Deva walked out of Alexander's prison castle through a back door and was greeted by Izzy and Sebastian. 

Izzy pulled her into a hug. "You're alright." 

Deva nodded. "Yes, I guess I have you to thank for that." 

"This is all just a mess. Alexander will no doubt attack once he finds out you've escaped."

The sky was falling to a deep slumberous blue as the stars emulated light. It was serene until the deathly warning calls of a wolf like creature screeched into the night. It could only belong to a lycan. 

"Unless he already has." 

Adamarius used his alpha influences to communicate and read his other pack members thoughts. 

"Alexander has assembled his army. The lycans are preparing themselves. I need to go."

Deva's heart was telling her to go home but her head was pulling her to defend her people. They needed her help. It was her fault to begin with. Maybe it was the guilt but either way Deva knew she had to fight beside the lycans. 

"I'll go with you," Deva took a step towards him. 

"I'll warn my brothers." Izzy disappeared into the woods. 

Everything was moving so quickly. It was like a whirlwind of  alternate confusion. 

"Coming cupcake?" Deva asked Sebastian when he didn't move. 

Sebastian nodded. "Yeah. I have a feeling you're going to need my special gift."

The lycan war cries grew louder and louder as they approached the sanctuary. Lycans, some in human form, crowded outside waiting in anxiousness. The tension was visible on every warriors face. They were ready for battle. 

Adamarius' right hand man, Eric joined them with a full report. 

"Alexander has his army stationed just upon that hill. They are marching this way with the pure intention of destroying us." 

"Is everyone accounted for?" Adamarius knew the only way they could survive was if they had everyone present. 

Eric nodded. 

Adamarius turned to Deva. They needed her and he couldn't express how much. He stood proud in front of his people and waited till they went silent and they did. Every pair of eyes fell on him in anticipation. 

Then Adamarius began his speech. "For most of our lives we have lived in secret, hiding who we really are. The moment we come out our lives were at risk. Our survival has been hanging on a thread since our birth. We fight because there is no life for us beyond death. When death closes our eyes our souls no longer belong to us. We only live one life, my brothers and sisters! One life!" He shouted. 

Vampires technically live two lives. Deva could feel the energy and will the lycans had coursing through their veins. Adamarius' encouraging words were pulsing through them, boiling up there fire. They wanted to live. 

"Who chooses our fates? Who chooses whether we live or die? Is it not our right to claim the air that so sweetly grants us years on this earth? This earth was created for all. Are we not creatures upon it?" 

"Ahhhhhh!!!" The lycans shouted. Life was more precious when one threatens it from you. 

"No longer will we let time fade us from existence. We will stand. We will fight. And we will live." 

That was why Adamarius was born to be their leader. He was indestructible. The pain and suffering he had endured in life had built a shield to protect him from anything. It was time to lead his people to victory and a better life. 

Deva got the courage to stand next to him and face her fellow lycans. "Alexander has come for one purpose and I am afraid I am the cause of it. But he would have found another way to pick this fight. Their hatred and disgust for our kind has blocked them from any source of reason. I have tried so hard to change their outlook on us."

Deva was talking about the vampires. Their closed mindedness has caused nothing but torment upon the lycans. They were so used to being superior that any creature other than vampire existing was a threat. 

"This is not our end! This is not how we die! We control our fates. Let's not fade into the routine old habits have laid out for us. We will not die tonight! Fight and live. Fight and forgive. Fight and move on." Deva could only think of the future for her son. Would he lead his people well? "Fight and remember those who are stuck in the past are ignorant of the future. Let us base a world on equality, on mercy, and on justice. Followers are only blinded by their leaders."

She blamed the late King Asher for the ruthlessness of the vampire race. He made them believe the lycans were no better than a plague.

"Ready!!!!" Adamarius shouted. 

His people were quick to respond with roars. Their menacing growls were equal to the thumped drums of King Alexander's army. Their footsteps were growing nearer. Deva had never seen a battle before, never felt the rush of comrades fighting beside her, but she was ready. 

Deva felt the air in her lungs freeze as she watched Alexander's army ascend through the trees. They were coming forth from every direction. This wasn't a war. It was a massacre. She wouldn't let it happen. Not again. Not while she was queen and they were her people. 

Deva turned to Adamarius and he was sizing up Alexander's men. Once he sensed Adamarius' green eyes comforted her. He was telling her everything was going to be okay. He made her feel and knew everything was going to be fine. He would protect her. He would never let anything hurt her. 

