Lana's POV

My mind seemed to had gone blank.. It was pictures that flashed before me, pain that crept throughout my body from the tight grip around me from behind, but my ears only echoed with sounds and Christian's cusses while my mind failed to register the whole situation..

  My eyes only focused on his angry face and those that appeared behind him.. Amelia and Dimitri.. He held her back when she tried getting closer to the barrier, but my ears went mute to their voices.. She looked terrified, and I knew it was for me..

Because it was Adam that held me, him that tricked me.. The very monster himself. Yet at that point, I could only concentrate on Christian's furious bangs against the invisible barrier, his harsh cusses that occasionally found their way to my ears to register..

This is the final war, I thought.. This is it. Him or us. Him or me, to be more correct since it was only the two of us in that room that was locked with a spell so that no one else could enter. To face one another once seemed very simple, but in reality it was a lot more complicated than what it sounded like..

Perhaps I could've snatched away from him somehow.. Perhaps I could've even punched him through that process.. But I stayed still.. I stayed quiet and allowed him to hold me close to him from behind, keeping me straight and conscious so that I could witness Christian's misery as he repeatedly demanded to him to let me go..

  One wrong move, and any of those before me, those that I was ready to give my life for, could fall dead. And it was that moment I understood the meaning behind my father's words.. The things he had once said about witches and dark magic.. The reason why he kept us away from them our whole lives.

  It was magic and spells that took his daughter away once.. He simply never wished such fate for none of his other children. And so it was also the moment I realized my father wasn't fearless.. He feared death. Not his own.. But the death of those he loved blindly. And at that point, I realized that I was just the same..

  "It must hurt," Adam spoke against my ear, inhaled sharply and continued provoking Christian. "to have something snatched from you, from right under your nose."

  "Let her go." Christian simply repeated through his teeth, and..

  And was something in his voice.. Something so sharp and promising.. I had never seen him in such state of rage.. In such state that I believe anything or anyone that tried crossing him would wind up in pieces.

My hair was slightly yanked back with enough force to have me close my eyes for a second.. Adam was furious, I knew that.. I even lied to him when I got there, telling him I would follow him and his plan, that I arrived there under a mind game when it was all a plan.. His rage was predicted. I just never thought he would make it alive that far..

"I've rotted here for two damn years because of you damned le Boursiers." He spoke through clenched teeth, there near me from behind and held me tight enough so that I couldn't move an inch. "I've lived and re-lived every second of my life, through agony and misery," An ironic dry laugh left his throat "Do you have any clue how it felt when I heard her heartbeat, here in front of this house, six months ago?"

I felt him move closer.. "It broke your spell, you impulsive little bitch," His breath was near my ear as I closed my eyes. "I woke up," He even dared to caress my hair, provoking Christian further.. "The simple feel of her near had me wake up," I could feel his breath somewhere near my neck and I feared to open my eyes and see Christian's fury to that. "And I knew I had—" Another inhale against my hair and I heard Christian's angry shout. A roar. "I had to see her, feel her.. I had to have her if I wanted to live,"

  It was satisfaction that Christian's fury caused in Adam.. His provocations that Christian fell for were for only that. He enjoyed torturing people through whatever way it was.. Knowing that his touch over me effected Christian the harshest, he ran his finger down my neck and followed his moved from the side.. Kissed my shoulder and moved back for a second..

"But you snatched her away from me," And then it was anger I heard in his voice.. So easily changed. "That night, you took her, and hell, I swore I'd have you all dead before I gave up again," Behind me stood a psychopath, one that would do anything to get revenge. And I was at his mercy. "And I'm living now.. Because of you, love," He said to me, only to have that rock of fury turn in my stomach. "Undo the spell, Amelia, or she dies,"

  Amelia once again tried taking a step closer but Dimitri held her still.. Then she simply shook her head slightly and I saw the tear that tumbled down her cheek.

"If you kill her, you'll die too," Was what she said.. It were hopeful words, threatening words, and while the weakness on her face, her voice held fierceness.

"Wrong." There was even humor in Adam's voice, amusement, and when he reached out in his pocket and took out the silver jewel, I finally understood the meaning behind Alexander's presence previously that night. He brought Adam the necklace, thinking it would save him. And it did the opposite. It killed him. "Try again. This time, by doing your little voodoo and breaking the damned spell."

The spell that would free him from the house. Only Amelia could do that, since it was her that locked him in there, and also put him in his magic slumber for two years.. It was all up to her, and she had two choices. To free him or to have him kill me for not doing it. And I almost screamed for her to chose the second option because hell, my life would have had no meaning if I would leave the monster that ruined my family roam around free..

