Sagrine grinned at Wyatt’s reaction and paused his advance. Tapping his dagger against his leg. “You do realize she is using you, don’t you? You think she will stay with you when she becomes empress? Or that she will turn down the throne? Or not find someone else, someone better? Have you fooled yourself into thinking that she even has a choice? Any choice? Her path is set. Her blood will demand the promise be fulfilled. There is only one destination, no matter how many detours she takes or guardians she recruits. She has only seen hints of what she is, of the greatness she is destined for. All will tremble and bend before her. The throne, the empire, everything. But not before her body and mind are broken.
“You, however, are insignificant. You are a fool, just like her father. He didn’t deserve her, and neither do you. Neither of you should be allowed to delay her from meeting her destiny,” Sagrine growled, glaring at Wyatt as he walked behind Addi.
Nev sighed slightly as she watched Sagrine circle behind Addi. She would need to wait for him to draw closer again. The delay was excruciating.
Feeling incredibly uncomfortable, Addi shifted on her feet. It reminded her of when she was tested, and she shivered in response.
Wyatt hated seeing Addi’s reaction. She should never have needed to be so close to Sagrine again. As he watched her, he felt the prowler slithering through his thoughts and pulling doubts out from the shadows. Worries about his future and Nev were yanked forcefully to the forefront of his mind.
“Her father used tricks and deception to steal her away, just as you did at the cabin. I took such pleasure in picturing him burning and then watching him burning. He suffered for nothing. Just like you and your sister will. But our time together will not be so quick or so pleasant for you as it was for the girl’s father,” Sagrine taunted as he moved back to in front of Wyatt.
Nev moved ever closer and prepared herself to strike. She took a deep breath and slowly raised her dagger in the air. Breathing slow and steady, trying to ready herself for what was about to come. Unexpectedly, a small spike in anxiety from Wyatt drew her attention momentarily.
A nagging feeling had begun to grow in Wyatt. Something wasn’t right. The prowler didn’t see Nev, but there was something they didn’t see as well.
“You feel it, don’t you? Fear. Doubt. Her mother felt that too. She faltered on her path. And when she regained her footing, it was too late. The child she would have used and sacrificed to seal her power was lost, the gift denied. She died for her failure, but the promise sits unfulfilled. The throne will have what it demands. The raven’s blood will sit upon it, and then her blood will flow, and she will be consumed by her destiny,” Sagrine snarled at Wyatt.
Nev felt Wyatt’s sudden fear, and she tried to focus on what they couldn’t see. Suddenly a voice whispered in her ear. Her blood went cold. She could hear the prowler’s thoughts and desires. They were not focused on her. Wyatt! Hide! Nev screamed in her mind. She panicked as she felt Wyatt hesitate.
Wyatt had heard her, but if he became unseen, then Nev would be instantly visible.
Sagrine moved within a foot of Wyatt. He wanted to see the Tink’s face when the truth was revealed. “Know that what comes next will not be my failure,” he sneered.
Nev’s thoughts screamed, Trust me. Hide! Now!
“It will be yours!” Sagrine yelled as he lunged towards Wyatt and then landed on the ground. He immediately jumped up and swung his sword around. Seeing Nev, he grinned ravenously. “Still playing tricks, I see,” Sagrine said as he surged towards Nev with his sword drawn.
The prowler’s blade had hit Wyatt across his side, but it was not the lethal wound as intended. Wyatt struggled to remain hidden as the sting of the cut seared through his mind, and blood began to soak his shirt. Wyatt’s head was now pounding intensely. Keeping himself unseen was a much larger strain on his mind than he anticipated, and the mixture of pain and exertion were taking their toll quickly. He desperately wanted to help Nev, but he knew he had to trust her as she had him. Wyatt crawled behind a tree and tried to refocus his thoughts.
Nev parried Sagrine’s initial blow, and now they were circling each other like caged animals.
Sagrine grinned at Nev and then lunged at Nellis, striking with unabashed intensity.
Nev reacted instantly. She leaped in front of Sagrine’s blade, barely blocking it from slicing through Nellis’ throat.
Stumbling back, Nellis immediately realized he had come within an inch of death.
