I suppose I don’t blame them.
I can hear his boots scrape against the floor as Kaine’s shadows hold him up. The sounds of him choking on his own spit sends a shiver down my spine. Kaine’s hand twists, wielding the shadows more violently around him. His eyes, a once amber-emerald, now replaced with a deep indigo, filled with darkness.
With hesitation I turn on my heels, watching the shadows tighten more violently around his neck as his eyes bulge. He scrapes at the shadows, but it’s no use.
His head falls, and Kaine lets his body go.
With a loud thud, his body slams against the ground and the darkness slowly seeps away against the walls, letting the golden light sparkle in again.
I swallow, feeling the lump inside me only grow.
“He was stupid to think I would allow him to attack you.” Kaine dusts off his suit, I suppose some of the ash kicked up in the air when he wielded the dark. “Foolish man.”
My brows shift upward, turning back towards him. “I thought you said you would never wield the darkness unless it was for the Queen?”
“I thought you were our Queen?” His head cocks to the side. “Did you really think Theon and I wouldn’t find out?”
My chest tightens.Theon knows.
“His mother can never find out who I am.” My voice drops to a deep, hushed growl.
“His mother can never find out… what?” A voice startles Kaine, but the snowy hair that glistens in the warmth of the sun makes my heart plummet, all the way down to my damn feet.
My throat tightens, staring at Queen Antivianna who walks casually in with her petite hands crossed together. Her smokey dress, filled with intricate patterns of crystals, sparkles as she moves in towards me. She clears her throat as her eyes widen, catching sight of the man dead beside me and the room filled with ash.
“I suppose I missed all the action.” Her chin rises, more symbols by the language of the flames are now marked along her chest. “I sent you here to protect you, not to have you kill off the rest of the contestants.”
“They asked for it,” I hiss, my jaw locking tightly as I reach for the dagger against my hip.
She notices my movement, as well as Kaine, who reaches for his as well.
“You do know you don’t need a dagger to kill me, right?” Her eyes squint mischievously. “I’m not here to take your head for what you have done. I want you to finish in the games.”
Her rosy lips pull into a sly grin. “You have the people of the Realms curious about you.”
“Because of what happened in the first battle game?” I take a seat on my bed, dusting the ash off. “Have they never seen a woman do such a thing?”
“They’ve never seenanyonedo such a thing.”
“Why are you here?” I mutter, my fingers digging into the mattress as Kaine leans against my door frame. His hand tightly grips his dagger just in case.
He called me…Queen.
Yet I feel nothing more than akiller, as Klayra said.
“Because I have overheard the rumors about you being the last Deskyiara.” She walks across the room, her dress flicking the ash in the air. “I’d like to see if that is true.”
“And if it is?” Kaine snarls, crossing his arms across his chest.
“Then I suppose my time as Queen shall be over.” Her finger glides along my bookshelf, rubbing the filth and dirt that has been there for no telling how long. “The oracles feared you might be her. I wonder if they have been right all along, and I have been nothing but blind to it.”
Kaine scuffs, tossing his head back. “And you think she would believe you would give her the crown that easily?”
My heart beats against my chest, sucking in deep breaths as my eyes close for a brief moment.
“I would never stand a chance against her.” I can hear her heels tap against the floor, making her way over to the door. “However, if the Realms do not believe she is the true Queen, they will not follow her. This has always been in the written ways of Azure. I shall reign, until the true Queen rises. If they do notfollow her, I fear the darkness will come, and there is no return from that.”
My eyes widen, glaring at her in the door frame next to Kaine. “Why would you allow this?”
