Thin Hope

by Holly Hook

  Jacob lifted up Riley's veil and kissed her passionately. All thoughts of Patrick left Kiki as she clapped, joining the roaring applause throughout the room. The band started up again with an upbeat melody as the noise died down. The newlyweds walked away from the altar and toward the buffet area to start the reception.

  Once everyone had gotten up to follow the food aromas in the dining hall, Kiki waved Damon and Alexander to her. The look on her face must have displayed what she knew, because the two of them rushed over in twin blurs of motion.

  "He's here," Kiki said.

  Alexander looked around. "We can't be sure of that. I asked all the guards if they'd spotted anything strange today, and no one has. Even if he is around, we're surrounded by people. We won't leave your side anytime soon."

  So this was why Alexander had stayed here in Lateine all this time. He was still scared for her. Kiki wasn't sure that the thought made her feel better.

  "I'm sure this time. I saw an apparition of him, just like before." It was time to get the truth out. She might be going insane, but the apparitions had been right every time.

  "Before?" Damon asked, narrowing his eyes.

  Kiki explained as Alexander studied her, seemingly searching for signs of madness. "This time, it held its hands up to its throat as if it was choking itself. Does that mean he's trying to kill himself?" The first apparition, that of Patrick as an Emoshi, had been obvious. The second, not so much. This one could mean an entire host of things.

  "Ladies and gentlemen," Jacob said over a microphone. He stood with his arm around Riley's waist. "If you don't mind, I'd like to shift the party over to the amusement park, which, by the way, is now called Lateine's Adventure Land. Offerings are no longer required for entry. Is that okay with all of you?"

  Everyone cheered, but Kiki didn't feel like joining in.

  Damon pulled her into a hug. "We're not leaving your side, Kiki, like Alexander said. If he comes near you, I'll kill him myself."

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The palace cleared rapidly, leaving butlers and maids behind to wheel the food outside towards the amusement park. Kiki and Damon followed behind Jacob and Riley, who talked and laughed ahead of them. In the periphery, Lateinians levitated clipboards and pencils in front of them, scribbling down notes about the wedding. The press. No TV news reporters had showed up to the event, other than two Keilaran crews and one Delainian crew, as Lateine did not have a functioning TV network yet.

  The amusement park looked different without the statue of Ivan looming over its entrance, more alive somehow. Lights flashed and bells whistled as the wedding guests scattered through the open plazas. The park seemed closed to everyone except the wedding guests tonight.

  Kiki searched the sky for anything winged, anything at all, but only the drone of helicopters floated ahead. Security. Soldiers patrolled around the chain-link fence, making sure no one got through tonight. She was sure Jacob and Riley had ordered an increase in security. Her parents, too. There were a few green-uniformed soldiers patrolling along with the gray ones.

  "The carnival's actually beautiful now," Kiki said. It was the only bright place in Constance, although that was quickly changing. Beyond the fences, the lights of construction vehicles bobbed in and out of alleys and continued their projects.

  Ahead, Jacob nudged Riley and pointed to a ride lit up in pinks and purples: the Tunnel of Love. A pair of Lateine's Adventure Land employees stood by in crisp new uniforms, waiting for couples to board the neon swans bobbing in the river. Their lights made distorted patterns on the water below, making it shimmer with purple and white.

  Damon shot her a glance, smiling.

  "I like that idea," Kiki said, snuggling closer to him. It was growing cold as the night wore on, and his warmth felt good. Safe.

  To her surprise, one of the swans was already moving into the heart-shaped tunnel, carrying Darren and Gracie Storm. They were the last people she'd expected to see on the Tunnel of Love. It just didn't fit with the images she'd had of Darren all her life: patrolling labs in his white coat, looming over poor human experiments. Kiki wasn't used to seeing him as a person. Then again, she hadn't seen many others for the people they were, either--not until recently.

  "You first," Jacob said, smiling and waving them to the waiting swans.

  Her tension started to melt away as they moved into the tunnel and into near-darkness. Damon pulled her close as water parted around them. Soft purple light cast a strange glow over everything, and for once Damon's now-violet eyes didn't seem too unusual. They fit right in.

