by J. G. Maltos
Koura looks at Aries, “Can your shadow abilities help with letting us know how many are on the other side?”
Aries shifts beneath his expectant gaze. "I can but I don't have much energy left," he confesses. I freeze when his eyes meet mine for a fraction of a second. "Just give me two minutes. I'll guide some of the guards away. I trust you can hold off the rest.” Smoke snakes around him like vines, enveloping his body until even his eyes become swallowed by the mist, leaving only his ashy scent behind.
“Well, aren’t we lucky,” I say lightly.
Rowan shoots me his serious stare. "Don't get too fond of him. Or have you forgotten what they're done?"
Now it was my turn to scoff. "What have they done? I wasn't aware you had firsthand knowledge of their kingdom."
He steps closer, eyes narrow. "You taunt me, but their history is written. Why else would the kingdoms rise against them?"
"Greed?" I bite back, stepping closer to him. "Hate? Envy? Same reason the rebellion rose against my kingdom and caused all of this." My hands wave around me, forcing him to take another look at my broken castle. "History is written by the victors. It's a one-sided story, Rowan. Learn to look at the different angles before painting your own picture."
"There's a difference," he defends.
"The only difference I see is that my people were not wiped out, unlike his." I point a stiff finger at his chest. "If we don't learn from our mistakes and history. It will only repeat itself, and Kingdoms will suffer if we don't learn."
Rowan's lips purse into a fine line. I want to say more so he can understand Aries better. I want to tell him how he's lived and suffered all this time, but I hold back. I can connect with Aries because I, too, have lived what he experienced so long ago. It's hard to make someone realize the struggles of someone else without revealing their past. I would let Aries do that, it is not my place.
Rowan glances down at me before giving a hesitant nod. "I'm still keeping my guard up, as should you, Princess. He's up to something. I feel it."
"Guys?" Koura heads toward the door as a commotion stirs up at the other side. "I think our time is up."
Before I could start my way toward Koura, Rowan leans down toward my ear. "Whatever happens, you run," he orders. "You don't look back and you run."
Something cool presses into my palm, forcing me to look down. It's the crystal wrapped in a frosted shell. This must have been Koura doing.
"How did you get this from Koura?" I flinch away from Rowan, afraid of what the crystal would do at such proximity. "I can't take it!"
With a sharp pull of my wrists, he presses the crystal closer into my palm. "He isn't as clever as he thinks," he whispers. "His frost shell should keep it from reacting to your powers in the meantime. You take it and you run. You don't want to get captured by these people, Princess." Swallowing the bile that had crawled its way up my throat, I nod.
Without waiting for a response, he pushes through the doors where four wide-mouthed lightning guards stand. Had this been another situation, their faces would have had me curled over laughing.
Unfortunately, they quickly sober up from their surprise, and strings of electricity fly out toward us. Koura moves toward me, creating between his palms a thick shield of glass that shatters as it blocks the force of the attack. The frost melts at his feet and he wastes no time in rushing toward the lightning guard.
Just as he moves, the other three guards charge at Rowan and me. I feel a warm hand as he pushes me behind him and swings his blade out toward the guards. For a split second, I worry his lack of abilities would be a disadvantage against the lightning strikes, but that worry quickly fades as I watch his clean and fluid movements with the sword. It slices through the air as he avoids their strikes, following his body as if it were an extension of him. He staggers back though when one of the guards manages to strike him square in the chest.
"Run!" His voice forces my feet to move without a second thought.
I pump my arms and legs, and against my better judgment, I look back behind me. Koura has managed to take out the first guard, who lay lifeless on the floor, and is helping a wounded Rowan take out the other three. I continue running.
As much as I hate this plan, my fear fuels my adrenaline. I race down the familiar roads, passing the dim lights and countless headless statues of ancient Earth warriors. With each push, my body runs even more low on energy, but I force myself to continue despite my legs burning to stop.