"Fucking coward!" Christian however interrupted, having completely different ideas on how to end the duel. "Tell your damned witch to put this fucking wall down and come fight me if you dare!"

It was no shouts but threatening growls that froze my bones.. Promises and dares he said that froze my bones.. But when the last living witch of the three sisters appeared behind them, my life flashed before my eyes.. My lips parted to scream, yell, give him at least some kind of sign, but it was all for nothing.. Her hand rose and she muttered words that had Christian fall down to the ground.. Amelia and Dimitri too..

Calliope fell to the ground as well and that was the moment I realized she had appeared, probably not so pong ago because she was put down quickly, before she could do something to stop the witch, or at least put the wall down with some spell..

And I— I had no clue what had happened.. What kind of a spell the witch did to them, because I was snatching away from Adam that very moment with the kind of force that had me rushing in that direction with a yelp in my throat, a desperate scream escaping my lips.

"No! What are you doing?!" I was running towards the invisible barrier, not even aware of my own moves, trying to hear a living heartbeat but only hearing the witch's. My hands banged so harshly against the invisible wall it burned my palms. "Christian!"

And my mind had gone blank, buzzing in silence.. No, it was not possible.. A spell— whatever spell it was, could not put them down so easily.. They— they were fine, they had to be fine. And I had to be imagining, because that was not the way the plan was supposed to go down.. No, it wasn't real. It couldn't be..

  But my fists banged into nothing, against the magic barrier, and they didn't wake up.. Still no heartbeats to be heard. Something in my stomach turned.. Nauseously boiling in a way that had me grind my teeth in fury, the kind that was caused from fear and denial.. It was supposed to be me.. If someone was put down, it was supposed to be no one other than me..

  Hell, it was all emotions at once that flooded me, so harshly that my head span, so quickly that I almost threw up.. I was overwhelmed, lost for a second, with rage and horror, completely disoriented.. My mind was in denial and tried convincing me that it was all just a game, that they were fine, but my heart sank in pain, and it took me every bit of strength I had left in my body to keep me from falling to my knees..

  To have me turn around and face Adam.. Look back at the amused blue eyes and the darkness that was openly presented behind them.. He was satisfied with his deeds, amused from what he had done and what immediate consequences it had on me. He saw the pain in my eyes and fed from it.

  And yet I was aware that that pain was turning into fury.. That denial and loss of senses disappearing from the sudden need to stain my hands with his blood.. To have him fall dead at my feet. No, nothing could stop me at that point..

  I was rushing towards him with speed of the wind, the kind that could not be stopped even if the world was ending.. Because mine already had. There were no tears left in my body nor did I need any, because my weakness was triggered to the point of numbness, and if I allowed even a second of to truly reach me, I feared that my heart would simply stop.

My body seemed to had been mastered by some different force, as for it was no longer myself that could control my own actions.. In some consciousness I did rise my hand when I reached him, but my strength had gone so low from the shock that still buzzed through me like a lightning, that my wrist was caught midway and instead I was yanked so harshly against the wall, I lost balance and would've fallen to the ground if it wasn't for Adam's tight grip against my shoulders.

I couldn't seem to be able to register anything other than the heat in my body that was boiling to the point of numbness and unawareness of my own moves.. I said some things even, yelled them or cried them, but it was all agony and torture even though it was only fury I could feel flowing throughout my body..

A part of me had no strength to feel the tightness of his grip, the way he held me motionless, or the pain my own struggling caused.. I didn't even hear my own voice because such pressure had risen in my head and up my throat that had left me deaf and mute.. Until I heard a sharp demand from the witch somewhere behind Adam and realized I was after the wrong person.. It was the witch that— that did it.. That did that to him. To them.

"Don't play too much! Kill her now, Adam, or I will kill both of you!" It was my own roar that left my throat when I heard those words, but as I tried pushing Adam away to get to the witch, I simply saw how he allowed his fangs to appear as he leaned close enough to have my vision blurry, threatening without words.

"I believe death will be too quick for you." He said to me, whispered to my ear with such calmness that left me even more frustrated, completely lost with the need to end him right in that moment.

I didn't care that there was nearly no space between the two of us.. I kicked my leg up to kick him and at least free myself enough to take a hold of him, but none of it worked because he was far too stronger for me.. And I was far too numb to be able to do any of it, far too lost to follow up my own damned actions..

