With her limp body clutched in my hands, rivers of fire and mist and rage flowed freely from me. Any exhaustion I felt was long gone as I dragged this power up from the realm, claiming energy that was my birthright.

Destruction built within my veins and I willed it on.

The rumble of the land beneath me was the first indicator that I was tearing the Shadow Realm apart, plucking each string of mist that formed its foundation and watching each one fall. Not caring as this world broke, I tucked Mera into my side, using my free hand to reach for the Danamain. No longer would I ever refer to this abomination as my mother; she’d lost that right—and her life—the moment she’d hurt Mera.

The roar spilled from my lips as I tried to destroy the caged Danamain, but another entity blocked my way. With my vision filled with fire and shadow, I’d missed that the fortress was no longer existing on its own.

A layer of security surrounded it.

Midnight, sparking and zapping, striking everything that got too close, except for the second part of the security: Mera’s creatures.

“She called them,” Angel cried, her voice cracking as she too fought to get closer, blades in hand, grief tearing at her face. “When she pulled on our bonds.”

Her pain was real, but mine was destructive.

I’d been too slow to save Mera. To save the worlds.

I’d been doing everything in my power to save them, but now, as far as I was concerned, they all deserved to burn.

My true beast form rose up to take control, our roar sending all the beings around us to their knees. And it was here they would stay.

This world belonged to me. The Solaris System belonged to me.

They would all burn.

My land raged with me, trembling until it was impossible for any who stood upon it to remain upright. Lava burst up, the land itself cracked, and I tilted my head back, letting more of the power flow from me.

They would all pay. For touching her. For bringing about this event.

When Mera’s empty vessel finally disintegrated in my arms, a guttural sound escaped me, sending forth another whip of my destructive power.

Without my Sunshine, there was only darkness.

I was darkness.

And I would destroy everything.

48

I’d come close to death more than a few times in my life. And since meeting Shadow—a.k.a. being kidnapped—death had hovered close by, waiting for its moment to steal me away.

Why this time it had succeeded was anyone’s guess. Maybe it was just my time. Or maybe I’d hastened the process with some ill-thought-out ideas and actions, but whatever it was, when the last of my energy faded into the fortress of binding power, I died.

For real.