Malik
My paws dug deep into the soaked earth, elemental magic rampant in the air. Heavy rain pelted down as thunder shook the world around us. Lightning ripped through the sky. The ground trembled beneath us. We pushed forward, my breath heavy with urgency. I looked up at the storm-wracked sky, my gaze falling on the unnatural swirls of color bleeding through the clouds. What was happening? Had something gone wrong—or was this how it was supposed to be? We reached the back of the altar, my paws pressing against the cold stone. It was eerily quiet. Too quiet. My fur, drenched from the downpour, left a slick trail as Ajax followed me up the stairs, our claws clicking against the stone. The path stretched on endlessly, every step an eternity as anxiety twisted through me. Please, don't let me be too late. At last, we stepped into the open chamber—and chaos swallowed us whole. Wind lashed violently, whipping around the room. Bodies littered the ground, lifeless and twisted. Acheron and Sylvin stood in the heart of it all, locked in a heated argument, their voices drowned out by the raging storm. My heart pounded painfully as I searched frantically—where was she? There. She lay in the center of it all, her body writhing in agony. My breath caught, my chest clenching as I took in the scene. Power—raw, volatile—poured into her from every direction. The air thickened with magic, coiling in shimmering tendrils of icy blue and crimson. I snapped my gaze to Acheron. Tendrils of his power unraveled from his body, mixing with Sylvin's, feeding the growing storm that tore through Audra. Her screams pierced the air, a sound so full of pain and terror that my face twisted with grief. My paws twitched—aching to run to her—but I forced myself still. I couldn't jeopardize this. Then Sylvin moved. He lunged forward, his expression twisted with urgency as he began undoing Audra's restraints, his voice lost beneath the howling wind. Acheron's face contorted in frustration, but he didn't stop him. As the final cuff fell, her body arched violently. She lifted from the altar, as if unseen hands had seized her. My breath hitched—her chest. It was open. A swirling, pulsing orb of multicolored energy hovered within the gaping cavity, twisting violently as if it were trying to consume her from the inside out. The magic was wild, untamed. If we were going to stop this, we had to close it. Something shifted. Acheron's face twisted—not with triumph, but fear. His body convulsed as cracks tore through his skin. The wind snatched at him, pulling him apart piece by piece, as if the very magic he had tried to control was rejecting him. His body disintegrated into dust. And just like that, he was gone. Sylvin didn't have time to scream before the same fate claimed him. I stood frozen, heart hammering. No fight. No final battle. Just... gone. It felt like an unearned victory, but I didn't care. Ajax shifted beside me, pressing a dry set of clothes into my hands as I shifted forms. The moment the fur left my body, the cold hit me—but I barely felt it. I shoved forward, tearing through the raging elements toward her. The storm hadn't stopped. Even without Acheron, the air crackled with unstable magic. Rain pounded, wind howled, and lightning split the heavens. Audra's magic was spiraling, unchecked. A bolt of lightning cracked above, and suddenly, fire exploded around her. I stumbled back, startled. The heat roared, lashing at my skin like molten whips. But I didn't hesitate. I forced myself forward, through the inferno, ignoring the pain as fire seared my flesh. "We need a healer!" I roared, reaching for her hand. Ajax nodded and disappeared into the storm, while I knelt beside her. My stomach churned at the sight of her. She looked broken. Her hands were discolored, a grotesque mix of red and purple. Her body was filthy, battered, nearly skeletal. My chest squeezed. Tears mixed with the rain on my face. I didn't wipe them away. Ajax returned with a healer, the man tearing through the flames, his arms singed by the heat. He didn't falter, raising his hands over Audra, chanting rapidly. A soft golden glow swirled from his palms, wrapping around her, cocooning her in light. Her chest began to close. I watched, my breath trapped in my lungs as the healer poured every ounce of his strength into the spell. Tiny flecks of light bled from his body into hers, and for a moment—my heart seized. She was taking his magic. But the healer was faster. The wound sealed, leaving only a thin, pale scar. The storm lurched, then stopped. Silence fell. And then—her body dropped. I lunged, catching her before she could hit the ground. She was limp in my arms, but breathing. A choked, disbelieving laugh broke from me as I clutched her to my chest. Triumph surged through my veins. She was alive. In my arms. Acheron was dead. It was over. I carried her toward the tower's edge, looking out at the battlefield below. The war raged on, but it wouldn't last. Not now. Tilting my head back, I let a victorious howl rip through my throat. My warriors froze, then erupted into cheers. Weapons clattered to the ground, the battle grinding to a halt. I took her and raced down the steps, my pulse finally beginning to slow. She was safe. At the base of the tower, I gently laid her against the trunk of a tree. Her chest rose and fell in shallow but steady breaths. Reaching into Ajax's pack, I pulled out my phone. Only one message needed to be sent. We won. I put the phone away and turned back to her just as her lashes fluttered. My heart stopped. "Audra?" Her eyes opened. Crimson and pale blue swirled in her irises—wild and unfamiliar. And then, power crashed through the air like a tidal wave.
