Sinful Mates 1-3
chapter 84

Imogen’s POV

Theo's grip on my wrist made me realise what I was about to do. Giving Tobias enough time toreach me. Tobias gripping my wrist along with him but, the darkness was stronger as it surgedthrough me. Sparks moving up my arm from their touch, and I could feel Tobias and Theo lendingme their strength through the bond as I fought against the darkness. Encouraging me to fightagainst it, to fight for them.

“You don't want to do this Imogen,” Tobias said his grip tight on my arm. I felt like I was stuck,not able to move, frozen in time, when I felt the fog rush over me. Only this time I didn't shake it off,I let it move over me, letting it relax me and I throw all my focus on the feeling of the fog calmingand muting my thoughts that were racing. I relaxed and took a deep breath concentrating on mybreathing and I felt my hand release Theo and I fell backwards on the grass. Theo panting as hecaught his breath, Tobias laying flat on his back, and I knew he could feel the pain Theo was in.

Yet I could still feel the darkness trying to force its way back, force its control over me as thestorm above us raged to magnitude levels. Theo regaining his strength sat up and brushed his handover mine, but I pulled mine away, I feared what I could have done to him. I did this, and I finallyunderstood what Theo meant. I was addicted to the power, addicted to the feeling it gave me. Andwhen I was like this, I forgot who I was, forgot what they mean to me.

“I'm okay Imogen,” he said trying to reassure me. I shook my head. Guilt eating away at me, Icould have killed him, and destroyed Tobias because I let my emotions get the better of me, let themagic have the control it wanted. But most of all, I was losing who I was to something that wasgoing to destroy me and those I loved. I felt Tobias brush his hand down my back as Theo crouchedin front of me. Torn between what I knew I needed to do and what I craved. I craved the power thatwas within me, like a drug. A drug I didn’t want to admit was a problem

Yet my love for them outweighed it. I know if I let the magic have control, if I give in to it. Iwasn't only going to lose myself; I knew I was going to lose them too. That wasn't a sacrifice I waswilling to make.

Everyone has a breaking point, and I knew I reached mine already, and I know they weren't faroff from theirs. I know the decision they would make, and it would be the same for me if our roleswere reversed. I would turn my back on them for the sake of our son. Thinking of Thaddeus, I felttears run down my face; I was angry with myself and what I allowed myself to become.

“We are going to work this out Imogen,” Theo said. Making me look at him. Theo was drenchedin blood and I did that to him, and he was still here trying to make me feel better even though I hurtthem. He was right, we were going to work this out, but in this moment, I was a danger to them, adanger to myself. Theo and Tobias must have sensed my guilt as they both tried to reach for me,but I shook them off.

“Run” I don't know what made them move, Theo and Tobias were suddenly gone from my side.I wouldn't risk it taking over. I won't risk losing them when they are all I have left.

Feeling it running over me white hot and angry, the storm reacting to my emotions as I felt ithit me. The pain rippling through me as I felt it strike me down. Pulling all the energy from thestorm, I directed it to where I stood. I screamed when I felt it zap through me. The pain wasn't likeanything I had felt before. The sort of pain where you wished for death just so it would be over with.Every muscle in my body tensed and spasmed. Pain shooting down my neck as I felt the powerburning up and sizzling, burning hot like lava. The pain crippled me, as I felt the magic leave me.Forcing it back into the broken bracelet that sat on my wrist. Now I know why Witches havetalismans.

Sometimes the power is more than we can handle and as much as I want it. I can't control it.My magic wasn't worth losing everything. Wasn't worth losing them. When I felt the last remnantsof my magic travel down my arm and creep out my fingertips. I felt this emptiness before I felt mybody give in to the pain radiating throughout me. I felt like my soul was being sucked out of mybody. My magic had become such a big part of me, and now it was gone, I felt my fight go with it. Icould live without my magic; I couldn't live without them.

