Freed

by Samantha Britt

  All was silent, and then I heard my mother’s heart wrenching scream, “FATHER!”

  44

  The rebels and elves made quick work of subduing the draekon king. In truth, he hardly struggled. He wore a crazed grin as he watched my mother frantically try and save her father’s life. He was evil. Cold blooded evil.

  And my mother. Gods. Seeing her undone was agony. Despite the misery of her childhood, and despite the mask she’d worn during their last meeting, she loved her father. And she lost him. The light left his eyes the moment Roderick’s fire hit his chest. She’d never have the chance to reconcile with him. Her father, the king of Avelin, was gone.

  “I disinherit both of you,” Roderick shouted, loud enough to be heard over the ruckus. Both Finn and Brion stiffened.

  The defeated ruler continued, “I disinherit you and your filthy bastard sister. I only regret I didn’t end that mongrel’s life before the end of my days.”

  Shock rippled through the crowd.

  Brion growled threateningly, but before he could move, Finn appeared in front of their father. The prince punched King Roderick in the stomach before grabbing the neck of his fancy tunic and pulling him forward. In a dangerous whisper, he asked, “What did you just say?”

  Roderick laughed. He sounded deranged. “You’ve always known, haven’t you? Or at least you suspected.” His eyes were manic and wide. “I’ve poisoned your sister with elven magic for years. She’s not mine, you see. Your bitch mother had an affair, but she didn’t think I knew. But oh… I knew. I killed that unfaithful wench immediately after the birth, but I couldn’t very well dispose of the healthy bastard without sullying my name.”

  I couldn’t believe it. Cienna? Roderick had been poisoning Cienna. And he killed the mother of his children?

  Finn’s grip tightened. His body trembled with rage. “You killed our mother?”

  “I killed the whore who dishonored me by sleeping with a lesser noble from Villam.”

  Oh my gods.

  My eyes closed. Roderick was an irredeemable monster. There was no doubt about it now. But worse than that, there was no way Brion wouldn’t enact vengeance for his crimes against his beloved mother and sister.

  The sound of a sword being drawn echoed in my ears. My eyes flew open, dreading what I would see. Brion would strike his father down, and he’d spend the rest of his life regretting it.

  Only, Brion remained in his beast form. He wasn’t the one who drew his sword.

  My eyes swung around, trying to find the source of the sound. Roderick continued to ramble horrible things; insulting and painful things. His wild eyes were trained on his sons. He wanted to cause them the greatest amount of pain he could manage before he met his end.

  King Roderick was so preoccupied with his hateful task, he did not sense my brother coming up from behind.

  Brion’s beast hissed at the same time I yelled, “Lin!”

  It was too late. The sword in Lin’s hand swung in a wide arc before coming down and connecting with King Roderick’s neck. His head rolled away, and my stomach rolled with it. The blood sprayed everywhere, but most of it splattered against my brother and the ground below the decapitated king.

  Lin stood there, his ill-fitting armor stained red, breathing heavily. “That’s for my grandfather.” Then, he threw the sword to the ground and all hell broke loose.

  The three draekon, despite their change in loyalty, reared back viciously. They were ready to take my brother down, but Brion stopped them with a serious of growls. The draekon glared angrily, but they eventually skulked back, resigned to not retaliate for their king’s murder.

  My mother remained hunched over my grandfather’s immovable body, seemingly unaware of what was going on. Her skin was pale, and her face was pinched as she continuously mumbled elven words.

  Lorie released me. I turned to see her wrapped in Leith’s arms, seeking his comfort and relishing in the fact they’d both escaped the attack unharmed.

  My attention returned to my brother. He’d just killed a man, but he looked unaffected. He wore an impassive mask as he gazed down at the king’s severed body.

  An eldest son… A prince of his people.

  My eyes widened. Lin was the oldest child in our family, and he was also, technically, a prince of Avelin.

  The ruler shall die. Killed by the eldest son’s own hand.

  By the gods...

