by L. N. MALONE
“You will not be alone your majesty. You will have help for that I am certain.” With that she bows and heads to the door before stopping. She looks back and says, “I have seen much your majesty. I have seen good, and I have seen bad. You are good and have a good soul, please remember that. You will be needed in the future.” With the last words still lingering in the air of the room she left. Well, that was not cryptic at all. I say sarcastically to myself.
After Iris left, Lily and I went over the plans for tomorrow. I will go in last to meet Jayson. We know there will be an ambush waiting for me, so we are all hoping that by going in last I we can sidestep their trap. Most plans never go the way they are supposed to. We all know it is a long shot that this will all go as planned. Nevertheless, we must keep hope alive and be ready for any possible obstacles that come our way.
After a few hours of discussion and updates coming in and out from Bassel and Mirella I decide it was time to rest. “Lily lets go ahead and stop for now. It is now time to rest. We have planned as much as possible everything now will be left to fate. Thank you for all your help. I will ready myself for bed tonight.” She dipped her head in acknowledgment and then makes her way to her own room.
* * *
Today is the day I see my beloved again. That is the very first thought I have when my eyes open at dusk. I phone for Bassel, Luke, and Mirella before even getting fully out of bed. I have every intention of dressing myself, so I jump up and race to the wardrobe. Looking at the clothes that lay there I was sadly mistaken. Today is not a day for dresses so it looks I am going to need Lily after all. After phoning Lily and arguing with her to get me warrior clothing I hear a knock on the door. Guess they better get used to seeing in me in my pajamas, I chuckle to myself.
All three of the people at my door looked at me like I had six heads, confusion of my choice of clothing in full effect on their faces. “What have you never seen a girl in her pajamas?” I ask with a roll of my eyes, and of course it was Mirella that had a snarky reply. “Not pajamas with cats wearing tiaras, and definitely not a future queen.” I could not help but laugh and laugh hard. I could always depend on her to keep me smiling with her stellar attitude, I sarcastically giggle to myself.
“Well, be that as it may, unfortunately all I have in my wardrobe is dresses and today is not a day for lace. I am waiting for suitable clothing. Now, can we discuss how everything is working out so far? Any updates from the humans on watch?” Lily chose that moment to come in and hand me my clothing. She did not look pleased at all to deliver them and quietly whispered in my ear. “I want it on record, I do not approve of this wardrobe change.” I bow my head and chuckle “duly noted Lily.”
“Okay, what is the update?” I ask getting everyone refocused.
Bassel and Luke take turns explaining what happened in the meeting after I left. Turns out not much was different from what was originally planned so I did not miss much. Mirella said the humans have not seen any movement at the castle and have registered the number of guards and their shift changes. After Mirella finished explaining the intel learned from the humans, Luke decided he wanted to add a little bit of humor to the situation. “Everything is ready and as it should be. Everyone will be meeting to leave within the hour your majesty. Will you be sporting your kitten pajamas?” Luke says with a chuckle.
I could not help but laugh with him as I reply, “Well Luke, although they are extremely comfortable, I suppose not. You all should head out so I can now get dressed. I have my chosen to help rescue today. Thank you all for all of your hard work.” I tell them as a way of goodbye. After everyone left, I raced to change, and I was speechless when I looked in the mirror. Brown leather, head to toe with gold trim as well as gold armor that fit so tight it looked as if it was painted on. Iris had left me various potions that she left for me in case I needed to blind someone or create smoke etc. I placed them carefully in the small pouches connected to the belt that attached to my hip. In just a few hours I will see Armand again. Please let this plan go as planned and help me to make the decisions. I say to myself and send up a silent prayer before heading to meet the others.
Twenty
Chapter Twenty
Akasha POV
Fire and explosions were happing all around us. We are in position. I heard come over the radio. Even with the smoke and fire I could not help but admire the beauty of the castle. The research said it was originally built in the early nineteenth century, the castle had large terraces and a massive clock tower that overlooked a beautiful cascading pond. The whole property was truly spectacular, it is a shame that is being torn apart by explosives.
