Chapter 15
While everyone is still trying to figure out what is going on, I continue drifting through the room closer to where I know the king is perched on his throne.
It’s not until I hear Ryder’s voice overhead that I stop in my tracks.
“My father has been lying to you.”
Heads whip around, looking for the prince, but he’s nowhere to be found. His voice ricochets off the marble walls as he continues.
“It is your beloved king who attacked the Training Sector. It was his orders that led to the deaths of your sons and daughters.”
By now the king is standing with a ring of Royal Guards surrounding him. I watch as he orders the others nearby to search for his son. It’s pointless, though. They won’t find him until he wants to be found.
The crowd around me has begun to stir, looking to one another with confusion. I can tell just by their reactions who is from Strellesia and who is from the other realms. Most Strellesians have turned a blind eye for so long that this news is not as shocking to them.
“Bombs have been set, sir. Everything is in place.” I recognize the voice echoing through the room as Cylas’. Eyes burn into the back of my head, but I keep the hood up, waiting for someone to make the first move.
"Good. If the attack is successful, everyone will believe it was the rebels who bombed the Sector.” I’m not sure how Ryder pulled this one off, but there’s no denying that it’s the king’s voice, and King Cimmerian’s deadly expression only confirms what everyone else is already wondering.
Suddenly, I’m being pushed around by the crowd of people as they move away from the center of the room.
I fight against the current, slithering in and out until I can see what all of the commotion is about.
I push through the last barrier of bodies just in time to see the last of his black smoke fade away.
The room of people has split open, leaving an open space for their prince.
Everything about Ryder looks intimidating as his shadows crawl along the ground around him.
This is not the man who teases me when we’re alone or shares pieces of his childhood with the girl from the Sector.
This version of him is the one people fear.
The dark prince everyone steers clear of.
The man who can kill with the simple flick of his wrist. The warrior who can take on three Lybrates and live to tell the tale.
The man who rules the Shadow Lands as his own kingdom.
The deadly Cimmerian men stare daggers at one another as the tension between the two suffocates the room.
“It’s over, Father,” Ryder warns in a low voice.
“My foolish boy,” the king growls as he takes a step down the dais. “You’ve picked a fight you cannot win.”
Something about the king’s threat sends my body moving forward into the open space between them. It’s as if the entire room gasps in unison when I remove the crimson hood. I don’t have to see Ryder’s face to know he’s fuming at my disobedience, but he’s not the Cimmerian I’m here for.
“Your king seeks power over your well-being,” I begin without breaking eye contact with the man who has taken everything from me.
“He has manipulated all of you into submission. Those who die of hunger and illness have done so at his hand. He wants you to believe he has given you what is his, but instead he has only taken what is yours.”
“Unlike my father, I believe you should have a choice in how you live.” I notice Ryder step beside me out of the corner of my eye, but I remain focused on his father, who now has his own shadows stirring beneath him.
“We won’t make you join our cause. If you wish to support my father, that is your choice to make.
Just know that there is a better future waiting for you, should you come with me. ”
Low murmurs fill the silence as people try to make sense of everything. Heads snap between the prince and the king, unsure of whom to trust.
The seconds slowly tick by, and I feel heat already rising to my fingertips in preparation for what is to come next. I take one last deep breath in before the army of Royal Guards and luminaries breaks through the double doors behind us, igniting an explosion of chaos.
One of Ryder’s ribbons of shadow wraps around me, pulling me out of the way as the rest of them clash against the king’s. Once I have a fireball in the palm of my hand, the shadow recoils back to the middle of the room.
Two armed guards are already headed for me when Roman and Jace appear out of nowhere, cutting them off.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” a man’s voice lectures as one of my fireballs collides with an earth Elemental Sphere aimed for my head.
I turn to find Artemus pulling his sword out of a guard’s chest a couple of feet away.
“Actually, this is exactly where I’m supposed to be,” I say, releasing one of my daggers. Artemus watches it land in the middle of a guard’s forehead before turning back to me.