  The prophecy was never about Brion. Or, at least, it wasn’t only about Brion. Lin met the requirements of the prophecy, just as Brion did. Either of them could’ve fulfilled the prophecy which predicted the destruction of the cursed nation… Draekon.

  The ruler shall die…

  I didn’t want to believe in prophecies, but alas, it would be impossible to deny this one seemed to come true. King Roderick was gone. Brion would be king. He could change the ways of his father. He’d rule differently. The days of old shall end.

  “Lissa?”

  I whirled around. Brion stood there. Like his twin, he only wore trousers. I hadn’t noticed his shift.

  His eyes were wary. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what I needed. I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or cry. I wasn’t the one who’d just lost my father. But that was Brion.

  There might come a time when Brion would break down and mourn the loss of his father, but it wouldn’t be here. Not in front of these people, and not when concern for me consumed him.

  I stepped into Brion’s arms, letting that be my answer. I buried my face against his chest.

  He sighed deeply and wrapped his arms around me.

  “I was so worried,” I mumbled against his muscular pecs. I breathed in the scent of sweat and dirt, but I couldn’t pull away. I didn’t want to pull away.

  “As was I.”

  My arms tightened. “I’m so sorry.”

  Brion kissed my forehead and sighed, “I know.”

  A throat cleared. Brion’s arms relaxed, but he kept me close. I rotated in his embrace and saw Finn standing in front of us. He smirked, but there was deep sorrow in his eyes. “The bond is real, I see.”

  “Brother,” Brion greeted. “Thank you. For defending Amelissa. I fear what could have happened if you hadn’t.”

  “Yes,” I seconded. Grateful tears gathered in my eyes. “Thank you, Finn.” He’d stood up to his father. After a lifetime of obeying every command, fearing the consequences of disobedience, Finn had finally found the strength to stand up for what was right. He’d finally overcome his own evil.

  Finn cleared his throat. “You are both welcome.” He averted his eyes, trying to hide his emotion. “I will go back to the draekon army and arrange for father’s body to be taken back to the capital, with your permission of course.”

  I felt Brion’s arms flex. “You don’t need my permission, Finn.”

  The younger prince’s attention returned his brother. A subtle glint of amusement twinkled in his eye. “Are you sure about that… Your Majesty?”

  45

  It took one day to build the funeral pyres for rebel, elven, and draekon soldiers. All survivors gathered around the forest clearing, putting aside any lingering animosity in order to say goodbye to those who’d lost their lives in the battle. Our grief united us, and our sorrow bound us to peace.

  Brion’s fingers flexed against my back as we watched Min light the wood stacks for the fallen draekon. My prince had kept it together ever since the death of his father, but a lone tear rolled over his rugged cheek as he paid his respects to his fallen men. He mourned the loss of innocent, blameless soldiers. And though he hadn’t admitted it to me yet, I knew he mourned his father, as well.

  Commander Nelis and Commander Rewin moved forward and performed the same task for deceased members of the rebellion. My cousin, Prince Lerick, did so for his elven brothers and sisters. He’d journeyed to Draekon the moment he’d heard King Aquin had left Avelin, but he’d arrived too late to save his uncle.

  All the trees had been cut down to make way for
the cleansing flames and resulting smoke. Every male and female who’d perished during the fight was being honored, except for King Aquin and King Roderick. The rulers’ bodies had been sent back to their courts. There, they would receive a royal funeral, and be buried with other past rulers of their realms.

  My gaze locked onto a familiar head of blond hair. Erwin’s pyre was one of the tallest. I watched Lerick place the torch on the kindling under the wood, failing to hide the trembling of his lips as he murmured goodbye to his beloved cousin and friend.

  I wiped away my tears, but they were swiftly replaced with more as I watched the fires burn. We all stood there: me, Brion, Finn, Lorie, Leith, Lin and my parents. We did not leave the clearing until the last of the fires burned out. The sun was beginning to rise with the dawn of a new day by the time Brion wrapped his arms around my shoulder and gently escorted me back to camp.

