Nova: Daughters of Darkness (17 page)

Decklin moved in front of Nova while the two men raged at each other. He slowly began to move them out of Felken's line of vision, trying to go undetected.

Without ever removing his gaze from Drake, Felken said menacingly, "You would do well to stop, old man."

Decklin stopped moving and Nova knew there was no force that would stop him from laying down his life for her. She would not survive if her Granda lost his life because of her. She called to her earth element to bring a dryad to her and said very softly, so only her Granda could hear, "I'm so sorry, but please don't fight. I love you." A dark shadow was the only indication that something was happening. A giant branch reached down and snatched Decklin up and moved away with him firmly wrapped in its grasp.

"Nova, Nova don't do this, lass! Nova!" That was last thing she heard as he was taken out of her earshot, her love for him outweighing any feelings of guilt she had at making his decision for him.

Chapter 25

"How very noble of you. Remind me not to turn my back while trying to save you once you are my queen." Felken sneered.

"I will never be your queen! You're crazy if you think I wouldn't kill you in your sleep!" Nova spat hotly.

Drake knew if Felken got her, he would do whatever was necessary to ensure she did exactly what he wanted. He could never allow any of that to happen to her, whatever it took, Drake had to stop Felken. Gathering his demon power, he felt it ball up in his chest, begging for release. His black eyes burned with a red demonic light as he called forth his demon.

Felken, recognizing what he was doing, grinned evilly. "This is what I'm talking about!" Gearing up his own powers, he grew excited at the prospect of taking on Drake and winning Nova. "I'm ready for you, Drake, come on!" He growled and waited for Drake to charge at him.

Drake being more versed in the art of battle, having been in many over the millennia he had been alive, circled Felken, waiting for an opening.

Frantic to stop this before Drake got hurt, Nova tried to step between them when a pair of strong arms tugged her back. Rían set her beside him. "Sorry, Nova, but this is one fight you must stay out of. Their powers are too much for you, and Drake is not in a place to care who he kills right now. That is the downfall of the demonic powers, they take him to an evil, unreachable place."

Nova didn't believe that. She knew that if she could just get him to look at her, she could get through to him and they could fight Felken together. They could win together.

Rían, sensing where her train of thought was headed, placed a stopping hand on her shoulder. "You can't kill Felken. The person who kills the Underlord must take his place; it is the way the universe maintains the balance. Which is also why one Underlord is in control for so long, no one wants their place because it means they can never leave the Underworld... not alive anyway."

Confused, she asked. "Then how was Drake able to be outside the Underworld? How is Felken able to be out here right now?"

"Because Drake was given his power and position by someone much more powerful than anything this world ever seen, forced into it by circumstance rather than killing for it. He never actually killed for the right to rule the underworld, rather just assumed his powers, which allowed Felken to step into his place, like a pseudo leader, when he vacated it." Seeing that his response still made no sense to Nova, he continued his explanation. "They are both technically Underlord right now, and will both remain as such until one of them kills the other. Then the one remaining will assume the actual position, including its responsibilities and limitations."

Nova felt like she couldn't breathe, there was no hope for them at all and never had been. Drake had to die or live out his existence as lord of the Underworld. Either way, she couldn't be with him. Feeling despair come over her, she cried out for Drake, needing to hold him, to look into his eyes and feel his lips on hers one last time.

Her fear and the utter hopelessness with which she yelled his name broke through Drake's demon muddle mind for just a minute, but it was long enough for Felken to gain the upper hand. Throwing his full weight at Drake, he took him to the ground where they rolled around, throwing punches and elbows, each one trying to best the other. Drake managed to buck him off with a blast of electric power and jump to his feet, once again fully engaged in the fight.

Felken wiped the blood from his mouth, "I am going to enjoy tasting that pretty morsel when you are no longer here to protect her. I will have a kingdom, a queen and everything you ever wanted while you rot in the dungeons of the Underworld."

