by Bailey Dark
My brow furls, and I open my mouth, fully intent on letting him have it, but Drogaem steps out from behind him. I swallow hard and quickly get to my feet, wincing at the feeling of torn flesh on my elbow. I remind myself that it's nothing compared to what Drogaem is capable of doing to me.
I dare not even glance over toward where I had set the letter. Drogaem walks to me, the tips of his fingers pressing together, resting against his mouth. He looks me up and down with disgust. "What's a little human, like yourself, doing out in the dark woods at night?"
"I needed some air."
Drogaem laughs, and then snatches me by the face, squeezing my cheeks with his fingers. He yanks me forward toward him, staring me in the eyes. "Do you actually think that you can lie to me? Do you think I don't know what you're doing out here?"
I swallow hard, wondering where the letter is. Wondering why he hasn't shoved it in my face yet. I'm stupid for going out so quickly. Now I'll never get word to Willem and the others.
Drogaem releases my face forcefully and sighs as he glances over at Gregore. "A young human with powers that don't belong to her goes off frolicking in the woods late at night to research a way to kill me without dying herself, and thinks I won't know about it."
My eyes shift back and forth, suddenly realizing that he doesn't know about the letter at all. He thinks I'm out here coming up with ways to kill him. I jump on it. "If you will, what would you do in my situation? Knowing that I am weaker than anyone here, would you not expect me to try to protect myself?"
Drogaem looks at me suspiciously. If I can't make him think that I'm on his side, then I can at least make him believe that I'm trying to be brave. To connect him to me in some way, shape, or form. His face begins to soften, and he glances up at Gregore, brushing him off. The general grunts before walking back toward the castle. I stand perfectly still though, watching as Drogaem approaches, putting his arm over my shoulder as he pulls me forward toward the gardens.
"I thought when I met you and realized who you were, that I would see more Lux in you. She was an amazing lover, skin like silk, mad appetite for desire that rivaled even myself. We would spend long evenings in that training field, doing things to each other that your human mind couldn't even comprehend."
My stomach twists, hearing about it. He takes a deep breath and shrugs his shoulders, turning to face me. "But she was stupid too. She defied fate and ruined everything we were supposed to have."
The heat inside me begins to build, and I can feel a bravery that hasn't ever been there before. It almost feels as if the other soul inside of me is standing taller and stronger, pushing me forward. I can no longer fall to his feet, and I will no longer allow him to believe his own lies.
I scoff, shaking my head. "You and Lux were never meant to be together. You are not starcrossed lovers. She did not ruin fates choice in love. You think you cursed her, when in fact, you gave her a boon, allowing her to find love in every new life she's ever been given. She has seen and felt more emotion than you will ever be able to comprehend in a million of your lives. The only mistake she made was not making sure she severed your head from your body."
Drogaem looks taken back, and it takes a moment to fully understand what I have just said to him. Slowly anger creeps up over his face, but I stand tall, my shoulders back and my head high. I feel the dagger pressing against my leg, and I keep myself aware of it as he points at me, his face a deep red. "I will make everything you've ever loved suffer. I will not kill your family right away, that is too giving, too kind. I will enslave your sisters, torture your father until his skin peels from his bones. When I'm done, I will turn Kane into a banner hung high over my throne so that you have to look at it every single day."
I clench my hands into fists. I feel both terror and complete rage rushing through me. My hand comes to my side, and I lightly begin to scrunch my skirt, feeling the dagger calling to me. I can do it. I know I can kill him right here and right now. I know it can be done because Lux has done it once before.
I carefully pull another handful of fabric up, my eyes falling on the scars that Drogaem still wears from his battle with Lux. I've seen that battle, and I know how it ends. Yes, Drogaem died, but Lux died that day as well. My hand stops moving, and I release the folds of fabric, letting my skirt fall back down to the ground. As much as I hate him, and as much as I want to destroy him, I know that at this point, standing here in the gardens, it will kill me too. Regardless of my disconnect, I'm not ready to leave Kane and the relationship that has only begun between us.
