Chapter 32

Jade watched in horror as he slowly rose to his feet, every movement deliberate, like some predatory creature waking from a long, restless slumber. His muscles rippled beneath his skin, taut and alive, as though something dark had awakened inside him—something monstrous. He stretched lazily, his arms reaching above his head, the sickening crack of his neck breaking the silence between them. Then, his eyes—once filled with warmth and a glimmer of the boy she had loved—locked onto her with a gaze so cold, so empty, it sent a shiver down her spine.
Benjamin wasn’t the boy she knew anymore. He wasn’t even human the way he once had been. Moments ago, those eyes had been alive, glowing with the soft light of affection, but now they were pits of black, devoid of anything recognizable. No spark of humanity no trace of the man who had held her close on countless nights. Now, they were hollow, soulless, as though something inside him had died and been replaced by darkness. Worse still was the contempt. Never had he looked at her with such loathing, as though she were less than nothing—less than prey to him, she was no more than vermin, a nuisance to be crushed beneath his heel. Even from the moment they first met, when they were strangers, he had never gazed at her with such disgust.
“Aren’t you going to run?” His voice sliced through the air, low and mocking, each word dripping with cruel amusement. The smile curling his lips, a twisted version of the one she had fallen in love with, only deepened the wound already festering in her heart. How could he be so...gone? She had known the darkness called to him, had seen the shadows creep at the edges of his soul. But she had believed—no, hoped—that her love could be enough. That she could be his anchor, the light to pull him back. Yet here he was, surrendered completely, the man she loved devoured by something else entirely. The realization hit her like a blow, and for the first time, real, bone-deep fear sank its claws into her chest.
Jade found the strength to back up. Skye she could handle, Shaun and Owen she could handle, but this Benjamin was more than she could stand. How had her blood changed him so much? He was more than an animal. He was evil and she was the reason he had changed. Jade stood, swaying on her woozy feet, trying not to feel stabbing pains in her heart as he laughed at her struggles.
“Ben...” The word slipped out, a broken whisper, barely audible, as she reached out with trembling fingers, one last desperate attempt to grasp onto the boy she had known—the boy she still loved.
His dark eyes flickered with amusement as his smirk deepened. “Yes, my love?” His voice, once sweet and filled with affection, now lashed out like a whip, dripping with venomous sarcasm. Every syllable twisted the knife deeper, turning their shared history into a cruel joke.
Jade’s heart shattered. She glanced upward, her eyes catching sight of the sun, still veiled by the shadow of the moon, the eclipse casting everything in a cold, unnatural light. There was no warmth here, no hope left in this moment. With a gasp, she turned on her heels and bolted, her feet pounding against the forest floor as she ran into the trees. The branches whipped against her skin, but she hardly noticed. She couldn’t leave him, not really—not in her heart.
“I’ll give you a head start, little Jade,” He called. She winced as he used the name Skye had condescendingly called her but charged on into the woods beyond her neighbor’s backyard, into the darkness where the eclipse had stolen every hint of light that ever previously existed.
Jade limped, the pain in her ankle sharp and relentless, each step feeling like a knife twisting deeper into her leg. She was certain it was broken, but there was no time to think about it. Her head swam from blood loss, and her vision narrowed into a dark tunnel, the edges blurring until only the leaves in front of her were visible. Every few steps she stumbled over tree roots, catching herself against the wide trunks to keep moving.
Breathing heavily, she paused, trying to gather the strength to continue. But she knew she couldn’t stop for long. Her survival instinct had kicked in, overriding everything else—her fear, her pain, and even her thoughts of him. All she could focus on was running, pushing her body as far as it could go.
And then, she heard it—the unmistakable cackling behind her. It was a shrill, high-pitched sound, the kind that clawed at her nerves. The sound came closer, faster. She didn’t have to turn around to know it was Skye. A cold finger jabbed at her back, sending her stumbling forward, but she kept running. Another touch—this time a hand brushed her cheek, then slapped her arm. Fingers tugged at her hair, invisible yet tangible as if millions of ghostly hands were pawing at her.
Jade knew there was no escape.
