The Darkness Beyond the Stars

Chapter 32: Truth

He leaned forward, grabbing my hands and pinning them together. I opened my mouth to scream, and he yanked me out onto the balcony. The wind tore the sound from my mouth.

"Don't." He said, and I snarled, pulling away. He let go, and I backed to the other side of the balcony. He was in all black, the hilts of twin swords jutting up from his back. And his wings. They filled the space behind him, each one at least nine feet long, darker than his armor.

I slid back until my back was against the railing.

He held up his hands, eyes solemn. "I'm so sorry."

"Sorry? You were part of this!"

"No!" His face contorted. "No."

"It was your father's plan."

"You heard me! I had no part of this."

I stalked forward until I could plant a trembling finger on his chest. "You started this."

He looked down at me, and for once I could tell exactly what he was thinking.

"No."

"It wasn't me. My father hired the Twisted to kill your family. I knew the plan. I tried to save you once-" 

"Stop." I turned around, and threw my arms in the air. "This had to be part of the plan too. Me, left." I choked. "Alone." I straightened. "Then I die. And you're left. Exactly where you want to be."

"No."

I looked at him, but tears blurred my vision. He was nothing but a smudge against the darkening sky.

"The Twisted are working on their own. Nothing past the wedding has gone to plan. They've tried to kill me. You sat on the ground, holding me as I bled out. You think that was part of some plan?"

I sobbed.

He moved forward, and I backed up as far as I could, blinking fast.

"They're going to capture you, and kill you. And make it look like I did it. The High Elves with attack the Elvenaer, and there will be blood. Once both kingdoms are weak, the Twisted will take over. And who will win in the end? The Twisted. It's been their plan all along. My father was stupid enough to believe they would help him. They don't want money. They want revenge against the race that created them."

I gripped the stone railing until it felt like my knuckles would crack. It shouldn't make sense. But the pieces were falling together, and even if I wouldn't watch, they'd still be there. He wasn't lying.

A hand grazed my arm, and I grabbed him, my fingers locking around his wrist. I opened my eyes.

"The Twisted are here. Now."

"Isun." I whispered.

"They already have him. I saw half of them leave an hour ago, riding south. You're the last target. We need to go. Morok will meet us in the west. We follow the first half, kill them, draw the rest out, and kill them there. I have a trap ready."

I nodded numbly. Then his arm was around me, and wind as loud as a hurricane rushed past my ears. I shut my eyes tight.