Mistaking my eased expression for standing down, Drogaem laughs as he walks off toward the castle. I will let him laugh, and I will allow him to think that he's won, but just this time. The next time I go for my dagger, I won't stop until it's buried in his heart.
Chapter 14
Briar
When I arrive back in my room, Kane is there waiting for me. He stands from the bed, looking to me with worry. I stop and stare at him as I close the door behind me. I can't lie, it's nice to see his concern for me once again. I know that it's been there all along, but our disconnect plays tricks on my heart. I walk over and sit next to Kane on the bed.
"Where were you?"
I hope he does not chastise me, I've had enough from Drogaem. "I took a letter to the place I leave them for Willem and the rebels. I needed them to know what is happening."
I watch Kane's face, and he looks like he's fighting with himself. He reaches over and puts his hand on mine. "That's very dangerous. You could've been caught."
"I was," I reply, putting my hands quickly up to show him I'm okay.
Kane grabs my arm and narrows his eyes at the torn fabric and stain of blood. I completely forgot about it. I was so angered and full of emotion that I didn't feel the pain on the way back to my room. I pull my arm away. "I'm okay. Drogaem and Gregore found me as I was coming out of the woods, and Gregore threw me to the ground. Drogaem thought I was trying to find a way to defeat him without dying myself. He didn't find the letter."
Kane lets out a breath, and it looks to be one of relief. "Briar…"
His eyes are soft, and I lean forward, knowing we're about to bridge this gap, this empty canyon that has been sitting between us for far too long at this point. But before he can say another word, the sounds of screams and shrieks echo through the windows. We both look at each other and then jump up, rushing out onto the balcony. My hand clasps over my mouth as I watch the soldiers marching in ranks straight into the city. Fires blaze, people run in all directions, and screams, bloodcurdling screams fold and meld together like a chorus of dying men.
Drogaem's soldiers, his minions, are tearing the city and the people in it apart. Kane balls his fists and lifts them high, slamming them down into the stone railing. They crush through, sending chunks of stone in all directions. His eyes completely darken, and I can see the shimmer of his fangs.
He begins to back up toward the doorway, broadening his shoulders. "I will kill and destroy every last one of them. And when I'm done, I will rip Drogaem apart one piece at a time."
Kane prepares himself to jump the balcony. I shake my head and put my hands out. His wings are still broken. He cannot fly. "Wait, if you jump, your wings will not carry you. You'll crash into the cobblestone below, and I don't have enough magical power to bring you back from something like that."
Kane's rage is filling his mind so much, he is deaf to my voice. I know I have to do something, even if I get injured in the process. He begins to sprint forward, and I jump, grabbing him by the arm just as his feet leave the balcony. I'm not heavy, but I use my weight as much as I can to pull him down to the ground. He slams down with a groan, and his eyes dart to me with anger.
"What are you doing?"
"If you jump, you'll die. You'll be no good to anybody. You might be immortal, but that doesn't mean that you will live functionally. I need you, they need you to be strong."
He thrusts his hand out. "And what am I supposed to do? Let my peop
le die right in front of me?"
"Look at yourself! Your wings are gone. Some days you don't even have use of your legs, and it takes me hours to heal you well enough to where you won't bleed out."
Kane narrows his eyes, grabbing my arm and lifting me up as he stands. He holds tightly to it, dragging me back into the room and in front of the mirror. His grip is painful, but I refuse to say a word about it.
He pulls me in front of him and holds my shoulders tightly. "Look at me. I have taken the brunt of all physical damage, and now I cannot protect my own people. If we are to have a kingdom left when this is all over, my torture needs to stop."
I shake my head, tears pulling at my eyes. "I don't understand what you need me to do. I'm not ready to kill Drogaem just yet. I'm not strong enough."
He shakes his head. "I need you to take my place. Your strong enough to fight back and show Drogaem that we aren't going to be pushed around."
