Onyx watched in fear as Raebar's eyes stared deeply into hers. She could barely breathe, watching as he toyed with the knife in his hand. The blade pressed against the subtle skin of her cheek, pain racing through her body as he applied pressure and dragged it down, causing her skin to tear open.

Warm blood spilled on her face, staining the steel of the knife. Onyx hissed, watching as poked at her wings, plucking a black feather. He twirled it around his fingers, looking down at her. "This is what you have become. It's such a shame. You would have been a great empress" he whispered, tucking the feather into his trench coat.

"Do your worst. You've already destroyed everything I love" she spat back, causing him to laugh. Be bent down again, pressing the knife against her face once more. "I don't need to do much, Onyx. You see, as we speak now, the white ash poison is running through your veins. At first, you'll start to feel weak and dizzy. Your eyes will blur, and you'll start to falter on your steps. Then your powers will start to deteriorate as it runs through your bloodstream, diminishing your strength."

Onyx scrambled up to get up, her hands scraping against the glass. "Finally, your body will start to shut down. Your blood will coagulate and start to pour from you and your insides will start to shrivel like that of a sun-dried fruit. Then you'll begin to crawl knowing you've lost all weakness in your legs and that you can't move. Only then will your heart stop beating, and you shall die, your existence wiped like that of your parents."

Onyx growled, her hand crawling to the head of her sword. "Don't bother" he whispered, releasing her as he stood straight. "This is going to be an easy fight for me." She pulled herself up, stumbling on her steps. "I don't care. I would die happy knowing you will meet a similar fate."

She lifted herself into the air with her broken wings, her sword in hand. With no time to think, she conjured a tail of smoke, letting it trail over to him. The force lifted him in the air, allowing her to engulf him in a tornado of smoke. She could hear his surprised screams as she shifted the focus of her magic to her BloodBone powers, hearing the crunch of his bones and the simmer of his blood as it bent against her will.

Another pained scream escaped his lips, followed by the crunch of his bones as Onyx threw him into a glass paneling of a building, pinning his body there. "You wretched being! You should be thanking me for keeping you alive all these years! I saved you!" he screamed, angering her more.

"Saving me? I would rather die than know you in all my years of living!" she expressed, cornering him. She threw him down from the glass paneling, watching him hit the ground with a sickening crunch. Blood pooled from his head, a curse escaping his lips. She flew down towards him, pinning her foot into his back.

The blade of her sword pressed into his neck, her body stooping down to his level. Their eyes met and for a moment, Onyx hesitated. Seeing those ancient eyes stare back into hers, she could see his life flash before his eyes, a hint of fear in them. A scoff escaped her lips as she stood up. "Now look who is afraid. Pathetic" she hissed, drawing the blade of the sword on his neck. Dark blood pooled from the cut, a curse escaping his lips as it dripped down his neck in a slow cascading river.

"I won't kill you. Not now. It's too easy and killing you won't make anything easier" she uttered. She kicked him over, seeing how damaged his face was from the fall. Cracks appeared through his skin, blood pooling underneath. "So do your worst. I dare you."

"You're wise as you are foolish" he replied, rolling over. He groaned, pulling himself up from the floor. His eyes burned with green flames, blood covering his fists. "I won't fight you. I'll let them do it for me."

A puzzled look crossed Onyx's face, her eyes watching as he knelt to the floor and pressed his palms against the ground. His eyes glowed bright green, his body shaking as he chanted an ancient spell. "Mortuos suscitare. Et tu iubes. Dominorum mortuorum. Me dimittere eos." Onyx's confused face was replaced with fear when the ground began to shake. Large cracks began to form through the black streets, splitting the earth open.

She fell to the ground, watching in horror as hands began to rise from the ground, rotting flesh hanging off by the bone. Beady eyes and fragile bodies began to pull themselves through the earth, their battered wings hanging off their bodies by what little power they had. "What black sorcery is this?" she screamed as she watched the army of the dead stand before her.

"I warned you about my tricks, dear Onyx" Raebar drawled on, regaining his posture. "Let's just say that I am glad necromantic powers are not extinct. I guess the Gods have blessed me in more ways than one." Onyx gasped as the ground beneath her shook, a hand coming out and wrapping itself around her leg. She gasped, kicking her heel into the rotting flesh, watching as it loosened its grip on her. She flew into the air, her heart pounding in her chest as she watched them below.

