Taming Darkness
Chapter 11

~Tobias~

The crater in the middle of the city is huge. It looks like a giant sinkhole that has swallowed a sizable chunk of the street. It is filled with rubble and debris. I can see the remains of buildings and busted cars scattered around and in the crater. It's clear that whoever caused it is incredibly powerful. Backing up, I run toward it and jump. Sailing through the air, my eyes glued to the power hunter's closest. I land heavily on the other side in a crouched position, and I must say that is definitely the furthest I have jumped. My weight leaves an imprint of my shoes on the dirt. After hitting the ground, I get to my feet. It is carnage everywhere, magic flying past and blasting buildings, destroying anything it touches. Darius is fighting for his life as they move in closer, trying to drain him of his magic. A few of the hunters glance away from him, noticing me coming up behind them. The rest of them don't pay me any attention, as if I am no threat. However, eventually two of them turn in my direction, and instantly notice me, they run at me, hurling lightning balls as they do. Ducking, they hit the crater, and I snarl. My body burns with a surge of energy. I focus on the power hunters. My mind is clear and focused. Raising my hands, my magic runs from my chest and along my arms. This sends a wave of fire toward them, distracting them away from Darius and giving him a chance to recover and recoup.

What they don't know is that the way they scoff at me only lights up the fire inside me more. Their indifference adds fuel to my anger, setting off a violent inferno of flames, ready to break free and turn everything into ashes.

They are underestimating me, and I won't let that pass unpunished. I would be damned if I ever allowed those fools to believe they were better than me, that I was no match for them. They are mistaken.

The power hunter on my left points at me, and a spiral of fire shoots out of their outstretched hands. They can't believe I didn't see this coming.

Although many might get scared by the sudden attack, it is nothing compared to the fire that rages through me. There's no way I am willing to let this happen their way.

All of them were going to be stopped. One by one, until there were no more power hunters left.

They have no idea what's coming for them. In the process of initiating war, they don't realize that their egos had already dug their graves for themselves long before they decided to start it.

The power hunters might have had the advantage of the masses, but they forgot a very vital detail-Darius wasn't trapped here with them. It is the other way around; they are trapped here with Darius. The shield they have placed around the city will prove to be their downfall. Only fools lock themselves in a cage with a predator.

They had the misfortune of being inside with Darius. He is about to rip them apart one by one. And judging by the crazed frenzied madness I feel writhing through him, he intends to do just that.

In an ambush across the crater, Kalen quickly puts up a shield as I dodge a fireball from my left side. Worry eats me, but I'm soon distracted when I am attacked. I have to trust he'll be okay.

Flames suddenly engulf me, and I look down at my burning shirt and then at the hunter that caused them. He then blasts me again. "This was one of my only unstained shirts, you fucker!" I snarl at him. As my flames surge out, the hunter's weaker ones are absorbed. "Like this," I instruct, holding my hand out in mockery of their attack.

My flames pour out and cover the hunter, bathing him in a blanket of raging fire from which he can't escape. The hunter screams in agony as the fire envelops him, his body writhing and contorting in pain. His skin blisters and chars as the fire consumes him, and his clothes quickly catch alight and turn to ash in seconds.

He desperately attempts to extinguish the flames, flailing his arms and rolling on the ground, but his efforts are futile. Within minutes, all that remains is a charred corpse smoldering in the flames.

I pry my eyes away from the hunter and glance over my shoulder to check on Kalen. However, he flashes out of my view as he tries to replace another way across.

Another group of hunters approaches me, but the flames aren't the only thing they are bringing this time. Tendrils of lightning flit through the group, and cold, heartless eyes glitter at me from more than one face.

I suppose the rest of them finally noticed me and decided to bring in the big guns. And to think all it took was to burn one of their friends.

While the hunters approach me at a slow but threatening pace, I quickly scan my surroundings to assess the threat.

Across the way, Darius is also surrounded-a loud, infuriating growl forms in my chest. I stop the sound before it can leave me, trapping the remnants of my anger in my throat. F**k! We are in over our heads. For as far as I can see, all I see is an army; they just keep coming. The scene is chaotic, with fire, lightning, and smoke filling the air. Kalen has disappeared, and Darius is surrounded. Darius is standing on the courthouse stairs, surrounded by hunters.

He is determined but outnumbered. Fire, lightning, and smoke fill the air as the hunters launch their attacks. He retaliates with all his strength, dodging fireballs and lightning bolts. While using his own magic with deadly precision. Despite his efforts, the hunters keep coming, and he is slowly being pushed backward. He knows he can't keep this up for much longer, but he won't give up. He is determined to protect what he holds dear, no matter the cost. And now we are here, and I know that is us. We are his distraction. Everywhere I look, I see hunters coming toward me, their faces filled with malice and intent. The ground is littered with charred corpses, a reminder of the power of my flames, yet I barely made a dent in the number of people here. The tension is thick in the air, and I can almost taste the fear and adrenaline emanating from the hunters.

I knew chasing after Darius meant risking everything. But when I see just how outnumbered we are, I wonder if by forcing Kalen and Lycus to come here, I just got them killed.

