CHAPTER 46 #2
Koen’s lips form a tight line, letting a grunt escape through his nose by his bruised and wounded body.
I glance towards Death in the distance, arms crossed as his head shakes. My shoulders relax at the sight of him. He should know I would never leave these men to die.
Even if it meant showing the Royals I wield dragons.
Hyreo and Pyreon both limp up to us, arms around one another as blood drips over their suits. Claw marks are slashed along their chests and arms.
“We would have died. Thank you.” Hyreo heaves, his raven waist-length hair filled with ash.
“And your damn Queen was going to allow it.” My arms cross.
My eyes trace up towards the hills to where the Royals are, noticing none are in sight. They have fled, leaving the chosen here to die.
“Of course they would leave.” My fingers curl into fist.
“We should leave before more come.” Dryden limps, and I catch sight of his bone through the open wound along his thigh. “And us Royals need to soak in the damn Vitaei.”
Theon gags at the sight of his bone and my eyes roll, pulling my lips firmly between my teeth so I don’t let this laugh escape. He quickly covers his mouth, shifting his body away from Dryden.
Kaine rushes to swoop his arm under Dryden’s, helping him towards his ice horse.
“Should Serene even return?” Kaine’s voice trembles. “What she did, even though she saved us, is treason in the eyes of the Royals.”
“I can handle it.” I throw my leg over my horse, letting my fingers twist in the fiery mane.
Death walks up to us, hopping on his ice horse. “I think you are in over your head. We should be leaving for the sea.”
“I can’t leave Florian! He is also the only one that knows where Alice is! I need to find her!” I hiss. “We need to help him! They are going to make him shift over and over again until one day he dies from it!”
The men freeze, eyes lingering on me as I glance at them all. They are weak, have broken bones, blood is splattered across their suits and skin. But I need them. I need them to understand if we leave Florian, he will eventually die. And I cannot allow that.
I won’t allow that.
My eyes burn as I scream at the men. “Can’t you see that! I cannot leave him! I won’t!”
Koen adjusts his body on his horse, kicking the side of its icy body to trot beside me. “I stand by Serene on this one, I cannot leave my brother behind.”
Death deeply sighs, lifting his head upward to the sky. “Damn it. We must make it quick.”
I shift my horse, preparing her to rush out of this land. “We find Florian. We find the book of Azure and the stones.” I stare at them with desperation. “And then we can leave for the sea.”
I RUSH INTO MY ROOM, hoping to see Klayra there with the stones but instead, I find the book of Azure sitting along my freshly made sheets. A note, written in gold ink, sits on top of it. I flinch, my hand flying to my chest as I see Octavian in the corner of the room, arm resting on the bookshelf.
“I didn’t realize my face was that scary,” he scuffs, sliding his arm off of the shelf and walking towards the bed.
I hesitantly walk in, glancing behind the door to make sure no one else is here.
His nose scrunches as he inhales. “Smells like burnt flesh and blood. I suppose the last battle game was pretty violent.”
My eyes trickle down, catching the sight of my blood from a few of the darklings' long claws that scratched at my arms and legs. The ash completely covers my onyx boots. My hair is tangled with blood, sweat, and my raven color strands are replaced with a grey-ish hue.
“You have no idea.” My boots creak underfoot as I walk towards the bed.
Octavian chuckles, slamming his hand on the book as soon as he hears the floor shift.
“Not so fast.” His lip tugs. “I could take you to the Queen. Once the Royals hear about your arrival, they will flood this place with their warriors to find you.”
“What do you want?” I say through clenched teeth, gripping the wooden headboard.
His head shifts towards me, as if he can see exactly where I am. “I want to leave with you.”
I lean forward, my stomach pressing into the frame. “I’m sorry, did I hear you correctly?”
The scars along his face shift as he grins. “Yes. You did.”
“Why would you leave with us?”
“Because that day you touched this book, I saw the hues of light flashing in the darkness. Those words came alive to you, didn’t they?
” His finger brushes over the cover. “I might only see darkness now due to the dragon's claw, but I can see light. And light has never lifted from that book before until you touched it. No man or woman has ever survived putting their hand through the fire. But you did.”
“How did you know we were leaving?” My shoulders rise, staring into his silver eyes.
“Death told me it was time to leave.” He clears his throat. “Klayra brought you the book. The stones are impossible to grab without you.”
“Where is Klayra now?”
“She is safe, with the others. Zake, Ivker, they are all waiting with their horses. We are ready to leave the Kingdom with you.”
My heart drops, shuttering a deep breath with the thought of everyone dropping their lives to follow me to the sea. I hope I can be who they want me to be.
“Don’t let us down.” He straightens his back and starts to walk out the door. “We don’t have much time, so grab your things and let's go.”
I hear his boots beat against the staircase as he leaves the wing.
My hands wrap around the thick book after sliding the note inside of it, feeling the heat radiate from it and the ash-like presence still thick against the cover. As if it was scorched.
Without hesitation, I pick it and shove it under my arm.
My boots beat against the ground, creating clouds of ash as I sprint down the stairs.
The rest of the chosen are setting up their horses, tossing brown satchels across their saddles to prepare for the journey to the sea.
We must leave soon, even with the heat of this day.
The sun is still high, casting strong shadows against the buildings as I race toward where Koen is packing.