Raebar cackled, levitating himself into the air. "Mortuis" he hissed at the army of dead before him. He turned his eyes to the terrified demi-hybrid, a wicked smile on his face. "Impetus." The army of the dead rose into the air, their limp eyes focusing on her. With a crackling roar, they flew towards her, their battered wings slicing through the air.

Onyx gasped, turning around and flying as fast as she could. She navigated her way through the broken capital that Salion, never too far away from the dead that chased her. Below, she could see more of them crawl from the earth, their rotting flesh and blood-stained eyes fixating on her.

The silhouette of the Revian Palace came into place, its towers calling out to her. Onyx sighed in relief, conjuring a ball of light in her hands. She turned around and aimed it at the army of the dead, powerful rays of light slicing through their weak bodies. Some of them faltered and fell to the ground, their screams piercing through the air.

Others pushed through the spell, unaffected at best. Turning herself around, she flapped her wings as hard as she could, channeling a series of powerful winds that blew them off course from her direction. Giving her enough of a distraction, she channeled her shadow powers, her body transforming into a wispy black silhouette as she fell from their sight, navigating her way up the mountain and towards the palace.

She threw herself over the crooked edge and transformed back to her body, hitting the ground of the palace and racing through the courtyard towards the entrance. With each step, she conjured spell after spell to destroy the army that was following her, blood and light magic working together to overcome the danger that was coming after her.

But it seemed like her magic was ineffective, the army only growing larger the more she killed off. Raebar raced towards her, his large figure stepping in front of her, blocking her only of entrance to the palace. His large hands clasped around her throat, digging into her skin as he cut off any circulation of air. "You think you can outrun me?" he hissed, dragging her face close to his.

"You think you will win?" Onyx shot back, feeling his hand tightening around her neck. He laughed, drawing her face close to his. "Look around you, Onyx. You are alone. No friends, no army, nothing. I don't think I will win" he reminded her, his eyes darkening as he spoke.

"I already have." With those words, he flung Onyx's body into the entrance of the castle, watching as she flew across and hit the ground, a groan escaping her lips. Onyx could barely make out what was going on, her body growing weak on her as she tried to get up. Her eyes were blurry, and her body spun as she pulled herself up, her mind racing through the bonds.

"Did you think you stood a chance against me?! The most powerful leader of all time!" he screamed as he and his army of the dead gathered in the entranceway. "Did you think that you would win because you are a demi-hybrid or because you have the leaders supporting you?"

He laughed mockingly as he approached her, his foot crushing her hands in place. Onyx groaned in pain as he applied pressure, stooping down to grab her face. "Face it, Onyx. You lost the moment you awakened me. Now you and all your friends will feel the wrath of my vengeance."

The demi-hybrid groaned as she felt her body press into the sharp corner of the staircase, the edge digging into her back until she was sure she was bleeding. She reached out to use her BloodBone magic but found her powers fading from her, the spell only doing so much to twist his bones around.

"I see the white ash poison is affecting you faster than I expected. Good riddance to you, Onouxia." Onyx could only make out his snark smirk before his hands wrapped around her throat and pressed her head into the staircase, repeatedly smashing her head into the porcelain staircase before blood poured from the wound. Pain rattled through her body as she felt limp, her sword pulled away from her lazy grip. Raebar turned the weapon in his hand, the blood-covered steel intriguing his greedy eyes.

With force, he pushed the sword through her leg, pinning her in place against the staircase. Onyx let out a blood-curdling scream as she collapsed against the stairs, feeling her body lurch in pain as she struggled to lift the sword from her leg. Her whole body grew hot and cold in several places, blood pooling from her lips as she struggled to get up. Her body hit the floor, paralyzed and gone.

Through her blurry eyes, she could see Raebar turn to his army of the dead, a smile on his face. He divided half of them to his side, summoning the other half to seek their vengeance on the streets. "Go ahead and raise hell upon the capitals of Elsavior. Any survivor that you see must be imprisoned and tortured until they can no longer remember their name" he instructed.

