Awakening the Dark Flame (The Dark Throne #2)

25. Chapter 25

Chapter twenty-five

I slid into the throne room, not wanting to talk to anyone. After the honoring ceremony, Genevieve Drezmore would join her ancestors in the crypt near Azeer’s temple. I would only have my memories and drawings to remember her. I gathered my offering and made my way to the king’s side. He turned to me and nodded as if asking, ‘are you alright?’ I nodded back with a faint smile.

Everyone was in attendance, including the light court. Queen Daealla stood emotionlessly next to Gaelin, who looked devastated. Levos stood at his side, unable to look at Gen’s body. Prince Rythlayn and his children flanked the king’s other side.

The music began to play as the dark magic in the ceiling sparked with lightning. The king stepped forward, kissing his daughter on the head as he tried to hold himself together. His brother comforted him.

The court moved through the processional, bowing towards her as they paid respects and placed their offerings of herbs and flowers on her altar. I fell into line, waiting my turn. As I approached, I took one last look at her beautiful face. I placed my bundle of lavender with an orange peel wrapped around the stems on top of her womb.

When the crowds had cleared, the priestesses began their ceremonial send-off. After, Lily’s sweet voice floated through the air as she held back her tears. The house of Sylour created images of stars around the room to honor her. Her favorite sight. The house of Tiflon created a dazzling display of snow that fell around her. Her first encounter with Tiflon flashed in my memory. It had been the first time I had really seen her smile since she had left the light court. I remembered how beautiful each snowflake had looked against her dark hair. Peaceful, this was the definition of peaceful. She would have loved it.

The ground began to crack around the altar where Gen’s body lay. Lavender and small sandalwood trees shot through the rock, growing at the base around her. Her sweet smell filled the air. The court smiled, as did her father. I looked to Gaelin, knowing he was responsible for what had just occurred. His face was wrecked with sorrow and regret. But I didn’t feel sorry for him, because I knew he was incapable of loving her. Not like I did ... had.

Lily continued as the priestess prepared Gen’s body with oils before she would join her ancestors. I stared aimlessly at the floor, not ready to say goodbye.

My eyes shot up when one of the priestesses began to scream. A roar of black and powerful fire shot from the altar into the dark magic that swirled in the ceiling. Loud crackling noises filled the room as everyone stepped back in horror.

The altar was consumed by a heat that I had never experienced before. Dark flames licked and flickered across the black stone, devouring Gen’s body. A loud bang sounded as everyone moved to the edge of the room, attempting to stay clear of the storm. A vortex of wind and energy zapped around the room, making it impossible to stand upright. The floor cracked with force, as the mountain trembled in response to the power.

Finally, the hell storm halted. The courts looked around, trying to compose themselves. I turned my focus back to the altar as I got to my feet. Gen sat upright, completely bare. Her beautiful eyes blinked as she looked around in confusion.

I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn’t seeing things, but she was real. She was there. Alive and moving. Her black curls sprung back to life as the long locks trailed down her back. Her eyes flickered from black to green. She looked down at her arms and hands in disbelief, then her legs and feet.

Her eyes turned to her surroundings, realizing she was naked in front of the courts. She covered her beautiful body with her arms, pulling her feet to her chest. Her father walked towards her slowly, mouth open, taking his jacket and wrapping it around her. She flinched at his touch and turned to look at him. He took her face slowly in his hand as he smiled with joy.

“Genevieve?” he asked.

She looked around again at the familiar faces. “Why … why am I here? What is going on?” she asked in shock.

He laughed with joy as he took her into his arms.

“Clear the throne room, now!” demanded Prince Rythlayn.

I stood frozen, not daring to look away from her. She was alive. She was breathing. She had come back. I had another chance, and I wasn’t going to waste it. I laughed as tears fell from my eyes, covering my mouth with my hand. The crowd pushed past me.

“You too, Lyklor,” said Rythlayn, pushing me to the door.

I followed orders, looking back at her as I left. I had to get to her. I had to explain and tell her what I wanted. Lily came flying out of the throne room doors and jumped into my arms as tears fell from her face. I smiled, wrapping my arms around her.

“It’s a miracle. She’s alive. She came back!” she shouted.

“It is a miracle,” I replied. “Do you think the baby—” I stopped, moving my eyes to the floor.

She squeezed my arms. “I don’t know,” she said with a heavy tone. “But now that you have another chance, don’t let the opportunity pass you by,” she said kindly.

