Primal Heat 05 - Darkness Reborn

right through where Kane used to be. Kane threw back his head and roared with victory, basking in the sensation of power tearing through him. He channeled the demon power into his cells, and his entire body turned to smoke.
    Luc turned to smoke as well and then streaked through the woods and went straight down into the earth that had sucked down Sarah. Kane bellowed with power and rage and followed him, plunging straight into the ground, his body separating into thousands of smoke fragments as he finally, fully embraced exactly what he was.
    * * *
    Sarah unleashed another flash of white light as another demon tried to sink his claws into her belly. It wasn't just Calydons. They were full demons. They were—
    "Sarah." Jacob threw the demon aside and strode up to her.
    Sarah gasped, rolling onto her side, holding her arms protectively over her belly. Her brother's eyes were rogue red, and his claws were out. Just like before. Just like before. "Jacob," she gasped. "Don't—"
    He didn't hesitate. He just struck right at her stomach and this time, God, this time, Sarah didn't hesitate either. She unleashed every ounce of power she had at him, and he screamed with agony as she torched him.
    He fell to the ground beside her, writhing in agony as death sank its claws into him.
    She'd killed him this time. She hadn't held back. She'd killed her own brother, who she loved so dearly. Because she didn't believe she could bring him back anymore.
    Her own brother.
    "Oh, God." Her body began to shake, and nausea churned in her belly as she tried to crawl away from him. "I'm sorry, Jacob," she gasped. "I had to make a choice—"
    "Sarah." He rolled onto his side, his eyes brilliant blue.
    Sarah gasped, staring at him. "Jacob," she whispered. "Is it you?"
    "Yeah." He held out his hand. "You did it. You broke me free of Luc's hold."
    Tears filled her eyes, and she crawled over to him, taking his hand. His hands were cold and clammy with the onset of death. "Jacob, God, I'm so sorry—"
    "Me, too, Sarah." He held out his arms. "But thank you for saving me, for bringing me back." He smiled, that same, beautiful smile he'd given her so many times in his life, the one that had always melted her heart for her baby brother. "For giving me one more chance to see you with my own eyes, and to tell you that I love you."
    "Oh, Jacob!" She fell into his arms, hugging him desperately as his life force began to fade. "Don't die, Jacob. Please."
    "I'm not going to."
    There was an edge to his voice that sent a chill through Sarah, and she froze, staring into his face. "Jacob—"
    "You shouldn't have made the same mistake twice, Sarah," he said. "I thought you were smarter than that." And then his eyes turned red, and he jammed his claws right into her belly and twisted them.
    And in that moment, the white light inside Sarah died for good.
    * * *
    Kane streaked through the earth, emerging just in time to see Jacob plunge his claws into Sarah's abdomen. Fury tore through Kane, and he erupted into a blinding frenzy of outrage. He tore across the clearing and ripped Jacob away from Sarah. The warrior started to dematerialize, and Kane turned his hand to smoke and wrapped the tendrils around the youth's throat, spreading his taint through the kid's body and latching onto every cell, holding onto it, refusing to let it go.
    Jacob's eyes widened with fear when he realized he couldn't teleport, and Kane lifted his lip in a snarl. "And now you die!" He swung his flail and sank it deep into the kid's belly—
    "Kane," Luc snarled.
    Kane whirled around as Luc lifted Sarah by her hair, holding her above the earth like a rag doll. Blood was pouring from her belly and her skin was covered in thousands of microscopic fractures. She wasn't even bothering to hold onto Luc's arm or get away. She was just dangling, all fight, all hope, everything utterly gone, her life ebbing from her.
    Raw, unbearable anguish ripped through Kane. Sarah!
    Kane dropped Jacob and sprinted across the cave toward Sarah, but Luc turned them both to smoke and streaked away from him. "Sarah!" Kane turned into smoke and streaked after Luc, his entire body screaming with agony as he raced after them, trying to get to her, trying to save her. Sarah. Their baby. "Sarah!"
    Luc got further ahead, and Kane saw a glowing red light up ahead, the opening to a cave. He suddenly knew that he would never find Sarah if Luc got her to that light. He tried to teleport again, and again, nothing happened.