Rylie smirked at the shocked expressions on the warlock's and witch's faces. "What's the matter, Devon? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Devon stared at her for a moment longer, and then a smile broke his shocked expression. "I knew you wouldn't go down without a fight."
Rylie returned the smile and tipped her head to the side. "What do you say we finish our party?"
"Maybe later, after I kill your family." He pressed the dagger deeper into Sarah's neck, drawing a loud whimper from her as blood dripped faster down her skin.
Sighing, Rylie let her Power seize the dagger and closed her fingers around the hilt when it materialized in her hand. Turning it over, she casually studied the silver edge. "I remember this dagger," she mused. "You held it against my neck before you stripped my clothes, saying that if I so much as screamed, you'd slice my throat. Kill me." She lifted her eyes to the warlock's. "And then you tossed it aside and used your power to hold me in place while you raped me."
"What of it?" Devon asked, his hand forming a fist.
Rylie smiled sweetly. "You used this dagger to scare me into compliance, and then used your power. And ever since then I connected your power to pain and death, which scared me. You knew my Power was connected to my emotions, and when I was scared, I couldn't call on my Power to defend myself." Chuckling, she tossed the dagger over her shoulder, hearing it clatter on the floor a few yards behind her. "You knew I wouldn't fight back because you made me think I didn't have the power to stop you."
"You don't," Devon snarled, taking a step forward. But he stopped when the girl in the doorway didn't move, or even flinch.
"I do," Rylie said quietly. "Especially now. You left the woods a little too early and missed the show."
The warlock's eyes narrowed. "Your Ascension."
"That's right. I'm a hell of a lot more powerful now."
"You can't beat me," he growled.
"I bet I can," Rylie smiled.
"Kill her already!" Cassandra yelled.
Rylie turned her gaze to the redhead, whose bright green eyes burned with anger. "Cassie, Cassie, Cassie. So impatient. I'm amazed Devon hasn't left you yet." She smirked. "Unless you want to count his day with me."
"Bitch!" The woman stepped forward, but Rylie's Power wrapped around her, pinning her in her place. Her eyes widened briefly. "Devon, kill her."
"So demanding," Rylie sighed. Her eyes shot to the warlock. "Your move."
Devon's gaze went from her to the woman and back, his eyes calm. "Do whatever. I don't care."
"You sure?" Rylie released her hold on Cassandra, but let her Power snake across the woman's skin, and suddenly she began scratching her arms.
"What the hell is this?" Cassandra snarled as her nails dug into her skin repeatedly. "What are you doing to me?"
Rylie's eyes never left the warlock. "Your choice, Devon. Will she live or die?"
"You don't have what it takes to kill someone," Devon said coolly, folding his arms. "You're too innocent."
Rylie pushed her Power at the woman, letting it dig into each of her pores. She whimpered before letting a shriek escape her. "I haven't been innocent since the day you raped me. You stole my innocence." Everyone watched in silent horror as Cassandra's skin slowly disintegrated from her body in tiny pieces, like dust floating in the air. The woman's beautiful face contorted in fear and pain. A scream ripped through the room and her frantic eyes found the warlock, silently begging for him to stop the torture. But he just stood in place, stunned. Skin evaporated to reveal muscle, which in turn peeled away to show bone, which dissolved before their eyes, leaving no trace of the woman.
Devon stumbled back, his eyes wide. "What the hell did you just do to her?"
"I killed her," Rylie stated simply. "And you're next."
A gust of wind swept around the room and his form began to fade. Sighing, Rylie let her Power grab him, yanking him out mid-teleport. He crashed to the floor and then sprang to his feet.
"You can't kill me," he said.
"Haven't I already showed you that I'm capable of killing?" Rylie asked.
"You killed Cassandra. Big deal." He strutted forward until he was a foot away from her. "You've been running from me since you were fourteen. I've found you in every hiding spot you chose. I chased you, hunted you, and fucked you. I know your secrets, fears and dreams. Do you really believe you can kill me?"
Rylie stared back at him, her gaze never wavering from his. His presence used to scare her and make her tremble. The knowledge that she could never escape him made her freeze, wonder why she tried to run in the first place, when he always found her. But standing there before him, staring at the man she had feared since she was fourteen, she suddenly realized how stupid she had been. How ridiculous it was to fear him, because he was no more powerful than the other boys in the room, maybe even less powerful.
Her Power surrounded him, digging into his pores. Cursing, he scratched his skin, glaring at her. Tilting her head, she let the Power work faster than it had on Cassandra. She watched his eyes widen and his mouth open, prepared to release a wail. With one thought, the warlock shuddered and groaned, and then his skin, muscles and bones were ripped apart with a sickening explosion, leaving behind no trace of the man.
The room was silent for a moment as everyone processed what had just happened.
"Rylie," Leila said softly, watching the girl at the doorway.
Reid stepped forward, but Leila caught his arm, stopping him. He looked at her, frowning. "What?"
