His words finally registered. I stopped, turning to look at him as he fought a Valefar. His body heaved as he fought; slashing down Valefar, but more took their place. I turned my attention back to Collin. I didn’t know what Eric was talking about. Why should I contain my anger? We were in the middle of a battlefield, fighting to the death.

That was when I saw it. Lifting my blade in front of my eyes, I saw the silver was glowing bright white. I stared at it, but that wasn’t what made me pause. It was my reflection. I could see it in the blade. The glowing blade illuminated my face, revealing raging eyes that pooled deep violet. I could see the ends of my hair were glowing. They were illuminated with purple flames that did not burn. My hair had come loose from my ponytail and was whipping my face. I had no idea it was engulfed in violet flames. I couldn’t feel the heat. It neither burned nor smoked. It was just there, showcasing my rage in a way unique to me—the Prophecy One.

I sucked in a deep breath, unsure of what it meant. My heart thundered, pumping blood through my body, as my muscles flexed. I twisted the blade away from me so I couldn’t see my reflection and wondered if it mattered. Control my anger? Was my anger doing this to me?

Elena’s scream shattered my thoughts. She’d been fighting Collin the entire time, holding her own. I knew Eric trained her, so she was good. When I turned, I saw her body go limp, as she fell past the edge of the pit and into the chasm below. Blood was running down Collin’s right arm where her weapon pierced his skin. He beckoned my forward. Eric’s warning was quickly forgotten, and I allowed the rage to consume me. I couldn’t contain it. I stopped before him, just out of reach. Hatred flowed through me like fire. I didn’t recognize my own voice as I spoke to him, “A life for a life. A heart for a heart. A soul for a soul. You took all those things from me, and now I’m going to take them back.”

Before I finished speaking, before my words had time to sink in, I thrust my blade at his chest, expecting it to pierce his flesh. But, it met his Brimstone knife with a metallic clang. Collin’s eyes were wide. “Ivy, stop! It’s not what you think.” He didn’t strike out at me with his blade. He only blocked.

I swung again, and he blocked. Another cry pierced the night. I repressed a shiver that sent ice down my spine at the sound of Martis being demon kissed. Sucking in air, I continued to advance on him. I thrust my blade at his body, aiming for spots that were vulnerable, and finding none. “Stop lying to me!” I screamed. I swung at him again, only to feel my blade crash into his. “I lost everything because of you!”

Every ounce of fury went into my next swing. I knew it would make contact. I knew it would be his death. It would end the lies, the pain, and the look in his eyes; the look that caused me to believe him when he said he loved me. He twisted sharply at the last moment. The blade came down hard, missing his torso, but it pierced his arm. His shaking hand dropped the knife, as blood flowed over his arm. I kicked the black blade into the pit. It hit the side, clattering, as it fell into oblivion.

Rage filled my chest. I sucked in air, and drew my weapon over my head, as the wind whipped my flaming violet hair. Fury and power flowed through me, numbing everything but the revenge I so desperately needed. Collin fell to his knees, raising one hand over his head, as I was about to end his life. Pinched between his pale fingers, he held up something for me to take. Something I wanted. Something I never thought I’d see again. Apryl’s silver comb gleamed in the darkness, as he held it out to me.

I hesitated. His gesture threw me off, causing me to falter. I stood there poised to strike, but didn’t move. If he had the comb, he could fight. But he wasn’t. He surrendered. Certain I was over-thinking this, I reached for the comb, intending to rip it out of his hands. But when I reached out, his other hand flew up and caught my arm. He jumped to his feet, jerking me toward him. Looking down at me, his chest swelled with ragged breaths. A shriek tore out of my lungs, as I tried to pull out of his grip. I tried to twist away from him, using anything I could. But, he didn’t let go. Before I realized what was happening, the icy hot sensation from the bond shot through me. It came to life injecting images, memories, and emotions into me. I stood there paralyzed, with him clutching my forearm tightly.

He was forcing me to relive one of his memories. I fell into the memory, and a blood curdling scream came from somewhere in the distance. Collin ran toward the sound, not finding the girl who screamed. There were too many trees. She isn’t where she’s supposed to be. His heart beat violently, threatening to tear apart his chest. His feet crushed the earth, and dirt flew into the air, as he ran. Anxiety consumed him whole. He repressed his fear, but it kept trying to surface as he ran. He thought he was too late. As he ran into the clearing, his stomach lurched. He found the girl he was looking for.

Her pale form was lying lifeless in Jake’s arms, while his lips pressed to hers, striping her soul from her body.

The girl was me.

My eyes were closed and I knew that was when the golden light was leaving me. Collin saw it spilled on the ground like puddles of liquid gold. A tangle of emotions shot though his body—fear, dread, rage, revenge—but he never slowed. His body rammed Jake’s, knocking him away from me. Jake’s body flew through the air. His head connected with a tree in a loud crack, and his body slumped to the ground, motionless. If he weren’t a Valefar, the impact would have killed him.

At that moment in the memory, I tried to pull away and break Collin’s grip. I didn’t want to see this, but the bond held me tight—Collin held me tight—forcing me to relive the rest of his memory. As it continued, Collin watched my broken body, as I lay still on the dirt that night. My chest didn’t rise or fall. He slid his fingers carefully under my neck. His strong arms trembled, as he lifted me into his lap. My body was limp. I didn’t respond. I didn’t cry. There was no expression on my lips.