  "I love you," he said, pressing his lips against hers.

  She didn't notice the footsteps or the whoosh of air until it was too late, until the second a hand clamped down on her shoulder from above.

  Kiki flew through the air, up through the Tunnel of Love and towards the lights above. A figure blocked out the lights around her, casting her in blackness for a second. The world tilted around her as she came to a stop, back against the wall and elbow jabbing painfully into the corner of a circuit breaker. A hand held the front of her dress as she kicked her feet, but the ground had abandoned her.

  Then the figure cane into view. The purple light cast weird shadows under his eyes, but the flapping wings gave it away.

  Patrick. He had hidden in here, waiting in ambush for who knew how long.

  "Let go!" Kiki yelled. It was all she could think of to say.

  The familiar leer came over his features. "Let go? Okay."

  He did. She fell, seemingly for ages, before landing on her knee on the catwalk. Somewhere, Damon screamed her name as pain exploded through her leg.

  "Didn't like falling?" Patrick asked, landing on his feet next to her. He was wearing military boots, she noticed. And gray pants. A Lateinian soldier's uniform. He had been here for some time.

  "Shut up and put me down!" Kiki yelled.

  As the pain in her leg subsided, helped along by her new healing abilities, Patrick's hand shot down and took her throat before she could move. Once again he lifted her up, slamming her against the wall. Kiki struggled, but even with her new strength, she wasn't much of a match. She needed Damon here, and now.

  "Now, before you make any more requests, my dear," Patrick said, towering down on her. His breath was as putrid as ever as his voice descended into a growl. "I'll give you one last chance. I'm tired of playing these games."

  She struggled to breathe. Spots danced in her vision. He was choking her. She couldn't let herself go unconscious. Somewhere, Damon's footfalls grew louder and more water parted as another swan floated down the river.

  The apparition snapped into her mind again, grasping its own throat. Kiki knew what it meant.

  He's going to kill me.

  "I'll give you two choices," Patrick said. "You can leave Damon and I can transform you, and we will then add the power of Lateine to our rule, or I can just strangle you, tear out your heart, and toss you aside like a doll."

  "Kiki!" Damon screamed, his voice filled with pain and panic.

  Kiki gasped for air. Precious little of it entered her lungs as she tried to loosen the grip of Patrick's hand on her throat. It might as well be iron.

  "It's a shame I can't manipulate your emotions now," Patrick said, tightening his grip. A horrible pressure built inside her throat, turning painful. "Well, Kiki? Your decision? I'm afraid," he raised his free arm, flinging someone next to him to the side. Damon. A splash cut through the air as he landed in the water, gasping. "That your time is running out. Which is it? Death, or ruling the world with me?"

  White and purple fluorescents floated into her fading vision. Two figures hugged each other on board the swan, crowns glimmering with white-blue energy.

  All at once Kiki understood. Patrick and Ariel were in Lateine not only because of her.

  They wanted Jacob and Riley's crowns. They wanted complete invincibility and power. Patrick had caused this war to start with this one goal in mind. Now, he was very close to getting
it.

  "Kiki!" Damon shouted again.

  Instantly feet scrambled behind Patrick to approach her. More splashes sounded through the air as Patrick's grip loosened. Kiki sucked in mouthfuls of precious air, the best air she had ever breathed, as the figures of Jacob and Riley fought their way over the railing of the catwalk and towards Patrick.

  Her uncle turned as if he'd been expecting this, thrusting his free hand into his pocket. He produced a knife and thrust it against Kiki's chest, making her expel all her breath. The point dug into her skin, only inches from her heart. It seemed to shrink back as if expecting the blow.

  "Let go of my sister!" Riley ordered.

  Patrick smiled, barely visible to Kiki with his head turned away. "Oh, I will. I just want something first. I think you know what that is."

  Silence fell over the Tunnel of Love and machinery hummed somewhere.

  "You…you planned everything out like this, didn't you?" Riley's voice rose, filling the tunnel and echoing into darkness. White-blue light formed around her wrists, burning brighter by the second.

  Riley, no. Even her magic would do no good here.

