You've fulfilled your service to your queen. Let me fall. May you live the rest of your years in the protection my connections will lay upon you," I whispered, my voice like a melody as I watched the slaughter happening down below.
I felt the spread of my white wings, extending them to their full capacity, wrapped in grace and power.
The sound of a sword being removed from its sheath caught my attention, and with little effort, I looked to see Ana take a step forward, her wings bursting from her back and spreading out with the magic she carried.
Turning her head to look at me, those innocent blue eyes met mine as her blonde hair blew in the rushing wind.
"They call you Merciless. They say you have no heart or soul. That you are driven by blood and the screams of your enemies, and yet you offered an orphan like me passage. You plucked me from the dirty streets after I was abandoned by the church for being who I am and not doing as they asked. I will not cower out of fear. If my queen is ready to end this battle with grace, it will be my honor to go with her. We will rise into those skies and we will fall when the last warrior takes their last breath. You will always have my loyalty, my queen. Whether it be in this life or the next," Ana vowed and bowed her in obedience.
"For a badass bitch, I got lucky to have you by my side," I whispered, unable to hide how her loyalty made me feel. "Whether Valhalla or the toasty pits of hell await, I will pray for your salvation, Ana. You surely have a chance at redemption."
"My queen." Ana blinked her eyes and smiled, giving me a firm nod as she lifted her sword up. "I will fight, and I pledge my allegiance to my queen for all eternity."
She looked down at our remaining soldiers, her sword beginning to glow a vivid blue with hints of gold.
"We may lose today, but let us fight with every last breath! Remember those slain by the very people who call themselves holy! Let us fight until the underworld claims us! Let us FIGHT!"
Our remaining soldiers cheered, seeming to grow more and more powerful by the second as Ana's power spread across the land.
I lifted from the pillar, sharing one last look with Ana. She was more than my right-hand woman. She was the last of those I loved.
I wished she could have lived in peace without the hate she'd received that caused her entire family to be slain in cold blood.
"Farwell, Ana. If we meet again, do remember the love we shared."
"Goodbye, my queen, and farewell to my lover, Lilith. I will always remember how you changed me for the better."
I smiled and soared upward into the sky, hearing the cheers of my remaining men and women and using them to grow in power and strength.
I'd lived a life as Lilith Hela, the mother of three children and wife of not one, but two men who loved me unconditionally.
Once we were found out, they were all slaughtered, and I was left with the sadness that followed.
Now I was Queen Lilith, the Merciless, for any mercy I had for my kind had died the day they slew my loves and children. It was my duty to seek revenge, and with it, I would prove how powerful love could be.
No boundaries, rules, or confrontations would stop me from delivering the final blow.
I would fall today, but my mark would be laid upon this land, and that would be enough for everyone to remember my name.
Remember the woman who loved and was broken by the hate our kind had about sharing love and devotion with more than one person.
Reaching the height I needed for my last spell, I watched the final battle below. My eyes landed on Ana, watching just as a sword drove into her body.
Sensing my look, she smiled, those blue eyes beginning to dull as her blood poured from her body that collapsed to the ground.
I watched her lips, noticing her final words.
Farewell, Lilith, my queen.
Then her body glowed with blue light, seconds before all in her surrounding area were vanquished by her powerful spell.
I ignored the tears that spilled down my pale cheeks, for I would soon follow her to the depths of the underworld to face our final judgment.
"Let my mark be laid upon this land and with my blood that will touch the very soil, take all the life that carries a weapon of destruction. Awana Lo Mela No!"
A scythe of great length and power formed in my hands, and I grinned at the triumphant strength that was bestowed upon me.
With one last glance at the sky, I dove down, knowing the impact would kill me instantly, along with every single living creature far and wide.
The last thought I had was of my family, the two lovers I shared and our children at our feet, laughing and singing.
In my mind, Ana was there as well, and she smiled brightly as her white dress danced in the beautiful warm breeze.
We stood there together as if taking a portrait, the sunflowers in field behind us moving side-to-side like they were waving farewell to us all.
I was at peace and I knew within my soul that when my life ended, it would be with no regrets.
I, Queen Lilith the Merciless, had fallen as a villain.
ABOUT AVERY SONG
Avery Song is the second pen name of a reverse harem author who specializes in fantasy romance.
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She especially loves writing strong main characters and is excited for all the books that are approaching.