My eyes grow wide, and I lurch away from him, backing up toward the bed. Fear floods me. Kane is big, dark, and ominous as he slowly walks toward me, his eyes black as coal. Between Kane and Drogaem, I feel so weak. I couldn't stop Drogaem in the tombs. I couldn't stop him from cursing me, capturing Kane, and killing those mortals. I see those mortal faces in my mind every time I close my eyes. It weighs heavily on my soul.
If I had been stronger, if I had stood up from the beginning, none of this would've happened. I could have killed Drogaem before he ever got his body back. But I failed. I failed Kane, the people in his kingdom, and the entire mortal realm. If I say yes, Drogaem will kill me.
* * *
Kane
The sounds of the screams are echoing through my head, and all I want is to defend these people. Briar is acting so weak, even after all the training and everything we've been through. I need her to be strong, but she refuses.
"Kane," she says quietly. "You know if I take your place, I'll die. If I am truly the key to beating Drogaem, I cannot do this, not even for you."
My jaw clenches and the rage floods me. I know that if I don't get away, I'll end up hurting Briar without meaning to. It's in my blood, in my make up, to take my anger and destroy everything that causes me pain. She doesn't try to reach for me, she sees the passion in me, and I leave her, storming away and out the door. I turn and stomp down the hallway. The air around me waivers as heat pours from my skin. I reach my arms out to each side as my skin darkens, and scales layer down my flesh. My nails contact the stone, and I drag them along, cutting deep divots on each side.
I reach midway down the hall and stop, clenching my fists tightly as my talons grow sharper, and my body continues to morph. The chorus of pain coming from my kingdom builds in my chest, and my head falls back, letting out a howl that twists within the voices filling the castle. As I do, everything around me begins to burn. The pictures on the wall catch fire, the candles melt into puddles, and the curtains, the thick drapes, burst into flames.
I cannot push away the deep sorrow I feel within me. I let it take control, knowing it's the only thing I can do at that moment. The longer I mourn, the longer I allow the pain to flood from me, the more the castle begins to burn. All around me, flames shoot up the stone walls, and the floors themselves glow red with heat. Drogaem has done what he has set out to do to me. He came to break me, and he succeeded.
What he doesn't realize, is that by breaking me, he's unleashed the real monster inside of me. The beast that has always hidden within the shadows of my soul. This monster has no remorse, no ability to hold back, and when the time is right, I will unleash him on Drogaem. Only then will the dark King truly know what it feels like to burn in the flames of death.
Chapter 15
Briar
I pick myself up, dusting the bits of stone from my dress. Tears streaking down my face as I stand on the balcony, watching the city burn. I cry for many reasons. I cry for the souls below. I cry for my love for Kane and the disappointment I just gave him. I cry for myself, knowing that eventually, I'm going to have to make a choice. If it comes to it, I will have to choose between my beloved and the rest of all living creatures. I always thought it was a slight possibility, but now I know it's more likely than not to be the choice I will face.
I still have hope, though, and I will hold on to that hope for as long as I possibly can. My hope extends in all directions, reaching beyond the boundaries of this realm and into the ones I know nothing about. My hope covers Kane, and that he'll resurrect from the angered and wounded person he is. He wants so badly to protect his people, and he's facing something he's never had to face before. He feels helpless, small, and weak. I know how that feels, and I can only imagine what it does to Kane on the inside.
My hands grip tighter to the railing of the balcony as my tears increase. I choke on my sobs, keeping my eyes on the suffering city. I will not forget this moment, and I will not turn away from it. But I find myself kneeling to my human emotion, letting it overwhelm me. My knees feel weak, and my chest throbs.
No. You need to move. You aren't some waif of a girl anymore. Remember.
I start to replay the things in my mind that I've been through since the beginning. I can barely remember the girl that sat in her father's house, her makeup being applied by her servant, being called a princess in the human world. But I still remember what it was like to live like a scared little girl within the confines of this Castle. I've faced vampires, seen into the past, battled mummies, and tamed death himself. For all intents and purposes, I shouldn't be alive right now. The visions in my head of my past are far beyond anything I thought I would ever see.