She stopped, too exhausted, too broken to keep fighting. The games, the taunting—it was all too much. If Benjamin had truly changed if the person, she loved had become a monster, she needed to face it.
“I’m done,” Jade said, her voice shaking but resolute. She stood in the middle of an empty clearing, knowing full well they were close enough to hear. To survive, she had to disconnect herself from him. She had to stop thinking of him as the person she once knew and loved. He wasn’t Benjamin anymore; he was a demon—one she would have to kill if it came to that.
From the shadows, Skye appeared, her face twisted in mock disappointment. “That’s no fun,” she pouted, her voice dripping with condescension.
A hand clamped down on Jade’s shoulder, spinning her around. She found herself face-to-face with Benjamin. His eyes were cold, void of any recognition or humanity. His razor teeth extended, and he leaned toward her, ready to finish what Skye had started.
Jade braced herself, waiting for the inevitable bite, the sharp pain of his teeth sinking into her. Her heart raced as she prepared for the end. But instead of the sharp puncture of fangs, she felt the unexpected warmth of his cheek gently brush against hers. He inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of her hair—something he used to do when they lay side by side in bed, believing she was asleep.
Jade bit her lip, trying to stifle the smile that threatened to surface, her heart swelling with fragile hope. For a fleeting moment, she believed. Perhaps he had been pretending all along, waiting for the perfect moment to strike back. Then, his lips brushed softly against her skin, just below her ear, sending a shiver through her body. His voice, barely audible, whispered, “I love you, too.”
Her breath caught. Relief washed over her, and for the first time in what felt like forever... she smiled. He was still there. He was still fighting for her, still himself. But the peace shattered as quickly as it came. In the next heartbeat, he shoved her aside, whirling around with deadly precision. His first collided with Skye’s face as she lunged at them, the impact echoing through the air.
Jade’s heart raced as she watched him move—swift, powerful, controlled. For the first time, she dared to believe they had a chance.
But her body had reached its limit. Her legs buckled, and she sank to the ground, completely drained. All she could do was watch as he, revitalized by her blood, tore through the demons surrounding them. They ignored her, too enraged by Benjamin’s betrayal to care. Bodies flew like rag dolls, slamming into trees with thunderous force, each impact shaking the forest.
She tilted her head back, gazing past the towering branches, through the trembling leaves. The sun—an ebony disc eclipsing its center—glowed with a halo of light, straining to reach the earth. The long-awaited moment of the eclipse had passed, and though no visible change had occurred, Jade felt the shift deep within her.
With trembling hands, she summoned a flame behind her back, allowing its warmth to seep into her, mending her broken body. The electric energy raced through her veins, multiplying her blood cells, closing the gashes from the branches that had slashed her skin, knitting together the shattered bones in her ankle, and sealing the twin puncture wounds on her neck without a trace.
Jade sprang to her feet, thrusting her hands forward as flames erupted toward Owen, who hadn’t tasted her blood and was vulnerable. Without hesitation, she arched the fire into the sky, sending it crashing down in a searing ring, trapping him with no escape. She blocked out everything else, her focus entirely on him. Control still slipped through her fingers when distinguishing between protection and destruction, and before she realized it, Owen had disintegrated into a pile of burning ash.
She glanced up. The eclipse had passed, and the sun was fully visible again. As usual, she had lost track of time while using her powers, trusting that Benjamin had kept the others at bay. But when she turned, her heart lurched—he and Skye had their hands around each other’s throats, both squeezing, both struggling for the fatal edge.
Jade darted forward to help but stumbled over something. She looked down, horror freezing her in place. Shaun lay lifeless at her feet, a gaping hole in his chest, his heart crushed beside him. She stifled a scream, leaping over the gruesome sight.
Skye broke free of Benjamin’s grasp, but Jade seized the opportunity. A blaze shot from her hands, slamming her against a tree, there was no escape this time. Jade hesitated, unsure if Skye’s immunity had worn off, but her rage fueled her power. She wouldn’t hold back. Skye was trapped and had nowhere left to go.
“You don’t want to kill me, Jade,” she gasped, struggling for breath.
“Why not?” Jade’s voice was cold, each word laced with venom. “You tried to kill me. You tried to turn Benjamin against me. You might have killed my best friend. Give me one good reason.”
