Chapter 31

Before long, Jade heard rustling in the trees as Aiden did too, at once sitting up from the hammock, his senses heightened. In unison, they moved toward the edge of the porch, four hands gripping the white-painted banister. Their eyes scanned the woods behind her house, searching for any sign of movement.
Then, as if materializing from thin air, Skye appeared in the middle of the yard. She wore a sequined black party dress that shimmered under the sunlight, reminiscent of flappers from the Roaring Twenties. Her hair flowed freely, catching the breeze, and her skin was unnaturally pale—stark, almost marble-like the suddenness of her appearance struck Jade more like an illusion, a magic trick, than a natural motion. Skye’s speed was otherworldly, faster than anything Jade had ever encountered. Aiden tensed beside her, his muscles coiled with the knowledge that they were outmatched. Skye was much quicker than they could ever hope to be. But Jade knew this display of power was meant to intimidate, a prelude to the inevitable confrontation.
“My dearest little Jade,” Skye purred, her voice silky and full of mockery. “How are you on this fine winter’s morning?” Her words dripped with confidence, each syllable reminding them that she held all the power. She began a slow, calculated walk toward them, relishing the fear she aimed to stir.
“Skye,” Aiden spat, his voice tight with anger. Jade stayed silent, unwilling to engage. She wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of hearing her voice tremble.
“Well,” she continued, feigning offense, “what a welcome. I can’t imagine why you’re not more excited to see me.”
“What gave us away?” he replied dryly, his sarcasm sharp. Jade could sense his resolve and allowed it to strengthen her own. They would resist Skye’s game, no matter how hopeless it seemed.
Jade’s fingers tingled as she called forth her power, a small flame flickering into life on her palm. She could feel its warmth spread through her, healing the fear and doubt that gnawed at the edges of her mind. Without hesitation, she hurled the fireball at Skye, aiming directly for her face. It struck with a satisfying force, throwing Skye backward, a look of surprise flashing across her flawless features.
For a brief moment, Jade allowed herself to revel in the victory. They weren’t entirely powerless. Skye wasn’t invincible, and she and Aiden had a few tricks up their sleeves, too.
Skye rose slowly, brushing herself off with deliberate calm, though her eyes blazed with barely contained fury. Her hand touched her cheek, where the fire had burned her, and Jade saw the darkness creeping over her expression. Skye’s weakness was suddenly clear—her need to draw out the fight, to make Jade suffer, was her downfall.
Jade wouldn’t let that happen. She acted before Skye could regain control, unleashing a long, powerful stream of fire meant to end this.
"Bitch!" Skye yelled from the forest. "Do you have a death wish? I’m here to kill you, you know. Do you want to egg me on?"
"I think I’m the one who almost killed you, Skye. Care to come out for another go?" Jade found her voice and her defiance. She was ready to fight, eager for it almost.
"I hope you don’t think your boyfriend's going to save you, little Jade."
Skye rushed out again, her calm demeanor returned but her hair was worse for the wear. The imperfection gave Jade a hint of pleasure.
"I can handle myself, thanks."
"And what about when you can’t shoot that little flame of yours and chase me away? What then?" Jade shrugged, playing it cool, but was wondering the same thing herself.
Shaun and Owen appeared from the forest slowly, with Benjamin chained between them. Jade gasped, unable to stop herself. Benjamin, shirtless and covered in blood, looked broken. Deep crimson streaks ran from various points on his chest and arms, flowing from wounds that had already begun to heal, thanks to his demonic regeneration. She knew instantly that only another demon inflicted such damage—nails or teeth slicing through his skin. Shaun and Owen had used the same brutal tactics as before, breaking his arms like they had done in the auditorium so long ago. Jade understood they’d only been able to capture him with such cheap, violent tricks.
They had twisted his limbs from their sockets, tying his forearms to the stick they used to carry him. His feet were bound with heavy chains, but even still, he tried to support some of his weight, refusing to let his former friends drag him helplessly along the ground. His entire body was imprisoned, yet his spirit clung to strength. His face was the only part of him left free, and when his eyes met Jade’s, her heart shattered. His gaze was full of torment, both physical and emotional, and she knew he was blaming himself for everything.
Her hope, once pinned on Benjamin, faltered. As much as she hated to admit it, the sight of him in this state drained her will to fight.
Skye saw the opening. “What?” she sneered, her voice dripping with malice. “Did you think he’d swoop in and save the day? I told you already, you stupid girl, he’s going to kill you and he’s going to enjoy it. Didn’t I make that promise?”
