Shattered Heir (Broken Gods Book 1)

by N. M. Howell

  “You stupid bitch,” he shouted, clenching his hands into fists as the blood continued to drip. She ignored him, eyeing the edge of the sword.

  “Okay, so the magic is only a one-way thing,” Roan said, confused.

  Taelor opened his mouth to speak, but he was too weak. He simply stood there, observing. His eyes sparkled with curiosity.

  Rhea used both hands to hold the sword up, as it was growing heavy. The energy pulsed even stronger now and she had a strong urge to use it to run into her uncle and stab him in the stomach. But she couldn’t.

  Something stopping her. It wasn’t the magic of the sword, it was her own will. She was a god, but she was not evil. She didn’t want to kill someone else for her own benefit. She was not one to inflict evil around her. She needed to take her uncle out, but there must be another way.

  A loud explosion sounded from above them and the walls shook. Dust and small rocks fell from the ceiling overhead. They all looked up in unison, bracing themselves against the shaking of the building. Even this far down in the dungeons, the walls shook. There must’ve been some epic fighting above.

  Rhea’s heart ached for Crystalline, who was still out there causing a distraction. By the sound of it, they’d been met with serious force, the entirety of Aelon’s army likely having joined them as they entered the castle.

  “Sounds like your little warriors are having a hard time up there,” Aelon sneered.

  Rhea held the large sword out in front of her pointed toward her uncle, although her hands shook. “You call off your men, and we will leave in peace.”

  Her mission today had been to collect her guardians and leave. She wanted nothing more than to take him out, to wipe that smirk from his face and get rid of him once and for all. But with Grayson missing and no back up, she knew she would have no hope standing against him. They could return with a large army, the entire force of the rebellion behind them to finally wipe her uncle at once and for all. Right now, the important thing was getting her guardians out alive, as hard as it was for her to restrain herself.

  She though of Grayson, and her stomach clenched in knots, a wave of nausea passing through her.

  “Where’s Grayson?” she asked, stepping forward and holding the sword right up against her uncle’s nose.

  His eyes flared, narrowing at the sharp point that threatened to pierce through skin.

  “Who?” he asked, his voice a menacing.

  “You know who I’m talking about. Grayson, my other guardian,” she snapped at him. “Tall, dark and brooding. Gargoyle. You know the one.”

  Rolled his eyes, her uncle smiled. “Oh, that one. He is quite a bore, to be sure.” His expression changed as a grin spread across his face.

  Rhea pressed the sword into his nose, small beads of blood forming on the tip.

  Aelon jumped back, gasping. “Don’t you dare touch me, you stupid little girl,” he cried, his expression suddenly afraid.

  Rhea pressed forward again, matching him step for step. “Bring Grayson to us, and we will leave you be. This I promise you, Uncle,” Rhea said to him, her voice angry.

  She shook as she held the sword up to him, and it took every ounce of restraint not to shove the sharp weapon through her uncle’s face. Her mind and body were fighting each other, her desperate need to save Grayson fighting her instinct to lunge forward and kill the man who had done this to them.

  “Your little guardian has been made an example of,” her uncle finally said, taking three more steps back. The two of them danced in a circle, matching each other step for step as Rhea’s gaze didn’t leave her uncle’s slimy face once.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Let’s just say I made good use of him,” he said.

  Rhea was about to lunge forward when another loud explosion sounded, followed by shrieks and screaming. She glanced up, worried the ceiling would collapse above them as more stones and rubble fell around the edges of the walls.

  She wanted to run to her allies, to go and help as best she could in the battle that raged above them. Glancing back to her guardians who stood there weak, barely able to stand, she didn’t know what they could do. They had been broken, and she was still unsure what damage she would be capable of with the sword. She suspected they would be no match for the army that likely stood above them.

  “Call your soldiers off and nobody gets hurt,” she finally said.

  She was desperate now, her voice trembling. She didn’t know what was happening upstairs, but she knew it wasn’t good. She had a feeling that if they waited any longer, there wouldn’t be anyone left alive to save.

