Chapter 23 #4
His tongue felt thick. Breathing shouldn’t be this difficult. His eyes widened in shock. Poison. He lurched for the door, but Myrina intercepted him. Before he could speak, a hot knife slid into his gut. Theron pushed her away.
In an instant, the image of his aunt wavered, then dissolved, revealing none other than Lady Ino. He reached for his magic to no avail. Outside his rooms, the sounds of battle rang out. Ice formed around the door, sealing him inside.
Lady Ino had decided to launch a coup.
He barrelled forward, determined to choke the life out of her once and for all, but his movements were clumsy. Whatever she’d poisoned with had weakened him. All he earned for his anger was another stab in his gut as Ino darted out of his way.
“I’ll have to send my thanks to your pet oracle. Without her, you would never have made such a public mockery of yourself.”
His head pounded. His knees felt weak. Was he really going to be felled by bloody poison? She could have used her water magic to flood his lungs, but it seemed she wished to drag this out.
“You hear it, don’t you? The sound of all those you thought served you, killing anyone foolish enough to cling to a sinking ship?”
Let her gloat all she liked. She didn’t know where he hid his knives.
Even as weak as a newborn, he could still kill her.
Theron pretended to use the wall to support himself, backing away from her until he reached a potted plant.
He reached inside with a triumphant smirk—only to find his weapon missing. Lady Ino laughed.
“Did you really think I would fail to bribe your attendants? You should be ashamed, Your Majesty. I bought them so cheaply. But I shouldn’t be surprised, you’ve always been weak. So weak even the woman who washes your sheets can smell it.”
Damn it all, had her spies stolen every weapon?
Desperate, he reached for another plant and threw it at her.
She easily dodged it, laughing. Chairs and trophies were next, but she dodged them all as blood loss and the poison weakened him further.
Soon enough he was cornered. He tried to stop what he knew would come next, but he was sweating, gasping, shaking as he grabbed hold of her arm.
Satisfaction lit her gaze as she pushed the blade into his gut once more, slowly.
He groaned, fighting to stand upright, to ignore the agony.
“No one will complain when I take your crown, Theron. You know that, don’t you?
” she asked, pulling the dagger out only to plunge it in once more and twist it.
“Triad’s tits, I’ve waited an age for this.
But I am done letting someone else determine when I can realize my ambitions.
If your brother had lived, I would already be queen.
If you had been wiser in your younger years, I might have let you live.
This crown.” She plucked it from his head and placed it on her own, her bloody hands coating the gold with crimson. “Was always meant to be mine.”
With the last of his fading strength, he shoved her away. But his knees buckled, and the sounds of fighting had only intensified outside his door. His strength was gone, and soon his very breath. With the ice encasing the door, no one would get to him in time.
“I…what I know is what I’ve read in the histories left behind in my time.
A few years before I was born, we unearthed a biography of Theron, written after the first cycle of calamity.
It was fragmented, but what I know is that it was written that he was the first monarch to die during the first calamity.
The means or exact date of his death are not known. ”
She hadn’t known how he would die. Aurora had been convinced it was Drakon’s doing. Now it appeared the true serpent responsible for his death was none other than Lady Ino. He could only pray Aurora survived where he fell. With the avatar at her side, she stood a better chance than most.
Forgive me, my little fairy. I thought we had more time.
“Theron! THERON!” Aurora screamed.
The wall rattled as though hit with awesome force. It splintered, chipping as the very walls of the palace shook. Cracks formed, but none big enough for anyone to crawl through.
“Don’t you worry,” Lady Ino said, sashaying up to him and pulling him close with one arm. “I’ll get a good price for your mad little oracle.”
“Theron!” Aurora shouted. There, through a crack in the wall, he could see part of her face, her green eyes full of fear.
He tried to speak, to tell her to run, but only blood poured out of his mouth as Lady Ino plunged the dagger into him again and again, spraying blood across the floor with wild abandon. She smiled, satisfied and gleeful.
“You should have made me your queen while I was playing nicely,” Lady Ino gloated, shoving Theron away, her hands coated in his blood.
He fell to the ground, choking on his own blood as the wall to his room was blasted apart.
Through the crumbling rock and dust the avatar shot out, blade poised to strike.
In a heartbeat, Lady Ino stretched out her hand, ready to use her water magic to fell the avatar without spilling blood, but Aurora was faster.
“Now!” she shouted.
Ino froze, unable to move as Hyllus raised the holy sword and struck her head from her shoulders in a single blow.
Aurora released her hold, and the bitch’s body collapsed in a heap, blood gushing out.
As her severed head hit the ground, his crown was knocked off, sliding across the blood-slicked floor.
Theron might have liked to gloat, but he would never get the chance.
Aurora was at his side as his heart seized in his chest. Ah, goddesses, at least her face would be the last thing he saw. Nireus rushed in, healers at his side, but Theron knew in his bones they wouldn’t be able to do a damned thing. It was too late.
Death greeted him once more.