Raphael was clutching Lillian’s neck, where a deep cut wound was instantly healing. She coughed, feeling the lack of air, but the smile did not leave her lips.

- You know it won’t kill me, right? – her body crashed into the ground with a bang, leaving an imprint the size of a decent shell crater.

A second later, she was already on her feet, as if it was not a strong push and blow, but a soft touch.

- I have to thank you for my immortality. If it wasn’t for your blood, I wouldn’t have made it. - She lifted her chin, and there was a hint of laughter in her eyes. – You know, have you ever thought that we would be a good couple with you?

- I’d rather find a way to make you rot in the ground than even imagine you next to me. - He spat to the side in disgust and wiped his lower lip, where Lillian’s blood was left, which made him feel sick with its taste and smell.

He stood on his feet confidently, all his wounds had healed, but he was still furious, because no matter how he tried, this damn witch would not let him get through. She was too strong. Not stronger than him, but on a par with him.

Raphael could clearly hear Artemis’s soft sobs and his heart was breaking into millions of small fragments, realizing that her every sob was getting quieter, and the heartbeat, which he concentrated on as a distant beacon, was becoming slower and slower.

He rushed back to the side where Artemis was, but before he could take a step, Lilian attacked him, plunging her hands under his skin up to the wrist, causing damage to internal organs. He tried to throw her off, but she pulled him back with her, wrapping her legs and arms around him like a koala and biting into his neck with her razor-sharp teeth.

Lillian didn’t care about being gentle, but she was overly attracted to his blood smell, as if it was honey, the best sweetness for her. A couple of seconds later, Rafael took her off again, wiping the bite spot with his hand, feeling an unpleasant burning sensation.

- You know, you suddenly gave me an idea. - He grinned madly, casting a brief glance to the side and clenching his teeth tightly, almost to the point of pain, watching the flames raging in the distance. - Even though you’re immortal, if I drink all your blood, you’ll have to sleep forever.

- Well, then, try to do it. - She beckoned with her index finger, as if beckoning, and then slowly ran her neck from the base of her ear to the jugular. She wasn’t going to give up on him, but she was going to play along.

Raphael swallowed hard, tasting her vile blood on his tongue, but he was ready to drink her dry, to the last drop, if it would help him get rid of her.

***

Horel hurled witches attacking him in all directions, who stood like a wall on his way to his daughter. He didn’t pay attention to his injuries, which were serious enough when he couldn’t dodge or block them due to his not-too-agile figure.

Richard walked a little ahead, removing annoying witches from the way, but he was alone, and there were about two hundred of them, and the king of Riliya could not take care of covering his back, since he himself was in a bad siege.

- Thea, daughter! - He roared. - Hold on. Hang on, honey, Daddy’s already here.

Ignoring the pain, he was moving forward with small steps when a huge gray wolf appeared in front of him, rearing up on its hind legs.

Horel frowned.

- Bliar. - He hissed and immediately pointed his magic wand at him, but a firm touch on his arm made him stop when he saw Terrence in front of him.

"Terry..." he whispered with slight disbelief.

Terrence cut through the air with a shimmering whip that pushed the witches away, burning them. The places where the witches were injured were covered with deep trophic wounds that continued to deepen, as if acid was corroding them.

They screamed, fell to the ground, tumbling and spinning, trying to take off their clothes, but at this vulnerable moment, the werewolves who came to the rescue tore their unprotected throats and tore off their limbs.

Terrence nodded to his father, shifting his gaze to the gap that appeared between the witches, but what he saw next threw him into a daze.

The merciless fire, the violence of the elements, had already ruled uncontrollably behind the witches, enveloping his sister’s lifeless, fragile body.

As if forgetting everything, he rushed straight into the fire, covering her with his body, trying to extinguish the irrepressible fire, but instead, his own clothes only began to smolder and ignite, taking them with him.

No matter how hard he tried to extinguish the fire, even the magic did not obey him when his hands were already on fire and his skin began to burn alive on him.

- Get out of the way. - Horel’s screams were muffled in Terrence’s ears as he screamed in pain. But it wasn’t the pain of the fire, it was the pain of loss, the pain of seeing his own sister dead, the person he loved more than anyone in his family.

A huge stream of water gushed down on them from above as Horel roared, waving his magic wand chaotically. The tall flames immediately prostrated themselves, leaving only steam and ashes around.

Horel wrapped his arms around the trembling shoulders of his son, who was bending over a girl who was difficult to identify as his own daughter. Her entire skin was covered with bloody burns, her hair had burned off without leaving any hint of its former existence, and only the pitch-black crown remained intact. Her burned eyelids were tightly closed and not a single sigh escaped her lips anymore.

He pressed his trembling lips together so hard that he would not allow himself to fall apart, but it was impossible, unbearable, and tears poured out of his eyes, and his whole body shook in sad convulsions.

Terrence sat motionless, feeling the presence of his father next to him, but his whole consciousness froze, the spirit seemed to leave his body, he refused to admit the fact that his hands were still holding his sister’s warm hands, but they were warm only because the skin still continued to smolder. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

- Noooo. - He screamed and bent over, letting his head fall on his sister’s chest.

Her body was covered in golden scale armor that didn’t even seem to be touched by the flames, protecting her body, but the same couldn’t be said for her arms and head. He just couldn’t look at the sight in front of his eyes without tears.

He cursed and blamed himself for being late, and it seemed that everything that was happening around him no longer mattered to him or his father.