Onyx watched as the army of the dead nodded and vanished from the entrance, their screams terrorizing the city below her. He turned to the other half, a wicked smile on his face. "Raid the castle. Any survivors should be thrown in the dungeons below" he instructed, waving a hand. "And you shall torture the young siphon on the floor. Torture her until she submits to me. Only then will I stop this."

Onyx struggled to scream as she witnessed a small group of the dead near her body, their long nails and sharpened teeth scraping against her teeth. The others split apart into the castle, using groans and screams to communicate. Through her peripheral view, she watched Raebar used his necromantic powers to summon more, the ground shaking as large cracks formed and split the earth open, flesh-rotting hands pushing themselves through the earth to reign terror.

A pair of rotten teeth sank into her shoulder blade, eliciting a scream from Onyx as she felt her body shake and falter, too weak to move. Her powers were slowly slipping from her, barely keeping her alive and writhed around on the ground, only managing to twist her leg before the pain kept her paralyzed in place.

With no other choice, Onyx closed her eyes and summoned the bond between her and Draco. She felt it sing within her, very faint but present as she contacted him. "Draco, I need you. I can't do this on my own. I thought I could, but I was wrong. Please, help me."

It was all that she could muster to send through the bond before it faded away, bringing her back to reality as she witnessed her demise. The army of the dead tore at her skin until it bled, their nails and teeth sinking into her flesh. They pulled at her hair and impaled her with her sword repeatedly, covering her in blood.

"Submit" they whispered, their bloodshot eyes meeting hers. "Submit or die!" Onyx shook her head, refusing to. Fingers dug into her wounds, fire burning through her body as the pain became unbearable. She tried to fight them off but found herself too weak to do so, only mustering a half-witted jab of the elbow to the jugular of one of the undead.

A hand pulled the sword out of her leg as another tightened around her throat, throwing her whole body across the room. Her body crashed into a glass artifact, sharp pieces of glasses raining on her as she collapsed. She wasn't quick enough, a hand pulling on her leg as her blade ran through her leg again, this time situated on her upper thigh.

As the world turned to stars, the sound of the ceiling above her crashing caught her attention. The glass display serving as the ceiling shattered through, several shadow figures swarming through. Onyx could make out Draco's stature as his feet hit the ground, sword in hand. His eyes immediately scoured the room and landed on her, a terrified expression on his face.

"Split apart" she could hear him say to the others as he approached her on the floor. Onyx reached behind her for her last arrow, burying the neck of inside an undead that was clawing at her chest. It screamed and fell to the floor, its body twitching as the arrow stayed in place. Breathing a sigh of relief, she fell back to the floor and watched as the undead around her fell one by one, their blood spraying onto her face.

Draco's worried expression came into view and she managed to muster a smile as the emperor stooped down next to her, his large hands slipping underneath her to cradle her back.

"You came," she said in a dazed state, shaking her head. "I didn't think you would get my message." Draco shook his head, reaching out to rip the sword from Onyx's thigh. The pain only lasted for a moment as Onyx winced in relief, relaxing her leg on the floor. "Of course, I did Onyx. You needed my help" he simply said as he helped her up to her feet, pushing her sword into her hands.

"I can't fight, Draco. The white ash poison is too far into my body. I feel so weak" she said. He shook his head, helping her balance on her feet. "Let's get you somewhere safe. The undead will come back to life. They're only temporarily disabled" he said, clambering up the stairs.

Onyx shook her head, stopping to cough into her shoulder. Spits of blood coated her clothes, more spilling from her lips as she leaned over and threw up a river of blood on the floor, her body shaking as she gripped onto the staircase. "I'm dying, Draco. All this time and fighting for nothing. I am dying."

"You won't Onyx! Don't say that!" he hissed, holding her close. "I just need to get you somewhere safe until all of this is over" he insisted, dragging her up the stairs. Again, she shook her head, looking up to see Raebar levitating above them. He landed at the top of the staircase, waiting for them with a wicked smile.

"And what do we have here? Draco give it up. You can't save her" he teased. Draco frowned, his large wings covering Onyx's body away from Raebar's grasp. "Just get the hell out of my way! You've done enough damage to her!" he screamed, causing Raebar to frown. The tribe leader shook his head, grabbing Draco by the throat. "That's not very nice is it?" he hissed, squeezing hard.