Audra's Pov
I opened my eyes, immediately I felt it. Power. It surged within me crashing into each other like tidal waves, pressing against the thin wall of my chest. It burned hot within my veins. I heard a muffled voice. Bright colors melded and blured my vision. My head was pounding, I looked around, blinking rapidly, my eyes finally focusing on Malik. Malik, I let out a long shaky breath, one I had held for two years. Two agonizing years. And yet, he was just as I had remembered. Tall, broad—his presence an unshakable force even amidst the ruin surrounding us. His smooth skin, a rich, beautiful caramel, was streaked with sweat, dirt, and blood. His dark, curly hair disheveled from the chaos. He looked battle-worn, exhausted, but still so achingly familiar, so undeniably perfect. His eyes, his striking eyes flashed between a deep chesnut and a molten gold. My gold, A fierce love burned there, raw and unfiltered, intertwined with an aching desperation. I let my own gaze mirror it back, letting him see everything—every piece of my shattered soul that still belonged to him. I had waited for him. Hoping, praying that he would still come for me. The next instant, he was on me. He crashed into me, arms locking around my body, but there was no harshness, no force. He held me as if I were made of glass, as if I would disappear should he let go. His arms, his warmth, his scent—everything wrapped around me, and I broke. "I missed you." He mumbled softly. A sob ripped from my throat. "Me to." I whispered, choking on my tears. He pulled away, his gaze lingering on my lips, then his eyes met mine, searching, asking. I swallowed, my heart pounding in my ears, I gave a small, hesitant nod, my stomach twisting, burning with desire, fear, anticipation. Our lips met. Soft at first, hesitant. A whisper of a kiss. A moment suspended in time. Then, the dam broke. The kiss deepened, heat rising between us like an unstoppable tide. His lips molded to mine, desperate, aching, filled with every stolen moment, every lost year. A low, needy sound rumbled from his chest as his arms tightened around me, holding me closer, as if trying to merge us into one. I melted into him, losing myself in the warmth, the passion. Suddenly our moment shattered, as flames erupted from my lips in an uncontrollable surge. He let out a supprised gasp as he ripped away from me. His fingers, shaking slightly, as they ghosted over his lips. They were now bright red and cracked, smoke curling around his cheeks—remnants of fiery embers scorched into his skin. His eyes scanned me, they should have held fear, hesitation, but instead only held love, understanding. I was horrified, this was my fault. I reached up, my trembling hands brushing my lips, they were still hot, smokey. I pushed myself back, and slowly shook my head. This is not happening. Fire!? I was a water wielder. Malik's strong arm pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts, wrapping gently around my shoulders. He was grounding me, anchoring me—but I felt like I was sinking. I turned to him, my breath hitching at the sight of his face. Raw, bloodied, and blistering. My stomach clenched with guilt. My lips had done that. I had done that. My face crumpled. "Malik…" His golden eyes softened, his lips parting as if to reassure me. "It's okay," he murmured, his voice gentle but knowing. No, it wasn't. He lifted a hand and cupped my cheek, his warmth pressing into my skin. I leaned into him despite the shame that flooded my insides. My eyes burned with unshed tears. The moment felt fragile, like glass on the verge of shattering. I don't deserve his touch. A sob wracked my chest as my tears spilled over, sliding down his fingers. "It's not," I whispered, finally responding to him. He looked at me with sadness. I could heal him. The thought was quick. Familiar. It crashed over me like a wave, a desperate certainty that I could fix this. That I had done this before. I sucked in a breath, forcing myself to focus. I reached deep, searching for the familiar threads of my magic—Water. It had always answered me before. But now— Now, something else answered first. Fire. Earth. Air. A storm of untamed power roared beneath my skin, each element clashing, writhing, fighting for control. A violent surge exploded from me. Water—twisted and monstrous—shot from my hands in wild, uncontrollable waves. It slammed into Malik, hurling him backward. "No!" His cry shattered something inside me as his body crashed into the ground, skidding across the wet, scorched earth. The world narrowed. Ajax was at his side in an instant, pressing desperate, shaking hands to his chest. Malik didn't move. Didn't breathe. I had done this. "No, no, no—" I staggered back, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps. My hands—still raised, still trembling—felt like they belonged to someone else. The pressure beneath my skin grew unbearable, a firestorm raging inside me, burning, tearing, consuming. A scream built in my chest, but before it could break free, I felt Isla's touch. "Audra, we can fix this." Her voice was soft. Careful. Like I was something delicate. Like a deer that was caught in the headlights of a car about run. She was right. I was going to run. I ripped away from her grip, her nails scratching at my skin as I turnned—running. With the storm inside me screaming louder than the one I left behind. I don't remember where. Just the sound of trees splintering. The ground buckling. The sky falling. And Malik—still, silent, steaming from where I had scorched him. I ran until the fire in my veins swallowed me whole. Until my lungs bled magic. Until something inside me broke... and something else took its place.
The girl who once had everything. A first love. A home. A family. She is gone.
What's left isn't human.
It isn't safe.
If I stayed, I'd kill them all.
So I vanished. Into the wild. Into the dark. Into whatever this new thing is clawing its way out of my skin.
Let them think I'm dead. Let them bury me with the others.
Because if they find me again—
they won't recognize what's looking back.
I vanished as the night gave way to dawn.
Fire in my veins. Ash in my wake.
Disaster wasn't behind me anymore.
It was wearing my skin.
Coming soon in Book Two of A Legacy of Tides and Storm, a saga
Dawn of Fire and Disaster
This book will be available on this platform while I edit and refine it. Afterwards it will be taken down and published for E-Sale on Amazon and a few other platforms. Thank you for reading and I'd appreciate any feedback.