Chapter 31 #2
Oak steps forward, facing my father with his head high and emitting a bright light that causes lightning to crackle under his feet.
“The only embarrassment in this room is you. You know nothing of friendship, family, or of love. And one day soon, you will die—alone—and quickly will be forgotten. I very much look forward to that day.”
I’ve never heard his voice this deep, this rough, and it’s all for Maines.
Thatcher is immediately on him, kicking his knee and forcing Oak to the ground—his hands strain around Oak’s throat.
Maines gasps behind me, and the sound of feet hitting the stone floor follows.
She runs toward us, desperate to get to Oak.
Thatcher’s face is inches away from his when I hear it—a bone crack, although I can’t tell from where.
I grab Maines’s arm, knowing my father will kill anyone who interferes—even her.
“Let go of me!” she screams, but I hold firm, horror driving my strength. “Get your fucking hands off me!” Her voice cracks, and a desperate sob echoes around us.
My heart shatters.
Oak doesn’t move; he just stares at Thatcher’s face, urging him to end it—to take his life right in front of these people as he squeezes hard on his throat. I notice his left leg goes slack as I realize the crack was from it breaking.
My eyes widen as I see Oak mouth, “Fucking do it, you coward.”
Thatcher throws him backward with force, and we all watch in horror as his head slams against the stone wall.
“How dare you all stand there and do nothing for your friend,” Maines hisses, glaring at Rohhit, Silas, and me. “Cowards! You’ll never save this kingdom if you stand by and allow these monsters to rule. You are no friends of mine.”
Another crack rattles my brain and this time I know I’m the only one who can hear it—my heart breaks in my chest for Maines.
She sprints forward, crashing to the ground beside Oak, tears streaming down her face.
His eyes are glazed but he returns the stare, looking longingly into her eyes.
Blood pools next to him as he pushes up on weak arms. He grabs the back of her head and kisses her—deep and desperate.
“My point is proven. They are trash, and trash can rot together,” my father cuts in. “Get them both out of my sight. If she wants to be with him so badly, so be it. She can die as well.”
Guards emerge from the shadows, covered by the darkness.
“Shift!” I scream, both still in a daze.
Maines snaps her head toward the men rushing toward them.
Her hand never leaves Oak’s as she unleashes a surge of power at the guards.
They leap out of the way, barely escaping the explosion of magic.
She looks at me one last time and narrows her eyes.
The woman before me no longer gazes at me with her usual kind eyes—all I see is disappointment as a single tear falls down my cheek.
Maines and Oak transform into mist, vanishing into the shadows.
The warmth of the floor is the only sign that they were ever there.
“Filth.” Thatcher rolls his eyes.
My fists clench at my sides as I try to swallow down the violence I feel rising.
I can’t. The blackened veins grow like tree roots up my arms as shadows swell around my feet—a fire is blazing beneath me.
My hands float in front of my body in Thatcher’s direction, and my focus is unbreakable. I hear Silas behind me, “Briar, don’t!”
Thatcher’s eyes widen as I send shadowed hands snake toward him, willing them to wrap around his throat. A gag leaves his mouth as I squeeze his windpipe, daring him to move. My father stands, his mouth falling open as my feet leave the ground—the shadows carrying me closer to Thatcher’s face.
I hear a snarl come out of my mouth that I don’t recognize.
“I’m going to kill you, Thatcher. Not now, but soon.
Your lifeless body will be a delight to stand above.
” I lower my chin, eyes barely peeking through the tops of my lids, as I feel them shit to an unholy black.
His breath hitches, and as I realize I’m scaring him, I smile.
“Now, until that day comes, I’d like you to feel the pain you cause.
” My invisible hands leave his throat and move to his thigh.
“I know you wish I was touching your thigh for other reasons, but I have a plan in mind.”
I start to apply pressure, and my teeth grind. A deep guttural scream leaves his mouth as I squeeze harder—his leg bending in an unnatural direction, close to snapping.
My father booms, “Stop!”
A gust of wind breaks my concentration and loosens my grip.
“We will settle this in the duel!” His voice thunders through the room and the burst of power makes him fall against the throne. Calia is immediately upon him, her hands attempting to steady him in his frail state.
I return my gaze to Thatcher, sweat forming on his brow. “Very well.” I push with all my might, invisible hands still attached to him. Thatcher soars backward—slapping the stone wall with his head and slumping to the ground—Elrod already vaulting toward him.
I relish in the darkness flowing through my veins. I don’t swallow it down this time, strutting toward my father. “Who are you?” he questions. Calia’s face slacks, realizing before I ever speak.
“I’m exactly who you wished for, Father.”
A crown sits on the throne beside him, the crown I’ve refused to wear for many years.
I pick it up and place it on my head—its proper spot—as I face the crowd.
Their stares are unwavering as I step down, stalking past each of them, my shadows creating distance between us.
The shadows encasing me feel like an old friend, warm and protective.
I make it out of the doorway, turning to face them all once more.
Tipping my head back, I laugh, a voice that isn’t all mine leaving my throat.
With the wave of my hand, the doors slam shut.
The feeling of a familiar presence perks my senses as I move through the castle.
“Briar, are you insane? He’s going to kill you!” Silas sprints down the narrow hallway near my bedroom.
I turn, my eyes still burning from the change.
I tilt my head to the side, studying him.
He’s afraid of me. What an exciting change of events.
“I think I might be. He won’t kill me, he needs me, remember?
” I smile, “I’m done playing these games with my father.
If he wants a challenge, he’s got it. If he wants a duel, I’ll give him one.
” I flick my finger once more, and my bedroom door swings open, crashing into the stone wall.
