Wicked Destiny (20 page)

Chapter 24

Sloane

“What the hell are you doing?
You were about to start a war against an Archangel, Sloane. You need to think before you act. Be smart about things.” Viktor paced in front of me from left to right. Who was he to tell me what to do? Wait, an Archangel?

“Wait,” I
stuck my hand up, motioning him to stop, “an Archangel? Declan is an Archangel?” I was confused.

“W
hat? No, he only wished he was. Gabby is the Gabriel. She might have decided to live here instead of the Heavens, but make no mistake. She is very powerful. She too led armies and you would’ve had your hands full, especially with those kids there.” 

“So Declan’
s girlfriend is an Archangel?” Talk about upgrading. 

“No
, Sloane, Gabby was a front. Do you not see how he looks at you? I know this sounds weird coming from me, but he did it so you would move on. He is still in good standings with the Heavens. Me? Well, let’s just say I made my choice a very long time ago and old habits die hard. I hate that I hurt you, that is true, but it’s in my nature to be deceiving.” He held me by the shoulders. “Believe it or not, he was ready to sever his own wings to follow you to Hell where Simon has holding you. You’re his forbidden fruit.”

I closed my eyes, feeling like a total shit.
I must have made him feel like shit treating him the way I did. But yet, he left
me
. Yes, he was sent to kill me, but he didn’t. Instead, he allowed me to love him and he broke my heart into such tiny pieces that it couldn’t be fixed, and that was unforgivable. In that moment I was going to make Declan’s choice real easy for him. In that, I’d give what was left of me over to the Darkness. I could feel it creeping from everywhere from the roots of my hair down to my toe nails. When I opened my eyes, Viktor jumped back.

“Sloane
, your eyes are black as night. Are you sure you want to go this route? There is no going back once you take this next step.” In that instant, I grabbed him by his shirt collar and our lips met. What Viktor held deep within was the final step.

When I was done
, I watched his eyes roll to the back of his head and I let him fall. I stood there on the hill looking over all the land. This would be the place I’d pledge myself. There would be no interruptions and I knew exactly what I needed to do. I raised my arms above my head and called to the rain. I wouldn’t stop there, though. I wanted to feel the full extent of my power as I called onto hurricane winds, tornadoes, and a lot of lightning.  

I
laughed as the wind whipped through the trees, testing their limits as they were pushed from side to side. As the rain fell down from the Heavens, it felt like drops of nickels as they hit the ground. The lightning looked as if it was dancing the waltz in circles around me and the rest of the clearing. I looked mad, I knew. Standing there laughing in a middle of a storm, scared of nothing, was maddening. Tornadoes now formed with a flick of my wrist; I was like a child with a new toy. It was just like in one of my dreams when I was fighting with Declan. 

Declan.
That just sparked a hit of rage and trees began to snap one by one. That’s when I saw it. It was the darkness creeping through the spaces between the trees and the snapped branches. It was waiting for me to call to it. Behind me I could hear Viktor stirring, but I couldn’t take my eyes off what was coming. It was just like one of my dreams, only this time I wasn’t running. Viktor was now moaning and the storm stopped as I told it to. I didn’t care that I stood there drenched from the rain. 

“You are so greedy,”
Viktor managed to say through gritted teeth as he staggered to get up. “So what of your master plan now, Sloane?” He stood up and dusted himself off. “Now that you can manage to conjure up a storm, are you going to flood the city and drown everyone?” He looked ill. Maybe I could do it differently, but something about him radiated power and I couldn’t hold back. I could understand where he got that I was greedy. Then he whistled to the trees and six blurred figures appeared out of nowhere. I jumped back, unsure of what to expect. 

Viktor walked
over to meet the six figures. The two girls were vampires and one of the guys was too. Of the remaining three, two were shifters, probably wolves because I smelt wet dog. The remaining male had to be a witch or warlock. I wasn’t sure how I could sense this, but I knew. As Viktor approached, they gave a slight bow, but the girls were too eager to bend on one knee. Just to show that they were eager to serve him in many different ways, I presumed. 

