Chapter 195: Begone Darkness

"Ho- How is this possible?" Ezra asked in shock.He was looking at a familiar face. A face in which there were two of them in this same room.

"I'm finally free!" X snarled in victory and turned to Griffin. "Free to destroy you myself."

The same eyes. The same lips. The same nose. The same face.

X was an exact copy of Griffin.

Griffin turned to look at Ezra, his eyes wide. "You tricked me. You fucking tricked me!"

X began laughing like he'd never had, stumbling backward until he got to the fountain. "Watch me Griffin. Watch me become stronger and come for everything you have."

He sank to his knees and began drinking from the water.

"I fucking think not." Griffin snarled, charging forward and Olivia surged forward to halt his advance.

They met with a loud crash, Olivia slamming a huge battle axe into him which he blocked with his chain wrapped arms.

His wives dashed in and with a shared glance, Ezra and Gen joined the battle.

Darkness began pouring from Ezra and after a moment, his wives got the message and began filling the room with darkness.

Seeing what they were about to do, Griffin snarled and lightning poured off him, stretching to every corner of the room.

The lightning hit everyone except Griffin who took advantage of the split second to dash past Olivia. With a snarl, he stretched a hand at X who had just begun his ascension to the fifth ring.

Thwip!

A black web shot from Ezra's palm, and stuck to Griffin's back.

"What the?" Griffin glanced back in confusion.

With a great yank, Ezra pulled Griffin back into the fray. As Griffin sailed closer, he pulled back a fist and punched.

Griffin twisted in the air and met the punch with his legs, using it as a springboard to sail at X again.

Snarling, Ezra dashed towards them, arriving faster than Griffin who had jumped. He pushed X out of the way and turned, batting away Griffin's chains with a battle axe which morphed into a sword as he slashed at Griffin.

Griffin landed on a toe and floated back with a single leap.

At that moment, darkness totally covered the room.

Ezra grinned. "Show time."

The darkness covering Griffin solidified into a coffin and Griffin snarled, emitting a huge wave of lightning that shattered the darkness.

By that time, Ezra was already at Griffin's side, his sword descending towards the vampire's neck.

Somehow, Griffin was able to sense the coming sword and blocked it with a chain wrapped arm, sending sparks flying in the darkness.

Griffin stood straight, his entire form now wreathed in lightning. He straightened, chuckling to himself. "I guess I have to do this."

Whatever it was, Ezra knew he shouldn't give Griffin a chance to do it.

He attacked with ferocity, Griffin evading each attack. He didn't give Griffin a chance to even counterattack, chaining each movement into another attack.

Griffin blocked, dodged and rolled.

Ezra pursued, staying on Griffin.

Then, Griffin released another wave of lightning, forcing Ezra to leap back and fashion the darkness covering them into a box, boxing Griffin in with his lightning.

A second later, he dropped the box to see Griffin remove the voice modulator on his throat.

Griffin's Aura descended like the weight of a mad god. Ezra choked as it filled the whole area.

Griffin inhaled and spoke two words.

"Begone darkness."

It was as if the world itself was waiting on his words. The darkness blanketing the chamber flickered, then dispersed into nothingness.

Ezra watched in wide eyes. In the darkness, Olivia and Gen had been able to hold back the three fifth ring vampires but now with the darkness gone, how would they hold up.

"You had no right," Griffin whispered, "to take that soul from me." Sёarch* The NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

And he attacked.

Griffin's fist descended with the Aura of a mountain. Strong and Immovable. Ezra dodged, knowing that the attack was not meant to be blocked.

Griffin leapt after him, his chains whipping through the air.

A web burst from Ezra's back and dragged him sideways, out of the way of a bolt of lightning. Griffin's chains lashed out, wrapping around Ezra's ankle and with a yank, Griffin was in front of him.

Ezra's eyes widened as the fist rushed towards his heart.

Thwak!

The fist impacted a palm, stopped an inch away from Ezra's heart.

Ezra and Griffin stared at the palm in confusion before tracing it up to see X with a goofy smile on his face. "Hello." He waved with his other arm.

Ezra blinked at seeing the dopey expression on a face similar to Griffin.

X lashed out like a snake, forcing Griffin to leap back to avoid the strike.

"Ezra, my good man." X grinned. "You've done a good job so far. Fortunately, I have a score to settle with that guy." He waved at Griffin who was watching them with narrowed eyes.

"Why don't you go help your wives? I'll stay here and take the trash out."

Ezra didn't need to be told twice. Olivia and Gen needed him. He gave X a sharp nod and left.

"With that out of the way," X turned to grin at Griffin, similar red chains crawling down his arms like snakes. "Let's dance."

**********

"Captain. Ezra has arrived at the crypt." Lilith reported.

Helena stood from her desk, nodding sharply. "Initiate the plan." She commanded.

Lilith snapped a salute and left the office.

She was glad the woman hadn't been killed. She was much more loyal than Target whom she'd sacrificed for her goals. Griffin had to know where the well is and open it for her.

She teleported to the church, making her way swiftly to the crypt.

She stalked inside, seeing it empty. With a frown, she walked down the hidden passageway to meet an open door.

Her eyes widened in shock. Griffin wasn't here yet. That meant… Ezra had been the one to open it.

She cursed under her breath. If only she had known.

This was not the time for regrets.

She slipped into the room, seeing the Matten coven in the midst of their ascension.

Marveling at her luck, she slipped into the room, heading to the Ascension well.

Then, Ezra groaned, waking up. She quickly hid herself away, watching the resulting spectacle.

The Matten coven now had golden eyes and could use each other's tattoos. That meant something. Something she'd have to research later.

She watched in the corner as Griffin entered. She watched as the mysterious masked man that appeared at Target's auction was revealed to be another Griffin. She watched as X stumbled to the well and began drinking. She watched as the battle began and darkness descended all over the place.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, she slipped to the Ascension well and began drinking.

She ascended and with X's ascension going on at the same time, no one noticed her.

After her ascension, she settled back in her corner to watch the fight.

There was no need for her to intervene. She'd already taken the necessary steps to ensure her victory.

She grinned to herself.

The calvary was on its way.