I nodded as she moved to Zerrial’s arms.

I was unable to see her that night, and it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Her family were the only ones allowed near her. I woke every few hours and went to her door to see if I would be allowed in, but each time I was turned away. I was dying to know if she was okay. I needed to see her, to hear her, to touch her. I needed to know this wasn’t a dream.

After breakfast, I decided I was going to camp outside of her rooms until they finally got annoyed by my persistence. I was there for an hour and had thoroughly terrorized the guards. Lily and Vena exited. I stood to my feet with excitement. Vena nodded and went on her way. Lily walked over slowly with a small smile on her face.

“And? How is she?” I asked.

“Completely healed. Every finger, toe, and piece of skin is back. Physically, she is fine, but her mind is far from it. She remembers everything they did to her. She’s beyond traumatized, Eren. We got her to eat and sleep, but she’s up now.”

“How did she come back?” I asked.

“I’m not completely certain, but it appears your fire god found her worthy of another life. Not only is she alive, but she’s come back with a new power.” Lily paused while my eyes searched her face for answers.

“Out with it, Lilian.”

She smiled. “She’s been gifted the Dark Flame. Nothing will ever be able to harm her again. ”

I laughed in disbelief, happy that she had been blessed with a power that could protect her from anyone, anything. I moved past her towards the door, eager to see Gen, but Lily stopped me.

Her face went soft. “She will see you, but Eren … they took your form while they did those awful things to her. It was you that tortured and mutilated her in her mind. We explained who you were, and she knows you aren’t them, but don’t expect her to be the same person you remember.”

I didn’t know what to say. She was afraid of me. That was what Lily was trying to tell me. She associated me with those things and with the pain she had endured.

I nodded, pressing on the door softly. I walked into her seating area, hesitating before I opened the pocket doors to her room. She sat up on the bed, looking out to the balcony. She wore a white gown. A blanket draped over her legs and her hair fell across her left shoulder. I had never seen an angel before, but I expected they looked like her.

She turned to me, taking a deep breath as she sat up straighter against the headboard. I smiled, walking slowly towards her.

I got to the edge of the bed and gestured. “May I sit?” I asked.

She nodded, scooting over. She looked back out to the balcony. Her skin was sun kissed and her cheeks were pink from the blood running through her veins. I watched as her chest rose and fell. The simplest of actions made me smile.

“I’m so happy you’re alive,” I said. She didn’t respond. I dropped my head, thinking of what to say. “Can I get you anything?”

“I’m fine,” she replied shortly. I uncontrollably laughed at the sound of that sweet voice. It was like music to my ears. She turned her head towards me with a blank look on her face. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. I just … I’m so happy to hear your voice. I didn’t think I’d ever get to again.” She dropped her eyes. I slowly reached out to her hand. As I made contact, she pulled away quickly. I pulled back in disappointment.

“I’m sorry, I just—” she began to say.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to explain. Lily told me.”

She shook her head. “I know who you are. I know you’re not them, but I can’t get out of my own head. I saw you and felt you, but it wasn’t you, I know this.”

“It’s okay. In time you will get better.”

She shook her head as tears rolled down her face. “I don’t know if I’ll recover this time, Eren. Everything feels … wrong. I’m broken; they broke me,” she exclaimed.

I reached out instinctually to hold her face, but she pushed away, and I paused, remember I resembled the thing that had tortured her. “You are stronger than anyone I’ve ever met. You will get better. You are not broken. You’ve been given another chance, and you have people that love you and will be here for you. You will have whatever you need to recover, and I want to help in any way that I can,” I said. She sniffled as she gathered herself. I sat up straight as the question I so desperately wanted to ask burned inside of me.

“Gen,” I whispered, dropping my eyes to my hands. “Is the baby … did the baby survive?”

She shook her head. “No.”

I took a deep breath, trying not to lose it in front of her. I ran my hand down my face.

“How did you find out?” she asked.

“Lily confirmed it.”

“I suppose you’re relieved. A weakness you were able to avoid in the grand scheme of things,” she said as she gathered herself.

I snapped my eyes back to her. “I would have never hurt you or the baby. I deserved to know.”

“I kept the child a secret to protect it from you. You made your opinions very clear regarding me and any child you’d ever sire,” she retorted defensively.