  Her uncle laughed suddenly just then, his smile widening as she froze in place.

  “You really are stupid,” he said with a yawn. He feigned disinterest, picking at his nails once more. “I think I’m done here. You bore me,” he said as he stared down at his fingernail.

  With a puff smoke, her uncle disappeared, leaving them alone in the dungeon with nothing more than a shiny sword and crumbling walls as they listened to the deafening sounds of death above.

  26

  Another explosion sounded from above them, the wall shaking even more this time. A large boulder fell right next to Rhea, who jumped sideways, barely missing the heavy stone.

  “What’s going on up there?” Keaven asked.

  Rhea turned to him, her mind frantic. “I went to find Crystalline, my cousin. They’re up at the castle entrance making a distraction so I could come down and get you guys,” Rhea said.

  Taelor’s eyes narrowed at her as he stepped forward, his expression worried. “Rhea, you went to your cousin? That was a very dangerous thing to do.”

  Rhea’s eyes shot up and she looked at him incredulously. “Are you kidding me right now, Taelor? You guys had all gotten yourselves captured, what the hell was I supposed to do? Go out for tea?”

  Taelor diverted his eyes away from her, wincing as his shoulders slumped. He was obviously in a great deal of pain.

  “You guys, I did what I had to do. And now I have to go up and make sure Grayson’s okay before we leave. We need to help them as best we can. Are you guys able to fight at all?”

  They stood there a long moment but they all nodded, looking up at her with determined eyes.

  “Not in the best shape at the moment,” Arry said, a soft laugh in his words. He shrugged and tried to put on a brave smile. “But we’ll do what we can. That’s what we’re here for.”

  Rhea nodded and looked up as another loud bang sounded, followed by even more screams. “Good. We go up, we get Grayson, and we leave. Okay?”

  “Deal,” Taelor said. “Is Crystalline’s army capable of holding off Aelon and his men?”

  Another explosion shook the walls, more stones crumbling down around them. Rhea moved to the middle of the room, away from the walls that threatened to give out around them. “By the sounds of it, I’m not sure how many of them will be left. We need to hurry.”

  Taelor nodded. “Okay, lead the way.”

  Rhea offered him a smile, grateful that he was finally listening to her. She knew what they had to do. She knew that they couldn’t leave without Grayson and they would do what they could to help Crystalline and her forces. It may be dangerous, and they may be walking into another deathtrap, but she couldn’t live with herself if they had run away leaving the others to die. Leaving Grayson to die.

  “Follow me,” she said, turning on her heels and bolting down the far end of the dungeons, the sword grasped firmly in her hand. Her four guardians kept up, matching her pace, though she could practically hear them wincing with every step. She closed her eyes as they neared the end of the long room, sending out a wave of healing energy as best she could.

  She was weak after the long ride. She wasn’t used to any of this, and her body was failing her. But she harnessed her mother’s healing power, the fae blood that ran through her veins, and as they stopped at the opening leading out of the dungeon, she placed her hands on each of them in turn,
sending a wave of cooling healing energy through them.

  “Is that better?” she asked.

  Her body trembled, growing weaker after the expulsion of healing magic, but by the looks on their faces and the way they now carried themselves, standing a little bit taller, she knew that it was worth risking her own strength and magic to support them. They would be the ones helping her once they got up to the top, she suspected, and they needed all the strength they could get. They were in this predicament because of her, after all.

  As they neared the main hall of the castle, the fighting grew louder. Explosions and shouts and the ringing sound of endless spells filled her ears as they turned the corner and came upon a scene of such destruction it made Rhea gasp.

  Bodies lay about the main receiving hall, blood and torn flesh strewn across the room. Half the walls were black and the wall hangings burnt to a crisp, the throne the only thing remaining in the room untouched. Rhea glanced to the far side of the room to find her uncle battling two of Crystalline’s men. Crystalline herself stood against three guards. The rest of the guards were pretty much dead, either lying still on the floor or desperately trying to bandage mortal wounds.