My body becoming heavy as I couldn't hang on to consciousness no longer and I didn’t wantto. The pain becoming unbearable. I just hope that when I wake up, it doesn’t hurt anymore, and Ican't hurt them anymore. The last thing I remember is feeling slight relief as I felt familiar sparks ofthe bond travel over my body as I felt I was being lifted before I see the darkness ofunconsciousness.

Tobias's POV

I watched as she lost control, one minute she was fine, the next I could feel the darknessswirling within her. She was a ticking time bomb about to explode. Theo knows firsthand what thedarkness is capable of, and I could feel his fear coming through to me as he watched as her eyesblazed. The entire house shaking and the power flickering. It worried me that the entire place wasgoing to come down around us as the house rocked violently. Theo glanced at me and I knew whathe was going to do, although I was anxious about him being close to her while she was like this.

Thaddeus screamed loudly from the noise, stirring in my arms, Theo reacting quickly as hegrabbed her, a blur flying past as he ran her outside. Dad and Mum looking on helplessly, unsure ofwhat was going on. They knew she had dark magic but hadn't seen the destruction she could cause.Handing Thaddeus off to my mother, I ran to help Theo, knowing he would be the first one to copthe brunt of her anger. What I wasn't expecting to replace as I ran out was that Imogen had her hand inhis chest, about to rip his heart out. I watched horrified as the two people I loved most in this worldwere on the verge of destroying each other. Imogen glanced toward me as we came out, mymother screaming as she witnesses Imogen lose control.

Theo noticing her distraction grips her wrist, giving me enough time to reach her. The powersurging through her was stronger than both of us put together. I could feel through the bond shetrying to fight against it, it was losing battle. Panic seizing me as I watch her fight herself.

“You don't want to do this, Imogen” I tell her, and I could feel she didn't want to do it. I pulledagainst her, but it was like pulling on a brick wall and I don't even think it was her anymore but themagic drawing energy from Theo feeding into her magic. I could feel her trying not to give in, feelTheo's agony through the bond. When I felt his grip slip slightly, I watch as his eyes glaze over and Iwatch as he tries to compel her.

She notices the fog and I could feel it breaking down her barriers. Not because he was stronger,but because she was letting it. Imogen didn't want to hurt him and when I felt her relax, I knew hehad her. She let go, and we both fell backwards. I watch her become plagued with guilt, feel it rushover her, and I feared what she would do next as I felt her slip into an overwhelming depression.

We both tried to reassure her, tried to let her know we could help her. Something shifted insideher. Something that scared me. I never felt her this sad and lost, yet there was also a determinationin her and I couldn't understand the intention behind it until it was too late. Theo flicking throughher thoughts before realization dawned on him at the same time, she whispered one word. “Run.”

I wanted to stop her, wanted to help her replace another way, but Theo stood up and shoved meback just as the lightning struck her. Pinning her in place, I watched as it wrapped itself around herlike a lasso spreading over her skin. Her eyes glowing brightly as she screamed in agony. Her painoverwhelming her, and I felt Theo drop through the bond. Imogen'’s pain bringing us to our kneesas we watched her suffer. The electricity burning her skin and wrapping around her before I see thebracelet on her wrist glow angrily and I figured out what she was doing. She was sending it back.Letting it go, even though it was destroying her to do so.

I couldn't catch my breath. Feeling her agony through the bond made it hard to breathe, likeshe was tearing a piece of herself away. Finally, it fizzled out the sky cleared and the gold in her eyeswas gone. She was slipping into unconsciousness and Theo got to her in time as she collapsed. Wewatched a smile slip onto her face before her eyes fluttered shut, only they weren't the gold of hermagic anymore but the deep electric blue that we both loved.

My parents watched as we brought her inside. No one said anything. We didn’t have to. We allknew what she gave up. We all know how much magic means to a witch. She may not have knownwhat she was for these years, but we knew that losing it would take a huge toll on her. Imogen didit, anyway, knowing full well what she was going to lose. She did it for us, for her son.0