Chapter 3
Kade
My vision blurred to black, consuming me in unending night as I walked silently down the steps outside the palace.
The lack of sight didn’t deter me. My feet confidently carried me down the well-memorized path toward the courtyard. I’d stood there so many times before. As predator and as prey.
A pinch in my chest flared to life, aching as it had so many times before. An invisible force tugged me, halting my steps. The hesitation lasted barely a second before the suffocating darkness curled around my dead heart, snuffing out the calling before I could give the feeling a second thought.
My master summoned me forward, tightening his hold on the swirling darkness within me, urging me on.
The shadows in my vision parted, revealing Thames standing in the middle of the courtyard.
Darkness hovered around him like an aura of absolute power.
The slight breeze shifted wide, as if even nature feared venturing too close to him.
Not a single strand of his mahogany hair lay out of place, erasing the greasy black-looking locks I’d seen on him when he first returned to this world.
His restored, eerily perfect porcelain skin made him appear more like a marble statue than Fae.
His thin lips twitched, drawing up slightly, holding a triumphant gleam in his eyes, as I descended the stairs.
My chest tightened as a small swirl of my own magic desperately fought back against him in the internal battle wearing me down day by day.
Our new majestic king curled a finger toward himself, summoning me to his side.
I obeyed without hesitation and kneeled before him.
Thames’s Guardians had been gathering the citizens of Mysthaven to pledge their fealty to him.
My public display of loyalty exhausted me as the days went on for reasons I did not understand.
I forced my head to remain bowed low, waiting for his approval. Just as I had waited for my father’s approval time and time again.
“Rise, my monster.” Thames’s voice lost the grittiness he first had when he emerged from the void. Now it echoed loudly around the mountains with a charismatic lilt.
Obeying without a second thought, I rose, taking my place at his side. Waiting for his next command like the obedient servant I’d become.
Yet my magic still tried to fight his orders. My shadows clawed at my mind against my wishes, aching for me to hold onto something I couldn’t remember.
Peering beyond the line of guardians on bent knees before us, citizens stood in clusters, waiting for today’s show. Concern lined their brows, etched into their tired faces.
Though they were crowded around the gates as usual, the typically rambunctious attendees remained silent. Unlike the wild circus my father allowed, Thames ruled with an iron fist, serving swift punishment for any and all who dared to cross him.
Or perhaps he’d spread so much of his darkness, there weren’t any uninfected citizens left in Mount Legion to protest his rule.
How long had it been since Thames released me from the burden of the crown? Only two days? It seemed like a lifetime. The amount of instant chaos he created had thrust Mysthaven into darkness, as if he’d merely flipped a switch and his new, more powerful world arose.
“My Guardians. My fighters. My people. I stand before you a humble servant. A ruler, fair and just,” Thames bellowed to the crowd. His obsidian crown glistened in the afternoon sun.
Shadows leaked from my fingertips, responding to his presence, dancing a dangerous line with the darkness thrumming within, as if speaking to me.
Listen. Fight.
My body jerked, twitching. Momentarily.
Return to the light.
Closing my eyes, I didn’t fight back like I had before the exhaustion set in. Were they speaking? A vice tightened around them, but they shouted, louder now.
Return to her.
Shaking my head, I aimed to rid myself of these futile treasonous thoughts. My attention returned to the task at hand.
“I will restore our land,” Thames shouted. “Restore all of Atheria to its former glory. Our world will no longer be bound by this curse to remain separate. We will be one kingdom again. We can take back the fertile land that always should’ve been ours.”
A few Fae in the crowd cheered wildly, pushing their way to the front, while others whispered in confusion.
Rumors spread fast, thanks to the army of dark ones he and my father created.
They took to the streets, to cities and towns, whispering about the powerful new king who’d been trapped by the evil rulers of Brookmere.
That they’d used dark magic to divide our lands and keep the riches and power all to themselves.
Leaving us with nothing but death and despair.
Thames positioned himself as Mysthaven’s savior while promising to infuse our people with more power.
“Pledge your allegiance to me, and together, we will conquer all. I will take back what is rightfully ours. You will have power greater than you could ever imagine. Power that will allow us to rule over all of Atheria once more.” Thames’s smile spread across his face, a twitch in his lip.
