KANE DIDN'T HAVE a good reason to go to war.

But he did have a good reason to win this battle.

He wanted to save his friend. He didn't want to let Tempest down. He needed to prove to himself that he was worth more than being a liability.

"You can do this," Kane whispered, hyping himself up in an attempt to steady his nerves. Letting out a heavy breath, Kane rubbed his face one last time. His anxiety-ridden gaze settled on the tent situated at the base of the mountain, closest to him. He clutched the magickal bomb firmly, waiting for Tempest's signal. She hadn't told him what it was. Just that he'd know it when he saw it. "C'mon, Tempest."

The dark witches chanting increased tenfold. Kane's heart rate skyrocketed when Silver released an earth shattering wail. His head tipped backwards, swollen eyes fighting to open. But the damage was too severe to warrant even a small peek.

An empty void of darkness bloomed at his feet like a decaying rose. It unfurled, petal by petal, creating an onyx chasm of obscurity that fractured the stones at his feet. A sickening glow emanated from Silver's purple robe. The bloody symbols decorating his skin lost their golden hue, turning black. Silver's body trembled in time with the magickal staff before him.

A loud screech caught his attention. Kane's head jerked upwards and his heart practically fell out of his ass when he locked eyes with a black raven. Its deadly stare shimmered purple. He knew what that meant.

Kane fumbled for a second bomb when the sound of trees groaning overpowered the witches song. To his right Tempest rode upon a massive wave using the last of the water from Lake Glass.

She looked absolutely breathtaking with her face showing no traces of fear. Under normal circumstances Kane would be mooning over the warrior goddess into oblivion.

Except that was the signal and he had shit to blow up now.

But the raven caught him and now there were three Unseelie fae scampering up the mountain.

Towards him.

"Fuck it."

Kane popped up from behind the bush, seeing no point in trying to hide. Within the blink of an eye he launched both bombs. One hit the retreating raven, causing an explosion that blasted him into a tree. A dull ache spread throughout his back. Dark sparks soaked the night sky, creating false stars before fading away.

It smelled like burnt chicken.

The mountain shook like a leaf as the tent below blew up. Kane grabbed the belt of bombs as a willowy figure emerged from the darkness.

"Come with me and you won't get hurt," he said, yellow eyes gleaming with an unsettling taunt. A heavy aura pulsed between them, attempting to lure Kane in. He felt himself waver. Then his resolve began to crumble as something flowery bloomed in the air. It smelled like Silver, only this scent was rotten. "I can take you to the queen. She can give you anything you want. All you have to do is come with me."

"I don't want anything from her," Kane hissed, trying to force his body free from the fae's captivating presence.

"Everybody wants something," came the raven haired man's cryptic reply. "Whatever your heart desires can be yours. Love? It's as simple as snapping one's fingers. Family? Anyone you lost can be brought back before you know what even hit you." The man's bony figure melded into the bark of a tree as he leaned against it. "Want to turn over a curse? Be a free man? She can grant you that and much more."

Kane narrowed his eyes, legs unwilling to move. Behind them Tempest unleashed her power over the wide valley, wiping half of it out. The only thing left for Kane to do now was hold up his part of the plan and blow up the remaining tents.

But he couldn't move.

"Come with me," the fae crooned, stepping closer. There were dark circles surrounding his eyes, darkening his ashy gray skin. "I need you to choose to come with me, my king."

Leaves crunched somewhere behind Kane. A battle song erupted from the valley below. The chanting pierced through the overwhelming cacophony, filling Kane with something sick.

He'll die if you don't resist, a feminine voice whispered in his ear. The wind caressed the back of his neck. He blinked, seeing a blurry image of a fair woman with dark tendrils for hair. She trusted you to do your part. Will you let them down? Is that who you are now? Someone who abandons people in need?

A roaring explosion jolted Kane out of his stupor. He fell to his knees, watching as the bonfire turned as blue as his eyes. Kane pressed a hand to his mouth, swallowing the bile that rose as the stench of rotten eggs wafted over him.

The witches continued their ritual, shielded by a wall of fae that Tempest fought through. Her warrior-like figure weaved through the growing crowd like an agile dancer. Through the blood and carnage her dark gaze landed on him. His stomach plummeted when her wise eyes read the situation he was stuck in.

