CHAPTER 32
“Wielding from the Gods can only happen when the rage inside of a Fallen Ember is at its peak. Their insides scorch like a fire that once blazed the Realm of the Darklands. If a descendant of the Gods wields from the Gods too much, they can lose the light inside their heart.” - Book of Azure
“YOU WERE TOO WEAK TO take the throne! It was supposed to be mine!” she bellows, the blue fire flickering in her palms as she hovers her other hand over it. “All I had to do was control Father’s, Mother’s, and Koen’s minds into thinking he was the one that took the dagger to your heart.”
“I always knew you would betray me.” My lip curls in disgust. “Why the Gods gave you, out of all the Deskyiaras, the ability to wield minds, I will never know. They should destroy you for what you have done. You created this war! Not Koen.”
“No.” She takes a violent step towards me, her heels tapping against the rock. “Your love for Koen created the war. Mother’s heartbreak of losing you, not being able to see you live, cursed the Realms. Everything is because of you.”
My head violently shakes. “You are wrong!”
“There you go, never wanting to believe the truth!” She cracks her neck. “You were going to betray the Realms and run away with Koen. You were going to leave Florian weak and alone. You were going to leave your family! You know the Realms consider that treason!”
“I could have never been Queen without Koen!” My eyes burn as the fire flickers in my palms, the wind picking up speed around us. “You always knew, and you took all the secrets I told you for your own good!”
“Just realize you destroyed our family, not me.”
“You are insane!” My hands wield my scarlet-red flames, violently flickering fire in a raging storm to push it towards her.
The fire slams into the wall beside her as she lets out an amused, snarky snicker from her lips. “You are a little weak now, aren’t you? Do you even remember what power of the Deskyiara bloodline you were gifted with? Or only the one you have been cursed with for living?”
“I’m going to kill you!” I hiss, feeling the stones against me pulse, vibrating as the dragons wield out and soar around me. The thunder and lightning blow, striking a violent storm outside, as well as inside, the cave. But she’s right, I can’t remember everything. Most of my life is still a blur.
Her eyes widen. “You wielded them!”
“You’re damn right I did.”
Kill her.
I call out to the dragons, their elemental forms slicing through the sky with breathtaking speed.
Each one darts and weaves, leaving trails of fire, water, and ice in the air, but she vanishes within seconds.
Dark shadows coil and ripple around the walls, consuming the light until everything is shrouded by a wicked darkness.
Leaving only the glow of my dragons that swivel in the air.
But the fire darkling is still here, its flames growing with each breath it takes.
I glance over my shoulder, hearing the deep growling breathing of the dragon.
The breathing of Koen. Beneath his scales, a molten river of lava pulses, casting a warm, crimson hue that dances across the darkness of the crystals that once pulsed with life.
I’ve seen this red, flickering hue in his eyes before, and now I wonder if this was why.
“Time to take those stones from your dead body.” The fire darkling wickedly cracks out a laugh. “This time, those oracles won’t be able to save you. And Koen will be the one to kill you.”
A deep, terrifying rumble bellows from Koen’s throat, like the roar of a thunderstorm trapped within his chest that is ready to explode.
The sharp, piercing sound of glass breaking echoes around us, and my eyes widen in horror as I realize that the crystals along the cavern walls are beginning to shatter.
Their fractured surfaces reflect shards of the fiery light.
A dragon should not be here. A fire darkling should not be here.
Damn it, only the descendants of the Gods should be here. This place was a gift, chosen for those who have the Royal bloodline coursing through them. But with Koen in this transformation, it could ruin this sacred ground.
Destroy the fire darkling.
I call out to my dragons and for a split moment, I close my eyes and focus my mind to connect with them.
The ice dragon zips toward the fire darkling with blinding speed, its icy breath freezing the darkling's left side for a fleeting moment, causing it to fall to its knees with a resounding thud.
The fire on its body flickers, regaining strength before it lets out a sinister growl.
“You think you are tough now with those dragons?” Its charred fingertips claw at the ground. “You’ll never be stronger than your sister.”
Water, now.
I wield the water dragon, watching as it doesn’t hesitate, leaving a trail of mist. It dives into the fire darkling, attacking where its heart must pulse, if it has one. It merges inside of it, steam singeing as it grunts, grabbing its shoulder.