Just as I turn another road, a sharp pain hits my heel, bolting up my legs and sends me tumbling on the ground. My arms come up to cover my head, but my injured hand scrapes against jagged rocks that I cradle close to my chest.
Dust and debris stick all over my body by the time I stop rolling. I try to catch my breath but I see the crystal lying inches away from me, the frost casing so cracked from the fall that the green hues of the crystal power bleed through.
Beside me, the rapid crunching of gravel forces my attention away from the crystals. Two lightning guards in full armor run toward me through the swirling fog. With a shaky hand, I reached towards the crystal, ignoring the way it stung my hand again, and shoved it back into my pocket.
"Look who we have here," taunts the blond guard.
The green-eyed guard runs his eyes over my body. I shy away from his gaze. I tried to turn over, to cover my face with the loose strands of hair, but it was in vain.
His eyes widen as realization sparks in them. "My god. This is the Earth Princess!"
The blond one immediately leans in closer before a smirk splits his lips. "Get her."
They rush toward me and I ignore the pain as I push myself up from the ground. I manage to duck away seconds before they can put their hands on me. I don't know if it was the adrenaline, or the crystal sensing the danger, but a sudden burst of energy echoes through me.
I anticipate one of the guards' punches, throwing my arm up to block it as it's aimed toward my face. I coil back my arm and force my fist against the side of his ribs. He stumbles back at my counterattack and I take this opening as an opportunity to kick the same spot, leaving him curled on the ground.
I squint through the fog, trying to find the second guard as I lean against my knees for support. I manage to breathe large breaths when a lightning strike stings my shoulder, throwing me off balance and onto the ground. An extra set of glowing hands emerges from the fog. So much for playing fair.
I bite my lip, desperate to avoid the guards’ advances. The crystal heats up against my leg as if reminding me it's still there. I can give it one more try. I decide to use the crystal as a beacon to control my powers instead of directly touching it. I sit still, using the fog to my advantage, and lie low while I figure this out.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are. We won't hurt you, Princess." Their voices sneak through the fog.
I close my eyes, evening out my breaths.
All right, Althea, when you close your eyes you need to focus on the warmth of your powers. Once you have it in your grasp, then you can make it grow. But, not too quickly; people are known to go mad channeling too much power before they could handle it.
I recite my mother's technique, reminding myself not to channel too much. I zone out and feel the force of the crystal. I sigh in relief that it hasn't dimmed on me. Then I catch the spark and expand it as I hear footsteps approaching. I lay my hands against the ground and I welcome the vibrations they bring. A smile spreads across my face.
I can feel the individual particles of metal in the lightning guards' armor. They hum as they wait for my command. I stand up, feeling a wave of power run through my body. I use the vibration of the armor boots to guide me to where the guards stand, waiting for a strike.
The blond one projects an electric bolt toward my heart. I am quick and with a flick of my finger, a stone barrier pulls up from the ground to absorb the shock of the bolt. The force of the bolt sends vibrations from the stone straight into my hands.
I feel everything.
"Is that all you got?" My voice sounds far away, almost foreign.
Kill.
That same voice that echoes out of my mouth now rings loud in my head. I freeze mid-step.
What's happening? Panic builds tighter in my chest. Who was I hearing? Why am I hearing them?
My fighting instincts quickly take control of my body. One runs at me as the other one tries to pull my attention away with their strikes. The more I block their advances, the more energy I gain.
I block the green-eyed guard's punch, but he's quick and slams a fist against my back before I can completely step back. From the corner of my eye, I see a bright blue flashing toward me and raise a hand to block it with a stone wall just in time for it to connect.
I curse their success at distracting me when I feel the blond guard's grip tighten around my throat, blocking my windpipes. With one hand, I try to keep my stone wall up, protecting me from the rain of lightning that the green eyes guard is pelting at me.
My other hand is clawing at the blond guard's deadly grip, shredding through his skin without a reaction from him. Instead, he smirks and lifts off the ground with ease, tightening his grip even more before slamming me hard against the floor. Spots cloud my vision as my head bounces off the ground, my hands fall at my sides and the stone wall crumbles down with me.