Despite being trapped for a thousand years, stuck in the mist of the void, his body returned to this world unharmed.
His magic hummed, almost palpable in the humid afternoon air.
His time in the void hadn’t weakened him.
Instead, it was as though the more the darkness spread, even in the last couple of days, the stronger he became. As if it fed his very soul.
I shifted uncomfortably. My shadows stretched, clenching inside of me as they demanded I follow this inexplicable pull past the palace walls.
Go. Run.
My shadows had never spoken to me before, and it was unlikely they were doing so now. Perhaps, it was a test from my king, one I wouldn’t fail.
Our mate needs us.
The dark power coursing through my veins ebbed and I gasped. Pain pulsed past the darkness as memories of rose-gold hair flooded me. But it hurt. A tether inside of me, freeing itself from the darkness, pulled taught.
Yes. Listen.
Thames’s head snapped in my direction as his eyes met mine, narrowing.
Just like that, the pain ceased. The darkness took control once more, soothing the tension inside my chest. The voice I thought I’d heard silenced instantly.
Thames smiled as if he knew he’d saved me, before returning his gaze to the crowd.
I was a good and loyal servant. I would stand by Thames’s side and play the villain I was created to be. This was what was best for our people.
“Now, Guardians of Mysthaven. Stand before your rightful king and reveal your loyalty to me.”
The first Guardian approached, pulling up the sleeve of his tunic to reveal his inky mark. An eye encased in a wavy line. The brand of those who accepted the darkness willingly into their bodies. Giving up their very soul for power and the promise of more.
“Tyson Rivbane, Your Grace.” Bowing his head low, he continued to hold his arm before Thames.
“With blood may you reign.” Thames nodded and I signaled for Tyson to begin a line to my right.
I lost count of those standing beside me, succumbing to the black clouding my vision. Names and faces blurred together, growing hazy as time passed.
“Your Grace, I can explain,” a panicked voice trembled.
The commotion from the crowd and the Guardian’s words snapped me back to the courtyard.
Shaking on his knees, a Guardian exposed his arm to Thames. A pathetic hand-drawn design lay visible on his skin.
Thames took three steps toward the man before spitting at his feet. “Your words mean nothing. You dare kneel before me with a mockery of my brand? Not an ounce of loyalty to your king. No wonder Mysthaven has fallen to pieces since I’ve been gone.”
An anxious energy hummed, setting my skin ablaze. A sinister feeling, drowning out the pain, raced excitedly through me.
Our time had come to unleash what we were made for.
Death.
Fight it.
The voice was back. But weak. Why would I fight my king?
“Your insubordination will not be tolerated,” Thames hissed at the man before turning to me, beckoning me to him. “End him.”
I bowed my head. “As you wish it.”
“No, Prince Kade, no,” the Guardian pleaded. “I accept! I pledge myself to you, Thames.”
Thames jerked wildly back around to face the man. “You dare speak my name. I do not give second chances. Your cowardice has no place in my army. You will pay the price for your failure, and you will die.”
I commanded my shadows forward, even as they fought me. My magic had battled me before, but never like this. This was like dragging a leaden ball through the sand. They refused to budge.
I snarled. You will listen to me, shadows. You are mine to command.
A dam burst inside of me along with a lingering shadowy voice.
We will regret this.
Reluctantly, my shadows crept along the stone path, covering the man’s mouth, his screams lost to my power.
Whipping my hand around, the shadows twisted, snapping his neck. His body fell to the ground, the thud of his head on the stone echoing into the silence surrounding the crowd.
It took all my energy to reel the shadows back to my side, their anger palpable in my being. They vehemently hated what just happened, but I didn’t have time to decipher what it meant.
I was a harbinger of death, waiting for my next order to kill. Created to ensure the king’s wishes were executed.
As the line of pledging Guardians thinned, the army of loyalists grew. The dark buzz of energy growing among the courtyard radiated outward, as those who had accepted the call of darkness twitched excitedly before its citizens.
Not many resisted our king’s call. Those who refused to turn died. Which meant when two more Guardians showed their brandless skin, they met their demise by my shadows as well. Each death at my hands caused Thames’s smile to grow. My swift justice pleased him.
I raised my head, noticing the last Guardian now kneeling. Without hesitation, he revealed his arm. It bore no mark.