Seeing Nellis’ near-fatal encounter, Addi sprung to Nellis’ side. She swiftly helped pull him back from the fray. “I don’t know how we can help her,” she admitted to Nellis. “We need to find Wyatt and put some distance between that prowler and us, instructed Addi as she searched the area for her brother.
Nodding reluctantly, Nellis agreed. “Yeah. We are only going to make it harder for her if she has to keep protecting us,” he sighed.
Wyatt could no longer see straight and let out a loud groan as he collapsed to the ground, completely visible.
Sagrine heard the sound, and his eyes flashed with hatred. “There you are,” he screeched as he turned to head towards Wyatt.
“Get Wyatt back to the house, now! He will kill you all. Go!” Nev screamed at Addi and Nellis. As she ordered their retreat, Nev lunged toward Sagrine, her dagger’s blade landing a small slice across the back of his right arm.
They nodded and ran to Wyatt and found him barely clinging to consciousness. Nellis grabbed him and began dragging him back and into the house. Addi stood guard as they made their retreat.
Sagrine ignored the pain of his wound. His fury exploded as he screamed at the house, “I will kill all of you!” Turning to face Nev, he glared at her. “Except for you, lost heiress. You, I will take. You, I will have. And as you beg for death, your pleas shall go unanswered,” he seethed. In a flash, he turned all his fury and rage on the one remaining target, Nev.
Nev heard him approaching. Instead of charging to meet him, she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Remember your training, she heard her father’s voice say. Nev opened her eyes and extended her hand towards Sagrine, beckoning him to her.
Sagrine paced in front of her, his barely visible eyes blackened by anger and insatiable hunger. “I was meant to kill the boy and then take you, but I prefer it this way. I have hunted you all your life. Today I shall finally have my prize. And after you are mine, I will slowly and meticulously torture him before your eyes. The same way I tortured your father while you surely watched,” he hissed at her.
Unlike when she faced him before, her mind was calm. She could feel Wyatt, and he was hurting but safe. With her first promise to herself fulfilled, it was time to make things right. Quieter, swifter, and cleverer is the predator than the prey. Though I am hunted, I am no one’s prey, she thought as she raised her sword and dagger.
Wyatt was moaning, unable to stand and barely able to keep his eyes open. He struggled to crawl to the door, but Nellis and Addi grabbed his shoulders and sat him back on the floor of the house. “You are staying here,” Addi stated firmly. “Nellis, bandages now,” she ordered as she pulled her brother’s sash from his belt. Pressing it to the wound on his stomach.
“I made a promise,” Wyatt groaned.
Addi gestured towards the outside. “Wyatt, you did your part. And you did great, little brother. Now it is time to let Nev do her part,” she directed, pulling out the vial of pills and attempted to give Wyatt one.
Wyatt grumbled in protest but, he knew she was right. If he went back outside, Sagrine would use him to distract Nev. Plus, his head hurt so bad he could barely focus on Addi, who was leaning directly over him. “Leaves. In my pouch. They are better than the pills,” he informed as he felt his balance try to give way.
Nev matched the prowler’s blows and managed to land another cut with her dagger across his arm. She smiled as she watched his blood run from the wound.
At the sight of his blood, Sagrine lashed out with newfound ferocity. “I�
��m not the only one hurting. Your boy is not doing so well. It will be so entertaining to make him suffer and for you to watch,” he grinned.
Nev would not allow herself to doubt. She could sense Wyatt. He was in pain, but he would be alright. “You move to make me doubt, but I will not,” she bellowed, striking at him in a quick flurry.
Wyatt felt slightly better after Addi placed one of the leaves in his mouth. His vision may be blurry, but he could now manage to keep his eyes open. That was a slight improvement. As Wyatt attempted to sit up more, he wobbled slightly. He felt Addi quickly place her hand on his shoulder, helping to steady him.
Nellis arrived with the bandages and handed them to Addi. He then kept a lookout at the window.
“How can I help?” Addi asked, pressing the clean cloth to Wyatt’s wound.
“If you could keep me from falling over or bleeding out, that would be a good start,” Wyatt suggested with a half-smile.
Addi nodded. After securing the bandages, she sat next to him and placed her arm around his shoulders.
