Angry, betrayed tears began to prick at his eyes and a deafening sound of realisation hit him hard. He tugged at his hair and shook his head when he saw her look into his eyes pleadingly. It was all beginning to add up, how she wasn't a goddess blessed being who could control the Apollon fae fire blade. The violin she carried... the one the Princess of Duvessa had been known for owning. How she had it by her side when he found her beaten and bruised in Litara. How Morana defeated the necromancer, no... not Morana. Saiya.Saiya had defeated the necromancer... Saiya, the Princess of Duvessa who was the last true blood fae.
The prince felt as though he was going insane. Adrion's voice was cruel when he stumbled back to then steady himself. "You must think that I am some kind of fool," Saiya cried, her face contorted in shame as she looked at him. The prince continued, lifting his arm and drawing power to him. His red eyes, so much like how his fathers had been when she was just a little girl and the king had been mere moments from sentencing her to death.
"You shouldn't draw that much power; you’ll kill yourself," Saiya exclaimed and reached out to him. The prince recoiled in disgust, his very being retaliating from the betrayal and anger coating his veins in heat.
"Drop the act. There's no hiding what you are now, Kinslayer," he growled, his red eyes blazing as he drew upon magic. Flames flickered to life, slowly forming in his palms.
Saiya got down to her knees, discarding the fire blades strapped onto her, showing to the prince that she would refuse to fight him. To hurt him. Surprise flashed through Adrion’s eyes, and it disappeared to be replaced with fury.
"Have I not proven myself?" Her voice sounded raw, breaking as she continued. "Time and time again. Proving that I am no villain. I saved you, no matter the cost to my own life." Her voice cracked as her fist slammed into the floor, a mix of agony and defeat. "Haven't I given enough?" And one could swear that even the Gods heard it. Saiya repeated herself again. "Haven't I given enough?" she cried into the air. Hoping Fala, wherever she was inRiaanheard, hoping that the fates who had seen her in pain and struggle witnessed her guilt for the massive crime she had committed many years ago when she was a child.
Adrion only looked at her with disdain. "You are sick."
Her arms slacked by her sides, overcome by anguish. "You murdered an entire kingdom just because of your pride!" the prince exclaimed, the fire in his palms intensifying. He laughed bitterly, a single tear sliding down his eye. "And to think I loved you." He didn't need to see it to know he was breaking her heart, but he chose to crush it further. "I wanted to declare you as my Queen consort. But how could I possibly be with a monster?" Saiya's shoulders shook and trembled. The prince then looked to the fire blades on the floor, feeling as though he was slowly being ripping apart from within with the power he was drawing. He did not think it would work, but he heard the call for destruction, he commanded the blades to him. They flung toward him, answering a new master. Saiya gasped and scrambled forward, her eyes widening in shock as she pleaded. "Those are mine! Please, Adrion! It's the only thing I have left of her..." Saiya sobbed and held herself around her abdomen.
And the thing is... Adrion almost did it. His powers dwindled, arms nearly reaching forward to envelop her in a desperateembrace. But the damage was already done, and he would do anything to save his kingdom from the evil before him.
"You are not worthy of them." Was all the prince said before he aimed a blade at her.
"I am not going to fight you," she said softly, her voice cutting through the thunder that rumbled above, its echo filling the castle. Her shadows enveloped her, offering comfort and catching the tears that continued to fall. Adrion let his hurt consume him, because he knew one thing for certain. He was not going to let his feelings hesitate from killing her. The temperature suddenly dropped at an alarming rate.
"No, you’re not going to fight him. Because I will," a dark voice rose from behind Saiya. The demon's powers coated the entire region, it felt like a layer of frost settling in. Diavelo looked different, the prince noted. He wore his world ender armour, something the demon never did. And Adrion studied his kind since young, he knew everything about them, straight from the source of his father. Known all about the power Diavelo wielded and that he stood no chance against the demon.
"You will be held for treason by protecting her. She is a common enemy demon, do not be fooled by her looks." Adrion snapped, but Diavelo simply crouched down to lift Saiya's chin up.
"We're leaving, little shadow," he murmured softly to her, his approach non-threatening.
