The Grey God

"Fucking idiot, son of a-" Charles hissed under his breath.

"We know who you are," one of the Others replied.

"Then you know why I'm here," Darian said. He stopped a short distance from the one who spoke and drew a knife.

"That we do not."

"I'm here to send you home. Or kill you. Your choice."

There was a short silence, then the Other he addressed chuckled.

"Neither of those things are possible, Guardian."

"Charles, step back," Darian said.

Still cursing him, the vamp obeyed and scrambled away. The Others looked at him in curious amusement. Darian sensed at least one gathering its magic to shred him from the inside out. He tried to remember what Sofi had told him about his magic.

Relax. Let it come to you. He'd fought the advice for as long as he could remember. Whenever he loosened his grip on his power, he felt it respond. He feared what it could do, that he couldn't control it. However, if attacked by Others, he preferred to level everything around them than take the chance he was the only one killed.

"In the name of the White God, Damian, and the Black God, Jonny, I banish you from the mortal earth," he said. "Let's not make this hard on anyone."

"I am no longer amused," the Other before him said.

Purple magic arced from his body and slammed Darian into a tree. He grunted as he dropped into the snow. The blow hurt, but he was no stranger to pain.

"Now, my turn," Darian said.

The Other glowed purple-black in the night, and more lightning streaked towards Darian. The Grey God pulled his own power and used it to deflect, ducking away from the sizzling strike meant to rip him apart. Instead of waiting for the Other to attack again, Darian spun and plunged his knife into the creature's belly.

"Foolish creature. That does not work … on … us." The Other's words slowed, and the creature looked down at the protruding weapon.

Darian followed his gaze, not smelling or seeing blood. The magic around the Other fizzled. Without another word, the creature dropped. Surprised, Darian stared at the motionless body, waiting for it to spring up and attack him. When it didn't, he looked to the remaining two Others, who stared at him in shock.

"One down, two to go," he said and bent to retrieve the knife.

Purple magic seized him, bound him, and lifted him into the air. It slammed him between trees and sizzled through his blood. He felt as if he was burning up from the inside out.