Wyatt smiled and tried to calm his aching head. He could sense Nev and knew she was okay for the moment. As he continued to reach out, however, he felt her fear and worry beginning to slowly build. Wyatt gently nudged, as he often had, and reminded her that he was with her, even if he couldn’t be standing beside her.
Nev looked at her hands for a moment and felt the familiar sensation of Wyatt’s presence. Her anxiety waned, and she focused herself against the prowler’s attacks. Unleashing her raw power as she swung her sword hard at his side. It hit its mark. The force of her swing, however, sent a shockwave of pain through her shoulder and down her arm. Instinctively, she grabbed her sore shoulder for a moment with her other hand.
Sagrine placed a hand to his side and then examined the blood on his glove. “You draw my blood, but it is you that is gripped by pain,” he hissed, grinning at her. “I see now the target I must strike. Again.”
Nev gritted her teeth and forced her left arm into a defensive position. Flashes of pain shot through her, but she pushed them back for now.
“Something has happened. Nev hit Sagrine. I’m sure of it, but I think her shoulder must be hurting her,” Nellis reported. “She looks like she is struggling some.”
“Wyatt, can you help her?” Addi whispered.
“I’m going to try. If I happen to pass out, please place another leaf in my mouth. Thanks,” Wyatt said, his voice a bit wobbly.
“Maybe you should be taking your pills instead, Wyatt. Where did you get these leaves anyway?” Addi asked, sounding concerned.
Wyatt smiled and replied, “Nev found them. They work. Trust me.” He then concentrated on soothing the nerve’s swallowed up by agony in Nev’s shoulder.
Nev felt a slight reprieve from the pain and knew she had Wyatt to thank. She needed to end this quickly. Sagrine was too difficult for her to just overpower. Hmm… worth the risk, she thought. Nev began to bait the prowler closer and closer. She had a plan, and now she just had to see if the risk was worth taking.
“How is it going?” Addi asked, glancing at Nellis.
“The lass looks knackered,” Nellis replied, feeling very concerned.
Nev allowed herself to be pushed back against a tree as she watched Sagrine take her bait. Suddenly, she felt the impact of his elbow against her jaw. The blow immediately caused her to groan in pain. Warm thick blood began to drip from her now badly injured lip as Sagrine paused and grinned at her. In the interlude, she attempted to pierce his side with her dagger but suddenly felt her hand blocked. The ruse falling frustratingly short of being successful. Her mind stumbled as she felt Sagrine press her tightly against the tree. The breath in her lungs being squeezed from her.
“You think to kill me so easily. I cannot be denied my one purpose,” Sagrine snarled before laughing. He pushed his face close to hers and breathed in deeply. “Do you want to know why I hunt you? The real reason?”
Struggling to free herself from his embrace, she felt his arm pressing hard against her throat. She was pinned between him and the tree. One of her hands endeavored to keep him from crushing her neck. The other was locked in a battle against his dagger near their abdomens. “I don’t care,” she sputtered locking her eyes with his. They were black and empty, save his lust and hatred of her.
Sagrine let his thoughts slide into Nev’s mind. His dark desire for her saturating her thoughts. “I hunt you because you are prey. My prey,” he whispered menacingly in her ear. “No matter if I live or die. You will always be mine. That is why you will always fail—eventually.”
The prowler’s words and presence in her mind were repulsive and caused a fury to burn within Nev. She lashed out and shrieked, “NO!” A torrent of energy surged through her, and she pushed her dagger past Sagrine’s grip and deep into his abdomen.
Sagrine grunted in pain from the sudden impact, releasing his grip on her as his mind reeled from her newfound strength.
“I am afraid you will soon be mistaken,” Nev replied. She steadied her mind and forcefully pushed into his. She needed to know his thoughts… to know him. Then once she could see him clearly, she would kill him.
Swiftly, Sagrine steadied himself and smashed her left arm hard against the tree. She screamed in agony. Nev’s hand dropped her sword as she rolled away from his assault. Sagrine picked up the weapon and studied it. “This was your father’s. Pity, it didn’t save him. It seems it has failed you as well,” he taunted, pacing back towards Nev. He watched her grimace as she stretched and moved into a defensive posture, still gripping her dagger.
