Zion nodded at me, taking my hand and squeezing it in comfort. I turned towards Liam, preparing to take a step forward before turning back to Zion. I grabbed his face, pulling him towards me before planting a kiss on his lips. This kiss was different than all the others. This kiss said everything my words couldn't. Passion. Pain. Regret. Loss. I put all of me, all of what I was feeling into that kiss. He wrapped his arms around me as he kissed me back, returning all my emotions with the opposite. Strength. Courage. Reassurance. We gasped, breaking apart, looking into at each other's eyes for one last time before we turned to Liam.

"We will make it," he said confidently, sensing my lack of confidence.

"I've never understood the concept of mates. Being that dependent on someone else? Sounds like a weakness to me," Liam said casually whilst pouring a cup of water from the kitchen before taking a slow sip.

"I don't expect you to understand an emotion as powerful as love."

"You're wrong. There's an emotion even stronger."

"What?" Zion asked, frowning at him.

"Hate."

"What a lonely life you must live. Power hungry and alone. You can have all the power in the world but what good is it if you just use for your own selfish wants and needs," I replied, looking into his stone old eyes.

"I'd be careful what you say when you speak to me child. I might start to get angry."

"Are we supposed to be afraid? Your sidekicks are scattered on the ground dead. I think it's you who needs to be afraid," Zion spat back. I grabbed his hand in support as I stared at him as well, with similar distaste.

He glanced over to the dead bodies scattered around the house before refocusing back to his water and taking another sip, the look of cold indifference still reflected in his eyes.

"How can you care so little for them? You were bonded for so long?" I asked.

"They were overconfident children. They were simply a means to an end. It was a matter of time."

I scoffed, appalled by the frostiness of his tone. If this was the result of dark magic, I could never let it consume me. I couldn't imagine living a life like that, never caring about anyone or anything but myself.

"Can we get this over with?"

"Yeah, we're getting bored," I said, agreeing with Zion.

"And here I thought you'd appreciate me buying you time. You can't possibly think you'd defeat me. Your magic from the old witch is practically depleted."

I tensed, looking to Zion in confusion. How did he know? My mind went back to that moment in the forest, right as I stepped into the forest. That feeling I had felt of someone else there, watching us. I had brushed it off as paranoia but now I knew he was there.

"You were there."

"Of course I was. I've been watching you Saron."

"What is he talking about?" Zion asked, turning to me for an answer.

"In the forest, before we came back to the Academy. I felt someone in the forest with us but I thought it was the exhaustion messing with my mind."

"Why didn't you attack?" Zion asked, turning back to Liam.

"I'm offended you'd think I'd be so foolish. Not that I couldn't take all of you. But that sister of yours, I couldn't possibly get caught up in that time halting power of hers now could I?"

My fists clenched at the mention of Esat. It all made sense now. How the others knew of Esat. If he'd been watching me, he was probably watching my friends including Edward. We'd been so foolish to think he was hiding from us. He was watching us this entire time, waiting for the right moment to show himself.

"You see it now, don't you?" Liam said, watching me carefully as I was putting the pieces together.

"How did you get the Headmaster to do your bidding?" Zion asked.

"Oh, that wasn't hard at all. She didn't like you very much Saron. She jumped at the chance to be rid of you."

"She was always so nice to me," I said aloud, speaking my thoughts as my forehead wrinkled in confusion. Was it all really an act? Since day 1?

"You really need to stop being so trusting Saron. People fear what they don't understand. You and I are alike in that way. No one understands."

"She's NOTHING like you," Zion snapped.

"That may be true. But it's just a matter of time."

"You're wrong. I'd never end up like you. Not in a million years," I spat back angrily.

"Enough talk. Let's get this over with," he said, taking a final sip of his water before walking towards us.

"Now, are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?"

I silently stared at him, letting him know I was willing to do anything to defeat him.

"Very well."

He released a thick burst of dark energy that spun like a rope in the air, weaving its way towards me. I could hear the chilling whispers radiating off of it as the dark magic inched towards me. I reached out to the Earth, squatting to let a burst of magic into the ground. The Earth obliged, filling me with pure magic as I held my hands out, stopping the dark magic. It wasn't easy and I found myself struggling to stop the dark magic in its path. It took an enormous amount of concentration to focus on slowing the dark magic but it was too powerful still pushed forward, slowly inching forward and threatening to touch me.

Zion flung a chair at Edward, which Edward deflected with his hand as it broke to pieces beside him. He was more powerful than we had both expected. Simple attacks weren't going to work here.

I reached inside of me, grasping on to all the magic that was remaining. Mine and the remaining magic the old witch had lent me. I focused on sending it forward to stop the dark magic which was starting to overcome my Earth magic as I grew weaker.

"Zion," I called out in desperation, straining against the strength of the dark magic.

"On it," he said, rushing forward towards Liam who easily dodged his attack. He kept attempting to land attacks on him, which Liam was easily dodging. With a roar, he shifted to his werewolf form before stalking towards him slowly, assessing the best form of attack. Once he had decided, he pounced towards him, claws bared to plunge into him. It was no use. Liam lifted a hand, effortlessly throwing Zion back as if he was nothing. This was bad. Really bad.