The anger for my father has long since passed, replaced by a satisfying understanding of how deep my love can go for one person. In this regard, Lux and I are very much alike. We have both stared down a darkness and risen above it. Unfortunately, for Lux, it took her life, and it very well may take mine, but not without a fight.
Even standing here, revealing the things I've been through, I cannot move from this spot. The screams emanating from the city wrap around me and anchor me in place. I manage to stand up tall, though, wiping the tears from my eyes. I blink away the blurriness of my vision and get a good clean look at the city. As my eyes scan across, something catches my attention. At first, it's a glistening, a flash of small sparkles of light, like a reflection.
I squint, leaning forward as groups of men emerge from the smoke and fire, calling out with a battle cry that pushes my tears back. Above them, Willem flies, his Reaper wings spanning long and robust. I put my hand to my stomach and close my eyes for a moment, letting the relief trickle through me. Though they won't be able to save everyone, the rebels are fighting back. They're protecting the people of the city, and they are much stronger than the Huntsmen. Drogaem spent little time training his soldiers, and Willem and his rebels have been battling for centuries.
Willem got my letter, and I am so thankful that he did. The city is suffering, but at least someone is on their side. Watching the rebels charge within the city emboldens me. Bravery twists around the fear inside and crushes it. I want to help them. There's no reason that I can't. I cannot continue to tell myself that I'm too weak. At some point, I have to stand up and fight with what I have.
I turn, defiance blanketing my expression, no more tears flowing down my face. I march inside my room and grab my boots. If I'm going to fight, I'm going to do it comfortably. My skirts will only get in my way. I reach for the drawer of my desk, a place I have stored something specifically for this moment. As I pull it open, the sounds of fighting catch my attention. I snap upright, seriousness taking over. The sounds are not coming from outside, but instead from inside the castle.
My heart shutters, wondering how in a time like this, Drogaem could find the time to torture Kane. Then again, if he's going to do away with him, this is the perfect moment.
Not on my watch.
I race toward the door and throw it open, finding the hallway riddled with smoke and soot. I cough, waving my arm in the a
ir, listening for the sounds. I hear them coming from my right. I take off down the hallway, noticing an amber glow to everything as I'm running. Sweat pours from me as the heat radiates. I turn another corner and stop, finding enormous golden and purple flames shooting up the walls. In the center is Kane, crouched, his fangs showing as he stares down two of the old courtiers that had once played at being his friend.
Ishmael, a vampire, stands, smoke rolling from his skin. He hisses as the flames encroach on his pale skin. This does not make him run, though. Instead, he grows angrier like a caged beast. Beside him is a tall, slender woman. I've never seen her kind before, but I've heard of them. She's a shifter, a being capable of twisting her body into whatever form she wants. Her eyes are piercing yellow like a cat, and her arms curl down into large claws. She's not entirely shifted, allowing herself to maneuver around Kane.
As I step forward, Kane's eyes dart to mine. In the split-second that he is distracted by me, the shifter moves behind him, taking her claws and scratching them down his back. He howls, shaking the very base of the castle. Dust flows from the ceiling and stone crackles and rolls across the floor. I stand with my hands clenched, my teeth grinding, and something awakens within me. With an ease I've never felt before, the light inside of me bursts wide open. I roll my hands in circles, using the light to twist and turn, forming an incredible warp.
Just as the vampire and shifter look over, I release the magic, sending it spiraling at incredible speeds straight at them. I use my mind to split the orb, sending one part around Kane and smashing into the shifter while the other envelops the vampire. The shifter screams, her body bursting into flames. I can hear the vampires hissing as its body turns to ash and falls to the ground. With the danger at bay, the light rockets back, seeping into my skin from head to toe. I close my eyes, feeling the rush of energy surging through me, calming me, filling me with light.