Wyatt felt Nev’s pain and then heard her shriek. Panic swept over him. Quickly, he tried to stand and immediately fell into Addi. “Help me get to her. Please, Addi!” Wyatt begged.
“Wyatt, I can’t do that. I’m so sorry. Maybe… maybe you just need to rest and let her finish this on her own,” Addi suggested, hugging him close.
He ignored Addi and pushed himself to try and help Nev. Pain shot through his mind and stomach, and he reflexively pressed his hands against his temples.
Addi saw his reaction and grabbed his face in her hands. “Wyatt, you have to trust her to finish this. You are killing yourself. Please, just stop! You must stop. Before you push yourself too far,” Addi pleaded.
Wyatt collapsed into Addi and nodded as he felt his eyes swell with tears. “But what if he is too…” he began to counter.
“He won’t be. Nev can do this,” Addi assured Wyatt. Deep down, her concern for Nev and her brother was only growing, but she couldn’t let her brother lose faith.
Sagrine threw the sword at Nev’s feet. “Go ahead. Take it. It will make no difference because you were promised to fate before you were born. You cannot deny it forever. Your sword, your Tink, your death, or your victory—in the end, none of it will matter. Promises are a powerful thing… and your promise cannot be denied,” he sneered.
Nev picked it up and returned to her defensive stance. Her shoulder begging for her to surrender. She cleared her mind of her pain, fear, and doubt. “Show me!” she yelled.
Wyatt felt Nev’s energy focus on the amulet. He gritted his teeth and pushed his thoughts to the force building within the gem. Giving all he could without blacking out, he felt the bond between him and Nev surge.
“Her amulet. It just exploded in light,” Nellis reported, sounding worried and shocked.
Sagrine laughed. “You think your little amulet will stop me again?” he sneered, grinning.
Nellis sighed heavily and replied, “It didn’t help. The prowler is just laughing.”
Wyatt’s breath was ragged, and he chuckled softly as he let his mind rest. “Ow,” he moaned in response to his laughter. He then took a deep breath and said, “That is because he doesn’t know what just happened. It showed her the path. She’s seen how to beat him.”
As the light dimmed, Nev grinned at Sagrine. “No, I don’t think my amulet will stop you,” she replied, waiting for him to launch his attack.<
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Sagrine snarled and lunged at her with all the pent-up hunger and rage he’d carried for so long. He followed her as she fell backward and onto the ground. Pressing his dagger into her injured shoulder with everything he was. “I will wound you, trap you, possess you. Then after I have had my fill, I will consider killing you,” Sagrine sneered, his body perched over Nev.
Nev shrieked in pain as the chainmail began to buckle and fail under the unrelenting force of the prowler’s attack. She screamed out in pain. Feeling the white-hot agony of the blade entering her flesh.
Sagrine focused on watching the pain in Nev’s eyes. Her end was tantalizingly close now, and he found it irresistible. “Stupid girl! The Oracle… he created and shaped me. But your mother gave me purpose… her blood set me on my hunt for you. To think, you still don’t understand the role you were meant to play. The role you will play,” he sneered.
Nev grimaced as the pain became almost unbearable. She waited for the moment the amulet had seared into her mind. “Shut up!” she yelled.
“Do you want to know what your father’s last words were?” Sagrine mocked. Without waiting for a response, he continued, “He asked if maybe he should have killed you too. To keep you from becoming like your mother.” Sagrine cackled as a new agony seized Nev.
Nev shook her head and then stared back at him. “My father would never say that. You don’t know him. But you were right about one thing. My amulet will not stop you… I will!” she roared. As energy surged through her, Nev drove her dagger deep into the side of Sagrine’s throat. Then she wrenched it across his neck with all her might.
Sagrine gripped Nev tightly as he felt his life slipping from him.
“Die!” Nev yelled, pushing the dagger deeper into him. A final two words pierced Nev’s mind as she watched the last hint of life extinguish in his eyes. My prey, she heard echoing in her thoughts. They were Sagrine’s words. Not hers. She shuddered in response and drove the dagger as deep as it would go into his flesh. He was already dead, but she stabbed him again anyway.
The Obsidian Throne Page 22