A Glimmer of Hope (The Avalon Chronicles #1)(89)

Terhal was up on her knees, blood pouring from an open wound on her scalp. “You can’t beat me, girl. I am better than you.”

Layla walked over to Terhal, holding the rock so tightly in her hand that her knuckles were white. “You need to accept me as your host. You need to accept me so that I can accept you and don’t have to worry about you trying to murder my friends.”

Terhal laughed.

Layla smashed the rock into her face, knocking her to the ground. “The thing is, Terhal, this is my mind. That means my rules. You’re just a parasite living here.”

“How dare you!” Terhal began, before Layla hit her with the rock again.

“I can lose control here. I can beat you like a goddamn drum all over this place if I choose.” Terhal tried to get up, and Layla hit her again. “I don’t think I can kill you. I think no matter what I do, you’ll always be here. You’ve been wronged for centuries, and I’m giving you a chance to do something better. You want survival of the fittest, then help me become the best damn umbra who ever lived.”

Terhal giggled and spat blood onto the floor. “This is my world.”

Layla dropped the rock. “No. It really isn’t. You see, Chloe told me something that didn’t quite sink in at the time.”

Terhal spat more blood onto the ground. “And what’s that?”

“This is my mind.”

Terhal screamed in agony as Layla took hold of the iron compounds in Terhal’s blood and began the process of dragging it out of her, lifting her off the ground at the same time.

“I know we’re only in my mind, but I can make this feel real for you, Terhal. My power here is unlimited. With enough strength and practice, I’ll be able to do this, be able to manipulate the metal deposits inside a person.”

“Stop it!” Terhal screamed.

Layla released her grip and Terhal fell to the floor. For the first time, Layla saw fear in her eyes.

“Don’t make me hurt you again. You’ve been hurt enough over your life. Work with me, fear me, love me, I don’t care. But if you ever threaten those I love again, I will bring you back here and see how long it takes you to put yourself back together. I don’t want to cage you, Terhal.” Metal tore out of the rock around where Terhal sat, forming a cage over her.

“Enough,” Terhal said. “I have one request.”

“Name it.”

“Can I stay here? I know it’s not real, but I’d like to live here, not in some cage somewhere. None of the others did this. None of them fought me. I didn’t know you could.”

“Me neither. And yes, you can stay here.”

A second later, Gyda, Servius, and Rosa appeared beside Layla.

“You can’t just let her free like this,” Gyda shouted. “She’ll take control.”

Terhal shook her head as she remained on the ground. “Still afraid. Still learned nothing.”

“I didn’t call you here for opinions,” Layla said. She walked over and stood in front of Gyda. “I understand your fear and reluctance to allow Terhal any sort of freedom. I would rather work with you all than be afraid of any of you. I accept you, Gyda.”

Gyda nodded once and vanished.

“Servius,” Layla said moving in front of him. “You are a great warrior and a man I’m sure I can learn much from. I accept you.”

Servius winked and he too vanished.

Layla turned to Rosa. “I understand you most of all, I think. I’m not a killer, but I know parts of the life you led, and why you decided to become one. It was the best option in a trove of bad options. Since all of this happened, you’re the one person I’ve grown closest to, and I accept you.”

“About bloody time too.” Rosa hugged Layla, before vanishing.

Layla turned to Terhal and walked toward her, crouching within arm’s reach. She wanted to show Terhal she wasn’t afraid, that no matter the drenik’s power in her mind, she, Layla, was the only thing that mattered. “If you ever misplace my trust, I’ll take all of this from you and place you in a small cage underground, in a place where only my fears live. You think I’m bad, wait until you meet my father.”

Terhal nodded.

Layla reached out and placed a hand on either side of Terhal’s head. She moved forward and kissed the drenik’s forehead. “I accept you, Terhal. I accept you for who you are and what you’re capable of.”

Terhal exhaled slightly, a look of shock on her face as she vanished. All four spirits had merged with Layla, their memories and personalities pushing their way into her own as the surroundings melted back into the cabin.

Layla found herself on her knees on the wooden floor, the loud music blaring all around her. She was drenched in sweat and could taste blood. She placed her forehead on the floor and allowed the spirits to fully merge with her. The sensation was something she wasn’t sure she could manage if she was upright.

When it was done, she got to her feet and tried to block out the music, while inside her all she could feel was power. Pure, dangerous power. Layla looked around; she couldn’t flee right now, and she couldn’t fight without getting Chloe killed. While the music boomed around her, she could barely think. She wanted to send a message to Elias that she wouldn’t be broken, that he couldn’t do anything to beat her.