"She's down!" one of them yells.
Fight!
The voice echoes in my head once more, but my body is too tired to listen to react with anything but groggy whimpers.
Fight! Dammit!
The voice beats against the walls of my mind with such force that my eyes instantly spring open. I see both guards at my side, gripping my arms.
"We'll never have to work again!" the green-eyed guard boasts. "We caught the princess! The actual goddamn princess!"
"Dante is going to regret trading shifts." The blond hair guard bumps his shoulder against the other.
I try to focus, but my head is still spinning.
Fight! The voice in my head yells as I feel a shock prick at my arms and legs. I tiredly turn my head and notice lightning wire trapping my wrist in place. I thrash against my chains, trying to set myself free but a sharp sting hits against the sore spot of my skull.
"You better hold still if you know what's good for you, Princess. The chains aren't at their full level."
"Screw you." I spit out blood that’s inside my mouth. I yank at my chains once more, trying to find their weakness.
"Don't say I didn't warn you." The blond smirks.
In an instant, my body convulses with currents sent through me. The volts trail through my veins in a pain that was second to what the crystal had been trying to do to me. He continues the process a few times. Each time he increases the shock level, making me flounder around like a suffocating fish. After what feels like an eternity, the shock abruptly stops.
I'm trying to catch my breath. My cheek rests against the floor in defeat. Rowan had said the Lightning guards were ruthless, but this is absolute torture.
Safe, the voice in my head says, barely above a whisper.
"I don't think that was enough for her. Maybe once more?" he teases.
My heart picks up at his comment. The crystal heats up against my thigh, but this time I don't feel pain. I feel— alive. My vision clears, the stinging in my head is gone, and I feel a newfound strength. Above me, I feel the guard's hold tighten.
"What's with your eyes?"
"Don't even try to pull any funny business," the other says, his voice tense with fear. "Or else."
"Another threat?" That foreign voice slips past my lips, splitting them into an unfamiliar smirk.
What's happening?
My hand twitches as it feels the metal in its armor once again. The hum grows so strong, it almost consumes me.
"What the hell—volt her!" the blond yells to his frightened companion.
"I really would advise against it," I hear myself say, but his palms already illuminate with collected energy. "Don't say I didn't warn you." Without another word, my hand curls into a fist, and the metal moves with me, curling into itself.
The lightning guards look down at the dents in their suit and quickly claw at their uniform, desperate to remove their protection. The breastplates caves into their chests and their arms tense at their sides as the vambrace folds into itself.
Why can't I stop?
"Stop!" the guards beg, "Stop it!"
I don't want to do this! I beg at the voice in my head that has now overtaken my body, but it's too late. I feel their bones crack before I hear it.
They fall to their knees, their eyes looking around frantically.
The electric chains fall off my wrist and ankles and I stand. My body moves awkwardly, but I look down with a smug smile at their breaking bodies.
They are going to die! Stop it now, I plead once more, feeling their slowing heartbeats at the palms of my hands.
They must pay, the voice says and with one more push, my palms lift, fingers outstretched in front of me. They curl into a fist once more, and their heartbeats stop.
The lightning guards fall to the floor. Their lifeless bodies stare wide-eyed at me, their fear permanently plastered on their face.
I hear footsteps from the end of the road. I turn as I notice Rowan and Koura rushing down with Aries' scent trailing behind them. They slow as they see the bodies on the ground faces growing pale with disgust. Koura is the first to speak.
"Al," he starts hesitantly. "Your eyes. They're white."
The voice refuses to respond.
"Princess Althea?" Rowan takes a short step toward me. "Did you do that to those guards?" His eyes land on the guards' bodies once more. Again, the voice refuses to respond. The crystal grows hotter within the pocket.
Suddenly, everything comes rushing back. The pain from my head slamming against the ground echoes through my skull, the cuts sting once again with the hot air and the wrists burn from where the lightning wires.