It was a crunching sound that took my attention however.. A sharp, echoing sound of bones crushing and a slight roar that left me suddenly motionless.. It was a male voice, a powerful growl that I hadn't heard in some time.. Long enough to have me forget who it belonged to.. And it did take Adam's attention as well.

Whatever it was that the two of us were doing, one trying to kill the other, it was that loud sound that took our attention, that distracted even me from my intention to ruin Adam right in that moment. Everything froze in that moment.. Everything stopped.

  It was as if my mind found a second to pause and fall under that confusion that so suddenly dominated my body, I almost lost every little balance I was holding onto only because of my anger and nothing else.. My other emotions would've had me collapse right then and there.

  I tried looking over Adam's shoulder to my realization that there was no longer a witch with us, the he dimple reality that it was her bones that someone crushed or her neck that was snapped only seconds ago.. But before I could properly see what it was that was going on, Adam's pressure was simply snatched away from me..

  In all that blur of consciousness and deafness of my senses, I was released with a simply pull of him away from me, yet I was still left motionless and frozen on my soot from just how quickly it was all going down.. I remember seeing Adam's eyes widening in shock when he was snatched away, as the silver necklace he was holding simply flew on the rotten wooden floor and away from him..

  It was that moment I realized who it really was that killed the witch.. That released me from Adam's grip.. That pulled him away and yanked him so hard against the floor, he counted all his stars. It was Jack. And I— I couldn't believe my own eyes.

  And in all of that shock and loss of senses, I hadn't even realized that by being released from Adam's tight grip when he held me against that wall, I had now fallen to my knees, and stood still and motionless with my hands against the dirty floors as I observed what it was that was going on.. As I tried figuring out how it was possible that my brother was there..

   No, no, it wasn't. He was not supposed to be there! It was far too dangerous! I hadn't told them for exactly that reason.. I hadn't— Hell, I didn't even know that the invisible barrier was down.. Perhaps when he killed the witch, the spell was broken as well..

  Yet still.. Still I couldn't believe my own eyes.. As the two men now rolled around and exchanged punches, yanks, watching my brother being thrown so harshly that he basically made a whole in the wooden wall on the side..

"Jack, no!" Adam didn't register me, nor the fact that his necklace was gone.. He was walking towards my brother. Ready to ruin him. Unstoppable at that point from the fury my brother's presence had caused him. "Stop!"

  It was I that was quickest to locate the necklace, a few feet away from me, and with no thoughts in my head, my legs moved on their own.. I was on the floor still, on my knees still.. My hands bloody at that point from everything that had happened that night.. My whole body pulsing in pain as the ache radiated from my head to my toes..

  But for some reason, I didn't allow myself to stop.. I could not allow myself to stop. Not in that moment. No, not when that was my only chance. And I prayed silently in that moment for Adam not to notice me getting close to the necklace.. I prayed to make it on time because from the corner of my eye I saw Jack being pulled from the floor and at that monster's mercy..

  Jack had glanced at me.. His hand wrapped around Adam's that gripped him tightly around his neck.. And yet I knew my brother's strength, and the way he could even crush every bone in Adam's arm if needed so to release himself.. He was halfway doing that when I somehow found my way to my feet, straightening up in all that pain and pushing myself to push through that ache and make it to the necklace. I was so close.

"Now, Lana!"

  It was Jack's growl I heard, a desperate demand that he said just on time.. On time when I reached the necklace. With my foot thoughtlessly over the silver jewel, with one turn of my head towards Adam, I saw him notice my exact actions, finally losing focus from his necessity to kill my brother and noticing that his precious necklace was locked underneath my boot.

   "No!" It was despair I heard in Adam's voice..

  For the first time, a hint of victory crawled throughout me.. Yet still was pushed and silenced by the grief and pain that my soul held in that moment.. The fury that the simple glance at the four people I truly cared about lifelessly laying on the floor.. My Christian, my everything..

  My heart stopped in my chest, it seemed.. My throat clogged for a second, from all the words and cries that rose from my chest, yet didn't dare escape. And I stared back into the monster's eyes, as my brother managed to find a way to hold him down.. To hold him trapped against the wall the way he did me only a minute ago..

"This is for every bit of torture you put me through!" It was my voice I heard, the pressure I put on the necklace with my foot causing a crunching sound of the jewels to mix with my desperate tone.. "This is for my family, my father that you killed!" There was a cry in my voice, a whimper that almost escaped.. Yet the anger caused my voice to echo loudly in the empty house.. I stepped harsher, and the necklace broke into more pieces. "This is for my sister, for Amelia, and every bit of pain you caused her!"