"That's not Rylie," she said, her eyes still on the girl before them.
"What are you talking about? Of course it is," Reid said, looking back at the girl.
"No. She's different."
"So her eyes are black. That's what happens when we use."
"Leila, let him do what he wants," Rylie said.
"I will once your eyes are back to normal," Leila stated.
"Leila, it's fine," Reid insisted, tugging his arm away.
He took another step toward her, but Leila jumped in front of him and lunged at the girl. Rylie's Power wrapped around the blonde girl and threw her into the wall. Her body slumped to the floor, knocking over a small table.
"Stay away from me," Rylie hissed.
Leila slowly stood and looked at the brunette girl. "Why? Are you afraid I'll make you want to fight?"
"Fight?" Caleb repeated. "Fight what?"
"Nothing, Caleb," Rylie snapped. "Be a good brother and go on about your own business."
"Stop pushing them out of your life, Ry," Leila scolded. "It's time they knew everything."
"There's nothing to tell. Devon and Cassandra are gone, everything's all better. Happily ever after," Rylie said, glaring at the blonde girl.
"Oh, cut the shit and spill the truth, or I will," Leila snapped angrily.
Rylie's eyes narrowed. "It's not yours to tell."
"It became mine to tell when you let it take over."
"It hasn't taken over," Rylie said. After she had told Leila about the possible addiction to the Power when they were fifteen, she'd been incredibly worried ever since. But now she was just blowing it out of proportion.
Leila walked to the other side of the room and grabbed her purse and pulled something from the zip pocket. Turning, she held up a small glass vile with a brown cork stop blocking the clear blue liquid inside. "Then drink this."
"What is it?" Rylie asked, eyeing the bottle.
"A power stripping potion. I made it in case we had problems." Leila held out the hand holding the bottle. "Drink up."
"No," Rylie said. "I'm not stripping my Power."
"You have to," Leila said firmly.
"No I don't."
"What the hell is going on?" Caleb asked, looking from one person to the next. "Why does she have to take a potion?"
Leila stared at her friend for a moment before answering. "Because if she doesn't, she'll become completely addicted."
"How can she be addicted?" Pogue asked.
"How often did she use in Ireland?" Caleb asked, looking at Leila.
"Almost every day," Leila answered. "She needed to in order to protect us from Devon."
Caleb groaned. "The addiction."
The room was silent. Rylie glared at the blonde girl, fuming. "You had no right to tell them that."
"Oh I definitely had the right," Leila shot back before her face softened. "Please. Take the potion."
"No." Turning, Rylie stormed toward the door, grabbed the handle and yanked. It didn't open. She spun around to glare at the group. "Caleb, let me out!"
Her brother raised his hands. "I'm not doing it."
Her eyes landed on an onyx eyed Reid who had his arms crossed in front of him.
"You're not leaving," he growled.
"Yes I am," Rylie snarled. "Now let me out."
"You can't be addicted!" Reid yelled, surprising everyone. "Take the damn potion and free yourself!"
"I'm not addicted!" Rylie said loudly. "Leila's just paranoid."
"Then why are your eyes still black?" Reid shot at her. "I used a lot in the past few years, and everyone was sure I'd die once I Ascended. And after seeing how it affected Chase, I cut back a lot. I wasn't ready to completely throw away my life. I didn't want to become addicted. And I don't want to see that happen to you either."
Rylie looked away, unable to hold his gaze. She wasn't addicted. The Ascension just made her Power act up and in the next couple days she'd get it under control again. She would. Sensing movement, she looked up to see Reid slowly walking toward her. Her body shivered as the Power tried to push its way out to protect her. But she didn't need protection. It was Reid. He wasn't a threat.
Another shiver passed through her body as if her Power were arguing, itching to be let loose. Blinking, she looked away and stepped back. The Power pressed against her hold on it, trying to break through. She inhaled sharply and looked at the group, and then at Leila. Tears pressed into her eyes. It couldn't be true. It wasn't true. "I'm out of here." She turned on her heel and reached for the door.
Someone tackled her to the ground. Her Power broke through her barrier and stabbed at her attacker. The person groaned, but their hold on her remained firm. Turning her head, she saw Reid on the floor with her, his eyes as black as night. "What the hell?" she snarled.
"Guys, a little help!" Reid hollered as his Power wrapped around her, trying to hold her still.
She thrashed in his hold, her Power fighting against his. Suddenly more Power snaked around her and she slowly stopped moving against her will. Her eyes darted around and she saw the other three Sons watching her, all of their eyes as black as Reid's. They were combining their strengths to hold her in place.
"No," she croaked.
"Leila," Reid ordered, motioning with his head.
Leila uncorked the small vile and moved to kneel beside the unmoving girl. Rylie glared at her as her mouth was forced open by an invisible force. They were stripping her Power. Her own family was taking away the one thing that had kept her alive and strong since she was thirteen.
"I'm sorry," Leila whispered before dumping the contents of the vile into Rylie's mouth.