Disappointment clouded her sharp features.

Kane lurched forward, fist colliding with the stunned fae and knocking him out cold. The shuffling behind him intensified. Kane rolled to the side, feeling a hand graze his skin. Adrenaline and the need to prove himself flared within Kane.

He didn't think, he just acted.

Unsheathing Caliburn, Kane whirled around and swung with all his might. The slim woman darted to the side, drawing her blade while her partner charged him. Their blades met in a battle of glowing silver and seething black. Kane grunted, absorbing the blow with his sword, then sidestepped the woman's incoming blow.

The tip of her sword skimmed his cheek, drawing a shallow cut. His face stung from the paper cut-like wound. Clenching his jaw, Kane used the broadside of his sword to slam into her chest. She crashed into the other man and Kane drove his sword through both of their bodies.

Kane ignored the gasping and gurgling coming from the speared duo. Icky, sinful blood decorated Caliburn when he removed the sword. Kane sheathed his weapon then kicked the bag under the bush and took off.

There was no one to stop him as he blew up the rest of the tents. Killing anyone inside and ruining whatever weapons or rations they possessed. The force of the magickal bombs shook the core of the world, almost bringing him to his knees. From the glimpses he got of the scattering fae, they looked disorientated. Confused. Unable to pin down the source of the chaos as Kane clung to the shadows.

A low croak resonated above him. Kane came to the base of the valley, using the last bomb to blow up the stupid bird trailing after him.

He really fucking hated ravens now.

A woozy feeling plagued his mind the closer he crept towards the witches. Their pitch black eyes made his stomach roll. The red symbols imbued into their skin caused a dark inkling of something to arise within him.

Kane fell beside a burning tent that was infused with flames the same hue as Silver's robe. He shook his head in an attempt to clear it. Through bleary eyes Kane watched as the large white gem on top of the staff dimmed. With each drop of light it lost, the moon in the sky succumbed to the surrounding darkness.

Then the moon vanished.

Fear broke through Kane's state of intoxication. He watched a gaunt, shadowy hand reach out from the blue bonfire. The figures of the seven witches kneeled before the fire and Silver's chained body. It was like a circle of... evil? Some kind of sacrifice?

Whatever it was, it wasn't good.

"No!"

Kane scrambled for Caliburn, spurred on by Tempest's scream. Dread filled him when he felt for the blade and found the scabbard empty. Caliburn was gone.

"No, no, no!" Panic rose within him like a tidal wave. He'd put it back himself and now it was just gone?! Kane slammed his fist into the ground. "Fuck!"

He needed light!

Kane gasped when a frosty chill seared the inside of his thigh. The elemental glyphs carved into the hilt of the athame glimmered. A bitter winter settled within him when he grasped the dagger. Chilled to the bone, Kane watched in awe as the athame turned white.

The dark hand wrapped around Silver's neck, caressing his battered skin. Tempest broke through the darkness. Bruises bloomed across her face. Blood poured from her torso. Yet she never wavered. Instead she decapitated a witch, causing the chanting to come to a grinding halt.

Kane sprinted towards the thin figure. Tempest made a mad dash for Silver. With one harsh blow, Clarent descended upon the iron chains. Silver fell to his knees as Kane stabbed the otherworldly hand.

The dark figure screeched. It retreated back into what Kane could only describe as a portal leading to a blue inferno. A blinding silver light erupted from the athame, ricocheting off the trio and burning everyone else.

Kane blinked and the moon returned, shedding light on the wasteland surrounding them. His faerie star scorched his skin. He let out a choked sound. Darkness crowded his vision. Kane dropped the athame as the winter within stole the breath from his body.

He slammed into the ground, feeling no pain while slipping away. Tempest's worried face hovered over him, mouthing words he didn't catch. His body seized. He was vaguely aware of a hand wrapping around his wrist.

When the darkness claimed him he felt awful, he really did.

Kane didn't mean to make Tempest cry before he died.

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QOTD: Do you think Kane can be swayed in exchange for the cure to his curse? What do you think the ritual was going to do to Silver? Thoughts on Kane and the athame now that he's used it?