Water droplets fall from its scorching body, hot steam evaporating in the air as it trickles down. I know it hurts it, and I watch steadily as it flinches while the water seeps inside it.
But as I watch in satisfaction, a blaze erupts from beside me, a searing heat wave so intense that it sends my hair whipping against my face.
I clench my eyes shut for a brief moment, Koen’s breath leaving me momentarily vulnerable.
In that instant, the fire darkling seizes the opportunity and lunges toward me, its form a blur of shadow and flame, knocking me off my feet.
My back slams against the ground, gravel and jagged rocks digging into my skin as I let out a loud grunt, the impact forcing a moan of agony from my lips.
“Queen Tileatha is right, you are weak.” The fire darkling wickedly snickers.
I rise on my elbows, blowing the strands of my hair out of my face to meet its crimson eyes. “I’m just getting started.”
Koen’s enormous mouth looms above me, filled with sharp, jagged teeth that glint threateningly in the dim light. Saliva drips from his gaped jaw, glistening as it slowly falls. I quickly roll to the side as he goes to snap, heavily breathing while I avoid becoming his next snack.
“Koen, snap out of it!” I scream out to him. “It’s me!”
“He can’t hear you.” The fire darkling cackles, its voice sending shivers down my spine. “She is controlling him with the blue flame.”
The flame. The one she held in her hands.
“How does a flame control him!” I dodge Koen’s spiked tail, which misses me but slams against the side of the cave. The crystals and rocks tremble by the impact; the cave will not hold if this continues.
“Your love killed him, don’t you remember!” Its voice drops to a deep, raspy growl. The flames ignite on its back as it deliberately takes a step towards me.
My heart throbs, grabbing my chest as I feel the strong beat of my heart… of his heart. The life that once pulsed inside of him, now pulses inside of me. “I never asked him to do that!”
“You know he could have never lived without you!” Its charred lips pull into a wicked smirk. “Tilly’s plan has worked.”
“She knew Koen would give his life just so I could live?” I stutter in pain, feeling every hair on my body rise as rage shoots throughout my whole body.
Its disgusting lips rise and at this moment, I know I am going to rip them off of it.
My dragons soar around me, their wings cutting through the air with a furious intensity that mirrors the raging anger igniting within me. This damn fire darkling is dead. My palms flicker with fire as each dragon I wield launches into a synchronized assault on the fire darkling.
The water dragon surges forward, its liquid form crashing into the darkling's chest, sending a cloud of steam swirling into the atmosphere as the darkling staggers and collapses to its knees.
The ice dragon follows, its chilling breath crystallizing the darkling's hands, anchoring them to the ground in a sheath of frost. Meanwhile, the air dragon swoops and dives, its powerful gusts striving to extinguish the flames that dance like a volcano erupting on the darkling's back.
As I watch with a rage that is consuming me, Koen’s wing slams into my back, lunging me forward as I slam into the crystals. With a loud thud, my body falls to the ground, and I tremble as I try to rise. A loud, painful grunt escapes my lips as I catch my breath.
Fire, distract Koen.
I call out to my fire dragon, watching as it flickers in front of Koen’s enormous head, his large teeth continuously snapping, trying to swallow my fire dragon whole.
Do not hurt him, I plea out to the one of fire.
“How do you think Koen lives today!” The fire darkling calls out to me as it struggles to break the ice. “Why do you think he keeps pushing away from you!”
My eyes burn. The wind and rain from the outside now whips inside by the storm.
“What did you all do?” I say through clenched teeth, feeling my eyes burn as I grip the gravel in between my fingers.
“He’s part darkling…” Its crimson eyes darken as they meet mine.
“He consumes half of the dark magic like his mother. But when he gave up his life… when he gave up the only good that was inside of his heart so you could live,” it clears his throat, smoke clouds in its face as it coughs, “his mother gave up half of her heart so he could live. Which means…”
His chin burrows in, wickedly letting its lips pull upward as he watches me realize what he is trying to say.
“So… he…” I choke on my words, watching my dragons continue their attack on both the fire darkling and Koen. “He is now…”
My lips part, trembling as I heavily breathe.
