Black Blood (Series of Blood Book 4) Emma Hamm (popular novels txt) 📖

and the sun glinted off its sharp edge. He brought it down, slashing through Fear and hacking at Gaia’s body.

She rose from the carnage more monster than woman. Wounds split open along her face and torso. Teeth bared, she jumped at him without weapons. Only claws.

Burke stumbled backward. Perhaps he was startled by her ferocity, or perhaps he realized a losing battle when he saw one. The few feet he gave her were enough. Gaia tossed her head back with a laugh and the ground rose at her beckoning.

“You are no match for me!” Gaia shouted. “You are weak. Mortal. Your casings are so easy to destroy.”

He was lifted from his feet and tossed into Wren who tumbled with him. They landed in a heap on a ground which tried to swallow them up.

Blue lightning cracked, and a shield formed. Fire ringed the couple catching their breath and shadows cracked at Gaia’s hands until she retreated.

Lydia followed the electricity to Wolfgang who had spared a mere moment of his attention to save his friends.

He and Lyra had joined up to fight Aether. She had spun up a dust devil that whirled around her so viciously that it tore the ground. As her hands raised, so did her body.

Wolfgang focused on the Goddess while carving runes into his arms. The bone blade between his fingers was already coated with so much red blood that she couldn’t make out what was hand and what was weapon. His lips moved as he whispered incantations.

His love, Lyra, rode the whirlwind. Her feet bounced from strong current to strong current and she gracefully spun in the air. Orbs containing powerful spells slipped from her fingertips. They struck Aether over and over again, magical dust exploding in vivid colors.

Each burst made the Goddess flinch. The air currents fell and dropped Lyra to the ground. She landed lightly, her fingers clenching the dirt between them. Water dripped from her ears and soaked her hair.

Lyra tilted her head back and screamed. The Siren call shattered Aether’s eardrums. Blood poured from their canals. The Goddess growled, threw out a hand, and squeezed her fist.

“No,” Lydia whispered.

The Siren dropped to her knees and clutched her throat. Her chest rose in rapid movements as she tried to draw air into her lungs. But every time she managed the tiniest bit, Aether yanked it from her.

“I loved you!” Aether shouted. “You were my favorite!” She squeezed her hand tighter and Lyra turned violet.

Wolfgang’s anger tasted of rust and dirt. It lingered upon Lydia’s tongue as he looked directly at her floating form. He could see her, or at least knew that Lydia would be watching. He nodded his head, lifted the bone blade, and slit his throat.

The dead rose.

Hundreds of bodies rolled onto their hands and knees. Those who could walk, stood. They shambled into the battle to heed the cry of their king.

Wolfgang’s body melted. Flesh and muscles slid to the ground, taking clothing with it. In his place, the Lich King stood. Magical armor plated his ribs, covered his body with electricity and runes, and a sword appeared in his hands.

The Lich King clacked its jaws and ran toward the Goddess like a battering ram. Even the Lich King had difficulty fighting back the wind. He fell to his knees beside Lyra, covering her body with his armor and taking the brunt of a tornado Aether called to life.

Flames exploded around them, and Lydia followed them to Ignes. He flew above as a Dragon of old. His wings dripped lava and his mouth opened in a roar of rage and destruction.

Mercy stood beneath him, her entire body engulfed in flames. A black crust protected her skin and glowed with an inner light that was brighter than her fire. Her hair twisted in the wind as she faced Nurin. Her creator.

“You should have died long ago,” she called out. “You should have died with us!”

“I stayed alive to save you, my child. To create more like you. How could you possibly understand the responsibility of a God?”

A whip of fire and brimstone formed in her hand. She cracked it on the wind, slashing across his face. Lava dripped from the wound.

She held his attention, snapping the whip over and over again. Each lash only made Nurin laugh louder. Pain was his creation. Anger was his fuel. Nurin loved every second of a battle and Lydia worried he would be the one to destroy everything just to feel one last lingering moment of satisfaction.

Then she saw him. Jasper crawled out of the blood he had swam through, hidden from Nurin’s gaze. His wings flexed, dancing with blue runes and golden sigils that sparkled with Mercy’s signature magic.

Mercy screamed. “Nurin! I have waited for two hundred years to destroy you!”

Above their heads, Ignes bellowed an echoing call.

“You could not destroy me, sweet child.” Her creator replied. “I gave you life, and now I will take it away.”

Golden sigils flaring, Jasper leapt forward. They were of similar size, he and the God. He pressed his back against the other man’s spine, wrapped his arms around him, and squeezed.

Lydia was confused for a few moments until she realized what he was doing. His biceps bulged and his jaw clenched. Runes and Sigils burned into his skin, giving him more power than he already had.

Jasper squeezed and Nurin’s skin fractured from the pressure.

Small fissures opened wherever Jasper touched. Molten blood and the essence of a God dripped over his forearms.

Lydia heard him whimper.

“Now, Mercy!”

The Phoenix locked eyes with her creator and hesitated. Lydia heard her thoughts clear as day.

But he is my father. He is the one who gave me life. Can I kill a part of myself? Do I have any right to?

It was long enough. Nurin broke out of Jasper’s secure hold, caught him around the back of the neck, and tossed him over his head.

Jasper hit the ground so hard Lydia could hear the crack of his ribs and felt the pain of