Chapter 46: Love Triumphs

“Don’t you see,” Duponte said to Silvana with outraised, welcoming arms, “That I’m not your enemy.”

Duponte pointed to the goopy mess that was the remains of Kurt.

“He, now he, was your enemy. He wanted nothing more but your blood and your father’s blood.”

Getting even closer, Duponte pounded a palm to her chest and continued, “I, your family, want you to thrive.”

Silvana breathed deeply at the sight of the horrible fate that had befallen Kurt. Her heart was heavy with guilt, and for all the troubles that Kurt’s mischief and sin had caused her, she still felt a sense of regret that she was not able to save him when he was in a state of delusion and pain. She stepped away from a small collection of bright orange sludge oozing towards her. Kurt hadn’t been a good or decent man, but he didn’t exactly deserve this.

“Don’t feel sympathy for this beast,” Duponte said, as if reading Silvana’s mind, or perhaps her crestfallen face. “Feel sympathy for your mother, for her sacrifice. For the sacrifices of your father who has tried to protect the very people who condemn him.”

“We’re in this position, divided, witches and werewolves at war because of you!” Silvana shouted. “You dabbled in evil magic that separated us all.”

“No, sweet child,” Duponte said calmly. “I had tried to unite us all and was exiled! I was killed for crimes that I did not commit, and an entire story has been crafted to deceive you!”

“What you’re saying doesn’t even make sense,” Silvana declared. If Duponte had been influencing her with magic, it was wearing off, or had completely faded. The spirit standing before Silvana was now, plain as the white snow falling gently before them, a wicked woman capable of no good. Silvana didn't’ need stories to understand that; it was written all over Duponte’s demeanor and tone.

“Please hear me, dear,” Duponte said, her face transforming from a woman’s to that of an ugly demon with large fangs and horns. “I am your family.”

Silvana looked to her side, observed Solaris frozen in place, then stepped in front of him.

“That man is my family,” she said, sticking her nose towards Duponte. “And maybe he didn’t try and sell me the pretty words you have, but he has always been there for me in his own way, and you’ve done nothing but wedge species apart and create hate.”

“I understand that you’ve been poisoned against me, and that you’ve--”

“That’s enough!” Silvana screamed. The whole ground shuddered, and Duponte’s demonic face twisted into a smirk.

Duponte belted out in laughter, and from the corner of her eye, while Silvana collected herself and readied her most powerful magic, she noticed that Bruce was moving again. It was so slow she barely noticed, but while the rest of the people around her were still captured in Duponte’s magic, Silvana realized that Bruce was breaking through. Even in her strongest state, she didn’t think that she could defeat Duponte by herself, but if she was with her lover, then maybe, just maybe, the two could muster enough strength to defeat Duponte once and for all.

If only Silvana could distract Duponte long enough to try and weaken the spell and free Bruce, then they may still have a fighting chance.

“Tell me,” Silvana said, sounding as strong as possible and sidestepping away from Solaris and towards Bruce, “What would I need to do to receive the power you promise?”

Duponte’s voice shifted into a serpentine whisper, and she said, her words almost like a hummed song, “Reach your hand to mine, child, and let me transfer the power over to you.”

Crimson lightning spurted and sparked around Duponte’s shoulders, and a deep, sanguine aura began to emanate from her body.

Silvana continued moving in Bruce’s direction, and Bruce continued to try and fight past the magic, using his enhanced silver claw form to attempt and break free. It was only centimeters, but his claws were extending out and at Duponte’s face, though he was so far from her that he could do no damage. Still, he was aware, as were the other people trapped by Duponte’s magic, and as much as Solaris, Angus, and Amelia wanted to continue and help Silvana, they were not powerful enough to break out.

They were not aware of the thing that Bruce and Silvana had realized would defeat Duponte once and for all.

“Frankly, Cecilia Duponte,” Silvana said, “I understand my power now that you’re here.”

The already wide smile on Duponte’s demonic face stretched even farther, making her look far less human than she already had been.

“That’s good,” Duponte hissed in a voice far from human. “Then lend me your touch, dearest Silvana, and we can give you the strength that you are owed.”

Silvana was near Bruce when she said, “I’ll lend my touch, but not to you.”

She quickly whispered the incantation, “Tu Fui, Ego Eris,” and set her hand upon Bruce’s big shoulder.

Her eyes glowed pink and a fuschia aura encircled her. Through the same inherent connection that had brought the two together in the first place, Silvana and Bruce felt a magic that weaved their thoughts into one, and gave them both the strength to know how to deal with Duponte.

As if shattering out of a glass case, Bruce howled and sprinted out from the snow bank he had been knocked into. .

Duponte faltered, then grimaced.

Whatever magic had freed Bruce was disturbing her in a way she didn’t understand. Bruce stood beside Silvana, and for the first time in Duponte’s entire existence, she felt a deep fear.