"That is where
your
weakness lies, Felken. I no longer want or need a kingdom. No one soul should have power over other souls; power should be collective. Then and only then are we truly powerful. As for a queen, when you have no kingdom to rule, you have no need for a queen, just a partner to share your existence." He once again raised his sword, yet with a little less energy than before. "So no, I am not the weak one. I am the one with the strength to do what is right, what must be done for the greater good."

Laughing, Felken gained his feet. "You think you are good? Look around you, Drake. You brought this all here, you brought
us
all here. This was your fight before it was mine. Don't talk to me about good when you have been the force behind the evil raining down on this world."

Drake knew that he was right, but he also knew that was only because he had temporarily lost his way. "The difference between us is that I will not allow my indiscretions to define me. I will rise above them and make it right again." Throwing his sword down, Drake pulled a blast of demonic power into his palms. With all his might, he threw the powerful blast at Felkens chest. Felken flew backwards through the air, landing in a smoking heap a few feet away.

Turning to Nova, Drake called to her "Nova, I am so sorry for all of this. I have no idea if I will ever get the chance to make it up to you, but I need you to forgive me. I love you!" Behind him, Felken crawled to his feet. His body healing as he stood. Seeing Drake walking toward Nova, Felken grabbed his sword and heaved it toward Drake's back, throwing himself to his knees with the force of it.

Hearing the words that slipped from Drake's lips was like a balm to her soul. Before she could say it back, Nova saw Felken and realized what was happening. Drake had made a vital mistake, and he had turned his back on his enemy. She was running before she even thought about it, knowing she just had to make it to him. "Behind you! Drake, move!" She screamed as she ran. Barreling into his arms just as Felken's sword tore through his back, Nova felt a punch to the chest. Time seemed to stand still. There was no sound, even the fighting seemed to cease. Looking into Drake's eyes, Nova felt peace envelop her. It took a moment to realize that there was a loud bellow ripping through the air, it took a moment more to realize it was Drake. She looked at him, wondering why he was screaming. Reaching up, she cupped his face and kissed him with all the love she had inside of her to give. Telling him without words how she felt deep in her heart. That was when she finally felt the overwhelming pain in her chest. She followed Drake's horrified gaze down to where the sword exited his shoulder in an odd downward angle and disappeared inside her chest. Confusion lit her beautiful face before realization dawned on her. He was screaming for her, not himself. She knew she was dying and yet she didn't care. The man she loved was still here, so in the end she won anyway. With a peaceful smile, she slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground. She was gone before her body made contact, her soul hovering above them needing to go, but desperate to stay with the ones she loved.

Following her to the ground, Drake pulled her roughly into his arms. "Nova! This is not happening, Nova please, wake up." He yelled, running his hand over her eyes, and her lips. Looking for a spark of life. "No, no, no." Throwing his head back with a howl of pain Drake's anger and grief took over all rational thought. Laying Nova gently on the ground, he jumped to his feet and tore off toward Felken. He was an unstoppable force, a whirlwind of pain and agony. Ripping into Felken like a man possessed, beating him to the ground with his bare hands. "You will pay with your life!" Suddenly, a powerful force came from the side, transporting him to a place yards away.

Larkin stepped back and let Drake go. Drake tried to make it past him to get back to where Felken lay almost dead.

"You cannot kill him, brother!" Larkin grabbed Drake again.

"I
will
kill him and if you were any kind of brother you would help me!" Drake fought against Larkin's hold, needing to destroy Felken.

"No, Drake, you cannot." Larking continued sadly. "To kill him, you would then have to assume the role of Underlord, for real this time."

Drake to stop struggling momentarily. "Explain yourself."

"When I banished and forced you to be the Underlord, I usurped those powers and gave them to you without forcing the actual title upon you. To do so would have held you prisoner in the Underworld forever, with no hope of escape. At that time, I hoped it would take but a century or two for you to come to your senses. The Underlord can only rescind his title one way, by death. And the one who is responsible for that death would then assume the role."