"I'll continue to ruin every piece of her until she submits. If she wants to die, that is up to her" he warned. Without warning, he threw Draco on the ground and stabbed a knife into his back, keeping him in place. The emperor screamed, his grip loosening on Onyx. The demi-hybrid tumbled down the stairs, her broken body rolling down until it hit the ground with a hard thud. Draco's voice could be heard calling after her, so faint and distant.

Onyx rolled over, vomiting another stream of blood as she struggled to get up. She crawled over to her sword, her hands curling around the handle. With the little strength she had, she got up, her hands resting on her stomach which twisted and screamed from the inside out. She turned over to cough into her hands once again, slick blood coating her fingers.

"If I can't fight with my powers, I guess what little strength I have will have to do" she whispered, raising her sword. Onyx pushed through the pain that was rattling her body, managing to slice through several of the undead. Rotting flesh and deteriorating bones clattered to the ground, the smell of death drifting up to her nose. She suppressed her gag reflex, turning over and coughing blood into her elbow. One of the undead headed towards her, their long claws and battered wings raised in the air like that of a demon's horns.

Moving as quickly as she could, she raised her sword and sliced it through the undead, black blood spilling onto her face and body as it sagged and tumbled to the ground. Onyx withdrew the sword from her body, bringing the blade down on its neck until the head severed from its body and rolled down the stairs into the courtyard.

Feeling her body grow weak and her head swimming until she could no longer make out her surroundings, she turned over to vomit a pool of blood, her body giving out as she fell to her knees. Blood dripped from her nose as she continued to vomit blood onto the floor, holding her hand over the nose and mouth to stop the blood from pooling from her body.

"Onyx!" A familiar voice called out to her, footsteps pounding on the floor as a strong hand landed on her back and helped her up. Onyx looked up to see Yongui with worried eyes, dragging her body over to a corner to help her breathe. "Hang in there, Onyx! We'll get you out of here I promise!" Onyx shook her head, hurling over to throw up once again. Her fingers were slick with blood as she felt her body slump against the floor, unable to move. "You can't" she managed to croak out, shaking her head. "The poison is too deep."

Onyx looked over at the chaos around them, her eyes squinting at a familiar figure. The long black hair and pale skin told her that it was Alesandria. She watched her sister fight off as many undead members as she could, stumbling across the floor as she gripped her head in pain. One of the undead grabbed at her arms, tearing through her skin as they pulled her down to the floor to feast.

"Alesandria" she whispered, pointing towards her sister. "Save Alesandria."

Yongui looked over her shoulder to see Alesandria struggling against the undead. With one last glance at Onyx, Yongui sped over to Alesandria. Onyx watched as Yongui ripped through the undead members, her body moving smoothly as they came crumbling down at her feet one by one. She stooped down to help Alesandria up even as she thrashed against her grip in pain.

Before Onyx could react, she felt a strong grip on her neck and her body being pulled back. Her face cracked against the stone-cold floor. She winced as pressure built up on her spine to keep her paralyzed. "Come on, Onyx" Raebar's voice rasped in her ear as he kicked her around. She gasped, her eyes bulging as she was pulled up by her throat.

"I can see you are barely hanging on to any life. Just give up already" he said. Onyx shook her head, clawing at his hands to release her. He laughed, his grip tightening against her. "Raebar, let her go!" Draco's voice cut through. His tall stature came into view, a bloody sword in his hand. His eyes darted over to Onyx who struggled to breathe, her face turning blue and her veins glowing bright gold.

With no warning, he unleashed his powers unto Raebar. Whips of light exploded from his body, his eyes glowing an iridescent white as they surrounded his body. Raebar growled as the whips constricted his body, clouds of darkness suffocating his vision, allowing him to no longer see or breathe. His grip on Onyx released and she fell to the floor, watching as Draco attacked the tribe leader and pinned him to the ground, holding a knife to his throat.

"And why should I? I should just put her out of her misery right now. You know better than anyone else that she is dying" he informed, laughing cockily. His hand wrapped around the blade of the knife, the jagged end pressing into his skin and drawing blood. His eyes went over to Onyx who gagged blood on the floor, barely able to keep herself up. "But I must say, I would be sad to see her go in such an unpleasant way. I would no longer have an enemy and you would no longer have a lover. Talk about killing two birds with one stone."