“What the hell took you so long to get here
, Crystal? Dee was here prepping by herself while you were off playing. Well, where were you?” Viktor was talking to one of the Vampire chicks.

“I was doing
one last favor for someone unimportant.” She was still on one knee bowing. What was coming on? He walked over to her and she looked up as he caressed her cheek and beckoned for her to stand.

“I hope it wasn’t anything special
, because you know I hate to share.” And he lightly kissed her lips. 

“No
, my lord. Nothing of that nature.” She smiled.

My lord?
I hate to share? What the hell is going on? I watched as Viktor walked over to greet the others and I started walking towards them. Viktor caught sight of me as I stood there pondering everything. He smiled, and in the moment something about him changed. He was taller and more muscular. His eyes were different. They were black with red rings. I saw him for what he really was. He was no longer the so-called number two in charge.  Viktor walked back to me and went to cup my cheek like he did Crystal the vamp. I slapped it away and everyone started to giggle, but stopped as soon as Viktor snapped a quick glance in their direction.

“
How long!” I yelled at him. I continued to push him away from me as he tried to caress me in some way.

“How long what
, Sloane? There’s a ton of time durations in that question. You have to be more specific.” Viktor was calm and collected. I wanted to knock him on his ass in that very moment.

“How long
have I been your damn puppet?” Rage was slowly building from way deep down. It was like a fuse being lit, but it was taking forever to make it to the dynamite before it could explode.

“Seriously?
Since the day you found me moving everything into the loft. From that day, I knew I had you. It’s odd that all you saw was me chasing you, but that was merely an illusion, my dear. That was the hook. The line and sinker was the nights we spent together.” Crystal shot me a glare and flashed her fangs. “Sloane, this is the prophecy. You will help create my army and you will be at my side. There’s nothing to stop us. It has already begun.” 

As I stood there taking
in every word as he spoke, the others started to circle around Viktor and I. Viktor kept going on about world domination and how everything would be within our grasps. It was too overwhelming and although I stood there like I was listening, I was actually screaming inside. I messed up in the worse way. Even though I completed my last transition, the deceit had pissed me off to the fullest. I was going to make him pay somehow.

“Let me i
ntroduce to you your generals. This is Crystal and Dee. This is Aaron, Matt, Justin, and Chad.” He went on to tell me what they were as if I already didn’t know.

I watched Dee walk
up to Justin to take his hand, and then she looked me square in the eyes, clearly sending me a message. Message received, and she had nothing to worry about. I nodded in her direction and there was a silent agreement between us. Crystal walked to stand next to Viktor, but Viktor came to stand beside me. I could clearly see she was pissed. She had nothing to worry about, because Viktor was not what I wanted. The picture from my closet crept into my head and I tried my best to push it away, but I needed Declan. I wasn’t going to get through this by myself. I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to pray or if He would even hear me, but I prayed anyway. I prayed that Declan would grow a brain and find me. My being scared was an understatement. I couldn’t allow Viktor to go through with this so-called prophecy. I had to stop him, but how?

Viktor mot
ioned for Chad to come closer. Chad was the warlock. I shook his hand and I got nothing. I thought for sure I would have felt something between us just because of what we were. Aaron was a were-tiger while the other two were wolves.
Typical
, I thought.  After all of the meet and greets, for some reason I didn’t feel complete. I was trying to figure out what the problem was, but then I found myself with Viktor inside of a circle. Viktor stood directly in front of me again.

“So are you ready?”
Viktor asked.

“Ready for what?”
I was really confused.

“Your final test t
o prove that you are truly the One. Before I could answer him, he placed his hand on my shoulder and energy flowed from him and into me.