She leaned in, locking eyes with Skye, letting the threat hang in the air.
“Your mother is alive,” Skye whispered, her voice barely audible. “And I know where she is.”
Jade’s breath hitched. The shock shattered her concentration and in that fleeting moment of hesitation... Skye vanished.
“No!” Jade screamed, lunging after her, but Benjamin caught her by the waist, lifting her off the ground.
“It’s no use,” he said gently, pulling her close. “She has the gift of speed not even I could catch her.”
“But... my mother...” Jade’s voice cracked, and she collapsed against him, letting him hold her as the weight of Skye’s words settled in.
She had long since given up hope of ever knowing her parents. She’d buried that pain when she first learned of their existence. But now that loss hit her again, sharper and deeper than before. She pictured the woman from her vision—the one with long, red hair that looked like flames. Jade wanted nothing more than to know her, to hold onto some piece of her family. The locket and ring she wore around her neck suddenly felt heavier, a burden she hadn’t realized until now. She broke free from his hold and pulled the necklace from beneath her shirt. Opening the locket, she stared at the single image of her real family, feeling as if she had been punched in the gut. This—this was Skye’s cruelest trick. Now she would never stop wondering.
“Come on,” He murmured, lifting her effortlessly. He started walking through the trees toward her house, but her thoughts were tangled in the ache of her mother’s memory.
“Ben?” she asked, trying to push the pain aside. He glanced down at her, waiting for the question. She hesitated, then softly asked, “That was all an act, right?”
He stopped, gently setting her down. His hands cupped her face, his eyes searching hers. “I swear it was and hated every second of it I promise. Never doubt that. For years, I did unspeakable things under Myron’s control what you saw was a glimpse of my past—a part of me I wish I could bury forever.”
Her tears spilled down her cheeks, and he wiped them away before kissing her softly. “I love you, Jade. If I had lost you, I don’t know what I would’ve done.”
“I love you too,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck. He picked her up again, and though she could walk, she clung to him, comforted by the feel of his steady presence as she absently twirled the short hairs at the base of his neck.
When they appeared from the forest into her backyard the sight stopped her cold. The freshly cut grass was now stained with blood. “Put me down,” she said, her voice distant. She surveyed the destruction, mind racing over how to fix it, when her gaze fell on Aiden’s body, crumpled beneath the porch.
A scream tore from her throat as she sprinted forward, dropping to her knees beside him. “No! No, no, no…” She leaned down, pressing her ear against his chest. “Ben! I can’t hear his heart! I can’t hear his heart!”
He knelt beside her, gently moving her aside to check him himself.
“I forgot about him,” she muttered, her voice barely a whisper. Her mind spun in disbelief. How had she forgotten about him—her guardian, protector, her best friend? She tried to breathe but couldn’t, gasping for air as panic gripped her his skin once tanned and warm, had taken on a cold, ashen hue. His eyes were closed, and when she pried one eyelid open, his pupil had rolled back.
“Benjamin!” she screamed again, desperate.
He shook his head. “He’s not dead yet, but Jade… it’s close. His heart’s stopped I don’t know for how long.”
“No!” The word escaped her in a wail, and she repeated it over and over, pulling Aiden’s body into her lap. This couldn’t be real. He couldn’t be gone. He’d risked everything for her, jumped into danger to protect her. And for what? She wasn’t worth it. The thought twisted inside her as she held him tighter, her tears falling freely.
Without meaning to, Jade’s whole body began to glow—not just her hands. Her power erupted, enveloping both her and Aiden. Benjamin was thrown across the yard as the force of her energy expanded, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t. She rocked back and forth, eyes squeezed shut, chanting “No, no, no…” like a prayer, pouring every ounce of her strength into his body. Her life force seeped out, mixing with his still form, her power draining everything she had.
“Jade!” Benjamin’s voice echoed distantly. “Jade, stop! You’re killing yourself!”
Hands tried to pull her away, but she resisted, clinging to Aiden, pushing more and more of herself into him. Her mind went blank, time lost meaning.
By the time she realized it, it was too late.
Her body went limp, collapsing next to Aiden’s—burned out, lifeless.