  Rhea’s voice caught in her throat as she stood there, staring into the violence before her. She wanted to help, to run in and do something, but she didn’t know what. She looked around the room frantically to try and find Grayson, but he was nowhere in sight.

  She ran into the room, her four guardians running to help Crystalline against the three guards. They were still weak, but strong enough to offer assistance. Rhea watched as the fighting grew more intense, but finally the five against three prevailed and the three guards fell to the floor, dead.

  Aelon still stood against two of Crystalline’s men, but he was making quick work of them. Crystalline and her guardians ran over to help, but Aelon was a force to be reckoned with. Even without his stupid sword, his magic was unparalleled. With a simple flick of his wrist, people went flying. Blood splattered out from one man’s chest, his armor breaking in two as he convulsed on the floor and then fell still.

  “Grayson?” Rhea shouted. Her voice was barely audible over the shouts of the fighting, but she ran around the room frantically looking for him, inspecting every body that she passed.

  Finally, when she came to the platform on which the throne stood, she noticed a familiar body curled up and limp on the floor, tied in chains to the back of the throne. She ran up to him, her eyes filled with tears as she stared down at Grayson’s unmoving form. She fell on top of him, her hands working furiously over his body, trying to find a heartbeat in his chest or a breath on his lips.

  She was shaking so uncontrollably, she couldn’t tell either way. She then grabbed hold of his shoulders and shook him, shouting his name repeatedly as loud as she could, desperate for him to wake.

  Another loud explosion sounded behind her and she braced herself. A flash of burning heat boiled against her back as she shielded Grayson from the oncoming attack. She glanced back and saw Aelon walking toward her, but he was quickly intercepted by Crystalline, who threw herself against him. The two stumbled to the ground, wrestling each other, ignoring their magic and focusing on sheer strength.

  Rhea turned her attention back to Grayson. Tears fell down her cheeks and landed on the harsh lines of his face. She traced her fingers along his cheekbones and down along his chin. She leaned down over him, whispering an incantation to try make him wake, but it was no use. She pressed both hands to his chest, falling forward to rest on his cold chest as she tried to send a wave of as much healing power into him as she could. She’d expelled most of her magic on her other four guardians, but she harnessed everything she could in her entire body, every ounce of strength and magic, and pressed it into him, willing him to wake.

  But he simply lay there, big body still. Rhea’s heart stopped in her chest and her entire body grew cold. It was as if time stood still, her ears numbed to the sound of battle that raged around her. All she could see was Grayson, lying there peacefully amidst the destruction.

  A single tear fell from her cheek and landed on his lips, and he stirred. A slight gasp sounded and his chest rose, Rhea let out a quick cry of relief, falling on him once more and holding herself on top of him, protecting him from the spells that flew around them as she felt his chest rise and fall.

  “Oh, Grayson,” she cried, holding his face in her hands, staring down at him, willing him to open his eyes. “Grayson, wake up!”

  He lay there still for what seemed like an endless amount of time, his chest slowly rising and falling in ragged gasps. She shook his shoulders once more, and finally his eyes struggled to open. His lids hung heavily as he gazed up at her, his eyes distant but meeting her gaze.

  “Grayson,” she whispered, her voice hoarse. She had never felt such relief in her life.

  He struggled to say something, but the words didn’t come. His throat was dry and he couldn’t speak. She shushed him, placing a soft finger against his lips. “Don’t speak. Try to regain your strength as best you can, okay?”

  Her voice came out a shudder, her sobs nearly uncontrollable. She was filled with such relief, she felt her heart was about to explode. She then ran her hands over his body, inspecting the damage, lifting his shirt and running her fingers along the deep slashes and cuts that marked every inch of his skin. She couldn’t tell where the scars and gashes ended and his natural markings began. He was covered with such an intricate network of cuts, it looked as if he had been sliced with a thousand knives and whipped very badly.

  He was hardly recognizable, though his eyes looked up at her with the same familiar stormy gray orbs that she had grown so fond of.