That slight distraction however had helped me and my magic was pushing the dark magic back, back towards him until it was almost gone. I relaxed for a second but then Liam sent an even larger wave of dark magic, which separated into three paths as the lengthy rope of magic descended on me from above and cornered me from both sides. I tried to reach into my magic to do something, anything to stop it's path but it was useless. I was depleted. From the look on Zion's face of pure hopelessness, he was out of ideas as well.

I closed my eyes as I waited for it to touch me. I felt a jolt as the magic touched me, causing my entire body to go frigid cold at the contact. It felt like cold leeches were crawling all over me, trying to suck me in. I focused in closing myself off and not allowing it to take root. My mind became filled with a multitude of whispers. Ignoring it was no use so I tried to focus to decipher what was being said. I was able to make out a phrase.

"Sergewaio"

I recognized it as old witch dialect, Feres. It was a phrase used in reference to the "promise child" written in the prophecy, me.

Stop fighting. We won't hurt you.

I clenched my eyes shut as I shut my eyes, pushing any and all thoughts from my head. I didn't want to give them anything they could use against me.

We will help you kill Liam.

I don't believe you.

We give you our word. We'll even give you control over your body.

No, you can't trick me.

We must have your vessel. We must have your vessel. We must have your vessel. We must have your vessel.

I pressed my hands against my ears in efforts of drowning out the voices. But it was no use, it was in my head. There was nowhere to escape. I fought even harder, not allowing them to control me. They were waiting for a moment of weakness, an opening to infiltrate my mind.

She's too strong

I heard the whispers start to fade, discouraged by my refusal to let them in.

We'll give you control if you let us enter your vessel.

From the desperation in their voice, I could tell they were willing to say anything to be welcomed in. But truth be told, I was considering it. I was out of magic. Even if I successfully fought them off, Liam was going to kill us. We didn't stand a chance against him.

I'll let you enter my mind but all of you must leave Liam. You have to help me kill him.

Your wish is our command Sergewaio

They pushed forward, trying to enter but I continued to block them out. I still didn't trust them.

If you enter my vessel, you have to give me control.

The whispers grew louder and more indecipherable as the voices rang out amongst one another, arguing over my proposal.

Very well.

I could feel something inside of me telling me stop fighting but I ignored it. It must be the dark magic manipulating my thoughts. But, I was out of options. Maybe this was how it was supposed to end. I had to accept the dark magic to kill Liam. There was no other way. But I also couldn't allow myself become a weapon that could harm anyone else. After it was done, I had to die as well. To hell with the prophecy.

I opened myself up, allowing the dark magic to spread throughout my body consuming every part of me. I opened my eyes to see Liam protesting as the dark magic started to seep out of him, making its way towards me.

"No, stop. What have you done?" He yelled in protest, looking at me with trepidation.

"SARON, NOOOOOOOOOO!" Zion screamed, tears escaping his eyes as my body was being consumed with dark magic.

"I'm sorry," I managed to say as the dark magic was still filling me. I closed my eyes until it was over, opening it to see Liam standing before me looking absolutely broken. I stepped forward, letting the dark magic exit me as it made its way towards him, covering him from head to toe with the dark aura as he screamed in pain before going silent. As the magic lifted off of him, his body lay limp with his cold eyes now blank and lifeless.

I looked at my arms, a dark magic surrounding me as I laughed in delight. I thought I was powerful before but this. This was true power. It was intoxicating knowing I could do anything I wanted and no one could stand a chance. A part of me feared the dark magic was lying but it had spoken the truth, I could feel it. I had control over my body. The whispers, however, hadn't faded they simply became fainter.

I smiled at Liam's dead corpse, lying there staring blankly at me. I thought I'd feel sad or remorseful but I didn't. Seeing him there, a person who was once so highly feared, even by me once who was now helpless on the ground made my body tingle in excitement.

I turned around, forgetting I wasn't alone to see Zion standing there gaping at him. I stared at him blankly before stepping towards him. I cocked my head as I looked at him. It felt strange looking at him now. My heart used to race at the sight of him but now all I saw was weakness. Despite having control, I wasn't the same and all my feelings and emotions had faded. The high of power was more powerful than my feelings which left me indifferent.

I tried walking past him but he grabbed my arm. He flinched away as my dark magic burned his hand at the contact. He hissed in pain before retracting his hand.

"What the fuck happened here?" I heard the familiar voice of Star ask. I whirled around to see them all standing there. I grew disgusted looking at them, a reminder of how weak I was and how I'd sacrificed my life for them time and time again. How had I been so stupid? They were no longer my responsibility. I would never allow myself to be that weak again.

Kill them

The voices in my head spoke my inner thoughts. I took a step towards them, smirking at the absolute terror in their eyes. Liam was a fool, but he was right about one thing. Hate. It was stronger than love. And now, I could feel it building up within me.

Thank you for taking the time to read my novel. I hope you all enjoyed it! The third and final book, Accepted, is out!