Found the opening to the dungeon. No sign of Jayson or Lissett yet. I heard the person on the other end of the radio call out. Bassel, Iris and Mirella stayed with behind with me and we are currently hiding behind a rock wall of some sort. We are the last ones who are to go in when we get all clear. My nerves are fried, the waiting is the hardest thing so far. “It’s time your majesty. Stay close.” Bassel says as he leads me out of our hiding space.
We make our way through a labyrinth built by large bushes and shrubs trying to stay as low as possible. My legs keep getting scraped by the thorns and branches coming up from the ground. The small cuts on my forearms are nothing compared to the pain Armand must have endured these past few weeks. I tell myself which gives me even more motivation to rush. “We need to hurry.” I say in a whisper. The need to see him pushes me to move faster as well as harder. Before I know it, we come to a door made a solid wood that was worn with chips of wood coming off in various places. The handle was rusted and made of iron which made it hard to pull up to push the door open. “Let me, my queen.” Bassel says as he opens the door slowly.
“We walk in and the first thing I notice is how strange the moisture in the air was. Although the room was cool the moisture still made me feel warm and sticky, the kind of feeling that instantly makes you feel like you need a shower. It is dark down here only light that was provided was by candles that are lined along the wall being held up by simple iron sconces. I hear a crack then a grunt and that was all it took for me to take off running. I can hear all three of my companions calling after me, however all I could think of was getting to Armand.
I race down the hall then down some spiral stairs so fast that I do not even bother take notice of my surroundings. When I reach the bottom, it takes me a moment to not only catch my breath but to register what I am seeing. “Armand.” I let his name come as a whisper off my lips the moment I see him. I take in the scene and realize he is surrounded by darkness except for a spotlight directly on him as if he is on display in a theater. He is chained to a smooth rock wall with blood all over him. I can see injuries that have not yet fully healed, probably due to lack of nutrients. At that was when I heard my brother’s laughter. I look around and then whip my head to where I hear some footsteps coming from.
“Akasha I so glad you came for a visit. However, darling sis you did not need all of the warfare.” He says when he comes into the light, standing in front of me with the smug look of a man who thinks he has won.
“Jayson, brother, why are you doing all of this? Julianna, Father, and now Armand, what is it that you expect to accomplish with all this?”
“Akasha, dear, can you really call me your brother? We have no shared blood; you are just a woman and I am just a man.” He tells me while giving me a wicked smile that sends chills down my spine.
“That may be true, but we were raised together. We watched each other grow up. Please stop all of this Jay, it is not too late. We can get through all of this together.”
“Ash, how sweet you are, and even using my childhood name. Yes, we did watch each other grow, oh Ash, you did grow to be quite beautiful.” He gives me an evil smile and slightly chuckles when he sees the way his words make me uncomfortable. “I also had to sit by and watch as you grew to be everyone’s favorite, while I was always the troublesome son. Well, lucky for me all that is about to change.�
��
Just then the light that was shining on Armand brightens and another man was uncovered from the darkness. He has many of the same features that I do, I know without a doubt who it is. He is not what I expect at all, especially with the way everyone talks about him. I assumed he would look evil. However, that is not the look the man standing in front of me has. His eyes are my eyes, his hair is my hair, and his soul has goodness beyond measure. “Ash meet your real brother. Dargon.”
“Goodness, Jayson, what have you done?” I ask him while looking over Dargon fully. He is just as bruised and battered as Armand. I can feel the anger in my soul taking over. So much hate and anger someone must have to do all this damage to another person. The feeling of anguish, despair, and frustration is starting to take route deep down within me. I can feel the pull of the darkness, slowly trying to take hold harder and harder.
“I simply arranged a long overdue family reunion between you and your true brother.” I hear a shuffle come from behind me when I turned, I saw Mirella, Iris and Bassel have finally caught up with me. Bassel takes one look as to what was going on and hisses when he saw Dargon chained to the wall as well. I felt the fury before I saw it. Bassel had a small ball of fire forming in his hand is about to throw it at Jayson.