  “Don’t look so sad, Rhea,” he finally whispered up to her, his voice barely heard over the explosions going on around them.

  “Grayson, I’m so sorry,” she cried, tears falling freely from her lids. He raised a shaky hand and held it against her cheek, his skin ice cold against her feverish flesh.

  “Rhea, get out of here,” he said. He closed his eyes, his breath slowing and his body growing still yet again.

  “Grayson, no,” she said, she held his head firmly in her grasp, gazing down into his eyes, refusing to pull away. She heard shouting around her, her guardians tell her to leave, to run. She knew they didn’t have much time.

  “Grayson,” she pleaded, shaking him. “Wake up. We’re not leaving without you, do you hear me?”

  Grayson shuddered and struggled to open his eyes, flinching with every small movement of his body. “Rhea, you must leave. Protect yourself.”

  “I’m not leaving without you.”

  “My entire life was meant to protect you, and I failed.”

  Rhea shook her head, running her fingers through his hair, brushing his sweaty locks away from his chiseled face.

  “You didn’t fail me,” she said to him, sobbing deeply. “I failed you. I abandoned you. I’m so sorry, Grayson.”

  He shook his head slowly as he closed his eyes, his hand reaching up and grabbing hold of hers. She squeezed his hand back, holding him tightly as she stared down at his limp form.

  “Grayson, please,” she pleaded desperately. “I can’t leave without you. I can’t do this without you.”

  He simply lay there still, his breathing growing shallower by the second. “I love you, Rhea,” he finally said.

  Her heart shattered into a million pieces as she struggled to hold herself together. She opened her mouth to speak, to reply, but nothing came out. Her entire body shook as she stared down at him, a peaceful expression setting into his severe face.

  “Grayson, no,” she cried.

  “Rhea!” A voice sounded behind her. She didn’t want to pull away, but a hot blast of energy flashed against her back, sending a wave of excruciating pain through her body. She forced herself to look behind her at the oncoming attack.

  Pushing herself up, she turned toward her uncle who stood not ten feet away, laughing maniacally at her. He seem
ed amused, completely joyous. He raised his eyebrow and nodded his head toward Grayson, and smiled. “Seems you’re too late, sorry kid,” he said, mimicking Grayson’s tone.

  Rhea positively seethed. The massive sword lay next to Grayson, shiny and full of energy, contrasting his dull gray form. She picked it up and held it up to her uncle, her body shaking with so much rage she felt like it was going to tear her in two.

  She stepped forward, determined to seek vengeance for what he had done to Grayson. Glancing back to her fallen guardian, she hoped beyond anything that he would react. That he would breathe again and push himself up and that the whole thing would’ve been a sick joke, but he simply lay there still, the sound of her uncle’s laughter echoing around her sending her body into a convulsive rage.

  “You’ll pay for this,” she shouted at him.

  Her guardians were on the other side of the room, having been thrown back in different directions from her uncle’s latest attack and slamming against the wall. They were slowly pushing themselves up, shaking and unsteady. They tried to make their way toward her, but their bodies failed them. Crystalline was in no better condition, having fallen in a clump on the floor, blood streaming down her neck. She held her throat firmly with her hands, choking on blood as she gasped for breath.

  It was Rhea against her uncle, just as she’d suspected it always would be.

  The sword grew cool in her hands and flooded a strange magic into her. She accepted it, sucking the energy of the sword through her fingertips, allowing it to fuel her. Her hands stopped shaking as a strange calmness built within her. There was much going on around her, so much death and destruction, so much hatred, so much loss and devastation, but at that exact moment she grew calm. She was steady, calculating, completely focused in her own mind as she walked toward her uncle, holding the sword out in an offensive gesture.

  He laughed at her, shaking his head. “You wield that sword with false confidence, niece,” he sneered. “I’d like to see you give me your best shot. I want to see you try and fail before I kill you once and for all. It will bring me such joy to see you realize how much of the failure you’ve become. To see you accept the fact that you’ve let your entire people and precious realm down.”