I took a deep breath, calming myself. She had just been through something atrocious. I didn’t want to add to her pain. “Losing you … was the worst thing that has ever happened to me. Then, when I found out about the baby, I was quickly corrected. I … I need you to know that I would have done my best.”

She looked back out to the balcony. “Where is Otar?” she asked.

“In the lab downstairs. He got himself killed right when you—” I stopped, connecting the dots finally. “He must obey you because he is connected to your life. If you die, so does he.”

She didn’t respond. Not even a flinch. “Bring him to me.”

“Anything you want,” I said with a small smile. I sat, just looking at her. In that moment, I wanted to tell her everything. Everything that I felt for her. How much I cared for her. How much I wanted her. This was my second chance, and I wasn’t going to squander it. “Gen, I want you to know that I—”

“Enough, Eren. It’s over,” she said.

I tried reading her. Looking for her usual tells of nervousness, fear, happiness, annoyance. But there was nothing. She was so blank. The light that shined inside of her was nothing but a flicker now. As if it was fighting to stay lit.

“Gen, I want to be with you.”

She laughed, bringing her eyes to mine. “Eren, you can’t be serious. This is just your guilt from finding out about the child. You don’t want me. Plus, let’s be honest. You would only use me to elevate yourself. Knowing that wicked mind of yours as I do, you’d find a way to sit yourself upon my throne, while I sat idle blindly thinking you loved me. I’m not stupid. Give me some credit.”

“It has nothing to do with power. I would never manipulate you, Genevieve. Not after everything you’ve been through.”

“This coming from the Ambassador of Lies and Manipulation. How poetic.” She just stared at me. Finally, after a few moments her gaze softened and she dropped her eyes. “Plus, I don’t think I could ever be with you again in that way. They took what I felt for you and used it against me. Whatever was there is gone.”

“We can fix this. I’m willing to wait. To help you in any way I can,” I said desperately.

“Let it be, Eren. Just forget about whatever you think you feel for me and do your job,” she said coldly. I had to find a way to get through to her. To get her past this. She was still in there. She had to be. “We’re done. You may go.”

I stood up, not wanting to leave her side. I looked at her beautiful face, taking her in. “I will always be here. Whatever you need,” I whispered.

I left her room and made my way out into the hall. She was alive. That was all that mattered. I would get her to want me again. For now, she needed time to heal, and I had to respect that. No matter how much I wanted to be the one she leaned on, the one to hold her, I couldn’t be. Not now that those things had poisoned her mind and feelings against me.

I went down to where the demons were held. Doria came rushing down the hall before I made it to the room. “We’ve got something!” she exclaimed. “One of the demons told us that ‘he’ asked them to take the princess and kill her.”

“And who is ‘he’ supposed to be?” I asked.

“Not sure yet, but they said he controls them. He has something over them, but I couldn’t get them to say what or who. At least we know now that they were working under someone’s orders.”

I chewed over the information, trying to connect the dots. “ Thank you, Doria. Keep me updated on any other developments. I have an idea on how we can get our questions answered.” I turned down to the lab and collected Otar’s body.

I went back to Gen’s room where she still sat looking out onto the balcony. I placed the creature onto the bed in front of her, trying to act like our earlier conversation didn’t happen.

“As requested, princess, your creature. Now, please hurry and revive him. I have a lead and I need him to be able to speak.”

She sat up straighter, looking at the creature, and then to me. “Tell me,” she insisted.

“Doria has been torturing the demons since they arrived in court. No one told you they were here?”

“No. I guess my father wanted me to feel safe.”

“They will never touch you again. As I was saying, Doria was able to get some information from them that I need to confirm with Otar here. So, chop, chop.”

“What information, Eren? Stop dancing around it and tell me.”

I exhaled, acting like she was a bother. “They were working for someone. A ‘he’. They said that he is the one that controls them and told them to go after you. He, I presume is Alaric, but I need our little friend here to confirm it.” I thought back to Narella. I wanted to tell Gen about the mysterious female’s help in finding her body and capturing the demons, but she had enough on her lap for one day.

“Leave. Come back in an hour. ”

I bowed with a smile. “As you wish, princess,” I said, leaving her to her secrets.

An hour passed and I returned as requested. Otar was screaming and yelling as he destroyed her chambers. She sat on the bed in silence, not even watching him tear through the furniture. I walked in slowly, unsure if I was safe around the creature. She could have very well commanded him to kill me. He saw me and charged forward, throwing me into the wall.

