Chapter 42
Braxton
Rays of light burst out of her. It slams me and everybody back and makes me cover my eyes with my hand as screams keep erupting from her mouth.
It is only then when the screaming stops, I can take my hand away from my eyes to look at her.
Little sobs come from her, the light rays from her making it visible where she is.
My feet run towards the sound, towards the girl who is being balled up on the ground.
My hands reach forward because of the dark, trying to steady myself.
The sun is away and the light rays coming from her are dimming. It is darker than at midnight, but she still shines. The king hovers over her. I fall to the ground next to her, brushing her hair out of her face.
As she feels my touch, the sob starts to become louder.
“Ssst,” I try to comfort her, my hand on her back as she starts to vomit.
My hands grab her hair, and before the puke evolves out of her mouth, I get the last strands of her hair out of her face.
“Ssst, you are okay.” No words leave her mouth, only loud sobs between the vomiting.
My hands brush her back softly as tears well up in my eyes.
The king killed Fintan.
My father killed Fintan.
My trainer, my father figure.
Eliane’s father.
But somehow, the king got what he wanted. This was his goal.
I look at the man grinning. The man who is supposed to be the one who cares for me. But if I wasn’t his blood I would have probably been long gone.
Despite the dark, the shadows around him are becoming visible. They fly like little whispers in the air.
Eliane’s eyes are closing, like she is almost falling asleep, her sobbing quieter with each breath. I turn her around, on my legs, brushing her burning skin. Someway, the sun is still gone, but her light is almost dim.
I watch the king as I cover Eliane with my body.
Somehow, Zephron is now being held back by two guards. I must have missed that part, because I have no idea how he got there. Like the shadows are praying and bowing for the king, they lift him up from the ground.
He raises his arms in the air.
People scream, gasp, freeze and some even run away from the scene that is about to happen.
I have no idea what the king is about to do.
I know he is untrustworthy, but he seems like he got a whole plan figured out.
Not for long, though. He is too far out of my reach at this moment, and as adrenaline rushes through my body, I don’t find the balls to leave Eliane lying down on the cold hard ground.
My brother kicks one of the guards away and then strikes another at their chin, making a smile escape me.
A tone I haven’t heard much often before leaves the king his mouth. It is dark, prepared, and malicious.
“I knew this day would come.” He grins, his voice low and growling. Shadows circle around his hands.
They are different.
And it scares me.
Eliane lies passed out on my knees, but her head moves as she picks up the sounds as well.
Soft whispers.
Soft humming.
The shadows are zooming and whispering.
Normally, the king wields shadows and gathers them together in a bundle to do whatever he pleases with it.
They come out of everywhere. They fly from the air. Out of the ground. From between people.
Out of Fintan’s limp body.
And that is when the real panic starts. People burst out in panic, running away. Some watch, others take cover.
These aren’t normal shadows. They are the curse people use.
Eliane had told me about this, about those books she keeps reading.
And I even think somewhere she knew that is why the king admired and feared her. I hate myself for not doing that more. Deepening into our history. But I am glad she did.
She knows what we’re fighting against.
An evil smile appears on his face as the shadows or manes gather around him. They whisper like dead.
They drain like dead. They are after our magic.
But I don’t move.
The manes have been released.
Zephron’s wide eyes search for mine, and when our gazes meet, shivers run all over me.
“I am not scared of you, Eliane,” the king breathes out and he starts laughing. Eliane must have heard her name because her eyes open abruptly, and she pushes herself up.
“I needed you.”
As if I didn’t want to strangle him already, those words give me the urge to jump up and wrap my hands around his throat immediately.
“If you would have read and searched a bit deeper, you would have known that there were these beautiful creatures before,” he speaks up, a grin from ear to ear, his eyes wide.
Eliane doesn’t move.
“You probably knew that, because you’re a smart little girl,” he purrs out. “But what you didn’t know is that they could be reraised when the sun was taken down.” The smile on his face grows wider and wider.
“And that you just did.”
Eliane freezes at those words, her jaw locking in place. I reach for her hand, but she shoves it away before her skin can touch mine.