  "That's not a good idea, Empress," he said. "You remember what that magic did to your sister last time, do you not? I don’t think you could avoid hitting her. Now, I will allow all of you to live today if the two of you give me what I want. Jacob, hand it over."

  The nervous boy returned. "But…but…" he started, fumbling for his crown.

  "You have my word." Patrick nodded. "I don't have any grudges against you. Place the crowns on the floor, and Kiki will live."

  By now, Damon had joined Jacob and Riley on the catwalk. All three of them stood frozen, the light around Riley's wrists dying and leaving the tunnel dark again.

  "Do it," Kiki demanded.

  Jacob held his crown tighter. "But…"

  She had a plan. "Do it!"

  He did. Jacob removed the crown from his head, which fizzled in protest. At the same time, his new glow seemed to disappear. With a gentle clattering sound, he placed it down on the catwalk and backed away.

  Patrick seemed to forget all about Kiki and Riley. He lunged down, hands open with greed, and seized the Emperor's crown. Instantly the fizzling light died, as if Patrick had sucked the life out of it.

  "It is done!" Patrick yelled, placing it on his own head and spreading his wings. The crown remained dark on his head, but he didn't seem to notice. "Kiki, I am now the divine ruler of all races, with the blood of all. We can usher in an era of peace and make sure there are never any wars again."

  "You sound like Ivan," she said, watching Damon circle around behind Patrick. Her composure returned. It was all going to plan. "And you know what happened to Ivan."

  Her uncle glanced at Damon, then back to her. He didn't seem to care about his presence. He was completely invulnerable now.

  Thought he was completely invulnerable.

  Damon fished something out from under his pant leg, cocked it, and pointed it at the side of Patrick's head. Her uncle only smiled.

  "Try it," he said. "You can't kill the Emperor of Lateine without his crown, and from what I understand, Damon, the only way it can be removed from my head is if I take it off myself."

  "There's one thing you don't understand about the crown, then," Kiki said, letting a smile creep over her face. "It only works on the one Lateine wants to be Emperor."

  Her uncle's eyes widened for a split second before Damon pulled the trigger.

  Sparks and blood flew. Jacob's crown flew one way while Patrick fell another. He landed against the catwalk with a thud, one wing spread over the railing like a fallen tent flap. His knife landed next to him, shimmering in the purple light.

  Kiki knew what had to be done. She took the knife. "Riley, don't look."

  Purple blood flew onto her dress as she worked, choking down vomit. At last she produced a pulsating mass that went still a second later, dripping with blood.

  Patrick's heart. She had torn it out.

  He was dead.

  * * * * *

  Soldiers flooded the Tunnel of Love to clean up the mess while Kiki leaned on Damon and made her exit. Ahead of them, Jacob adjusted his crown, which started glowing again when it touched his head. It was back with the rightful Emperor of Lateine.

  "What should we do with the body, Your Highness?" a soldier asked as she stopped near the ride entrance. One bloody swan made its way up the river and collided with the others.

  "I don't care," she said, exhaustion creeping over her limbs. "Don't let my mother see it, whatever you do. Or Ashley. Or Amber." She felt sick as she watched the other wedding guests in the distance, in line for the roller coasters and the snack bar. Her mother stood with them, easily picked out in her peacock dress, not yet aware of the security breach at the Tunnel of Love. "They're having a good time. I don't want to ruin it for them."

  Damon pulled her closer. "Come on, Kiki," he said. "Let's go get washed off. He's gone. Then, let's enjoy the rest of our night together."

  She agreed, smiling as a mountain seemed to lift from her. Patrick was dead. She was free. Her life was back. The stars looked so beautiful above. No longer did she have to worry about walking under the clear sky, or getting a breath of fresh air, or letting herself relax.

  Wait.

  The apparition of Patrick stood in the crowd ahead, staring at her, still wingless but dressed in the Lateinian soldier's uniform.

  He stared, waved, and turned away, disappearing into the oblivious crowd.

  See More from Holly A. Hook online

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  Also by Holly Hook

  Tempest (Destroyers, Book One) - A Young Adult Fantasy

  Inferno (Destroyers, Book Two)

  Rita Morse and the Sinister Shadow - A Young Adult Fantasy