Draco growled, applying pressure unto the blade as it ran across his skin slowly. "So, I will provide you with a deal. Let Onyx fight me. If she wins, I will leave you be, and you can kill me. If I win, let's just say the Inner Circle will never be the same again."

"NO!" Draco declared, pulling the blade away from his throat. "I will not allow you to risk her life and have a field day throwing her around like nothing!"

"It's fine" Onyx whispered, stumbling over to Draco. He turned around to see her weak limp. "I'll fight him."

Draco shook his head, pulling away from the tribe leader. "Onyx, no. He'll kill you" he whispered, walking towards her. She shook her head, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Just let me fight him. Even if I die, I know he won't win" she said, smiling weakly. "And even if I don't fight him, I'll die anyway. I am halfway there."

Before Draco could reply, Raebar's voice cut through the conversation. "I think the girl can speak for herself and it sounds like she already made her decision." Green flames glowed around his hands as he used his magic to summon more of his undead army. "My dear army, hold the enemies in place" he commanded, his voice booming around the hall. Bloodshot eyes turned to their master, nodding and capturing Draco and his inner court in a strong grip.

Onyx watched as the undead pinned them against a wall, unable to move unless Raebar instructed them to do so. Draco struggled against their grasp, but it was no use, his strength overpowered by the amount of the undead holding him back with the help of Raebar's magic. "What about my sister?" Onyx asked, looking over to see Alesandria thrash against their grasp, her screams of agony too much for Onyx to bear.

"I'll take care of her later," Raebar said, looking down at Onyx. "Show me your best, Onyx. Show me what Aries and Eshara bred to perfection" he taunted, causing Onyx to become enraged. She used her little strength to aim a hard jab to his rib, stumbling as she did so. Raebar laughed, grabbing her and throwing her on the floor.

Onyx groaned, barely having any time to breathe before his hand wrapped around her throat. She struggled to breathe as he squeezed tight before throwing her body against the floor. She could feel her bones crack under pressure, coughing out a pool of blood. "This is boring Onyx! I thought you were better than that!" he screamed in a hoarse voice.

She pulled herself up, allowing herself to tap into her siphon powers. Onyx wielded her sword, enchanting it with her powers as she headed for Raebar. She managed to pierce him in the shoulder with her sword, the steel of her blade glowing brightly as the siphoning magic wrapped around the weapon seeped through.

Her body rattled with his powers, giving her enough strength to strangle him. She grasped him by his neck and pressed hard on the wound sitting on his shoulder, causing him to scream in pain as blood pooled on her fingers. With regained strength, she threw him across the room, watching his body crack against the steps of the entrance.

Raebar screamed, pulling himself up. He looked at the pulsating wound on his shoulder, his fingers slick with blood. Throwing a cold glare her way, his body became engulfed with green flames, his fingers balling into fists. He clapped his hands together, summoning a large wave of black magic that washed over her body. Onyx's body froze up, crumpling to the floor. She could feel her sword slip from her fingers as she convulsed on the floor, blood spilling from her lips.

Her hands grasped at her neck to breathe, her wide eyes watching as the tribe leader approached her body, picking up her sword. Without a word, he aimed the tip of the blade at her heart, nearly missing as she moved out of the way just in time, taking in a large breath as she coughed out blood.

He growled and tried again, missing time after time as Onyx rolled away, grasping his legs and twisting his ankle hard. A pained screamed escaped his lips as he fell to the ground, his legs pinned under Onyx's grip as she pulled herself up. She rested her foot on his twisted ankle, breathing deeply as she felt her stomach lurch. Unable to hold back, she vomited blood on his face, gagging as she held her stomach in pain.

The tribe leader growled with disgust. "Putrid filth!" he hissed as she retrieved her sword from his grasp, pressing the blade into his chest. "That makes two of us" Onyx breathed, resting in her position. She pushed the blade into his skin, just above his heart. Blood seeped into his shirt as the tribe leader growled, wrapping his arms around the blade.