I watch her mind spin at a thousand miles per hour. Despite her exhaustion she cocks her chin up at him.
“They were destroyed once too,” she argues back at him, implying that can be done too. Her voice is strong and clear.
The king ignores her statement and speaks towards the shadows.
It isn’t a question, but a demand they can’t argue with.
Within a split second the manes shoot into different directions. They fly past me and Eliane, but aim towards the people running away.
A scream fills my ears as I watch one shadow suck on an elderly woman who is throwing out one last fireball. She falls onto the ground, drained.
Instead of looking for another victim it rushes back.
The king reaches his arm forward, shoving his blouse upwards, revealing his arm.
The shadow jumps on it.
The mane jumps on it.
The king throws his head back, and I realize what he is doing.
What this is all about.
Power.
Getting stronger.
Getting stronger than her.
Just like our brother’s telepathic snap in place, I jump up the same time Zephron breaks free.
Eliane is on the ground.
“Run.” It is the only thing I say before I break our eye contact and bolt forward, feeling no mercy.
The king doesn’t look at us as we go for him.
“You’re a monster,” I scream at him, taking my sword.
A mane flies towards Zephron.
“Behind you!” I scream.
He dunks, coming up again behind the king. I give him a nod and push the king forward. Leaving him stumbling over the, falling and standing on the ground. He releases his sword, agreeing to my fight.
“I hate you,” I bite at him.
He slices towards my neck. I dunk, slicing his ribs. He reaches forwards, holding his stomach. I watch the magic rush through him. The new magic.
Fire appears out of his hands.
A fire ball comes my way.
I duck.
“I hate you too. You’re a disappointment.”
And even when I already knew it, those words rolling off his lips hurt and sting like a stab in the back. Lost in thoughts, his fire pushes me back. I am on time to duck for another attack, but the ball of fire burns into the grass.
It spreads fast and before I know it, a wall of fire keeps me locked in, leaving no way out.
“Please go.” I sent through our weak bond, hoping she will hear it.
I slice forwards, but he clutches the sword out of my hand.
As I see no way out anymore, a moan comes out his mouth.
His eyes lower towards his heart and I follow.
A sword points out of his poisonous heart.
My heart thunders in my ears, and the sizzling of the water wielders dimming the fire doesn’t add up to the sound of his dying moans.
He falls down and I don’t bother catching him.
Him falling forwards reveals the killer.
Wide eyes look at the body of the king, who now is bleeding out on the grass.
Zephron’s hands tremble as he holds the sword.
His hands don’t stop shaking.
I hurry towards him.
“You’re alright,” I whimper at him, taking the sword out of his hand.
A cry comes out his mouth as the burns on my flesh start to pound. His eyes are focused on the king’s body, his jaw open as he takes the dying body in. I know he is holding back the urge to run to him.
I know my brother loved our father, the king, somewhere.
I don’t.
Because all I wanted was him to be proud. And even that he couldn’t do. I was just another pawn in his game.
With the sword in my hand, I let my feet drag me to him.
A soft whimper of air leaves his mouth as I kneel down to him, looking into his eyes for one last time.
“You took the title of father out of my mouth when I was a kid, forcing me to call you king.” I let out a huff, almost feeling the urge to smirk, but I fight it in respect for Zephron.
“You are in no way worthy of the title fathers get.”
I drop the sword on the ground in front of him as a last puff of air leaves his lungs.
I don’t bother to close his eyes.
But somewhere it stings.
A prince who wanted to please his father, a king that was never pleased.
Disgust fills my veins.
My feet hurry back to Zephron, but just as I try to, an arm wraps around my shoulders, pulling me back.
My eyes scan what is happening to him.
Guards.
No screams leave my mouth, exhaustion crashes in, as the guard and wrap handcuffs around my hands.
My eyes look for one person.
Eliane, my Honey.
My heart does a stutter as I watch a slim girl, with short, golden hair run away.
I don’t put up a fight as the guards drag me away and tell me what they are taking me for.
“You and the heir will be put in the dungeons, according to the rulebook of Drimyé, for the murder of King Chadd Malik Dunkeld.”