"Peace and freedom are only a glimpse of what could be. Let us be masters of our futures!" Adamarius shouted. 

Deva skimmed the faces of her vicious enemies. They were ready to tear with their teeth for blood. There were silver blades and swords on both sides of the battlefield. Silver was harmful to both vampires and lycans. 

With only 20 feet separating the two Adamarius charged towards Alexander's gleaming face. The lycans followed and the clanging of metals and crushing of bodies echoed in the woods. 

Deva swished through bodies and rammed her fists into random attackers. She cracked their skulls and occasionally broke some limbs off. Being stabbed with a silver blade only momentarily slowed her down. It mostly pissed her and added to the fire burning inside her. 

Deva had three vampires force her into the shadows of the trees. She had excellent fighting skills; the perks of being the wife of King Darius. He had trained her very well. Always warning her to be on guard because enemies were everywhere. 

Two of the vampires began to pull her arms with the intention of ripping them off. She felt them pop out of her shoulder sockets. It was somewhat painful because it was hard for her to defend herself. Her body was still weak due to the effects of the Relic Moon. The other vampire came at her from the front but Deva used her feet to kick him back. Then miraculously the two holding her down were clawed off her. She turned to find Darius detaching their heads from their worthless bodies. 

"Darius," she cried before jumping into his arms. 

The spill of her emotions couldn't be controlled. She needed him and he made everything else fade away. 

Darius finally felt relief at the thought of her safety. She was alive and well, enough. He molded to her embrace, never wanting to let go. 

"I'm so sorry Deva." He should have believed her from the start; no doubts. 

"No," she shook her head. "Don't apologize. I've given you reason to doubt me before. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry Darius. I love you. I love you so much." 

"I've never doubted that. I know. I love you Deva." He pulled away to kiss her.

She wanted to last in this moment forever. "Alexander has gone too far."

"We won't let him get away with this. I won't let him hurt the lycans. I won't let him hurt you." Darius knew what he had to do. "We end this tonight." 

They went to join the others. Deva saw the rest of her family fighting along her people. Marcus and Lucian were fending off all in their paths. But she also saw many slaughtered. Death was thick in the air and blood thirst was the factor driving them to the end. 

Deva immediately got lost in the gruesome movements of battle. Tonight was not their time to die but more and more lycans were being killed. It was a horror movie unfolding in front of her. From the corner of her eyes she could see Alexander and Darius clashing and ripping into each other. Fear crept into her bones. And in the blink of her eye her world came crashing down. Just as Darius was about to obliterate Alexander by tearing his head off Rathgaurd came up from behind and stabbed him. Darius fell to the floor and by the magnitude of his cry she knew it was a special kind of wood that was plunged inside of him. The special wood that could kill any vampire, especially a royal. 

Deva ran to him as his clasped body withered in pain. She held him close as the scene sunk in. Deva saw it in his eyes. His blue sliver eyes were losing their depth. Darius was dying. 

"Deva..." He sounded so weak. 

No, no, no; she kept repeating in her mind. There was too much going on. She couldn't think clearly. It didn't feel real. Then like an alternate world everything froze and went silent. 

"I can't hold it for long," Sebastian explained. 

He had used his ability to freeze everything and everyone surrounding them. Lycans and vampires were stilled as salutes in various battle positions. 

Deva's only focus now was on her husband. Tears fell down her cheeks unavoidably as she shook her head. 

"You're fine, my love. Everything's going to be okay. I'm gonna get you out of here." She had to get him help. Something. 

"Deva I can feel it. It's in my heart." It was getting hard for him to speak. 

The penetrating stake had burst his heart and blood was quickly spreading throughout his organs. Soon the loss of blood and jagged wound would force him to sleep forever. 

"No. No, you're fine. Darius you're fine." 

She scanned his body and tried pulling the stake out but the cringing pain was too hard for him to bear. She stopped in frustration, hating that it caused him anymore pain. 

"Deva," his hand cupped her face. "I need you to-" 

"No," she cried leaning down to kiss him. "You're not dying." She refused to accept it.

"I'm so sorry my love." Darius confessed. 

It was torturing her to hear him. Her heart was literally tearing in half as a dark cloud surrounded her. 

"I am sorry if I have ever hurt you...if I have ever not been a good husband to you. If I was never enough," Darius whispered in agony. "I have always loved you with every fiber in my being." 