“That’s my girl.” He tosses me a wink before moving deeper into the storm of violence.
When I pull my dagger from the guard’s face, guilt clutches at my heart. I’ve never killed anyone before, and although I’ve mentally prepared myself for this moment, I realize now there is no amount of preparation that could make taking a life any easier.
There’s no time for me to dwell on it, though. A fae is already barreling into me, knocking me to the ground. I struggle for breath as he pins me, but before I can even come up with a plan of attack, a wolf shapeshifter’s jaw clenches down on the fae’s wing, dragging it off into the crowd.
I quickly get to my feet but freeze when our eyes meet.
The room around us seems to fade away as we look at one another, waiting for the other one to make the first move.
Damien tosses a dagger at my head, missing me by less than an inch.
Shock and anger flare as I reach for my own dagger, sending it flying.
Someone I don’t recognize steps into its path and takes the fatal blow instead.
By the time I reach for another dagger, Damien has already disappeared into the madness.
I turn around to check my surroundings and I notice a Royal Guard with a dagger sticking out of his heart.
My pulse quickens as I reach down and pull it out.
The dagger now lying in my palm is one I know by memory.
My thumb runs over the round gem that resembles the familiar golden eyes.
Damien wasn’t aiming for me. He was aiming for the guard.
“Reign, look out!”
A spear of ice impales a woman just behind me, and I whirl around to see Khione.
“Thanks for the backup.”
“Keep your head on a swivel,” she advises before drawing her attention to a chimera headed her way.
Bodies drop and blades clash as I make my way to where the king stood when this all started.
One by one, I take on each of my opponents using what I’ve learned over the past two years.
When one guard raises his sword to me, I cut through it with my sword of flames.
I had only conjured it twice before coming here, but this time it almost took no thought to form.
As I approach the dais steps, disappointment sinks in when I don’t see any trace of the king. I quickly search the surrounding area, but both Cimmerian men are nowhere to be found.
They must’ve taken their fight elsewhere.
I slink into the shadows near the back of the room, trying to buy myself time to assess the situation before me.
This isn’t what I came here for. I don’t care about the guards or luminaries that think they’ve chosen the right side.
I came here for the man who sentenced my father to the Shadow Lands, who kept medicine from my dying mother, who killed Meeka and Agatha, who held me captive for two months.
My business is with him, not here in this room.
It takes me all of five seconds to make my decision. I keep to the shadows as I creep along the edge of the room, making my way to the large open doors. Luckily, no one seems to notice when I slip out of the room and into the hall.
Once I make it far enough away, and I’m confident no one has followed me, I turn down a narrow corridor. It only leads to a dead end, but I decide to stay here until I can figure out my next move.
Where could they be?
I’m thinking over all the options when something catches my eye.
I push off of the wall I was just leaning against and move closer to the stained-glass window marking the end of the corridor.
There’s movement outside the palace, but I can’t make anything out through the images in the windowpane.
I need to get a better view. I peek around the corner of the narrow corridor, making sure the coast is clear.
Before I continue on, I remove Cylas’ crimson cloak.
When it falls to the ground, there’s a slight feeling of freedom.
No more pretending to be someone I’m not.
I take one last look around the wall before sprinting to the marble staircase just feet away.
Once I reach the floor just below the Throne Room, I head down another hallway, hoping for a better view.
Again, I’m met with a stained-glass window that I can’t see through.
Frustration begins to boil, but I push it down and refocus.
I decide to try one of the nearby rooms. The one on the right side of the hallway is locked, so I go for the one on the left.
“Thank you,” I whisper to myself when the door opens up.
My heart jumps a little when I see the balcony leading outside. I rush over and push both doors. As they fly open, I’m hit with a gust of wind that takes my breath away.
The moment I step out onto the spacious balcony, my eyes lock on the waves of magic and shadows crashing in the distance. I immediately register that they’ve taken their fight to the field where the Festival of Nightfall was held.