“Go on,” it teases, eyes widening as it waits for me to say it. To realize it.
“Full darkling now.” My heart seizes with what I say.
“There it is.” It sighs before letting out a moan of agony as my water dragon attacks once more.
“You destroyed him. You made him turn into the thing he hated the most. The thing he never wanted to be… you did that to him. And now that you remember, he will remember what you did. Tilly will finally allow it.”
My eyes burn as tears drip off my chin. “But he doesn’t look like you…”
“No.” It exhales a painful breath as my ice dragon begins to freeze its body. “His mother never looked like us. They were half darkling, Koen is still considered half the descendant of the Gods. Yet his heart is consumed with the dark magic that courses through us darklings.”
“I can fix this! I can fix him!” I cry out, tears soaking my cheeks as they fall off my chin.
“How!” it screeches, its sinister sound filling the cave. “You took the only good that was inside him, there is no turning back from that. He is ours now.”
Fire flickers in my palms, and I feel the flames course through my body as I stare at the darkling before me.
With all my might, I let out a raging scream, my hair whipping in the wind as fire blasts towards the darkling.
It consumes him, burning around him as he snickers a wicked laugh.
The flames blast forth continuously as I ragingly yell, never taking a moment to breathe.
I can breathe when it's dead.
“You won’t be around to watch as I save him from this…” I choke on my trembling voice. “You darklings can’t have him. I won’t allow that.”
It lets out a high-pitched wailing laugh, its flames flickering out as it slowly dies. I watch as my fire scorches him, the heat from my flames burning him as his body begins to melt into a puddle of lava that seeps into the cracks of the cave.
I forgot how good power feels. This is the rage I have bottled up, and now it's time to unleash it.
“Only a damn Deskyiara can kill a darkling.” I deliberately walk to the puddle of burning lava, standing over it before squatting down.
I raise my hand and hover over it, the steam beating against my palm, yet the heat is cold.
I remember. I remember what I can do, and that should scare the darklings.
“And I’m Serene Deskyiara. They used to call me the rising Scorching Queen before I disappeared. Don’t forget it.”
I spit at the lava before it finally soaks into the cracks and turn my attention towards Koen, who still snaps at the fire dragon.
But all I know is I need to leave, or he will kill me.
Or I will have to kill him.
And I can’t do that. I won’t.
My other dragons hover behind me, their wings beating rhythmically, creating soft gusts of their elements in the air.
However, Koen, the largest dragon I have yet to see, unleashes a surge of searing flames from his enormous mouth, the roar of the fire echoing through the cavern.
I duck, holding my hands over my head as I try to move around him, doing anything I can to avoid being seen by him.
The first time I wish his eyes would look away from me.
But I feel he senses me, or the flame is controlling him.
His thick claws dig into the gravel, a rippling vibration echoing in the depths of his throat and then, a scarlet-red flame heats within his mouth.
The intense, fiery breath scorches the cave's ceiling above us, leaving dark, charred streaks against the stones, while a cloud of ash drifts down, dancing eerily in the dim light from the storm raging outside.
The Gods are mad. I can feel their anger.
His thick, onyx tail whips toward me, slamming me against the crystals once more. This time, his tail swings back around, his spike slicing my cheek where my birthmarks are. Warm blood gushes down my cheek and without thinking, I press firmly against the wound.
“Koen!” I plea out to him, my heart ripping into shreds as I see him like this. “Please come back to me!”
My tears mix with the blood that drips down my cheek, and sobs escape my lips as I pull my knees upward against my chest. “Please don’t leave me again.”
A violent ripple of air, intertwined with a ferocious growl, erupts from his throat, reverberating through the cavern.
The rocks within the cave shudder and cascade down, crashing onto the ground, with a few striking against me.
The walls of the cave seem to vibrate and rattle with each roar, cracks in the ground beginning to snap in the air.
It's clear that it won't withstand him being here much longer.
“You need to leave him here, child.” I hear the woman, whispering with the wind from the outside. “Your sister wants you dead. The flame is controlling him, this is not Koen. He will never be able to unshift with you being here.”
“I don’t understand.” My bottom lip quivers, watching the man I love unable to hear me. Unable to see it is me.
“Run, child,” she calls out to me. “Run so you both can live.”