The Queen Of Eternity

Chalices and malices

T.W This chapter gets dark AF

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"No, no, no, no, no," Themis sobs.

Kayan.

He coughs up blood.

I fall to the floor on my knees bringing his head to my lap.

"I am sorry, mi vida. I am so sorry. Your... your man is not well. I am weak. I couldn't do anything. Lucas, they're near the Heart Lake. She's more powerful than she thinks."

He takes a breath, grimacing in pain, clutching his side where the blade has struck.

Stygian Iron is deadly for witches. I can't imagine the effects it has on a man.

"Emerald. I hope, in some other lifetime, I'll be a better man. A better father. And you'll be able to forgive me. I don't expect you to."

A sob escapes from her throat.

My mother stares into the distance.

"It's getting harder to keep my eyes open. Themis, mi amor, I love you. Always and forever."

Themis looks at him, whispers the words I've never heard her utter, "I love you."

With that, his eyes close and his head slumps against my lap.

I don't sob, or weep. Just sit there.

Azrael is not well, my father is dead, Ocean is probably hurt, Lucas is wounded, my sister was forced to hurt me, Cara is dead, Fluer is dead, all my rebellion friends are dead, Jake was led to believe I was at fault, my own father was taken away from me.

When I look at Themis in front of me. All my morals disappear.

Never hurt the enemy when they're vulnerable. Never hurt the enemy when they're unarmed.

Fuck that bullshit.

I was named a god before I knew who to spell my name. And sometimes god's have to do ungodly things.

There's only two Stygian Iron swords left in the world.

With the one given to me, I slash at her neck. She ducks.

She looks up as I saw through a wall of gritted teeth, "You'll pay for all of it."

I wipe the blood off my face, ignoring the fact that it's her blood too, to some extent.

Anger overpowers rationality, skill, planning.

I charge at her neck. She side steps, avoiding me easily.

I look back at Lucas, get the others.

He runs out the room.

She cut at my stomach, missing by an inch. We kee circling each other, jabbing then darting back again.

We don't use magic because when you have the same powers, it's easy to overpower the other one. Or be overpowered.

I slash at her, arm, legs, face. Her sword cute the skin on my arm but rage numbs out pain.

“You let him do all that to his children," I say, panting.

“You tried to kill your own daughter." I dogde a, looping cut.

“You killed a fucking child,” I shout slamming the blade into the her throat, only to me pushed away by Emrald.

"Don't kill her, please. She saved my life."

"She ruined your life! Stay the fuck out of this, Em."

I realise I sound a lot like the Esmeray she hates.

The one I vowed I won't be like again.

She throws away the sword.

I throw mine too.

I can't think straight anymore. All I know is I want her dead.

She cracks her neck and before I realise what's happening, she has me pinned to the ground.

I roll her around with a grunt. She kicks my abdomen, I let out a yelp.

We wrestle on the ground, against the blood and the dust. Less like a mother and daughter, more like lifelong enemies.

Cara's innocent face flashes before me. And that was that.

"You hurt Ocean and Azrael .” I thrust my free hand into her unprotected face, tears sting my eyes to the point where I see blurry.

She gasps, yelling profanities at me.

“You burnt down towns, you killed Fluer.” I throw my fist to where her two collarbones meet.

As she recovers from that I grab my sword, ignoring Emerald's terrified sobs.

“You took away my father, my childhood, my sister.” I drew back my fist only to have it meet her face again.

I don't look at her face, scared I won't see an enemy and I'll see my mother.

"And you killed my Cara."

I stab the sword into her stomach and cut it down, the same way Cara died.

Her scream echoes in the room.

Her head falls to the floor and her entire body goes slump with a sickening thud.

I sit there, looking up at the ceiling, panting. I sit there until my heart slows down, my vision comes back.

There's no remorse.
No grief.

I don't think sitting will have me thinking straight.

Emerald sobs.

I stand up and walk to her, she takes a step back. I realise she's scared. Of me.

"Hey, hey. Em."

"No, no. I am sorry. I am sorry. I am sorry." She covers her head with arms.

This is how she used to act with our father.

"Em, hey, it's me. It's me."

I pull her to me, letting her sob, her head buried deep in my shoulder.

"I can't even look at you after what you did." She whispers.

I don't expect her to.

Maybe my father was right. Maybe I am the monster.

But what good does being a good person do? When god's pray to you, what good does being good do?

Ocean is a good person, Damon ruined her life. Cara was good, Fluer was good. So many people. All met the same faith.

She moves away from me, not meeting my eyes.

I watch her as she opens a portal, steps into it and disappears, leaving me with nothing but two words.

"Goodbye, Esmeray."