It was nothing like before. Earlier it was pure euphoric. This hurt and it ac
tually brought me to my knees. I begged him to stop, but his hand never left my shoulder. Tears began to stream down my face. I felt it coming up my back and outlining my tattoo, turning the white to black so that I only had black wings. I knew I had made the wrong decision thinking I could control everything, but I was never in control. It was always Viktor coaxing me. Within those final moments of actually being me, myself, I thought about Shay and all the memories we made together. I thought about Mindy and Dale, wondered what would happen to them. I even thought about Jared and hoped he would finally be happy. Most of all, I thought about Declan. I thought about the past and a future that would never be. As I clung to memories of Declan, I could feel the Darkness slowly creeping in and I resisted for as long as I could before there was nothing else there for me to hold onto.

Then there was a bright light and
the sounding of a horn on the other side of the clearing.

Chapter 25

Declan

As the clearing came into view
, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Sloane was enclosed in a circle of demons as Viktor transferred his energy to her. What I couldn’t understand was why he was doing that. And then it all became clear.

H
e was Darkness himself. 

All t
his time he had fooled us all. I heard Sloane screaming for him to stop as she collapsed to the ground begging once more. I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t move. I should’ve been in there fighting for her, but she chose this. It was her free will. I suddenly remembered what Gabby said.
Give her something to fight for.
But what was I fighting for? Was it to save just a human life? And did it really matter what I was fighting for? Then I heard it. It was one word that sounded like a sweet soft melody from her lips. She called for me and I knew it wasn’t her that needed a reason to fight; it was me. Just as I went to leap into action, Gabby stepped up and blew her horn. Just behind her was Mindy, Dale, and even Jared. 

We were still out
numbered, but those minions were no match for me anyway. It was Sloane that I was actually afraid of. If she truly lost herself and knew what power she hid, we would all be in for a world of hurt.  There’s no way she could control it before it took control over her.

“I don’t think you w
ere supposed to use that horn,” I said to Gabby as she came to stand by me.

“What’s going to happen?
Someone hears it and a spike in religion happens,” she smiled.  “Anyway, it was meant to only cause a diversion, but you see how well that turned out.” I grabbed her shoulder.

“Thank you
, Gabby. All of you. Thank you for coming.” Declan looked around at all of them.

“Thank us later when we
get Sloane the hell out of here,” Mindy yelled.

“Decla
n, you need to know something. The power that Sloane carries has the ability to destroy. That’s why you were sent on your first mission. If she unleashes her power, are you prepared to finish her off? If not, I will.” I couldn’t believe I heard those words come from Mindy’s mouth.

“It won’t come to that. I’
ll make sure of it.” I shot her a look that said to stay away from her. I wasn’t losing Sloane again. I didn’t care what it would cost me, and I would make damn sure Sloane wouldn’t be harmed anymore.

“Well
, what the hell are we waiting for?” Dale asked, and in that moment it was all we needed.

All five of us went charging in.

Sloane

No one was fazed by the light or by the horn.
It was Gabby. She was dressed in a beautiful blue robe, trimmed in gold
. Everyone sat there and watched as I withered in pain with smirks on their faces. I caught a glimpse of Declan and I couldn’t tell if I was dreaming or not. I let his name slip from my lips and reached my hand out for him. I heard a shrieking sound and saw Mindy charging after Crystal. Dale and Jared went after the two wolves while Declan took on the were-tiger. Gabby had her hands full with Dee. Chad stood there watching Viktor’s back. 

In that moment of fighting
, I saw everyone that I had come to love and respect fighting for me. What was it about everyone wanting me? I was so tired of everyone hurting because of me and I didn’t want to hurt anyone else. More less dominate the world and whatever else Viktor had planned. I just wanted to give up. I collapsed further to the ground and I managed to roll onto my side while Viktor kneeled down next to me and held my shoulder. Chad still stood guard. 

I
could feel it swirling inside me. It was taking over and everything flashed before my eyes. The last image was of me and Declan walking hand-in-hand around the bank of the lake. I saw us holding hands and smiling at each other as if I was watching TV. That was the best day of my life; it was the day he told me he loved me. I took comfort from that and hoped it would dull the pain. No such luck, actually. In fact, I began to grow angry. 