“My gift is dead, dead! Because of you! You stupid, stupid shit,” Otar yelled.

“Otar, leave him. He isn’t at fault,” said Gen calmly. I was. They were my responsibility and I failed. I failed them both. Otar’s teeth chattered as his breathing continued to quicken. “Otar, please,” she said again.

He calmed, returning slowly to her side. He got into her bed and lay on her lap. She hesitated, but put a hand on his head to comfort him. He was talking about my child. My child was his gift. A bit of rage and possession rose inside me at the thought of that thing being around the baby we created.

“Otar, we need to know if you remember anything else about Alaric. The demons that killed me say they were following orders. That someone commands them,” she said.

His head popped up as his teeth elongated. “Demons did this to us. Demons! I will kill every last one of them, wicked one. I will destroy and maim and then I will kill Lucifer himself for creating them,” yelled Otar.

“Otar, focus. We need to know if Alaric could control demons,” said Gen.

Otar shook his head quickly back and forward. “He is powerful. He has the ability to control, but it isn’t his own. But demons, no, no, not them. They are celestial beings. Only one thing can control them that I know of,” said Otar.

“And what is that?” I asked impatiently.

“The blood of Christ,” he said.

I laughed, looking from Gen to Otar. “You can’t be serious? You expect me to believe there is a being out there running around with a vial of the Christian God’s blood?” I asked.

“No, you idiot, his son’s!” snapped Otar.

“That means that Alaric could still be controlling them,” Gen pointed out.

“No, no, I remember. He hates demons. Hates all things Christian. He would never use them, even if he could control them. Not without a way to kill them. Which, there is no way,” said Otar.

“Actually, there is,” said Gen. She lifted her palm. Her hand and forearm ignited into a slow ember of power. At first, the wafts of smoke danced across her palm in ribbons of gray tendrils, before lighting to life in a deep, metallic black flame. Red embers popped and sparked around the edges, but the flame itself was black as obsidian, with small streams of a brownish orange color that detailed the curves and movement of each individual section. The calm fire lapped at her skin as it encircled her arm. It was the most beautiful weapon I had ever seen.

Otar jumped back off the bed in surprise. “You … you came back because of the Dark Flame?” Otar asked.

“Three days dead and now alive with the gift. Just like Maleki,” she said, reabsorbing the flame.

“Still. Alaric couldn’t have known you would have that. He can’t see into the future. Yes, I remember,” said Otar.

“So, who else would want her dead? Someone smart enough, with the right resources to find the blood, find the demons, and stage this. It had to have been someone who knew exactly where you would be that night. Someone inside,” I said, realizing the enemy was among us.

Her face dropped as a realization dawned on her. “Icici?” she asked.

I shook my head. “No, she isn’t smart enough. Plus, as I said, it’s a ‘he’. I … I need time to think,” I said. I looked at her longingly, just for a moment. I wanted to protect her, but she wasn’t going to let me. At least not physically. “Otar, stay with her. Don’t let her out of your sight.”

“Of course, you idiot. What do you think I am going to do? Leave her in your care? We all saw how that worked out last time,” he snarled.

I dropped my eyes. A knock came at the door. I turned to see Gaelin walking into her room. He nodded at me as he focused on her. I looked back to the bed as my heart cringed a little.

For heaven’s sake, I had only come to terms with these feelings for a few days and they were already a pain in the ass. If I could remove them, I would. Dammit, Lyklor. This what you get for being such a soft idiot. Should have kept your damn dick in your pants.

“I will check back if I discover anything. Rest well, princess,” I said, looking for any sign of emotion, but there was none. She turned her gaze to Gaelin as he passed me on his way towards her.

I left before I had to witness her allowing him to touch her. Just the thought made my stomach cringe. She was mine, not his. She was mine to touch, mine to kiss, mine to comfort. Azeer, I hated this. I had to make sure she was safe. I had to focus on this task and then I would move on to our problems. Prioritize. That was what I was good at.

I went to my room and compiled a list of the alfar that would ever consider taking her life. I had to think objectively and clearly. It was a he . He would have a vial of blood on his person. He was smart. He wouldn’t allow the vial to leave his side and risk losing control of the demons. Someone who was powerful and knowledgeable. Someone who knew Gen. Knew the inner workings of our operation. Someone she trusted and wouldn’t see coming.