First Magic by Raven Steele (ebook reader screen txt) 📖

I rolled up into a standing position and stared the Vyken directly in the eyes. In one swift motion, I tossed each individual light bullet in his direction with an amazing force. He dodged the first few but was not quick enough to avoid them all. One grazed his cheek and cut through his calloused skin. Another tore through his arm.

The smirk on his face disappeared when he touched exposed flesh. He brought down his blood-tinged fingers and examined them. “You are full of surprises. I may have underestimated your abilities, but no matter. Let’s get to it, shall we?”

He appeared in front of me and swung a fist. I tried to duck, but part of his hand connected with my head. I flew back several feet. I wasn’t sure what was worse: the pain or the shock of being hit in the face. I never knew how degrading it was to have your face smacked before. It made me feel small and insignificant.

I jumped to my feet, despite the pain, to show he couldn’t have power over me.

He attacked me again, but this time I was ready. Remembering everything Christian had taught me, I ducked beneath his blow, spun around and kicked him hard in the back. I moved to kick him again, but he caught my mid-air kick and twisted my foot hard. My body followed until the cold wooden floor of the stage stopped it. I gasped for air.

“You are truly unique, Llona,” he said, as he walked around me. “An Aura who fights? Ignores the Auran Council? Rare, indeed! Vykens should be grateful you are a rarity. I can only imagine how our kind would dwindle if Auras ever realized their true powers.”

I created another light bullet, bigger this time. While he was still speaking, I rolled onto my back and tossed it at him. He attempted to move out of the way, but the bullet tore through his other arm. This time he cried out.

I jumped up and punched him in the face. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he felt as disgraced as I’d been only moments ago. Now we were on a level playing field. I had the ability to hurt him, and he knew it.

My confidence was short-lived, however, when his fist flew up faster than I thought possible and connected with my jaw. My eyes rolled to the back of my head, and I felt my body complete an almost perfect back flip.

Gratefully, Light’s power helped me to remain conscious, enabling me to land on my feet. I continued to fight with a ferocity that, if I could have foreseen, would’ve frightened me.

Together we became an angry mosh pit of fists and kicks, twisting to a tune heard only by enemies who wish to destroy one another. Its beat was loud in my head and it pushed me on, harder and faster to destroy the creature that had taken all that I loved.

I became oblivious to everything else in the room. My only focus was the Vyken in front of me who fought for an entirely different reason. His determination stemmed from greed, corruption, and a desire for insatiable power. Mine was for the love of my family and friends.

The more I hurt him, the more I was spurred on, until I began to feel something foreign and dark take hold of my mind. This new feeling gave me pause, and I hesitated in both wonder and fear.

The Vyken took advantage of the moment and struck me hard across the back of my head. With his second blow, I fell to the ground. I pushed myself up on all fours, but my movements were too slow. He kicked me in the stomach forcing me to flip onto my back. In a fraction of a second, he was on top of me, straddling my body.

He breathed heavily a few times before asking, “I do have one question. However did you get away from Christian? I really hoped he could be a part of this.”

I was too busy trying to get my vision back to answer him. When I didn’t respond, he continued, “Like May here, Christian, too, was a surprise. I never thought the Council would assign someone so young to be a guardian, but I guess it shouldn’t have surprised me. They never were good at making smart decisions.”

“How did you know?” I finally gasped.

He leaned toward me, inches from my face. “That night at the hospital when he kept insisting you were alive. I thought Christian was crazy for trying to save you when you looked like death himself, but then he’d said the word “Light” and that’s when I knew. He was your guardian. Only a guardian would be able to sense their ward’s Light. After that, I did all I could to make sure he’d save you.”

He smoothed back my hair with his cold hand. “I was going to take you that night, you know. The discovery of a guardian protecting you shook me up a bit, but looking back, I’m glad I didn’t. Having him teach you to fight has been well worth it. Your Light-blood smells so sweet. So ripe.” He leaned in closer until his putrid breath warmed my cheek. “When I’m done with you, he will be next.”

The thought of him harming Christian spurred me into action. I grabbed his head between my palms and commanded Light into my fingertips. Instantly, his flesh melted beneath my burning hands, and he fell over screaming. I rolled on top of him and repeatedly punch him in the face.

"You will never hurt me or anyone I love ever again!” I yelled.

I managed to hit him several times before he caught my fist and squeezed hard. I stifled a cry.

“Enough of this.” Lightning quick, he stood up from beneath me, taking me with him. His calloused fingers gripped my neck, stopping air from passing to my lungs. In my face, he hissed, “This fight is over. Do you understand? You have lost and now your blood will become mine.”

His hand jerked my head to the side exposing my neck. All attempts to free myself were useless, and I could see now he had only been toying with me before.

My struggling body reminded me of a gazelle after it’s been captured by a cheetah. It always made me mad to see how easily the gazelle would give up after struggling for just a short time, as if it knew it didn’t have a chance. I didn’t think I had a chance either, but I wasn’t about to stop fighting.

“Hold still, Little One, it will hurt less.” He lowered his head to my flesh, then paused. “Never mind, struggle. I want you to feel pain.”

His head struck forward like a viper and his teeth pierced the skin of my neck. The pain was terrible, far worse than I could’ve ever imagined. And every attempt to push him away only made his cold teeth drive further into my flesh.

Was this what my mother had endured? A painful death? All the good she’d done, all the people she’d helped and then to be killed by this evil monster. Was I really going to let my parent’s legacy be destroyed? I was all that was left. My mother used to tell me I was destined for great things—finally, I believed her.

Blood flowed down my arms and dripped to the floor. Beyond the blood, I knew Light was next to be drained, and after that there’d be nothing left. Already I could feel Light struggling to contend with death’s darkness.

I opened my eyes and squinted into the stage’s bright lights. Its warmth whispered against my skin as if it were trying to tell me something. I blinked slowly and in that second had a moment of clarity. I could expel light, but could I draw it into me just as easily?

Using the last of my strength, I began to suck the light from the room and into myself, hoping it would fortify my weakening Light. The stage lights flickered until they went out entirely. I reached further, mentally draining the surrounding area of power: the school, the neighborhood, all of it until I could contain no more. I was so full of Light that my skin felt like it would burst from my frame.

That’s when I released it. My body stiffened, and my head snapped back as Light spilled from my eyes and mouth.

The Vyken stiffened against me, and his eyes opened wide. Fear and horror painted them a terrible color. He squirmed and tried to push away from my neck, but Light’s grip was tighter. It snuffed out his darkness and as more Light flowed from me, I felt him grow weak.

A loud tearing sound bounced throughout the auditorium as the body of the Vyken came apart. First his arm disintegrated, followed by his other one. The back of his head collapsed within itself, then his chest. He continued to crack and peel until his whole body became a pile of silver ash.

What once was a vessel for absolute evil was now nothing more than a pile of dirt at my feet.