As the Darkness started to slowly take over
, I now understood everything it was doing and what its plan was. I was to be used as the destruction of life while Viktor enslaved what survived. I had the power of destruction and complete
utter
chaos. Viktor now removed his hand and stood up. He watched for any signs of concern, but didn’t move. I was too scared to. Here it was—I carried all of this within me and I was afraid I was going to break if I moved. 

“Get up
, Sloane. Get up, now.” Viktor was sending me a command and I found myself fighting the urge to please him. The more I refused, the more it hurt. I was going to make him pay.

So I slowly r
ose, staggering. I regained my balance and I locked eyes with Declan, seeing the stress and hurt. I would ease his pain for sure and spare everyone else there’s also. I shot him a smile and mouthed the words, “I love you,” to him. I turned to face Viktor and Chad, who stood side by side. 

“Well
, you wanted me, so you got me.” Before I knew what I was doing, I reached up and touched Chad’s cheek.

Chad’s eyes went wild
, but his body remained motionless. His skin color went from tan to grey, to a charred black, and then he broke into complete ash that simply drifted away. Viktor grabbed me by my shoulder and his eye glowed with anger and hate.

“It’s what I was made for.”
I reached up and grabbed his face between my hands, and then pulled him closer. “I’d like to repay the favor.” And slowly, our lips met.

Viktor tried to break away
, but the force of the power was too much and he couldn’t fight it. I kept my eyes locked with his, because I wanted him to watch and see that this was me. I, Sloane Townsend, club owner, bartender, and the prophecy was ending any chance of Viktor’s plans. I wanted him to see I didn’t want this. All I ever wanted was to be happy.

I never wanted this.
 

I hear
d screams and cries from behind me, but I paid no attention to them. If sacrificing myself was what guaranteed my friends’ lives and everyone else’s, I would gladly do it. I would spare them anymore wrongdoings, for the time being at least. Viktor tried his best to lock us away from each other, but my power was in control. You see, Viktor was who he was, but here on earth, in his human form, he was weak and that’s why he needed me. Although this would not kill him, it would certainly delay any plans he was making. I wondered what would actually happen to me. I wasn’t sure I would even survive, but if I did, was I damned because of what I had done? What would become of me when everything was said and done? Would I become a monster? I decided to give every bit of power to Viktor. He wanted it, so he could have it. I closed my eyes and sent everything I had to him.

I willed it
into him. 

I knew it was too much for him to have here on earth
, but I just unleashed it. I heard Declan and Mindy screaming for me to stop, but it was because of them I refused to. Viktor would know after today that I wasn’t one to mess with when it came to me and the people I loved.

At this point
, everything was becoming too much for me to maintain. I dropped Viktor’s lifeless body and fell to my knees next to him. The Darkness still crawled within me and I had to get it out. So I looked to the sky and begged, “Please, guide me, for I have lost my way.” I flung my arms out and screamed, and then I slammed my palms down to the ground, beckoning for the pits of Hell to take it back. It sent a shockwave through the clearing and knocked everyone off their feet, sending them flying back. 

I opened my eyes.
My breathing was too out of control and my heart felt like it was about to come through my chest. I glanced behind me to see if everyone was OK. When I saw movement from everyone, relief washed through me and I collapsed. I laid there looking up at the sky and mentally saying thank you, because I couldn’t bring myself to move an inch. I was so tired, but I couldn’t close my eyes yet. I felt someone cradling me and smoothing my hair out of my face, caressing my cheek.

It was Declan. 

He was saying something, but there was this loud ringing in my ears that prevented me from hearing anything. I saw Dale holding Mindy in his arms, comforting her as she cried, and Jared standing there next to them with his hand in his hair as if he was ready to pull it all out. Then there was Gabby. I was so grateful for her being here and helping Declan. If I didn’t make it, he was going to need someone to pull him through.

I was glad Sha
y wasn’t here to witness this. At least she was spared.

A
nd then everything went black…