Onyx released her grip on his leg, stumbling over to the staircase to throw up. She wiped her mouth clean, coughing into her hand as she looked back at the leader who was slowly getting up, pulling the sword from his chest. His eyes met hers, pure hatred lurking in his eyes. Green flames lingered around his fist as he pressed his palm on the ground, mumbling the same words he used to summon the undead.

The grounds of the castle cracked open, rotting flesh and bloodshot eyes creeping through. Onyx barely had any time to react as arms wrapped around her legs and pulled her down to the floor. The few undead members he summoned held her in place, pinning her against the beams of the staircase, their long nails digging into her flesh.

Blood seeped from her cuts as they restricted her movement, her terrified eyes watching as Raebar got up, pulling the sword from him. He groaned, pressing a hand against his wound. He stalked up the staircase, scraping her blade against the ground. His rusty eyes met hers, a scowl on his face.

"Don't take it personally, Onyx" he said. He grasped her shoulders, thrusting her body forward. "But I already have one of you in my corner. You are no longer of use to me."

Her body met the tip of the sword, the blade running through her stomach. Onyx gasped, coughing out a pool of blood as she looked down to see blood spilling from her wound, coating her fingers. She pressed a hand on her stomach, putting pressure on her stomach.

"Onyx, no!" Draco's voice cut through her thoughts as Raebar tossed her body aside, her back hitting the floor as she convulsed. Blood rushed to the surface, pouring from her mouth and nose as she twitched and groaned, grasping onto the floor for any leverage. The world spun before her eyes, the hum of her heartbeat ringing in her ears as her body gave out on her.

She couldn't make out the last few moments of her life, only hearing screams and feeling the footsteps of heavy feet pounding against the floor. The army of the undead continued their reign of terror, throwing her friends to the ground and attacking them as Raebar relished in the destruction he had created. A voice called out to her, familiar eyes meeting her gaze as she grasped on to her sword that was still impaled in her stomach, the white ash poison reaching the final stage of her demise.

"I can't hold on any longer. The white ash poison is slowing down my heart and my sword is siphoning the magic away from me" she said, stroking the weapon in her hand. She reached out to the strong hands that were holding on to her, pressing them against her chest. "Just promise me whatever happens, protect Alesandria. Help her take over the throne. I can't be there for her, but you can. Please, take care of her."

The voice called out to her, but Onyx could barely hear them over the sound of her body twisting in pain. She wretched over and screamed, the sound of her heartbeat dulling to nothing. Her body hit the floor once again, her blood choking her as her life slipped away from her. Pain constricted her body and bent her backward, her soul ripping free from her body as she slumped to the floor.

The war raged on as she rotted to the ground, becoming nothing but ashes and dust. 

A/N: And that is the end of Chapter Forty-six!

What a war! I love playing with the concepts of death!

And I control it! I just love tipping scales over!

So as you all know, the coronavirus has been spreading like wildfire so my university has been forced to hold online classes until easter break when we can return on campus (hopefully). Even though I have online classes they don't begin until the 30th so I have a lot of time on my hands to hopefully finish publishing the chapters of this book so I can move on to The Shadow Heirs and the novellas.

As for now, all you be careful out there. Be safe, healthy, stay indoors, and wash your hands thoroughly. If you are sick, stay home and take care of yourself. Don't take this lightly. It can be very detrimental. Even though most healthy people with a good immune system usually bounce back, those with health ailments are struggling to recover! It's important to keep them in your prayers and practice safe hygiene and self-quarantine. For more information, make sure to go to the CDC website to receive daily updates on the coronavirus. Another way to keep yourself informed is to visit the website corona.help for daily updates worldwide!

So tell me what you guys thought of this chapter.

How are you liking The Septic Curse and how do you feel about the book ending soon? Let me know in the comments below!

Are you guys enjoying the books and series so far? I want to hear your honest opinion!

Any NEW Ships you like?

Any specific scenes you liked! Any conspiracies? I would love to hear them!

Love you guys!

Thank you guys for all your constant support. It means so much to me that you enjoy this book. I enjoy writing it and to hear your feedback always makes my day!

So tell me what your thoughts are on this chapter and don't forget to comment down below and vote if you liked it.

Remember to stay happy and healthy!

Until next time Lovelies!

With love, May