CHAPTER 516: THE LIGHT WE WAITED FOR (15)

"They?"

Aliya smirked, a ghastly distortion of her face, instead of the cute features that most people had become used to.

Behind them, and a little to the side, Gabriel had stopped crying, now safe in Geneva’s arms, he turned to the little scene, his little hand now glowing faintly for those who could see beyond the normal. A strange hum filled the large room, but the pulse was a little low. Something shifted in the air, right then.

Aliya paused, as if sensing it—

But she felt a stronger form of danger, and she had only a split second, but could not react, before she felt it.

The blast of light struck her square in the chest, searing through silk and flesh alike. With a shriek that tore through the air, she was thrown backwards, crashing against the opposite wall with a sickening thud. Her grip on Suzie released instantly, and the girl crumpled to the floor, coughing, her limbs shaking, but still trying hard to hold herself up.

For a moment—just a moment—it seemed as if the world had stilled.

Aliya slumped forward, her hair falling over her face, her breath ragged. And in that breathless silence, something strange occurred.

Her decaying features, shrouded in glamour and cruelty, started melting away. The grey pallor of her skin lifted to a pale, almost youthful flush. The deep sunkenness around her eyes softened. The veins that had curled black against her temples faded to nothing. Her hands, once gnarled and claw-like, unclenched into something... almost human.

She looked young, mortal and as beautiful as she always had been, but in a tragic, heart-wrenching way. This was because, although she looked beautiful in her human form, the hunger, the anger, and the unrelenting rage twisted her features in ways no glamour could hide.

Her eyes, now glowing faintly red, shimmered with a hunger that went beyond physical need. Her lips curled into a sneer that was meant to charm, but all it did was chill the blood. In that moment, the old saying echoed through every heart in the room:

’Beauty comes from within.’

And nothing had ever felt truer, because this woman was so rotten on the inside that the vain beauty outside was revolting.

None of them noticed little Ingrid peeking out, but looking down the corridor where no one was paying attention to, as her eyes lit up!

Aliya’s skin had become smooth again and her figure unblemished, but it was what lurked behind her eyes that struck terror. Her soul, if it still existed, was rotten, reeking of cruelty, selfishness, and insatiable greed. The illusion of elegance only made the horror more profound.

Geneva and Alex, though a few feet apart, stiffened. They both exchanged questioning gazes, wondering what had happened. As they were mere humans, they had not really seen what had happened for Aliya to drop Suzie, but boy.... Were they happy that she did? Though they also itched to go drag Suzie from where she was on the floor and far away from that breathing nightmare, the two were worried about the kids too!

Suzie, who had fallen to the ground, crawled quickly backwards on trembling hands, eyes still on the Aliya creature.

Aliya stood up quickly as soon as she landed. It was a weird mechanism, as if a puppeteer was controlling her. And the glamour began to crack. Her dress was all but damaged, but she didn’t seem to care.

A tremor rippled through her skin, her lips twitching in something between a snarl and a sob. It hurt like hell, but she wasn’t about to say that or even let it show. She clutched her chest where the light had struck, and a low growl escaped her throat. One of her eyes twitched—then darkened. Her veins surfaced again like creeping shadows beneath her skin. Her nails lengthened, curling into claws once more. The flush of life drained rapidly, leaving behind a deathly hue.

The moment had passed. She stood taller now, brushing invisible dust from herself. The creature that rose from the floor was no longer veiled by confusion or pain. She was filled with rage—unmasked and unrelenting.

Aliya turned, the feral glow in her eyes locking on Gabriel.

"Was it you?" she hissed, advancing. "You dared strike me?"

Gabriel, trembling, buried his face in Geneva’s embrace. He was trembling so much that he could barely breathe. Aliya’s towering, suffocating figure, radiant and terrible at the same time, bore down as she reached a hand toward him, clawed fingers twitching with barely-restrained hunger—

"Now hold it right there, young lady thing!" Geneva’s voice cracked like a whip, firm and unmistakably grandmotherly, despite the chaos.

Despite the odds, Aliya paused, blinking in sheer disbelief.

