CHAPTER SIXTEEN
518 Words
CHAPTER 16: THE MONSTER WITHIN
(Damian’s POV)
I hit Devereaux hard.
The force sent him crashing through a pillar, rubble collapsing around him in a storm of dust and shattered stone.
But I wasn’t done.
I stalked forward, the beast inside me fully unleashed. My claws flexed, my breath came in deep, heavy snarls.
I could smell his blood.
And I wanted more.
Devereaux groaned, pushing himself up from the wreckage. His red eyes gleamed, lips twisting into something that wasn’t quite fear—but wasn’t amusement anymore either.
"Ah," he exhaled, wiping blood from his mouth. "So this is what you were hiding, Blackwood."
I lunged.
He dodged—barely. My claws slashed through the air, ripping through his coat, catching the edge of his ribs.
A satisfying growl of pain.
But he was still too fast.
Too strong.
I could feel the curse shifting beneath my skin, power flooding through my veins—more than I had ever had before.
But it came with something else.
A creeping, burning darkness that whispered:
"Lose yourself."
"Let it take over."
I shook it off. Focused on one thing.
Kill him.
Devereaux’s fangs bared. "You’re stronger than before," he admitted, voice edged with irritation.
"Stronger than you," I corrected.
Then I attacked.
Faster. More brutal.
Claws, fangs, fury.
Devereaux fought like the seasoned killer he was, but I didn’t let up. Not for a second.
This wasn’t just a fight.
It was justice.
For me.
For Selene.
For every life he’d ruined.
I caught him with an upward s***h, my claws tearing through his chest. He stumbled back, snarling—his first mistake.
I seized him by the throat and slammed him into the ground.
Marble cracked beneath the force. His hands clawed at my wrist, but I only squeezed harder.
His eyes flickered. Panic.
I leaned down, voice a growl. "Where’s your arrogance now, Devereaux?"
He spat blood in my face. "Go on, then," he rasped. "Finish it."
My claws tightened.
This was it.
The moment I had dreamed of.
The moment I had bled for.
And yet—
A voice cut through the haze.
"Damian."
Selene.
I turned my head, barely breathing.
She was watching me.
Not with relief.
Not with triumph.
But with worry.
And that’s when I realized—
I wasn’t just holding him.
I was crushing him.
The curse’s whispers slithered through me again. More. More. More.
I forced myself to let go.
Devereaux coughed, wheezing as he rolled onto his hands and knees.
Selene stepped forward, her injured arm hanging at her side, but her dagger still firm in her grip.
"You’re not the only one who deserves this kill," she murmured.
And then—before Devereaux could even look up—
She drove the dagger straight through his heart.
His eyes widened. A choked gasp escaped his lips.
Selene leaned in, her voice a whisper.
"Burn in hell."
Then she twisted the blade.
Vincent Devereaux shuddered. Then stilled.
The light in his eyes faded.
The warlord of Ravenshade was dead.
The battle was over.
But the war?
That was only just beginning.
- Writer