She sauntered in front of Benjamin, grabbing his chin with cold fingers, and forcing him to look at her. With cruel precision, she slapped him across the face. Jade winced at the sound of bones cracking, watching in horror as Benjamin’s neck snapped to the side. His body went limp, and yet Shaun and Owen remained unmoved, their grip unrelenting. Benjamin groaned, trying desperately to stifle a scream, his lips trembling as he forced them shut. Even demons could feel pain—especially when it came from their kind.
A moment later, Benjamin’s neck realigned with a sickening snap, his healing kicking in, but before he could even catch his breath, Skye pulled her hand back, ready to strike again.
“No!” Jade cried, her voice breaking the silence. Skye paused, her hand hovering just inches from his face. Jade’s entire body burned with the urge to unleash her fire, to wrap Skye and the others in a scorching blanket of flame. But she couldn’t risk it—not with Benjamin so weak and close to them.
Skye turned toward her, eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “How sweet a lover’s plea.” She clapped her hands mockingly, like a child playing with her favorite toy. Everything was falling into place for her. Just then, the sky darkened—barely, but enough to catch their attention. All six looked up as the first sliver of blackness crossed the sun’s surface. The eclipse had begun. Jade felt the seconds ticking away; soon, her powers would be useless. Five minutes, maybe less.
She moved forward instinctively, but Aiden grabbed her hand, pulling her back. “You can’t save him now,” he whispered urgently. “We have to get out of here.”
“Yes, run,” Skye cooed, her voice laced with sadistic pleasure. “It’s so much more exciting that way.” She had heard Aiden’s words and was playing on their fears.
Jade glanced at the sun again, more of it was obscured now. She had only moments left.
With all the control Jade could gather, she shot flames at Skye, Owen, and Shaun and amazingly pushed them back. Shaun and Owen dropped Benjamin in their shock, and Jade broke free of Aiden to run to his side. He managed to get onto his knees, and she sunk to her own, all the while keeping her arm outstretched, creating a wall of flames behind the two of them—one that was weakening with each passing second.
"I can’t hold it for long. Undo the chains now, Benjamin!" She cradled his face with her free hand, trying to split her attention.
"It’s no use. I can’t. I’ve been trying. You have to run, Jade, now, before Skye has the chance to grab you. Go to your car and just start driving as far away as possible."
She shook her head, refusing to listen. He opened his mouth to argue, but she silenced him with a kiss. Their lips met briefly, and Jade felt her power wane even further, forcing her to pull away. She hugged him tightly instead, her arms wrapped around his trembling body. Over his shoulder, she saw the three demons, waiting like predators, their eyes gleaming with hunger as they expected her shield’s collapse. They didn’t have long to wait. Jade lifted her gaze to the sky. The sun was now more than half obscured by the moon, the earth slowly plunging into shadow. Her light, once bright, was dimming with the eclipse.
The power that had protected them so far was slipping away like sand through her fingers. Slowly, with a dreadful inevitability, it seeped from her entirely, until the final trace of it flickered out.
The eclipse had arrived.
“I love you,” Jade whispered, her voice fragile, as the last of her strength faded. She barely had time to say the words before hands grabbed her shoulders, wrenching her from Benjamin’s arms and tossing her through the air like a rag doll. She hit the ground hard, the impact sending a sickening crunch through her ankle, and a sharp, agonizing pain shot up her spine. She screamed, clutching her leg, but despite the pain, she found a moment of satisfaction—she’d had those final words with him. She had told him she loved him, for the first time. It was a small victory, one that Skye could never steal from her.
“Jade, little, Jade,” Skye purred, her voice like poison. She stepped forward and stomped her foot onto Jade’s chest, pinning her to the ground. The pressure was crushing, stealing the air from her lungs. “You should have listened to them, my dear. Now it’s too late to escape.”
Before Jade could respond, Aiden charged at Skye, his face twisted with fury. He leaped, hands outstretched, aiming to strangle her but she swatted him away with a casual backhand, as though he were no more than an insect. Aiden flew through the air, crashing into the porch with a sickening thud, his body hit the ground and lay still.
Jade screamed again, a piercing wail of fear and despair. She stared, horrified, at his motionless form. Her limbs flailed wildly, trying in vain to free herself from Skye’s crushing foot. Aiden wasn’t moving. He wasn’t even twitching. Panic surged through her, and all she could think of was getting to him, holding him, helping him somehow. But no matter how much she struggled, Skye’s foot wouldn’t budge.