  “Are you all right?” He whispered, caressing my shoulder with his thumb.

  Were any of us all right?

  “I will be… You?”

  He exhaled and replied, “I will be.”

  Up ahead, I heard the sound of a woman sobbing. I squinted in the dark, but it wasn’t until I shifted my eyes that I could make out the source of the sad noise. Lassandra’s head was buried in my father’s shoulder. She wept over the loss of her father, Erwin, and the others who’d sacrificed their lives in the fight for equality.

  She also wept with guilt. She’d lost her father and all hope of ever reconciling with him. Gone was the disinterested and cold demeanor my mother had worn the past few days. Her vulnerability had been revealed, and I felt sorry for her.

  The sobs didn’t stop the entire way back to camp.

  Brion’s breath tickled my forehead as he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on my head. My eyes closed, soothed by his touch. “You must forgive her,” he murmured against my skin, causing my skin to pucker.

  I sighed and leaned into him, drawing on his strength just as he drew on mine. “I know.”

  Brion and I would return to Draek in two days, but I wouldn’t go without speaking to my mother. I didn’t expect all of our problems to be resolved, but we needed to start somewhere. I didn’t want to make the same mistake she had.

  “Good girl,” he smiled against my hair.

  I gave a soft laugh. Everything about Brion made the darkest moments lighter. He was everything to me, and I felt so lucky that I finally had the chance to tell him so.

  “I love you,” I whispered into the coming dawn.

  That earned me another kiss. This time, it was on my lips. “And I love you.”

  It was the following night. Grief continued to linger over the rebel camp like a mournful cloud. The day had been long and arduous as draekon, elves, and humans finalized their plans to return to their homes. Supplies were divided. Transport had been arranged. Some weren’t thrilled to go back to their old lives. But it wouldn’t be for forever. Members of our group would reunite in Draek in one month’s time to initiate official peace proceedings. The negotiations wouldn’t only be between draekon and their human citizens, but also Draekon and Avelin.

  As hard as it was for me to believe, the rebellion had actually done it. They’d won. The fighting was over. Once negotiations ended, any citizen in Draek could move wherever they could find work, and they could make a living doing whatever they pleased. No longer would humans be subjected to the whims of recruitment officials, and no longer would Avelin and Draekon forever be on the brink of war.

  The world would become a dream brought to life.

  I waited until most of the camp went to bed before finally venturing out of the tent Brion and I shared. There was nothing scandalous about the arrangement. The fact was neither Brion nor I wished to be separated after looking death in the face. We’d spent weeks apart, and we weren’t willing to do that ever again.

  Using my draekon vision, I navigated through the tents with ease, careful to avoid stepping on anything which might make noise and wake anyone up. I approached my destination. The ordinary brown tent blended in with the others, except for the lingering candlelight I could see glowing through the fabric’s separation. My parents weren’t going to find any rest that night.

  I stopped in front of the opening and inhaled a fortifying breath. Then, I slipped my hand inside. “Hello?” I stayed outside in case they needed time to compose themselves.

  Movement drew near. Arthur pulled aside the fabric. Sad eyes met mine, but they brightened a bit upon recognition. “Amelissa?”

  “Hello,” I repeated, offering a shaky smile. “Is Lassandra here?” My relationship with my draekon father would, also, need time to work through past hurts, but Arthur and I had already started that process together. At that moment, I needed to begin the path to healing with my mother.

  “Yes. Of course. Come in.” He stepped aside.

  I walked into my parents’ private tent. Though they were the leaders of the rebellion, there was no finery or opulence to be seen. They lived like their rebels with only the bare necessities. Lassandra sat on a thin mattress, elevated off the ground in a wobbly frame. Red, puffy eyes spoke to the depths of her grief.

  “Sandra,” Arthur’s voice was smooth and calm. “Amelissa is here to see you.”

  “I can see that.” Even sad, there was still fight in her. I was glad to see it.

  Arthur walked over and kissed his wife’s forehead, unaffected by her snappy reply. He whispered, “I’ll give you two a moment alone.” He managed to make his exit before either of us could insist he stay.

