Page 63 of Chasing Luna

Well, that’s useful, isn’t it?I respond sarcastically.

‘Finish this, Isabela. She’s too far gone,’Serafina’s voice ripples through my thoughts.

I know,I respond.

“Well, sister? What can you do? We outnumber you.” Katarina continues to advance, but I stand my ground. Just as I am about to attack, a couple of unfamiliar wolves jump out and target the traitorous pack members behind me.

I look back to see Gregory emerge from behind. “Isabela, go! We’ve got you covered.” I roam my eyes here and there and see full-fledged fights going around. Some of Gregory’s pack members have joined in to stop Katarina’s advancements.

Somewhere in the fighting, my grandmother looks on, stoic and unamused but stays away from engaging in anything. A fireball whirrs past me, barely missing my head.

“Pay attention to me!” Katarina screams, diverting my attention back to her. “You were always the favorite child. The pretty one, the chosen one.” She shakes her head in disgust. “Not anymore. I’m going to ruin that stupid, little face of yours. I’m going to ruin your life!” she yells and attacks once more, this time with as much force as she can as she lands a punch on my face. “Not quick enough,” she squeals, and lands another hit on my stomach. “Not firm enough.” She straddles and holds me down. Face flickering with maniacal delight, she utters one last phrase: “Not good enough,” before putting a hand over my face—just then, heat emerges from the space between us.

Chapter Fifty-Eight

“I’m sorry, Kat,” I express and catch her hands midway. I let the heat overtake my entire body, light emerges now from the latter. I hear her start to scream, struggling to get away from my grasp. But my grip is firm as I let the searing light envelop her. “Shh, it’s going to be over soon,” I say and ignore her pleas to be let go.

“Isabela, no!” I hear my grandmother’s voice cut through the forest. I ignore her and ramp up the light. Pretty soon, Katarina’s screams turn into agonized yells as her flesh starts to disintegrate.

“Katarina, your time is up.” Her silhouette shakes its head.

“No! It’s not! I’m going to win!” she bellows, voice starting to distort as her vital organs are being melted from the inside out.

“I win. Like I always have.” I smile and pull the disappearing body closer to me. “And I always will.” She struggles against my hold, but to no avail. I stare at the moon above us and wait for her to completely disappear into the light. Tears form in my eyes as Katarina’s spirit completely dissipates into thin air, and her clothes have remained on top of me. I stand back up, a little dizzy from the screams Katarina let out earlier. “She’s… gone,” I mutter and look around the area, where everyone has stopped fighting to watch what happened. “Now, then. Yield before your Queen,” I order, and immediately, a couple of wolves turn human and kneel. However, some still have the audacity to charge at me.

I raise my hands and squeeze the life out of them from where I stand. This display of power seems to raise fear out of the pack, as the assailants drop down one by one. “You’re not their Queen.” I look to my left just in time to see my grandmother raise her hand in an attempt to paralyze me.

I shoot out a bolt of electricity from my fingertips, which she easily dodges. “I am now.” I smile as if to say it’s over, but even I know it’s fake confidence.

I’m too weak after killing Katarina. I don’t think I can go all out next time,I think and I feel Serafina’s voice start to hum in agreement.

‘Yeah, I think so too. Can you fight her in hand-to-hand combat?’she asks.

I mentally shake my head.Not if she turns into a wolf. She has years of experience.

‘You killed your own kin,’she starts, but I interrupt.

“Should I have just let her kill me then?” I yell out in contempt.

My grandmother laughs. “You should’ve been dead a long time ago.” She levitates into the air but I bring her down easily, as if I can control the force of gravity itself. “Unhand me, you monster!” She struggles and it’s my turn to laugh.

“I’m the monster? I suffered years and years of abuse under your hands. I was made out to be an outsider, a person unfitting for the role of a princess for my whole life.” I lift her up and drop her down to the ground with enormous force. “And I’m the monster?” I laugh. “You imprisoned people, treated them like they were animals whenever you heard anyone say anything bad about you.” I lift her up once more. “And I’m the monster?” Before I can drop her back down, she launches a barrage of rocks toward me and I let go.

“If only I had known Katarina would be too weak to kill you, I should’ve never given her the book of spells!” she shouts and lunges at me. I quickly dodge and kick her away from me. Feeling the power in my legs, I start attacking her as well, but she’s too skilled in martial arts, evading and counterattacking whenever she can.

She uses a spell to push me away and I go flying a couple of meters back. She leaps to me, but I move out of the way and use frost to chain her. “You did what?” I confront her. Around us, pack members watch.

“Yes, that’s right. I wanted her to become the Queen. I gave her the book so she could study it. But too much of its power got into her head, and she became mentally unstable to control. I thought about fixing her, but you just had to go and kill her,” she hisses and escapes from my restraints. She walks a few meters back. “Now, I’m going to finish what I started.” She raises her arms, but I feel the familiar ache of bloodlust coarse through my veins. Serafina takes over my mind and utters a simple incantation, and pretty soon I can feel the ground beneath us start to vibrate.

“I’m taking it all away from you,” I say, but my voice sounds distorted. Evil, even. “I’m going to make you regret ever crossing me,” I warn and open my arms to the moon.

“Ha! I’ve never heard of a threat so weak in my entire life.” She scoffs and prepares to launch a spell, but it doesn’t come. Instead, I slap my hands together and the entire forest is still for a moment.

“Althea Esperanza. Now is the time to say goodbye to all you’ve ever known.” I laugh and watch as she looks around the area, only to see everyone in a frozen state.

“What is this power?” She lets out a strangled scoff.

“It’s power you will never, ever know. Power you can’t even dream of having. Because you were never worthy for it.” As I utter the words, it seems that a thousand voices have come out of my body. “It’s time to pay the price for your sins, Althea.” I laugh and clap my hands once more.