Red Moon Secrets (Deadly Beauties 3)

I feel each and every entity I possess flowing out of me, howling their promises in unison. It wraps around them in the form of a gold and silver light, the two colors intertwining and braiding together. I can feel every creature's power vibrating through the conjoined strands. I can taste Kane's power strumming through me, fueling me as he pushes harder, aiding me in the attack.

Screams dress and decorate the air with a delicious taste, and I drink it in, loving the feel before I charge and grab them both by the throat. The poison of my touch, the taste of my power, and the kiss of death all work together to steal the essence that keeps them here.

Pieces of them start breaking off into ashes, until they finally crumble like a pile of rubble at my feet. My dark hair whips in the wind as I turn to face the silver eyes of my creature—my love. And in the reflection his eyes offer me, I see the golden orbs in place of my silver eyes. A power like I've never felt before radiates through me, pushing me to continue.

Madness breaks free from me, causing more chaos as the sun slowly starts to rise, shedding light on the red moon creatures who find their sanity amongst the war at hand. The divine taste of darkness runs through me as I push forth one last burst of power, letting it sink into the core of the idiots still fighting for their fallen king and queen.

Pretty cries of death echo through the air as they fall. Wilting under my power, they crumble, breaking under the strength that won't let up or offer mercy.

The ones not filled with blackened hearts stumble backwards, watching in disbelief as their adversaries drop. Then I stalk toward the wakened night stalker that just won't die and the bitch mother Gage doesn't deserve to endure.

"Monster," she seethes, barely keeping her head up against my force.

I kneel in front of them, her eyes cold and callous, refusing to show fear even though she knows the fate she's about to meet. His eyes show me the fear I crave, desire, and relish.

"You should have chosen the right side," I murmur before finishing what I started with one last push of power, pressing against them fully with the unseen force.

I deny them the right to cry out their pain when I steal their breath and force them to endure a silent death. As they drop, I slowly turn around, seeing most of the damage slowly fading as the light from the sky promises a new day.

Gage is messing with the Thad imposter, trying to free him, and Kane is untying the small girl.

"Not him!" I command, finding my fury once again.

"It's Thad, Alyssa. He’s real," Gage says, not meeting my eyes.

I start to say something else when I look Thad’s heart, seeing the truth I wish I had seen sooner. White—pure white light—buried inside a beautifully-pure heart, and tears fall from my eyes as my hair changes back to blond.

I start to fall, but Kane blurs and catches me as the surrealism and exhaustion catch up, only—I'm not as exhausted as I should be. That much power—

"I changed," I murmur, touching my skin as though it should be different, feeling no wounds where they were just moments ago.

Kane smiles down at me as he pulls me closer, holding me so much tighter than he's ever been able to before. It feels so good.

"I have to shut this down. Get the medallion," Thad says to Gage as the exhausted little girl wobbles.

Kane leaves me as he rushes to her, trying to steady her. I run over, and stumble over my feet from the unexpected speed I didn't mean to use. When my body claps the ground, I hear the laughter of an incubus that seemed to be missing from most of the fight.

Zee helps me to my feet as Thad moves to be at the little girl's side, putting the necklace on her and letting Gage reseal the broken chain.

"What're you laughing at, incubus?" Zee grumbles. "Where were you? Hiding?"

Dice scowls. "I was kicking a night stalker's ass. Me—an incubus—beat the hell outta him."

"One?" Zee asks, sounding incredulous, making Dice's anger grow. "I don't know which one of you is more pathetic."

As the bickering continues, Mom's arms wrap around me when she comes to my side. She hugs me close to her, squeezing me tighter than usual just as Kane did. Drackus stays on his back, still catching his breath and shaking his head sporadically as he comes down from his high. Frankie staggers over, clutching his side as hobbles to us.

"What's that?" he asks, looking at Thad. I still haven't processed the fact that he's alive.

"All I know about it is that it halts power on certain creatures. She's too young to stop her power once it's been activated. Get that thing out of here," he says, pointing to the diamond of Roth.

Frankie vaporizes with the diamond in tow. Mom just watches

with me, ignoring the cousin my crazy Hyde-half left alive. Her heart was tainted, but not black—there's hope for her. I pray I'm right about that.

"How do we get all the spirits back in?" Dice asks, breaking apart from his feud with Zee.

"Once we shut this down, they'll lose their hold on this world and the bodies they've captured. They won't be sucked back into purgatory, but they'll become trapped in various planes. I'll find out which ones and lock them down or move them."