I am willing to do anything to ensure my mates survive. And to my absolute displeasure, I realize this will be harder than I originally thought. Running toward the sea of fighting bodies, humans, Fae, and power hunters, I lift my hands, blasting them with my magic. Orange flames burst from my hands with enough force it even pushes a car back, slamming into a power pole.

Now we just had to hope Aleera's Phoenixes could break this damn dome to help us when they got here. If not, we might have just reached our end.

And if they keep up with this pace, our end won't be too far off.

***

-Darius-

I underestimated them. We all underestimated them.

We thought we had seen this organization's mass of power hunters, but we were wrong. Who would have thought that there were so many more hiding in the shadows, avoiding their enemies' eyes, and waiting for the right moment to strike?

I knew the power hunters had an army, but that isn't a big enough word to describe how many there are. Hundreds of thousands more than I anticipated. I couldn't be sure as they stood in rows so far away. There appears to be no end to them as they keep coming forward. Never a reprieve from the onslaught.

And worst of all, I know I've killed myself and sealed my mates' fate. I feel an intense amount of rage when I feel them break through the shield I had put over this place.

I was willing to die, willing to die to keep them safe, yet they followed me. How? How did they break through? Now I'm fighting to keep them alive long enough to replace a way for them to get out of this city.

The group of hunters surrounds me, and I study each of them, searching for that bitch. The one I want to pull apart piece by piece and let my power consume the remains-the one who has enough gall to stand up against me and the ones I love.

This woman dared to harm my mates. If she believed I wouldn't seek revenge against someone who thought it was a smart idea to put my mates at risk, she was so f*****g wrong.

A power hunter approaches me, twisting his neck back and forth until it cracks. I raise a brow. Is this their grand idea? Are they going to come at me one at a time?

Or is this merely an attempt to intimidate me? To scare me so much that I would run away from this place at the mere sight of this giant fucker. The hunter is a giant of a man, towering above everyone else. I can tell they are intimidated just by his sheer size. As he climbs the stairs toward me, his groupie members step aside like they believe this man alone could end me. I try not to laugh, watching him climb the steps to the flat area where I stand. His face is a mask of determination, and his stance is intimidating and aggressive as he stands across from me. I sigh heavily.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall, and he will fall. In some display, he lets his magic twist and weave around him, slivering from his hands and wrapping around the arms of his heavy cloak. He has an air of power and authority about him, and his eyes are cold and calculating. He wears a heavy coat with a hood that obscures his facial features, but his piercing gaze is unmistakable. Burning brightly, his green eyes glow beneath the hood.

"Oh, don't worry," the hunter announces, cracking his knuckles. "I asked to go one-on-one with you. I've always wanted to see what kind of blood your kind has in your hellish veins."

I still can't believe they're still underestimating me to this degree. Did they have a death wish, or had their egos destroyed the last of their brain cells? It's almost impossible to believe that someone could lack basic survival instincts and be this happy about that. Anyone would think this man was taking a stroll in the park, not stepping into the devil's den.

I shake my head, annoyed that he could be so cocky. Did everyone suddenly forget who I am? Did he not notice that I killed twenty of their people without breaking a sweat? "And what do I get from this ridiculous d**k-measuring contest of yours? Though, I have no doubt mine is way bigger."

I didn't need to intimidate this man or appear better than him. At this point, I know I'm better, no doubt about that. And for the record, my d**k is definitely bigger than his.

He laughs at me. "I doubt that. As for why you should fight me... Aren't you looking for someone in our ranks?" he questions.

I snort. "And you're telling me you can magically produce her?"

The man flashes me a wide smile with his cracked and warped teeth, making it obvious he is not a Vampiric-Fae; they look after their teeth, and this man looks like he doesn't even own a toothbrush! It's beyond me how this fool could be so confident in his abilities. Did he really think he could beat me? "She's the one who trained me. Fight me hand-to-hand, and the first to plead for mercy loses. If I win, I get to cut your fingers off one by one, and if you win, I'll summon the woman you're waiting for," he chuckles.

At least now I know that he is not only ugly but lacks brain power. He has major complexes about his d**k size, flaunts skills he doesn't have, and on top of it all-his sense of humor is lacking.

"Though, that only means you'll get to fight her and her elite guard, not exactly the finest reward, but hey, if you want her here, it's the easiest way. She's watching us right now." "Well, she mustn't like you very much. She is prepared to watch you die," I chuckle.

I will take them all one by one if I have to. In order to get to her, I will crawl to hell and back while grinning like a fool just to kill her.

"Then you accept?" the man chuffs, as if I had a choice when surrounded. I doubt they're about to let me skip out on this.

I won't let her get away with her atrocities. Her life is mine. "Whatever," I grumble, rolling my eyes. This guy looks like a blockhead. I doubt he can cause half as much trouble as he claims.

"Good choice," he grins. "My name is Terry. I thought you should know before I take you apart." I glare at him, my fists clenched. "You think you can take me apart? We'll see who'll be in pieces by the end of this." I take a step forward, ready for a fight.