Not long after the fight started, the white, smooth ground was spoiled with red spots and dead bodies. The clang of the swords mixed with the vampire hisses and the werewolf claws that bit into the enemy's flesh. Here and there, a few warriors screamed in pain, as hands removed hearts and swords beheaded bodies.

Laurel had one of her dha swords in her right hand, and the other hand was free to be used for magic. She was walking toward her mother, her heartbeat ringing louder as the distance between them diminished.

A vampire came into her vision from the left, his fangs in open view, his red eyes wide in lust for blood. She couldn't stop, so with a switch of her wrist, she sent the vampire flying backward. He fell on the trunk of a tree and, soon, a werewolf came and put a wooden stake in his heart.

She saw Thomas fighting a few meters beside her, as an enemy attacked her. It was a werewolf, turned into his wolf form. She preferred fighting in her human form, as she was at her strongest then, but she knew very well how to fight him.

He leaped at her, his eyes shimmering furiously. She bent her knees and waited. Seconds before he could slice her face with his claws, she raised the sword and, holding its grip with both of her hands, impaled it in his head in the middle of his eyes. She removed the sword quickly, the blade dark red. His eyes stayed immobile, and his body looked as if it was flying for a second before it fell with a bang.

She started walking carefully, trying not to trip over scattered bodies.

A few vampires came running at her together. She beheaded the first one in a swift movement and bent down in time to avoid a hit from behind. She kicked her opponent hard, and he fell to the ground. Thomas appeared and pierced the heart with his sword. Laurel had enhanced his weapons. She had tried to do it to as many warriors as possible.

They gave a knowing nod and ended the rest of the vampires.

"We are close," she said. "She's not far."

"I got your back." Laurel tried to pick up a knife that had fallen from her belt but stopped suddenly. Raising her look, she faced a familiar face.

"You are beautiful," he whispered with a fixed gaze on her.

His eyes were roaming her body. The clothes were highlighting her curves. A few, wet from sweat, strands of hair had escaped from the ponytail and fell on her forehead. Her chest was rising fast from the fight, and her body radiated life.

She lifted her head with a stony smile, and yet, her eyes were glittering in compassion.

"Charles." She sighed. "If things were different, maybe I could help you. I'm sorry I didn't save you from your demons." She gave a final nod to Thomas and left.

A desperate plead echoed behind, screaming her name and begging for her return. However, she couldn't stop. The closer she got to her mother, the more enemies she had to face. "That's it, Lyra. Let's show them what we are capable of," she said and attacked a swarm of enemies, whose death would bring her closer to her target.

"Life is unpredictable. You tried once to kill me, but, instead, my mate died. This time, none of my loved ones are close to you. Just you and me. Laurel isn't here to save you, so cut the crap. Fight!" he screamed the last part.

"All I wanted was her. I wanted her to love me. No one ever did, but she could see right through my soul." He fell on his knees, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

Thomas tightened his grip on his sword and went closer. In front of him stood the man that had stolen his happiness. This time no punishment could save him. There was only one way to end this. He didn't care about his soul. All he wanted was to end the monster that had taken Rakel from him.

"Fight, you bastard!" he screamed again.

"Laurel betrayed me."

"Laurel didn't betray you because she was never on your side. How could you believe that she would agree over a reign of tyranny? You used to be great, Charles, but look at you! You ended up being a puppet in her hands. Both mother and daughter used you." He spat every word, trying to make his opponent suffer.

It was true that Charles had been a great, evil warrior once. But, in front of Thomas stood a miserable man, whose demons and shadows had broken his mind.

"I loved her, and she left me. Everyone left me." He shook in sobs.

"Enough!" Thomas roared. "Enough," he lowered his voice as if the word was addressed to a superior power.

He lined the blade with his heart and touched his skin with the point of the sword. Something inside him told him that Charles wouldn't fight back. He was ready for an attack, but he saw the desperate, almost crazy look on his face. He wished that he had to fight with him. He wished he could unleash all his rage and make him spit blood after his hits.

"It doesn't matter. Finish it," his wolf said.

"This is for the life you took from me." He entered the sword in the body. Slowly, painfully, tore the skin and the tissues beneath it and reached his heart. "This is for Rakel." Not holding back, he pushed the sword deeper and deeper until the point of it got out from the other side of the body.

Blood trickled from Charles' lips, and his eyes froze as the last sigh escaped.

Thomas removed the sword and saw the dead body. Still, on the knees, someone would say that he was frozen like a statue if he looked from a distance.

With a clenched jaw and dilated nostrils, he held his sword with rage and, in a quick move, decapitated the body. The head flew and fell a few meters away, the frozen eyes staring at the dirt. Giving a light kick on the chest, the body finally fell to the ground.

"And this was for the son I dream of every night and never had the chance to keep in my arms."

The attacker burst into flames, while the second one didn't have time to acknowledge the attack when Laurel sent a flying knife straight into his heart.