He pressed his forehead to mine and whispered, “No. No. Ivy… ” He held me in his lap, but didn’t respond. I was ashen faced, and cold beyond possibility. Images of his wife flashed through the memory—gray faces and funeral pyres. His gut clenched in response, terrified. The memory of my laughter, my smile faded in and out, as fast as lightening streaking across the night sky. The joy I made him feel, shot through him and vanished. He realized death already had hold of me. The turmoil within him threatened to tear him apart. In his mind, I could feel that he made a decision that pained him, though I didn’t know why.

Tears streaked his face, as he took his black blade and sliced his thumb. Scarlet flowed from his cut. He rubbed his blood into my mark—demon blood. My mark absorbed it, burning bright red, and then returning to pale blue. Words echoed in the memory, I’m sorry Ivy. There is no other way. His sliced finger touched my lips, as scarlet blood flowed into my mouth. I watched the memory, feeling the same horror that raked Collin’s body. He was the one who gave me demon blood. Oh my God!

But the memory went on. He wasn’t done yet. After the blood entered my mouth, his lips came down on mine, softly—gently. His lips took the kiss he always wanted but could never have. The result saved my life, and damned me at the same time. I could feel his thoughts. The demon blood granted the power to sustain life without a soul. It would allow me to live even if too much of my soul was taken. But, he risked me turning Valefar if he gave blood alone. So he didn’t.

Something inside of Collin screamed, as his lips were pressed to mine. His tainted scrap of soul was torn, and a part flowed into my body, with the hope that I would not be Valefar. He hoped the angelic Martis blood would latch onto his putrid piece of soul and heal me. He took his thumb, spreading it over my lips as he backed away, using his blood to seal his soul inside of me. He watched my face. Waiting. His hand gently wiped the tears off my cheeks, and tucked a curl behind my ear. Quietly, he held me waiting and hoping. So many thoughts flew threw his mind, but they tangled together. The only coherent thought I heard, laced between the regret was, Come back to me Ivy. Come back to me. He held me in his arms, stroking my hair. Terror and remorse consumed him.

My eyes fluttered opened, staring up at him. Relief washed through him. All the heated rage washed out of him. His blue eyes wouldn’t leave my face. His mind brushed mine, as he assured me, You’re safe.

I couldn’t watch the memory anymore. I gasped, pulling away from him. The bond released me. I was out of the memory and stood there, in front of him with my mouth hanging open—trembling, and still enraged. I knew the bond could only show the truth. Collin’s eyes were the unreal vibrant blue that I saw after the attack. They were no longer red with bloodlust. Gasping, I stepped away from him. My voice was a whispered shock, “It was you? You saved me the night Jake attacked me? You were there?” My hand clutched my throat. I could barely breathe.

He nodded once. “Yes, but it’s my fault. The whole thing is my fault. I asked Jake to watch you, suspecting you’d change. I could sense it was imminent—the scent of your blood combined with your suffering—you were prime Martis material. It wasn’t a lucky guess that he found you. I led him to you. He was supposed to protect you, but that was never his intention. He betrayed me, and tried to take your power for himself. Ivy, I’m the reason you were attacked. I’m the reason you’re tainted. I’m the one who changed you from Martis. It was my fault. All of it.” He paused unable to look at me. “I couldn’t lose you. Not when I could save you. And I didn’t want to bind you to me. I already told you that. I wanted all of you, unhindered.” He smiled faintly. “I knew Jake drained your soul, and that you didn’t have any left. All living beings must have enough soul to sustain them. I tried to return your last piece of soul, the one that drained onto the ground when I ripped Jake away from you, but it didn’t work. It wouldn’t return to you once it was free, so I took it and combined it with a piece of mine. My putrid scrap of soul wasn’t enough to release me from being a Valefar—but when combined with your last fragment of soul; it was enough to restore your life. I used my blood to seal it inside of you, but my blood changed you.”

He sighed, pushing his hair out of his face and looking me in the eye. “When I left you that night, I thought you were fine. Your mark was still blue and Eric had you. I thought you’d be okay. It wasn’t until I saw your mark had turned purple that I knew what happened. I’m the reason you’re the Prophecy One. It’s my fault.” He stood there, looking at me.

My emotions were so wild that I had no idea how I felt. I knew the bond couldn’t lie. And I believed his words. But something was still off. I said, “So why did you open the portal? Why were you going to sacrifice me?” My fists were gripping my weapon so tightly that my hand shook.

He shook his head. “I wasn’t. Once I saw you were tainted, I tried to derail the prophecy. I taught you how to use your Valefar powers and you started doing things I’ve never seen before. Things that weren’t part of the prophecy. I thought it would counter it, and maybe the prophecy would change course—like you’d hoped. But it didn’t. It just kept moving towards this portal opening. The Valefar were still looking for you, the painting, and the key. They wouldn’t stop until they had all three. I saw the key around your neck at the church.” He swallowed hard, looking around him quickly at the fighting, then back at me. “I knew we had all three. I told them to open the portal.”