"Sshhh," she cried. "Please don't talk like this." She couldn't bear a life without him. 

"The first time I saw you, you were sound asleep. Even then I knew you would be the best part of my life, the part worth living for." 

"Don't do this to me Darius. Please don't give up. I need you." Her plea was desperate beyond life. "I need you. You promised forever. We're supposed to have forever." 

"I know baby." Darius had his own tears blurring his vision. 

"Please, please. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please don't go." Maybe she didn't show him enough how much she loved him and this was fate. It was fate punishing her for taking him for granted or for loving Adamarius as well. "This is not the end. This is not how we end."

"Deva..."

His eyes were going dull and she could feel his loss of energy. His strength was deteriorating to nothing. 

"Forgive me, my love. Please forgive me." She began to panic. The reality of his state was frightening her. This was real. He was dying. "Don't leave me."

His cold hand cupped her cheek. "When the warmth of the sun kisses your face that will be me, that will be my love. When you hear or feel the wind through the trees that will be my love. When you smell the beauty of a rose know that it will be my love." 

Deva shook her head. "No," she pressed her lips against his. 

They were cold at first and mixed with their tears. The kiss was morbid but filled with sweet depressing passion. 

The frozen hold was too much for Sebastian to contain and soon everything went into motion again. The clashing of swords and cries of pain echoed into the air. 

"I love you." Darius whispered before closing his eyes. 

"No, no, no," Deva repeated desperately. "Please. Please."

This time Darius did not reply back. He was still and frozen, forever asleep. The walls of her heart her concaving and shattering to pieces. 

"Darius wake up, please wake up." She stroked his face and rocked his body. 

No amount of pleading would wake him. It was like having the air knocked out of her. Everything went dark and it was hard for her to function. Darius was dead. He was dead. 

"Aaaaahhhhhhhh!!!" Deva mourned in rampage. 

There was no stopping her now. The agony flowing through her body wanted revenge. Deva harnessed the energy surrounding her from all the warriors. Rathgaurd was her first target. She had the ability to take energy but that wasn't enough for her now. She wanted his ashes. Rathgaurd stood close by watching Deva over her husband's died body. 

The power running through her veins was electrifying. She didn't even have to focus for her ability to take effect. The pain of losing Darius had morphed her power to unimaginable heights. Rathgaurd could feel his flesh boiling to the point of rot. The rotting flesh then began to turn to ash as he burned from the inside. Rathgaurd didn't even have time to endure the excruciating pain before his whole body combusted. 

But she couldn't stop there. Deva felt an empty pit and a force pushing her to do more. The energy she received from killing Rathgaurd induced her craving for more blood and revenge. Deva had a force field extending further out killing any enemy in its path. The force field power grew leaving ashes behind and a dark cloud looming over her. It was as if she could also control the forces of nature. 

The sky darkened and storm clouds surrounded the area. It was the feeling of her heart expressed in the vision of the mortal world. Hundreds of vampires disintegrated at the hand of her uncontrollable ability. No amount of energy could fill the void of losing Darius. The heartache was consuming her and once she feasted her eyes on Alexander it was over. Not even the wrath of hell could torture him the way she would. She made sure he felt the pain ten times worse than any of the others. Alexander's cries of anguish were the only noise heard. His men, the threat of enemies were all terminated by Deva's massive rage of destruction. The only one left was their leader because she believed in saving the best for last. 

Deva kept true to her word and made sure Alexander would never see another day for what he had done. The ashes of his burnt crisp body got tossed in the treacherous winds. Even with the enemy vanquished the storm still continued. Thunder rang and lighting struck. Rain began to pour and wash away the evidence of the bloody battle. 

All Deva could think about was the lifeless body of her husband laying on the ground. It had to be a dream, a nightmare. He couldn't be gone. But deep down she could feel how real it was. Before she had a connection with Darius, a strong bond they shared once they became husband and wife. The connection was broken. She couldn't feel him anymore. All that was left now was a large emptiness. 

She screamed but nothing would make it stop. It was like having a poison injected into her system and gruesomely killing her. Marcus and Lucian tried to approach her but she pushed them back with her force field. She didn't mean to hurt them but she couldn't handle it. Dropping her gaze to Darius' died body only conjured the sinuous torture of reality. Deva needed to get away. She was a ticking time bomb and honestly just wanted to self-destruct. There was no life without Darius. 