She dodged the hit of a werewolf, whose dilated eyes and extremely fast heartbeat proved that he was her mother's creation.

"Oh, mother," she murmured, "stop playing with nature."

She was ready to kill the werewolf when she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen and then felt her forearm being pierced.

"James!" Lyra exclaimed.

Her distraction gave the chance to her opponent to knock her to the ground. She hit the snowy ground hard, as the snow had started to freeze. The sword left her hand, and she couldn't reach it. The werewolf fell on her and tried to strangle her. Desperate for breath, she found the last knife on her belt and sliced his throat. Blood started running on her face, and he removed his hands from her neck to try to stop the bleeding.

She stood up and, with the knife still in her hands, attacked another one.

Her mother's voice wasn't very far. Laurel could her hear talking, saying a spell. Panic filled her mind. How much time had she lost?

She felt another hit, this time on her face, and tasted blood on her mouth. She spitted it and returned her focus on the woman in front of her.

"Huntress." Her smile was devilish.

She had long, black hair and deep blue eyes. Laurel thought she was beautiful if it wasn't for the wickedness that her eyes had.

The two women fought roughly. They were both trained, and strong, but Laurel had another weapon. During the clash, she managed to grip tightly on her enemy's shoulder. Without blinking, she made her blood turn into fire. The woman couldn't stop it. The flames engulfed her from inside out, turning her into a living torch.

Laurel stared in confusion at the flames. Something had changed. Before a thought could form into her mind, she sensed someone attacking her. She tried to turn around but was slow. Her leg was stuck in the snow. In the few seconds that passed, the enemy's knife would pierce her heart if someone hadn't stepped between them.

"No!" she screamed, but it was too late. The enemy had taken one of the knives Laurel had left in a dead body and had used it against her.

However, someone had protected her. The familiar, tall figure took the hit, and the enhanced knife pierced the skin and moved to the heart. The force of the hit was so strong that it would tear the victim's heart if Laurel hadn't thrown with her mind the attacker on the ground. The attacker fell so hard that his skull broke.

The knife was left in the body, hurting the heart and leading to a slow, agonizing death. The young man fell hard on the ground and tried to reach for his heart.

"Why did you do it?" she screamed. Her breathing stopped for a few seconds, and she fell on her knees next to him.

"I couldn't let him kill you. You are precious," he managed to say.

He knew he was going to die, but his face was calm.

"Let me heal you. The knife hasn't done complete damage. Maybe. . . . "

She removed the knife, and blood flowed fast live a river.

"Laurel, don't. . . . "

She was sobbing, tears running wildly on her cheeks, mixing with the blood on her lips and bespattering her open palms that stood helplessly on her knees.

"I have to try."

She put the hands on top of the wound. How could she do it? Her knives were deadly, killing every vampire and werewolf. They could kill even her. How could she save him? No, she had to try. He deserved to live. She felt power rushing through her, filling her veins and reaching her fingertips. However, the power couldn't move forward to the open wound.

"No, no." She was ready to try again.

"Stop. It's your chance to break the bond."

"What?" She stopped moving and stared at him with wide eyes.

"I know everything. I have never hurt someone intentionally, and even today, I didn't kill anyone. I am the perfect choice, especially now. End my misery, and you will have the death that will free you from the bond."

"No! I'm not going to kill you."

"I'm dying!" He gritted as he felt his powers leaving his body. "Let me help you. Please, end this." He was crying too.

She stared at the bloody knife and then at his sweet face.

"I can't do this, Asher." She broke into more sobs.

"Make it look like an accident. My mother can't know the truth. Hurry, I don't have much time left."

Her body was on fire, her heart screaming in pain. He was too young, too innocent, but he was right. He was dying, and they both knew that he couldn't be saved. But Laurel had a chance to live. She grabbed the knife, swallowing hard, and pressed it against his chest.

"That's it. Promise that you will always smile."

She screamed in pain, her hands trembling, as she pushed the knife further in his heart.

"Smile. You have a beautiful smile," he said, as the point of the knife hit the ground underneath him.

His innocent, brown eyes were open, staring at the starlight sky. His lips were formed into a hint of a smile as if he was dreaming.

Her hands left the grip of the knife as if electricity had hit her. Her body spasmed as thoughts formed in her mind. She killed Asher. She put her hand on her chest, feeling her heart ready to explode. Her veins on her neck popped out, and she tried to breathe.

She closed her eyes as the sobs continued.

"Why?" she screamed. "Why?"

Was she expecting an answer? She didn't know what to expect anymore. Her hands fell on her sides and touched the frozen snow. She grabbed some of it, letting it freeze her palms in an attempt to bring her back to reality.

Lyra wasn't speaking. She was only staring in horror as she felt something breaking inside Laurel.

Her eyes closed, and when they opened again, they were black. Death's black. The kind of black that brings nightmares. The kind of black that meant that hell was coming.