Chapter 33
The words emphasized what I’d been too blind to notice. But now, I couldn’t help but notice their similarities.
They had the same dark hair, though Boaz’s was strewn with silver. The same sharp jaw, both currently clenched in anger.
But most unsettling of all, they had the same eyes—a fusion of honey and chocolate.
The first time I met Dae, he’d felt familiar in a way that had unnerved me.
It wasn’t just because he was the Defender who had let me go many years ago.
It was because I’d stared into eyes exactly like his, as I’d experienced the most excruciating pain of my life.
My conversation with Boaz echoed in my mind. The Rebellion killed my son.
The book in the library belonging to Boaz.
Dae had pretended to be dead this whole time to escape the grasp of his own personal tyrant. We’d both been tortured by the same man, only Dae had endured his torment much longer.
Regret. That was all I could feel as I looked from father to son as they stared at each other.
I regretted all the moments I’d compared Dae to the villains in my mind. To Kenric and Boaz and the rest of the Defenders who’d made my life hell. He was nothing like them.
He’d broken free from his family’s twisted mentality. He’d even sought out the Rebellion himself, determined to defy his father.
Hot pride and affection burst within me as I looked at the man who had ignited my heart.
“Why did you kill the King?” Dae asked. His voice was calm, but I noticed the faintest shake. “I don’t believe you’ve finally realized how sick our laws are?”
Boaz laughed, looking over his shoulder at the dead king, slumped on his throne with the crown sliding mockingly down his face. “No. I figured it was time for his title to be passed to a more suitable ruler. Our King was getting soft. Even talked about changing the laws. I couldn’t have that.”
Slipping my bag from his body and passing it to me, Dae drew his sword without ever taking his eyes off his father.
I snatched the bag and quickly threw it over my shoulder.
Boaz’s eyes flickered to me at my movements.
“I see you successfully infiltrated the Rebellion, as well as my useless son’s brain,” he sneered, tilting his head as a whip of light erupted from his hand.
“What a treat. I get to kill both of you.”
Dae lunged forward, slashing through the air with his sword, then conjuring an orb of light to hurl at his father.
Boaz dodged both attacks, then kicked him in the chest. Dae slid backward, clutching his stomach. Leaving our shoes at the door seemed like a worse idea by the minute.
I focused my energy on the hatred I felt for Dae’s father to conjure a whip of light. With a booming laugh, Boaz clapped his hands together in a slow, mocking applause. “I see you’ve learned a little trick.”
“I more than learned, Boaz. I’ve mastered,” I lied through gritted teeth. I wanted him to feel overpowered and small, the way I had my entire life.
With a look at Dae, who’d quickly recovered, I whipped my light towards Boaz. He dodged it, but he hadn’t realized that Dae had launched his own attack. The whip lashed him across the face. He hollered, clutching his burnt face.
“My son really did die that day,” Boaz panted. “The son I raised would never join the darkcasters to defeat his own people. The people who raised him! Now I have to get rid of what will only become a stain on our family’s legacy.”
Boaz seemed to glow with sunlight, making my eyes sting as I struggled to keep them open. Two whips of light sprung from his palms, and he sent them both flying towards Dae.
He narrowly dodged one, but the second lashed him straight across his abdomen. The scream that escaped him sent goosebumps down my back. He fell to the floor, clutching the bleeding wound across his stomach.
Boaz’s eyes barely flickered to mine, but it was all it took for me to know what he planned to do. I didn’t have time to react. The whip curled around my wrist, pulling me towards him.
“No!” I screamed, writhing to free myself from the stinging pain exploding up my arm. The heat disappeared when Boaz grabbed me, placing his hand around my throat.
“One wrong move, boy,” he breathed, his hot breath in my ear. “And she gets burned to a crisp.”
His hand heated, a painful reminder of the last time I’d been at his mercy. I gasped in pain, closing my eyes to stop the tears from spilling.
“Let her go! It’s me that you really want,” Dae shouted, voice shaking as he got back on his feet.
“No. What I really want is for both of you to suffer, my dear son.” He squeezed harder, giving me a little shake that made the heavy crown pressed to my side rattle. My eyes flew open. The crown! “And what better way to do that than to make you watch your loved one get what she deserves.”
Dae’s eyes fixed on mine, wide with terror. With the slightest tap of my finger, I redirected his attention to the crown. Even without conveying it on his face, I could tell he’d understood. Distract him.
“What makes you think I love her, father?” He asked coldly, schooling his face into a neutral mask. Boaz’s rumbling laugh ran down my spine.
“Don’t try to fool me. I see how you look at her.”
Dae’s whip lashed out, grazing my cheek, though Boaz’s arm got the worst of it. He hissed behind me, taking a step backward. I scrambled to keep my feet on the ground.
“I will kill her,” he said, lifting a glowing hand to make good on his word. I hastily plucked the crown from the bag and tossed it to Dae, who caught it. He placed the crown on his head. I waited with bated breath, unsure what would happen.
His dark eyes turned molten, glowing brighter than ever. It was as if the ghost of King Sol had awoken inside him. He fixed his father with a deadly stare.
Boaz’s grip slipped in shock, and it was all I needed to escape him. I stepped on his boot, the effect diminished by my lack of shoes, but it was enough to push back and imbalance him.
I ran forward, joining Dae. His hand slipped into mine, and together, we channeled every ounce of the sun we could muster. Boaz crawled backward, his back hitting the King’s legs.
Our hands glowed where they were connected. When we looked at each other, I saw my own glowing eyes reflected in his.
“Let’s break this curse,” I said, and he nodded. I didn’t know exactly how, as my father’s notes had been incomplete. Two suns must join together.
Impulsively, I turned and flung my free hand around Dae’s neck.
He reciprocated by snaking his hand around my waist, pulling me close.
I kissed him desperately, our panting breaths mingling as the light around us brightened.
Heat engulfed us, warming my skin, spreading from our connected hands and through my body. Dae began to shake.
The sky exploded in golden sunlight, stealing the sacred darkness from the moon. I winced, loosening my grip on Dae to cover my eyes with my hand.
Through tiny slits, I looked at him. He stood frozen, the Solar crown still perched on his head, his lips slightly parted. But his eyes…
I gasped. His eyes glowed. Even more powerful than when he’d first put on the crown. I’d never seen them this vividly gold.
My heart hammered. I freed myself from his stony grasp and hurried to look through the big window. It confirmed my dreaded suspicion. Every suncaster on the street stood unmoving, their eyes visibly shining even from a great distance.
Daegal’s voice sounded faintly from behind me.
If sun and moon unite as one
I, King Sol, shall rise thru sun
My kingdom seems to lack its wisdom
Therefore, with this celeste storm I shall transform
Bring back your solis lord
Darkness shall not rule this court
The chant grew louder as every suncaster on the street, in the Kingdom, recited the same. Boaz, who’d been close to fainting from terror, straightened up and joined them.
With every repeat, their voices grew louder until Daegal and his father shouted the words into the world behind me.
“Stop!” I yelled, turning around and grabbing Dae’s shoulders to attempt to shake him out of the trance. His skin burned the tips of my fingers, and I flinched back, releasing him.
The golden crown perched on his dark hair vanished in the blink of an eye. Then, the chanting in the streets stopped.
I ran to the window, clutching the sill tightly. The sight had me almost crashing to my knees. Every single glowing suncaster had disappeared.
The tower had gone eerily quiet, too. My heart hammered as I turned back to Dae.
He was gone.
END OF BOOK ONE