"Honestly," arms akimbo, "You stoop so low as to pick on a child? You’re centuries old and still haven’t learned basic manners? Did you eat your shame along with all those poor souls?"

There was a stunned silence. Even Suzie was shocked that Geneva would lash out that easily.

But Aliya was stunned for a different reason:

"You can talk?"

"Of course, I can talk! What is my mouth supposed to be for? Decoration? What a silly deduction is that?!"

It took Aliya a moment before she came to a daring conclusion. She straightened slowly. Her lips curled in disgust,

"My spell should have been foolproof! How?"

"Oh.... That? Don’t you know that there is nothing absolute in this world?" Geneva taunted.

Her boldness gave everyone a breath they didn’t realize they’d been holding, but Alex was worried, because they were in a vulnerable position and had no means to fight that creature, but Geneva seemed adamant about pissing it off.

And then it happened.

It had been a few short moments since the blast, but it felt a whole lot longer for the people involved and, in the room,

A soft click of heels echoed in the corridor.

Aliya was the first to turn, eyes narrowing toward the sound, and froze.

"You shouldn’t be taking it out on someone weaker than you. It’s always the bullies who try to pick on weaker people..."

Two figures stood side by side in the hallway.

The first, regal, calm, and powerful — someone Aliya hadn’t seen in a long time and had hoped that she was dead - Shelby.

Aliya whipped her head, and her eyes widened. Her smile bloomed slowly, like venom creeping through a wound. It didn’t reach her eyes, though, for she was nothing that beyond pissed. For it hit her right there, the power that had pushed her back seemed to be emanating from the woman in front of her, whom she detested like no other.

"You?" she spat, voice low and trembling with rage. "That blast came from you?"

’How?’ She thought to herself. This woman was nothing but a human, so how could she?

Anger, disbelief, and sheer annoyance rippled across her perfect face. It was insulting, unthinkable, that some human woman, barely an adult, might have struck her down — her, the feared mistress of this estate.

Aliya’s jaw clenched, lips twitching with the desire to lash out...

"Who let you into my house?"

Shelby laughed. A sweet, melodic laugh that served to irritate Aliya more.

Her gut twisted with a pang so sharp it stole the breath from her throat.

Suzie had also managed to pick herself up from the floor just as Ian finally made his appearance, right after his wife.

"Miss!"

"Mum!"

"Mummy!"

"Mama!!!!!!"

"Child! TG, you are safe!"

Alex just nodded solemnly, but the corner of his mouth lifted in an arc.

Soft echoes of excitement surrounded them all. Though they all itched to run up to Shelby, they knew that it was not the right time.

Without much movement, Shelby confirmed that all the family was well, okay, then turned her attention to the deranged woman in front of her, who looked like she wanted to tear her into pieces.

Ian laid a protective arm around her shoulders, and Aliya’s eyes nearly bulged. That simple action made her lose control again. The hunger that had been repressed for a few seconds started clawing at her insides — a desperate, gnawing agony that was growing harder to ignore with each passing second. Her legs trembled slightly. Her vision blurred.

Not now, not with this.

’I need to look my best for my Prince. Ian should see me at my best!’ She fought, trying to keep her human shape to no avail.

’Just a little more.’ She encouraged herself as she tried to keep Ian in her sight, touched with strange longing, sorrow, something tender and ancient she couldn’t name.

Aliya stepped back a pace, breathing hard, swaying slightly as the thirst surged again. Her body was screaming for sustenance. Then she mustered a creepy smile,

"You... You actually came. After all this time. I thought that I had lost you!"

Ian didn’t flinch, but moved Shelby back protectively.

"I didn’t come for you," he said coldly. "I came to end this."

Aliya blinked. Once. Twice.

And then let out a slow, bitter laugh. "End this?" she echoed mockingly. "My darling Prince, this isn’t something you can end. You left me without a word. Who do you think you are to come and end this? What exactly do you want to end?

Her gaze moved to Shelby again; all reasoning was lost.

’This is the person who took him away from me! If she is no more, then - ’

She never finished her thought and lunged at Shelby with a deadly intent, especially when her eyes moved lower to the slightly protruding belly.

Another flash of light, more intense than the first, flashed all around, so much that even the humans saw it.

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