Drake didn't hesitate. "Then my death is what he shall have. I have nothing without her here. She gave me purpose, she brought me back from a dark place with nothing more than being who she is." His voice shook, and he turned with determination. The only way he could be killed was by a Valkalan weapon, so he would give Felken his sword and allow him to pierce his heart with it. That way he would be able to leave this miserable existence and banish Felken to the Underworld at the same time.

Larkin begged him, "Please, Drake, don't be rash; Nova was trying to save you. She ran to you to stop him. She died for you. Do you think she would want you to throw away her sacrifice as if it had been for nothing?"

Drake paused in his pursuit of death. Turning to Larkin, he walked over and hugged him. "I am sorry, brother, but that no longer matters. She's gone and yet here I stand, unable to go on without her. There is no vengeance for me this time, just acceptance." Turning back toward where Felken lay, Drake walked over and hauled him to his feet.

Felken looked at him with fear and what Drake thought may have been sorrow, but it was gone so fast he figured he was mistaken.

"Stand up, you piece of shit. Today is your lucky day."

Felken, confused by the change in Drake, stood cautiously. He looked over to where Nova lie prone on the cold earth. "That was a mistake. I swear I aimed only for you. She ran to you, there was nothing I could do. It was..." He trailed off at Drake's look.

"It was what?" Drake asked, his voice menacingly low. "Her fault? Is that what you were going to say?"

Felken looked around wildly, but there was no one there to help him. What Drake did next took him completely by surprise. He threw his sword at him, the silver seemed to glow from within.

"Pick it up." Throwing his arms wide, Drake waited while Felken leaned down and hesitantly, picked up the sword.

"I don't understand." Felken said.

"You get one shot, don't miss the heart." Drake still stood, arms wide, eyes closed. His mind already with Nova in the ascended life.

A wailing cry went up behind them. Turning Drake saw Niamh, leaning over Nova's body. She pulled her into her arms, cradling her head. The sobs that tore from her throat caused a lump to form in Drake's.

Craven fell to his knees beside his wife and daughter, his head dropping to the ground in defeat. He felt as though he had failed in his duty as her father, not able to see through his grief that some things were preordained and there was no amount of power that could change them.

Branna and Kyna came running at the cries of grief, praying they weren't going to find what they did. Pushing aside the crowd of soldiers that surrounded the scene, the sisters stopped short when they saw what was in front of them. Kyna ran to Nova and knelt on her other side, wrapping both Nova and their mother in her arms, sharing her grief. Branna stood there, immobile, unable to fathom what was before her.

"No. Mom? Dad? Tell me this isn't real." She looked around, waiting for someone to agree with her. "This isn't fucking real!" she began screaming and tearing at her hair. Rían grabbed her from behind, allowing her to scream and cry until she was hoarse. Then, as if coming out of a trance, she noticed the demons still around. She noticed Felken and Drake, both standing there staring at her family. Her anger boiled along with her grief, the burn of her fire element filling her. It became unbearably hot. Branna had never felt her power burn this hot before. She struggled, wanting Rían to let her go, needing to release her power before it overwhelmed her. Incoherent with it, she broke free of Rían's grasp and screamed from the intense burn of the fire. An explosion of flames flew out around her in all directions. She felt as if her body was tearing apart, her back arched with the force of it. No demon stood a chance in the face of her power. It seemed to seek them all out at once, incinerating them instantly. Those around her that were not an enemy still felt the intense heat and had to escape from it. All except those closest to Nova. The fire swirled all around them but never entered the small area where they hovered. Their faces were a mixture of awe and horror at what she was able to do. When she was finally drained, she stood swaying on her feet, ready to drop from the exhaustion that was quickly setting in. Rían caught her before she could fall. It didn't escape her notice that Drake and Felken both still stood, yet all the other demons had fallen victim to her flames. Unable to do any more, she just lay in Rían's arms sobbing. Needing her sister in that moment so intensely, her grief threatened to consume her.