Chapter 49.1

Slowly, my hand reached for the wounded area in my stomach, wishing it could just heal up. I needed every strength I could get right now, but unfortunately for me, just thinking about what I wanted didn't work this time.

"I'm sorry too, Mason. I truly am. But you leave me no choice as well," I said, feeling Mason's presence behind me. My eyes snapped open as I instantly grabbed the knife on the table, swinging around to pierce him but he gripped my arm midair.

His eyes mirrored great shock in them, moving from the knife to scan over my face. "Come on Ci, let's not do this,"

"I'm sorry," I bit out, unapologetically, before bringing my palm against his chest, and with a mighty force he was sent flying across the room.

I didn't bother to check if I had knocked him out cold nor did I hesitate to reach for the door, running into the darkness outside. The place was packed with many people. The smell of magic reeked in the air, as I pulled the hood of the jacket over my head, blending in with the crowd, making my way to the farthest part of the mountains, hoping to get to the woods.

I started running for my life with the pain in my stomach getting worse, stabbing at my bones mercilessly.

I had no idea where I was headed but I knew Mason would be almost onto me by now and—

I released a sharp gasp with pain against my chest and my back crashing against something hard. A rock.

I turned to my side, spitting out the blood that had rushed into my mouth and warm liquid flowed from my head. My insides were on literal fire. Before I could register what was happening, I was hit again by a speeding human and sent against a tree, the sharp impact causing my ears to ring in an endless drone.

My vision scanned around but there was total darkness around as the canopy trees had impaled every ray of moonlight from coming to my aid.

I cursed at my awful luck, grabbing onto my stomach like I was holding onto my life.

I backed against a tree, and just as my sharp hearing picked up the violent rush of wind approaching me, my hands lifted instinctively stopping it, and directing it back to where it came from.

A cry of sharp pain filled the darkness, enough for me to realize it was a female before I was attacked again by strong fists.

I dodged swiftly with speed, sending out a quick punch with the knife in my hand, and I swear I heard the sound of flesh tearing and again the disturbing smell of citrus was stronger. It was from her.

I groaned, kicking her before I was sent flying deeper into the woods.

I sucked in the pain, glancing up at the moon that was now visible in the part of the woods we were now in. I forced my legs off the ground kicking against the weakness that ate through them and the lady raced closer. Average height. Hair packed in a ponytail but that was all I got. I couldn't see her face.

With my speed, I met her midway, having my hand against her throat and we began spinning around at a fast speed, crashing against rough surfaces. I punched her hard, over and over again, pinching my nails into the flesh around her neck. I pulled my hand to her again but then Mason crashed into us, splitting us apart, trapping me against a tree.

"For the love of our lives, stop this madness!" His grip was strong, breath ragged, and exhausted, well so was I. He should just let me go.

I used the knife I had been clinging hard to, slicing through him, tearing through his shirt, and getting blood on my knife. I could have pushed him off me or gripped the opportunity to plunge the knife deeper into him but I froze. My eyes pinned on the exposed area of his chest, and most importantly, on the mark that covered his chest, down to the hardness of his ribs. The pyramid symbol.

The knife on my hand fell from lack of strength and as his gaze followed mine to his chest, dark eyes pulled back up to mine.

"Fuck. This isn't what it looks like, " I pushed him off me as he started. "This is just a symbol,"

Yeah. The same one that killed Jasmine. I wanted to say but I couldn't. Not with the pains that had suddenly resurrected within me.

"Believe me. This represents the void we've been trapped in all this time," He moved closer, and I pushed him back with magic, forcing the little strength I had left to escape me.

I was doomed.

"Stay back, Mason. I swear I'm getting out of here," I was a heartbeat away from collapsing. Succumbing.

His silent pleas all quietened, as he gazed down at me. His gaze was hard and his voice was clogged with an emotion I couldn't decipher.

"I can't let you. Whether you hate me for this or not, there's no way I'm letting you out of my sight," He paused. "...ever,"

His underlying threat rocked me with a cold shiver, welcoming the fear that settled in.

And then we were surrounded.

He moved a step forward, as I shrieked further against a tree, groaning like I was about to die from the pains I was feeling all over.

"Stay back," I could barely keep my weak voice straight. I could barely fix a steady glance at his figure.

He discarded my words, taking a few steps forward, the moonlight rays sauntering around the woods in the mountains. "Believe me, I'm not the enemy here—"

"Just stay back," I pressed my hand against the drenched area of my clothes where I was bleeding, my fluttering eyes fighting to stay awake. There was no escape from here. I knew that. I was at his mercy. I hated that. Despised the feeling of helplessness. Of weakness.

And he kept coming closer.

"I said stay the hell back!" I screamed when he was almost before me and everything slowed for a second as I could feel the energy that was unleashed from me, carrying my rage with a silent promise of destruction.

Mason's eyes broadened, and in a fast motion, the night's gentle breeze stirred in rage, brewing a mighty storm that caused a halo of chaos, swallowing everyone and everything up, and tearing the ground beneath us.

It ran deep and kept getting bigger, creating a wide bridge distance between me and everyone that stood on the other end. Against me.

Mason's shocked eyes were still on me, even as the stormy wind covered him up.

I picked up the little strength that pumped hope into me and ran down the hill, through the woods, and didn't stop until I burst out of the woods into a main road.

As the loud honking and blinding car lights filled my vision in the darkness, I couldn't fight it anymore, I collapsed on the hard ground, forcing out the words before my eyes shut.

"Help me, please,"

And there was a drone of words uttered, and in between the noise, I heard the slow murmur of panic. "No. No.

No. Don't do this to me, please. Stay awake,"

But I couldn't. I was already gone.