  With the crushing of every little jewel of the necklace underneath foot, Adam's strength and life left him slowly, his ghost and soul released with every sharp struggling breath he was now releasing.. Yet my gaze was locked on his desperate one, and while my eyes cried for those he took from he, his eyes begged me to spare his life. And not in a million years would I had done that.

  "And this—" My voice broke, yet my pressure on the necklace became so harsh, the crystals became ashes.. Light appeared underneath my foot.. Adam's desperate growl escaped his chest.. "This is for Christian! For taking him from me!" And my soul was sobbing, tears escaping, yet my voice still and harsh as it was before.. Loud and desperately certain. "For everything you took from me!"

  And with one final crushing of the jewels, Adam fell to his knees.. Fell dead on the floor as my brother took a step back and glanced at me.. And I— I could not believe that was all it took to destroy him. Breaking the jewels of the necklace.. It was— hell, that was the key to Adam's ruin and none of us knew it even when we had he necklace in our hands..

  Yet still, at that point, the only thing going through my head was the fact that only a few feet away from Christian laid lifelessly.. Dead on the floor.. My whole heart and world.. My everything suddenly gone with him. Weakness went through me, the kind that didn't leave a spark of strength in me to even hold myself straight and on my feet.

  I fell down to my knees, hearing my brother's footsteps rushing towards me.. I fell and had nothing to stand up for. Yes, Adam was dead, the witches were dead, but before they were, they took everything from me. Everything I loved for.

"Lana," Jack's embrace that was supposed to be soothing for me was just another reason for a breakdown, for the tears to continue escaping. "It's over," It was.. It was over. Everything was over. "He's gone."

"And so is—" My mind was in some kind of a delirium. I could not connect a word with a word.. I could not.. No, those words I said.. I couldn't accept them. "Christian,"

There was something about my heart that was left empty.. It was beating, perhaps even too harshly against my chest. Yes, I was breathing too, rapidly even.. I felt the pain in my body, my cut palms from the broken crystals from the crushed necklace.. I felt the ache in my chest, the pain in my heart.. I felt it all. Yet I felt numb and thoughtless.. I felt lost and hopeless to even find my way to my thoughts.

And I even felt like I was deaf to everything other than my own blood boiling and rushing throughout me, to my heartbeat that I felt in my throat.. But that didn't seem exactly the case.. No, not when everything was suddenly stopped from the simple two words, the familiar deep tone that left me frozen to my spot, left me feeling completely insane..

"Not yet."

I was somewhat looking up, because that voice.. That voice was Christian's voice. It was— it was him standing there before me when I looked up.. A few feet away, with the kind of worry and desperation on his face that showed just how lost he was as well.. Was I— No, it had to be a dream. A hallucination. He couldn't— How was he there?

"My God," I released a sharp breath, almost a gasp for air, feeling Jack letting go and giving me space to somewhat straighten up.. Yet I was still on my knees, still there on the dirty floor when Christian rushed towards me.. "You're—" And once he was down to my level, once I could see those dark eyes look back at mine and the sharpness of his features illuminated by the first morning light, my hands came up to touch him, to feel if he was real. "Oh thank God,"

He was searching my face with the same speed I was his, he was trying to read me the same way Iw as trying to read him. And I was completely lost at that point, unable to separate my own thoughts and doubts from reality.. But he was there, in front of me.. I could feel the warmness of his breath some where against my neck when he leaned closer, when I felt his strong arms wrap around me as he held me close, until my breathing was calming, until my soul was soothed..

"I cannot die, Lana, my love," His words were somewhere in my ear, his hair underneath my fingers and his breath against my skin.. Nothing in the world could ever be better than his closeness, than his touch. "You keep forgetting that."

And I even heard a smile in his voice, a breath of relief matching mine.. It was joy that filled my heart, a different kind of senselessness, a different kind of delirium.. I was breathing again, my heart beating again, and no regret filling my soul.. No regents that I was alive and he wasn't.. With the death of the three witches, every spell that they had done came undone, and my heart was filled again.. Whole again.

"I love you." And it were words that almost faded along with my awareness.. I was in his arms. It was all it mattered. The only thing that mattered. And the soothing and calming it gave me had me completely lose my consciousness.. "I love you so much,"

***

The end of the battle has come, but the end of this journey still hasn't!

What do y'all think, how many spells that the three witches had done can truly get broken?? And is the battle truly over?

Comment your thoughts and ideas on this one and let me know what you think is up next! The end is real close!

Kisses, 😘