Silas steps in behind me, keeping a few paces back, caution evident in his eyes.
"I won't bite unless you'd like me to," I joke as the darkness looms nearby.
The tingles coursing through my body at this moment feel exhilarating.
"I'm not joking right now, Briar. You've just caused a lot of shit. Maines and Oak had to flee! Who knows where they went? You need to snap out of this. You aren't yourself."
"They will be fine—Maines is smart. Did you really think my father would be okay with Oak falling for Maines?"
"You're defending his actions?"
"No, I'm pointing out the fucking obvious." I flick my wrist, and a chair flies behind his knees, making him sit. "That's more like it."
"Briar, it's me. Please stop this. There is darkness in you, yes, but this is something different."
I stalk toward him, straddling him, placing my hands on each side of his shoulders. He sucks in a breath as I lower myself onto his lap, my lips crashing into his. He jerks back, staring into my eyes, and I feel the darkness lift from my vision, the hazel shade returning.
He cups my face. "You can't let this dark anger inside you take over like that. It changes you into something that isn’t controllable. Are you back? Is this you?"
"I never left."
That’s enough to convince him. Our mouths collide as if we are desperate to devour each other.
His hands travel under my shirt, pulling it over my head, the crown remaining perfectly placed as I return the favor.
His muscled chest pressing against my breasts sends a thrill through my body to my already molten core.
Silas pushes me up, so I stand before him, my bare chest nearly at eye level.
He grasps one of my breasts, placing it in his mouth, his tongue working gently over my firm nipple.
I tip my head back, hoping to stay in this moment forever with him.
My hands travel through his hair and down his back, my nails digging into his soft skin.
He releases my breast, and the cold air sends a shock to my system.
His eyes lock with mine as he slowly unbuttons his pants, slipping them down to the floor, his hardened length at full attention.
I step back, smirking as the excitement makes my center throb.
I slowly remove my pants, stepping out of them with a kick to the side.
The only thing left on my body is my crown.
His face grins wickedly. "My Queen. My God." His eyes darken as he grips the arm of the chair.
"Leave it on," he begs.
I move toward the chair, kneeling before him, my hands traveling up his thighs. He tips his head back, closing his eyes as I taste him. His length hits the back of my throat, and I hum—delicious.
"Fuck!" he gasps, squirming under my hold.
My wet lips work in tandem with my hands as I begin to bob my head in his lap. His hands tangle in my hair as he guides me, choosing a speed that satisfies us both until he can’t wait any longer and pulls me away by my hair.
Feeling proud, I rise from his lap, my lips swollen while a hunger shows behind his eyes—a desperation.
I climb up onto the chair, straddling him once more.
He kisses me, his hands brazenly exploring my entire body as his arousal teases at my entrance.
I lower myself down, teasing back but never fully committing.
When I’m unable to stand it any longer, I thrust myself down, his length filling me to the deepest level.
A moan leaves my mouth as I rock back and forth.
He bites my neck, sending pain and pleasure down my spine.
My breasts bounce as the speed at which I ride him increases.
His fingers dig deep into my sides as he changes the pace, slow and deep.
I feel the pleasure building in my core as I grip the back of his hair, pulling his head back and exposing his muscular neck.
“I’m going to do horribly great things to every fucking inch of your body, my Briar,” he moans.
His words are my undoing.
A white-hot pleasure causes my entire body to tremble—my back arching against him—my breasts pressing into his face.
I ride the pleasure, stars dancing in my eyes.
My darkness is seemingly at bay as I continue to move over his hard body.
I could die in this feeling—nothing matters in this moment as I scream his name.
He growls into my breasts, holding onto my hips as I pulse around his length.
My chest heaves as I come back down, barely catching my breath.
He picks me up in one movement, my legs wrapped around his waist, with his arousal still deep inside me. He throws me on the bed—my breasts bouncing from the movement—and he stands before me, taking in the view.
“My turn,” he growls.
The sight must drive him mad as he thrusts hard into my wetness once more, making me gasp and grip the bedsheets.
At first, I was in control. But now he’s fully in command, hammering into me with sheer lust, plunging deeper each time.
I don’t think he can go much longer, but I’m wrong—his thrusts continue, wilder now as I know he’s close.
Silas tips his head back, exposing his beautiful neck to the air, trying to slow his release.
In one fluid motion, he flips me to my stomach, removing his length from my body—the feeling of emptiness making my body tremble with need.
“Get on your hands and knees,” he demands.
I slowly move into the position, obeying his commands.
“Good girl,” Silas whispers. “You may not listen to me in the outside world but here, you will do as I say.” His tongue does a full sweep of my exposed core, sending a shockwave through me. “Do you understand?”
I moan, leaning back against his face, letting him go deeper as he devours me from behind.
Soon, his tongue is replaced by his length, filling me once more.
He wildly thrusts against me. Our bodies crash together at a speed he now chooses.
Silas grips my hips, his strong hands digging into my sides, as he uses them to drive into me with more force.
Release finds us both as I melt into him. My vision blurs from the pleasure rushing through my entire body.
“Gods,” he cries, spilling into me, heat flooding my core.
He lowers his body to mine, leaning into kiss me deep and slow—still twitching inside me. Silas pulls out of my wet heat as he rolls me to face him. He moves a piece of hair from my face, the strand soaked with sweat.
“Don’t scare me like that again. You can’t let the anger control you like that,” Silas whispers.
I don’t respond—instead, I kiss him. It isn’t anger that floods me; it’s my true nature—the Briar I’ve kept locked away since my mother died—someone I never thought I would need to set free.
Until now.