She heard many call her name as she lost herself in the woods. Hiding through the thick trees and fallen leaves was easy. Once she found the edge of a cliff Deva didn't hesitate to stand on the very end of the border. The wind threatened to sway her back and forth to quicken her fate of falling. It would be a death she would welcome with open arms. 

There was nothing left inside of her. Darius held it all for her and without him she was nothing. She was an empty, naked shell. How could fate be so cruel? Vampires, kings, and queens that should have immortality die at the hands of chance. They were meant to have forever. A lifetime of endless joy and reign. How was it possible for a chosen fate to end in such a way? 

Deva blamed herself. It was all her doing. Darius was never meant to die. It was her. It should have been her. 

"Deva!" She heard Adamarius call. 

"Leave me be! Take one more step and I might kill you too." Nothing made sense anymore. 

"Deva you need to stop! With that much energy inside you, you can kill yourself." His concern was undeniable. 

"Then it would serve me one good use." She was ready for it. She was ready to die.

"No Deva. Listen to me-" 

"DARIUS IS DEAD!" She finally turned to look at him. Tears and rain clouded her vision. "He is dead...and it's because of me. I killed him. He died-" 

"And he would have died ten times over if it meant saving you." Adamarius tried to take a step closer but the fierce power of her new found energy was pushing him back. "He did not die in vain."

She shook her head. "You don't get it. There is no life without Darius. He was it. He was my everything. This deep gaping hole in my chest is getting bigger and bigger with each second he is gone. I can't take it."

He understood the pain much too clearly. "You must take it."

"No. No I don't." Death felt like the only sweet solution. 

"And what of your son?" Adamarius knew he had to reason with her. 

The death of Darius was too devastating for her causing her to lose focus. He needed to remind her of the good things she had holding her to life besides Darius. 

"Alcide..." It was as if it finally hit her.  

"Alcide is your life now. He just now lost a father. Don't take his mother away from him too. He needs you." 

Her walls, mind, and emotions were crumbling down. How could she bear it? How could she carry on without Darius by her side? She needed him like air. But Adamarius was right. She needed to think about Alcide. 

"It's like a huge part of me is missing and it hurts too much. It hurts to the point where I'm not even sure my own son can heal me." 

She had to turn that side of her off. That part of her that wasn't willing to life without Darius. 

"He would want you to live. He would want you to live on and raise your son."

She knew he was right. Darius would want her to find something worth living for with their son. So she did it. She shut off her emotions and tossed it to the side. She couldn't break down now. She made everything go numb. 

"Let all the kingdoms know King Alexander is dead and if any have a problem with it they can come see me." It was time to take charge. "I am going home."

Perhaps having Alcide in her arms would help the sanity return to her. She didn't want to see anymore faces other than his. Deva found Alcide in his room reading a book and as soon as he spotted her he ran towards her. Deva lifted him into her arms and he did fill part of that void in her heart.

"Momma momma, you're home." He hugged his little arms around her tight. "Please stay."

"I'm not going anywhere baby. I promise." She rubbed his back and sat down. She needed to tell him. 

"Daddy promised he'd get you back." 

Deva held in the tears. "He did baby. He did." 

She pulled away to really look into his eyes. They were so much like Darius'. They were dark brown like hers but the way he portrayed his features were so much like his father's. 

"Where's daddy?" 

Could she tell him? She honestly had no choice. "He's gone. Daddy had to go away."

"Why?" His eyes and voice went innocent.

"He had to go baby." 

Alcide began to panic. "Is it because I told him about my dreams? I'm sorry momma. Please make him come back. Please. I'm sorry. I promise I won't ever, ever tell again." 

His pleas were breaking her heart all over again. 

"No baby it's not your fault." How was she supposed to explain how unfair life was? 

"Momma please make him come back."

"I can't." Oh how she wished she could. 

Alcide got off her lap and started rummaging through the room. 

"Baby what are you doing?" 

He didn't stop searching for whatever he was looking for. "I need to find my kite. Daddy said that if it's high enough people that aren't with us can see it. Maybe if daddy sees it he'll come back." 

She went to him. "It doesn't work like that. Not this time. Where daddy is, he can't come back." 
Alcide's tears gradually began to soak her shirt. "No momma please."

They laid on the bed. "Daddy was brave. He came and saved me from all the bad people."

"Did daddy die?" He sniffed.

Deva nodded and they both cried themselves to sleep that night. 

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Dramatic scene... What do you think?