“Bassel. No, do not hurt him.” Bassel clenches his fists extinguishing the fire being built up starts to slowly dwindle away. He looks at me with sadness and confusion in his eyes. Just as I am about to give him an explanation, I hear a laughter that make my blood boil all over again and anger instantly rises within me.
“Lissett, how lovely of you to also join us. Akasha here was just about to learn why I am doing all this.” Jayson says welcoming her to our little meeting.
“Oh, how wonderful! I am so glad I did not miss the big reveal Jayson.” Lissett says in polite manner however, I notice a bit of an undertone of anger and disrespect in her voice. I can work with that. I thought to myself.
“Can we get this all going. Honestly, this is beginning to bore me.” Mirella decides at that moment to pipe in with her winning personality.
“Of course, Akasha you keep asking why. Well, that is simple. I want power. Dargon gave me some however as you know the souls are creating the darkness. So, I have learned what I need, and that is you.”
I look at him like he has honestly lost his mind. “I have no idea what you are talking about. I cannot give you more power, all I can do is remove it.”
“You are wrong.” He walks closer to me and runs his hand through my hair as if he were trying to caress it and I quickly move my head away and swat at his hand. “After we wed, I will have Lissett turn me into a Vampire. Then once we consummate our marriage your powers will transfer to me upon your death. All that is needed is a quick spell and I will be the ruler of the Soul Realm, the vampires as well as the humans.”
I hear Iris gasp, and I cannot help but feel the same surprise as her. “I will never marry you.” I say in a firm yet quiet voice as I try to keep my emotions in check. However, the anger in the room is beginning to be too consuming. It is difficult for me to keep my powers in line, and I feel like one wrong move I will explode. Armand and Dargon must have felt my feelings and thoughts because that moment they both stopped squirming in their chains and ripped their heads up to look at me with concern.
“Jayson, if I were you, I would not say another word. Everyone stays calm.” I hear a voice like mine say out loud. I could not distinguish who was who because a red haze was beginning to cloud my vision. “Akasha, stay with me. I know you do not know me, but I am your brother, and I am here. Please calm yourself. Everyone is alright.” I am trying to lock onto the soothing sound of his voice, but I cannot. I hear Iris’s voice and Armand’s all saying something soothing, however the sound is all mixed up and I cannot make out the words. Then the sound of an evil laugh starts slicing the noises in my ear. Jayson’s laughter covered all of the soothing voices in the background. Anger, frustration, desire as well as so many other sinister feelings that were being felt seeped into me. My soul is overwhelmed red haze that turns black and before I could scream out in warning all I saw was black.
* * *
My eyes are so heavy as I try my hardest to open them. The moment the dizzy faze starts to fade and I am assaulted with the smell of smoke, sweat, and blood. I can feel the heat radiating off my body and I know that I have lost control. As I try to stand and get my emotions back in check, I look around to take in what is currently going on in the room. The room is now in chaos, the smoke from the fire my body let out in rage is still covering the room. Fighting is going on all around me. I see Bassel and Luke to the far left of the room fighting some of Jayson’s men. Mirella has Lissett on her knees, it looks as though after a struggle Lisset surrendered. To my left my heart constricts when I see Armand standing there in fighting position. It seems Armand and Dargon both must have broken free of their chains and they are now both fighting against Jayson. They are both holding their own even though I know it must be hard for both of them after being chained. Suddenly I realize there is a hand laying on my shoulder, I look over to see Iris. She is passing energy to me from her spirit, and I feel a sudden burst of energy. “Akasha, you must hurry and choose Jayson’s fate. Time is of the essence. I have seen what can happen if you do not decide quickly. Please, my Queen, Hurry.” She whispers to me with a fierceness that surprised me so much all I could do was nod in understanding and jump into action.
I make my way towards Jayson, when I hear a gasp that plunges directly to my soul that makes me stop in my tracks and look up. I see Armand grab his chest with blood covering his shirt and Jayson standing behind him with a small blade covered in my beloved’s blood. The raw pain I felt coming from Armand, and the feeling of my soul being ripped open was too much to bear. My screams take over every other sound in the room as realization of what is happening hits me hard. I rush to Armand’s side; thoughts are swimming in my head of what to do. Feelings are again overwhelming, and I am trying hard to stay focused and keep my emotions in check.