Spots cloud my vision once more. "What's happening?" My voice scratches out into the air this time.
"Althea!" Aries' voice rings from around me. A large bolt of lightning lands in front of me causing me to fall backward. Dirt and rocks fly everywhere making it hard to see. I try to stand but a ringing in my head makes it hard to concentrate on my balance. Everything is chaotic. My name is being yelled from around me.
Just before I can stand upright, a rain of lightning falls around me. I hunch over feeling the impact of the blows on the ground. I can’t hear anything around me so I try to remain still. I try to look through the lightning but only catch a slight glips of Koura.
I feel a pair of arms grip my biceps with such force that I lose my footing and fall backward. I start being dragged away from the rain of lightning that separates me away from the guys. I am thrown to the floor and land on my hands and knees. I cry out as rocks cut through my bandages. I try to even out my breathing as I look up. I meet a pair of familiar cold eyes.
“Hello, Princess.” Elite Zara seeth through her teeth. Before I can respond, she places her hands around my head. A white spark blinds my eyes. I feel as if my heart and soul are being ripped out from inside me. A gurgling cry escapes my parted lips. My body shakes from the electric current that is being forced through my body, and then I see nothing.
Chapter 20
The sound of harsh knocking jolts me awake. When I open my eyes, I realize I'm in an unfamiliar, more sophisticated room.
My body moves on its own accord and I realize that it no longer aches as it did the night before. I look down at my hand and find the bandages gone, along with the burn that would have undoubtedly left a scar on my palm.
My body moves throughout the room, touching everything and pulling at unfamiliar drawers as if it was something it normally does. My legs carry me past a mirror and toward a closet, where a beautiful dress stands decorated on a mannequin made of a burgundy red see-through material that covers its shoulders and unfurls in the ground around it.
Golden thread wraps itself in a circle around the middle of the stomach on top of the see-through fabric. The same golden pattern decorates the dress, up the middle of the chest, across the shoulders, and down the arms on either side. I shock myself again as I move to change into the beautiful piece.
When I move toward the mirror, a gasp escapes my lips. How can I look like myself yet so different? My already tanned skin is an even more gorgeous deep brown. My brown hair is gone and in its place are wavy, black locks that reach down my lower back all in an even length.
Painted gold lines decorate my face, trailing from my lip down past the center of my chest. The same gold lines extend from my arms, past my wrist, and follow the creases of my palms towards my fingers.
I turn around, admiring my attire, and notice another set of lines trailing down my spine into intricate patterns and symbols. They seem so foreign to me, but something in the back of my mind tells me that they are more than just pretty pictures.
Again, my body moves toward one of the dresses to pull open the drawers and reveal various sets of headpieces. Without thinking, I reach for a set of chains that wrap around the crown of my head. A golden relic hangs from the chain, settling itself comfortably at the center of my forehead.
I move back toward the mirror and notice for the first time a set of white eyes staring back at me.
Another knock comes rasping through the door. "Divine Arret. You are running late yet again," a tired voice from beyond the doors calls out.
I look at myself once over. "Only by a minute. No need to be so feisty." The voice from the castle escapes my mouth. I feel surprised, but my reflection shows nothing of what I am feeling. Instead, it smirks back at me. With one simple movement, my arm raises to wave at the mirror.
"We will meet again soon, Divine. "The woman looks directly into the mirror and catches my eyes, but I'm too frightened to say anything back.
I wake up in cold sweats. What the hell was that? My hand flies to my neck. The moment I feel the glass of my mother's necklaces still around my neck, my breathing slows but only for a moment. I look around the room and realize with a panic that metal bars are surrounding me. Although it’s been a while since I’ve been in a cell, the chill of the stone beneath me brings an all too familiar panic. My hand grips the necklace tighter. A young brunette lies still in a cell across from me. I curse and slam my hands against the concrete bed that I sit on. I yell from the pain that sparks on my palm.