"No, you will not!" Adrion shouted and threw a fire blade which had burned like an inferno Morana had never been able to create. Diavelo held his arm out and snuffed out the raging fire like it was nothing.
"This entire castle will collapse if you fight me, Adrion. I suggest that you be smart about your next steps," Diavelo warned the prince, and yet the demon knew that there was nothing that would stop the royal in front of him. Adrionbreathed heavily, aware that using too much of his power could kill him, yet he drew more, wielding fire. Just before he could throw it, the demon smiled, the inked stars on his arms glowing. The prince stared in devastation, knowing he couldn't win this fight—the green-eyed demon before him could control gravity itself.
Within a heartbeat, Adrion was lifted into the air and slammed back down. The stone floor beneath his back, which was in excruciating pain, cracked deeply. Diavelo rolled his shoulders without a single care. Light so beautiful and luminescent sparked up from his back, where heavy colossal wings made of starlight sprouted. And from the floor, Adrion watched as Diavelo picked up Saiya, carrying her in his arms. He could have sworn the sight of them together was as if a bigger piece of a puzzle was connecting. The Princess of Shadows and Darkness in the arms of an abraax demon that could end the very world. They shot through the ceiling, with speed as fast as light.
The kinslayer and the demon.
Gone.
Chapter 55
The Hunt has Begun
"Put me down," I snapped for the fifth time, gripping the demon's too big bicep tightly. Panting, absolutely refusing to look down because I knew that I would empty out my stomach if I did.
"Are you always this hostile to the people who save you?" Diavelo asked, feigning hurt. His arms only tightened around me. The heavy rain turned into a light drizzle and a chill began to slowly settle into my bones.
"I did not need your saving," I denied stubbornly.Hehadsaved me, but clinging to the belief that the prince wouldn’t have hurt me was the only thing keeping me sane.
"You know... where I'm from, we usually say thank you for being saved from a big ball of fire," he thoughtfully replied, ignoring my statement. The chill in my bones gave way to the heat of irritation burning in my core.
"I didn’t know hell occupied people with manners." I deadpanned, still struggling in his grip.Gods... what were his arms made of? I needed to get back to Apollo, and the fact he was heading South meant we were leaving the kingdom. The salty scent of the sea tickled my nose, and my anxiety twisted in response. I did the only thing that I could have thought of in the moment. I was swift, going straight for his throat. Sinking my teeth in, tasting blood that was all too similar to sweet divine nectar. Diavelo snarled in shock, the sound shaking the air, as if the world itself might shatter. The wind whooshed past me as I fell from incredibly extreme heights. My arms acted on instinct, trying to grapple onto anything in the vicinity, even reaching above me. The force of falling pushed air out of my lungs and silver droplets followed me. It was mere seconds and I felt the scrape of branches. I was so close to the ground, so close to meeting death.
I was going to die...
Those would have been my final thoughts if not for the tattooed, starry arm that caught mine. Lifting me up to him once again, this time I held onto him tighter. Shock paralysing my system whole. I glanced at his gnawed neck and realized the silver droplets I'd seen before were his blood. "You shouldn't have done that." He growled viciously, Diavelo’s face was devoid of emotion and yet I could feel the anger that seeped from him in fields of energy. It left me feeling powerless, realizing how reckless I'd been. My emotions were a storm, and my broken heart sank deeper. I focused on his wings instead, which I could have sworn were bonded by stars. Diavelo took a sudden dive, forcing me to turn my face against the rushing air. My screamvanished into the wind. Then, everything stilled, the breeze a subtle kiss.
We were finally on stable ground, and I gazed upon towering, magnificent boulders ahead. We were in the borders of Petrem. This had been Ezra's homeland once. I turned to face Diavelo, taking a shaky step back, scanning the forest. Eyes darting on every opening, wondering if I could try to outrun a demon. I doubted it... yet I would sure as hell die trying.
Diavelo stared at me, as if realising my thoughts. He touched the bite mark on his neck that still seeped silver blood. I licked my lips, tasting him in my mouth. Diavelo's eyes darkened at the action. "You should have listened to me at the ball. I warned you," he lowly spoke. I burst out laughing, unable to stop as tears rolled down my cheek. My laugh was in pure disbelief and pain.