Before I could bend down to Armand, I see Jayson attack Dargon with the same bloody blade. “ENOUGH” I scream so loud and with a power in my voice that I do not recognize. Everyone in the room freezes and the entire room gets quiet. Ice forms along the walls of the dungeon and I from the pit of my soul I raise my and force red fire out. Fire shoots out of my hand and circles Jayson, trapping him so he cannot go anywhere. I walk up to him and through the fire that I am moves away as I pass it. I lay my hand on Jayson’s chest and he flinches but does move away. “Jayson, my brother, we may not be blood, but we are much more. I was there when you got bullied in school. I consoled you when you got your first heartbreak. I remember watching you hold Raine for the very first time. I saw how much you love her in your eyes when you vowed to always protect her. Jayson, I was also there holding your hand and sleeping next to you when you came down with that horrible sickness at the age of fourteen. Do you remember? You almost died that night.” I watch his face as my words sink and realization of what I am saying fully sinks in.
I keep my hand laying upon his chest and in one quick movement I wrap my other arm around him in a hug. He tries to wrestle away so I tighten and us my power to keep him still. “Brother, I know you are in there, I love you. Feel my love and release those who do not belong.” I say in a whisper and let the flow of my love filter from my hand to his chest. I release my power more and let it radiate throughout my body while holding him time. I close my eyes and let the feeling of love, kindness, compassion surround us both creating a bubble of peace. I push as much of that into him until I feel myself getting weaker and my grip on Jayson slipping just a bit. Just as I feel my knees are about to give out, I feel hands lay upon my back and shoulders. With a brief glance I see the ones I have grown to love and respect all behind me, with their eyes closed and hands upon me. I feel them give me bits and pieces of their spirit and I instantly feel their love, warmth and respect cover me like a blanket. The
ir gifts allow me that last bit of energy I need. In my mind I meld the bits of souls I feel inside of Jayson and with one last thrust I push with all I must release the trapped souls. I see them exit as if they just walked right out of him. “Go and rest in peace, each of you. You will be rewarded for the struggles you have been dealt.” I whisper to them and in return I hear a chorus of “thank you” flow in the air as they move onto the soul realm.
As the last one left, I felt Jayson shudder within my arms. I can still feel an evil locked within him; however, I felt his soul mingled with the others and that is not the soul I am feeling now. “I have no idea who you are, but I will find a way to rid my brother of you.” I say as I release Jayson from my hold. Jayson’s body collapses to the ground and Luke and Bassel charge straight for him and restrain him. “Do not hurt him. He is not himself; this is not Jayson’s doing. Luke call your next in line please and have them take Jayson and transport him to the car where my Father and his men are waiting. Tell them not to leave and I will come to see them shortly. Mirella, please follow them out and Lissett is to ride with me, however, do not leave her alone.” I command and my orders were followed quickly.
I race over to Armand and kneel over my beloved’s body. “BASSEL, CALL A MEDIC.” I scream terrified at the sight of all the lost blood.
“Akasha.” I heard Dargon say kneeling beside me. With everything going on I completely forgot he was here. “You do not need a medic. Your blood will fix him if you are his chosen. However, please know that by giving him your blood it will fulfill the second part of the claiming.” His voice and words did not hold any judgement; they were quite simple and to the point. However, his eyes are filled with emotion that I do hope one day to understand. “Thank you.” I reply without taking the time to think things through. I grab the blade that is attached to my hip belt. I slice my wrist and place my bleeding arm to Armand’s mouth. I silently beg for him to drink and when there is no movement, I proceed to scream my order to drink out loud. A feel a pinch before I even realize Armand has moved and is now taking my blood. As he drinks from me images of what he went through hit me one by one. I see the beatings and the sexual advances from Lissett. I start to feel everything he felt, the pain, the loneliness, the surprise, and the love he has for me. There is now no doubt he is my chosen and I am his.