The shuffling in his room echoes down the hallway, and my boots thud loudly against the flooring as I reach his door. I swing the door open, catching Koen removing his shirt. His arms are trembling as if he is using all the strength he has left to remove his clothes.
The fresh wounds now cover most of his old scars, a torturing remembrance of pain etched into his skin that will forever haunt me.
It’s as if time will freeze for eternity as I look upon these scars on his skin.
I could have lost him.
And I will always be reminded of it.
Dried black blood crusts along the edges, mingling with the bright crimson red of re-opened wounds with his movements. Deep, violent slashes crisscross his body, and with the sight of them all, my eyes sting with tears that threaten to fall.
But I force them to stay hidden.
He grips the window sill, his knuckles cracking as he lets his head drop forward, allowing his dark curls to obscure his face. His muscles ripple beneath his skin as he clenches the wood tightly.
He slams his fist against the rocks with a force that makes me jump, and the book slips from my arm. It lands on the floor with a loud thud, sending a cloud of dust and ash swirling into the air.
Shit.
He turns his head with a quick, deliberate motion, glancing over his shoulder in my direction. “I’m sorry.” My voice cracks as I clear my throat. “I thought you’d be ready to leave.”
In an instant, he pushes himself away, his eyes fixed on mine with an intensity that makes my pulse quicken. My heart freezes. I suck in a trembling breath as he strides toward me without saying a word. His movement sends me stumbling backward until my back presses against the chilly wall.
“Koen?” I whisper, eyebrows pulling deeply in.
“I won’t wait another second.” His hand slams against the wall above me, gripping my chin with his other as he places his lips on mine.
My heart slams against my chest, allowing me to breathe once more now that I feel his touch. My body melts into the warmth of his.
His hand falls down to my head, gripping my tangled hair tightly to savor this moment between us.
His tongue glides along mine before we both gasp for air, our hearts rapidly pulsing in sync.
My toes lift, raising my chin up as he’s pressed against me.
In a swift motion, he pulls away, dropping his eyes down my body as his fingers dig around my thighs tightly and toss me up.
I curl my trembling legs around his body.
Without waiting—thank the Gods not a second longer—his lips meet my neck, and I feel the heat of his breath tickle my skin before he places me on the piano.
The sounds of the keys blare in the room by our bodies slamming into it.
My chin lifts, allowing my cheek to rest against the warmth of his head as his lips tenderly touch my body.
His eyes find mine, lips tugging into a gentle smile as he brushes his hands against my hair. I feel his hot breath on my face as he struggles to breathe. This thing, this feeling, it’s intoxicating.
My stomach twists, chest heaving as my lips long for his once more.
“We need to be leaving,” I breathe against his lips. “They are waiting for us.”
He kisses me before pulling a way for a heartbeat to exhale. “Let them wait a little more.”
His hands glide up my thighs, bracing them around his body as he grips my neck tightly, pulling me in to kiss me deeper. My hands glide down his chest, feeling the outlines of every muscle of his abs.
“I don’t want to hurt you. You are still wounded,” I whisper, his fingers tangling in my hair before gripping my strands tightly, pulling my head back to kiss down my neck.
His warm breath beats against my skin as he finds my ear, his lips brushing against it. His voice drops to a whisper. “The only pain I feel right now, is the ache of never wanting this moment to end.”
His fingers curl around my chin, pulling me towards him. Our lips embrace, and my fingers slide around the edges of his waist, yanking his body closer to me.
My heart beats against my chest as his hands fall to where my suit clasps together and slowly begin to unbutton the uniform.
I gasp, feeling the warmth of his skin against my neck and the sounds of his breathing in my ear.
Until, I can no longer breathe.
My heart races. My throat is burning.
I pull away, holding my throat as Koen's eyes widen.
It's as if an invisible hand has clenched my neck tightly, cutting off the air and blood flow with one grasp.
“What is wrong!” Koen frantically searches my body, trying everything he can to understand what is happening.
I don’t understand either.
All I know is my eyes are beginning to blur and everything feels as if it's slipping away. Darkness creeps at the edges of my eyes.
“There they are!” screams a woman.
In a swift motion, Koen glances over his shoulders abruptly to attack, but a guard jabs him in the face with his spear, completely knocking him out.
My eyes widen, still gasping for air as I watch his curls bounce by his body slamming into the ground.
A scraping sound of heels against cobblestone screeches in the air, and I see Lykia and Skie walking in. My fingers claw at my neck, eyes burning as I try to suck in any amount of air possible.
But I can’t. Not with her wielding the air around me.
Skie’s eyes are bloodshot red. Her ivory, silk gown is stained with dirt, the mud smearing along the ground behind her as she fiercely walks straight up to me.
The stones in my arms pulse and fade; I’m unable to reach my dragons.
She steps over Koen’s body, hovering over me as blackness starts to creep at the corner of my eyes.
“You killed her!” Her neck flushes a bright red, veins pulsing through her neck and temples as she points her finger towards me. “Take the shifter to the arena!”
How the hell does she know he is a shifter?
My lips part, wanting to scream, but all I can feel is my throat tightening. She lifts her foot, kicking Koen’s unconscious body in his ribs as she lets out a raging scream. Her hands fly wildly in the air.
She’s losing it.
“And take this damn dragon wielder with him!” she shouts, tears rolling down her face as darkness consumes my eyes.
My body falls, and no one is there to catch me.
And my cheek meets the cold, cobblestone floor.