  Discomfort descended. I didn’t know where to look or how to begin. Funny, I’d spent much of the day coming up with things to say, but all of those ideas escaped me. I hadn’t been alone with my mother at any point since I arrived in the rebel camp. I didn’t know how to speak with her when no one else was around.

  “You leave tomorrow?”

  I lifted my eyes. I hadn’t realized I’d been staring at the ground. “Yes,” I licked my lips. “We set out a dawn.” It would be another arduous day, especially since I suspected I wouldn’t receive a good night’s sleep.

  “To Draek?” she asked even though she knew the answer.

  “Yes.”

  “And Brion will introduce you as his mate?”

  The thought still made my stomach clench, both with worry and anticipation. Part of me was eager to publicly acknowledge our relationship, but another part still feared rejection. Not from Brion, but the draekon people. Knowing so many could choose not to accept me into their society was frightening, but I was beyond hiding from what I wanted out of fear.

  “He will,” I answered. I dragged my boot along the ground in front of me, needing some movement to expel my nervous energy.

  “And you trust him to end the prejudices and bigotry which taint his inherited realm?”

  With all my heart. “Yes.”

  Lassandra smiled softly. “Good. I do, too.”

  That was the first time I’d heard her sound approving of Brion and our relationship. She and my father had accepted it as truth and managed to twist it to their strategic advantage, but never before had either actually sounded pleased with my mate.

  “What about you?” I managed to ask. “Are you really going back to Avelin?” I’d heard the rumors, but honestly didn’t believe them. I couldn’t imagine my mother returning to the life of a princess after all this time. I didn’t believe she would want to.

  Then again, I supposed with the death of her father, she might feel obligated to go back and help the elven people. Someone had to rule.

  “For now,” she confirmed. “I will attend the king’s funeral.” She had to pause to clear the emotion from her throat. “Did you know Lin is to accompany us?”

  “To Avelin?”

  She nodded. “Lerick will inherit the crown, and Lin will accompany him as an ambassador of sorts. We thought it might be best for him to leave this continent for a bit. At least until tensions calm down.”

  She
meant until the draekon no longer begrudged Lin for killing King Roderick. But that wasn’t the news that surprised me the most.

  Lerick was positioned to be king? How had I not heard that?

  “Why won’t you be the one to rule?” I asked. Lassandra had been raised for the role, after all.

  She shook her head. “It is not the Mother’s design for me to lead Avelin,” she said confidently. “That destiny belongs to another. I have already fulfilled mine.”

  I didn’t understand. She was heir to the throne. Of course, ruling was her destiny. What else was there?

  “What do you mean?”

  My mother rose from the mattress and crossed the room until she stood in front of me. She watched me for a lingering moment. “I trust you’ve heard of the Cursed Lovers prophecy?”

  Of course.

  The words played in my head and I recited them out loud.

  “Hear this great prophecy,

  Evil comes to an end at the hands of the cursed lovers.

  One brings darkness, the other brings light.

  Fated souls create those with ancient gifts,

  The perfect balance to restore the days of old.”

  Lassandra’s gentle smile returned. “Your father is the light, and I am the dark. Together, we helped bring an end to Roderick’s evil by creating souls with ancient gifts.” She gave me a pointed look.

  I frowned. “What ancient gifts?” My siblings and I didn’t have any old powers. All of our abilities were common for elves and draekon.

  Her confidence never faltered. “We are not certain of Alorie or Arlin, but you, Amelissa, possess two ancient gifts.”

  When I continued to look confused, she offered, “You have a gliminee bond and Kyrie Spirit.”

  “Oh.” I supposed she was right. Everyone had been saying how rare those connections were. I guessed rare could also correlate to ancient gifts.

  So much for Brion’s studies. He’d incorrectly identified himself as the subject of not one, but two, prophecies. I couldn’t wait to tease him for his error, but also rejoice with him that the greatest fears he’d harbored could now sail away for the rest of his days.