Just as I turn back to the room, I notice a glimmer in the reflection of the balcony doors. I whirl around, unsheathing a dagger from my belt in the same motion. The wind whips my hair against my face, but even with an obstructed view I’m able to make out the beautiful beast heading my way.
My mouth curves at the corner as I watch the golden dragon soar through the sky.
I shoot up a stream of fire, drawing his attention to me.
As he nears the palace, I think he’s going to slam into the side of it, but he shifts at the last second, dropping onto the balcony beside me.
When he stands up, he’s no longer the massive beast, but the man I’ve grown to consider a friend.
“Fancy meeting you here,” Kane quips with a cheeky grin that puts me at ease.
“After seeing that move, I can see why the king was impressed with you.”
“You’re not the only one who can do cool shit.” He playfully nudges me. “So, what did I miss?” His tone is now serious with an edge that brings back that uneasy feeling in my chest.
“Ryder and the king are down there.” I point to the open space between two mountains in the distance, and Kane follows my gaze.
He turns to me, and his grey eyes suddenly look black. “What do you say we give the king a taste of his own medicine?”
“You read my mind.”
“I take it you need a ride?” he says, tilting his head down at me.
“I would never ask—” I start to say, but he cuts me off.
“I know you wouldn’t, which is why I don’t mind.”
“Are you sure?” I ask hesitantly. I would never want to overstep.
He looks back at me as he stands on the stone balcony railing.
“I’ll get as close as I can, but you’re going to have to jump,” he instructs just before stepping off the edge.
I instinctively lunge forward, but quickly take a step back when the golden dragon shoots into the air.
I watch him loop back around, slowing when he approaches the side of the palace.
“This is crazy,” I mumble to myself as I climb up onto the railing. My heart plummets when I look down and see how far of a fall it is. “Focus, Reign. Deep breath.”
Kane tilts his head down, and I know it’s his way of telling me to get ready.
I shake out my hands at my sides and release one final breath before jumping off.
With a hard come down, I land between his left wing and the side of his body.
I instantly scramble to secure myself as he picks up speed.
My heart feels like it’s in my stomach as my grip slowly starts to slip.
Thankfully, Kane quickly levels out, keeping me from sliding off.
Eventually, once I’m able to get to my elbows, I begin to cautiously crawl up his rough scales, digging my fingers into them as if they were protruding edges of a mountainside.
It takes every muscle of mine to make it to his spine, where I use his razor-sharp spikes to pull myself all the way to the middle.
Part of me thinks about trying to sit up like I had with Damien, but even thinking about making the move makes me nauseous. Instead, I maneuver myself into the best position I can manage and hold on for dear life.
When did I become this person who jumps off of a balcony onto a dragon?
Considering it’s only the second time riding a dragon, the flight is fairly smooth.
Kane stays leveled out, and I’m able to secure myself with the help of his spikes.
The landing, on the other hand, is what I’m concerned about.
I can’t see past Kane’s gleaming scales, but I can tell by his slow descent we must be getting close to the field.
I tighten my grip as much as I can and brace myself for impact.
Kane tries to keep his body horizontal, but as he prepares for the landing, my body starts to slip with gravity’s pull.
I close my eyes, focusing on holding onto the spike.
It’s just like the bar hanging from Orientation Day, I tell myself.
I try to envision it’s a metal bar a few feet off the ground that I’m hanging onto instead of the spine of a dragon.
I take myself back to that first day of training, remembering how determined I was to hang on.
With my eyes still closed, I send up a last-minute prayer to The Mother right before my body catches air.
The impact of the ground beneath us sends my body slamming back into Kane’s spine.
It takes everything in me to keep ahold of the spike and not let my hands slip from the forceful vibration.
Once I’m able to get my bearings, I quickly shimmy down his back leg.
At the same time my feet hit the ground, the ribbons of shadow withdraw from each royal Cimmerian, and they both turn to us.
“Now it’s a party,” the king purrs with a sinister grin that puts every cell in my body on edge.
I reach for my power, but a wall of dark magic covers me, and the world around me is swallowed by an endless black abyss.