Jade fought against the weight pressing down on her, using every ounce of strength left in her body. But it was no use. She was only exhausting herself. In that moment of helplessness, she did something she hadn’t done in ages—she prayed. That he was only unconscious, not dead, she prayed for a miracle.
Skye sensed Jade’s fading hope, a sinister smile tugging at her lips. She reached down, grabbed a fistful of her hair, and dragged her mercilessly across the yard, dropping her like a rag doll in front of Benjamin. The pain was excruciating, as though her scalp were being torn from her skull, but she refused to give Skye the satisfaction of a scream. She clenched her teeth, determined to hold on to whatever dignity she had left.
Shaun and Owen restrained Benjamin again, but this time, Shaun pressed his hand over his mouth, silencing any protests he might have had. Benjamin’s eyes were wild full of desperation, but he couldn’t utter a single word.
“Time’s up, Jade,” Skye whispered, her voice icy.
Before Jade could react, Skye’s razor teeth sank into her. A searing pain shot through her, and she felt her blood drain into the demon’s mouth. The sound of her blood gurgling filled her ears, and she felt the warm liquid slide down her spine, escaping where it dripped from Skye’s lips. Benjamin thrashed violently in Shaun’s grip, his muffled screams ringing out, but he was powerless to stop the horror unfolding in front of him.
“Enough,” Shaun’s deep voice cut through the moment. Jade was startled, momentarily pulled from the numbness overtaking her body. Skye pulled back, releasing Jade with a final jerk of her teeth. Blood flowed freely from the wound, and Jade’s vision blurred.
“The time for games is done. We must use her to fix Benjamin,” Jerome declared.
Fix him? Jade thought in horror. He doesn’t want to be evil!
She wanted to scream at them, to tell them they were wrong, but the words wouldn’t come. Her body felt heavy, her limbs unresponsive. Weakness spread through her, blood loss made her dizzy and numb. Skye held her limp body in place, ensuring Jade couldn’t move.
Owen pulled a small glass cup from his pocket, and Skye snatched it. Jade barely registered the cool surface against her skin as Skye pressed it collecting the blood that continued to seep from the bite. When they finally pulled the cup away, it was filled to the brim with her blood, its dark red color shining ominously in the dim light. Shaun dipped a finger into the liquid, bringing it to his lips with a flash of satisfaction as he licked it clean, savoring the taste.
Jade’s heart sank. She had hoped, somewhere deep inside, that they might lose control—that someone would end her quickly, sparing her the agony of knowing what would happen to Benjamin.
Owen stepped forward, gripping Benjamin by the hair and forcing his head back. Jade’s blood poured freely into his mouth as Owen tipped the cup, making sure he drank every last drop. He thrashed wildly, pulling against the chains with every ounce of strength he had left. Jade’s heart ached as she watched him struggle, knowing how desperately he fought to resist the pull of her blood.
Maybe all this time, Skye had been right, she thought, her heart heavy with despair. Maybe I’m the one who will be his undoing.
Benjamin’s body began to slump as the glass emptied, his resistance fading with each drop of her blood that entered his system. Shaun moved swiftly, refilling the cup and passing it back to Owen, who poured it into his mouth. This time, he didn’t struggle. He didn’t even flinch.
By the time the third cup was filled, something had shifted. Jade could feel it in the air, thick and ominous. Benjamin, who had once fought so desperately against the chains and the pull of her blood, now lifted his head willingly, arching toward the cup. He drank greedily, swallowing the last remnants of her blood without resistance. Even in her weakened state, his change had come.
Skye released Jade, letting her crumple to the ground. Her body hit the cold earth with a thud, but she barely felt it, her focus fixed on Benjamin. She watched helplessly as Skye walked over to his side, a satisfied smile creeping across her face. Together, they undid the chains that had bound him.
Benjamin moved faster than Jade’s eyes could follow. In an instant, he was on his feet, his body renewed, his strength undeniable. He stretched his arms above his head, his muscles rippling with the movement, the powerful energy of her blood coursing through him.
Then, slowly, Benjamin leaned forward, his eyes locking onto hers. Jade’s breath caught in her throat. The instant their eyes met, she knew the truth.
Benjamin was gone.
At that moment, all the fight left her body. She could feel the weight of her failure pressing down on her, suffocating her as she lay on the ground. The Benjamin she loved—the one who had fought to protect her—was lost to her now, consumed by the darkness.
And there was nothing she could do to bring him back.