The Blood of Darkness

Chapter 28

Kye

I don't sleep.

I told Val I would, but I lied.

How the hell am I supposed to sleep after knowing what the Dark King—Manar—did to her?

That bastard.

He killed her only friends. Cut her. Tortured her. Kept her locked in a cell, on the brink of death. He made her stitch her own fucking wounds. He wanted to marry her. He still wants to. Yet Val says that she's the monster.

It was very hard to comfort her when all I could think about was killing him. She was in my arms, and I was too busy focusing on how I would tear the Dark King apart, limb by limb, to even breathe Val in or savor the feeling of my arms around her.

He hurt her. And I've been sitting on the edge of my bed all night, thinking about killing him. Burning him alive. Drugging him with Elumbis. Locking him in a cell for a year. Securing pounds of sharp, heavy shackles onto his wrists. Slicing deep cuts across his back, down his arms.

I never knew I was this violent. Maybe I wasn't. Until I met Val. She does things to me....makes me feel things....

Seeing the way her hands shook when she spoke of the Dark King, hearing how her voice trembled, watching as she seemed to withdraw into herself....oh gods, I had never experienced such strong emotion before. The feelings were overwhelming. The ache to comfort her, to hold her, coupled with the extreme rage sparking deep inside me....it was more than I thought I could feel at one moment.

One thing I know is that he will not hurt her. Ever again. I'd die before I let that happen. 

"No you will not."

I go still at the voice. I don't like having it in my head. Not at all. But I'm curious at to why it's there at all as well. "What do you want?" I whisper.

"I want to save her."

"Save who? Val?"

"No, not the Shadow. Forget I spoke of that. I'm here to guide you. To help you fulfill the prophecy. But it seems that you are doing fairly well. I don't need to tell you to stay with her; you already do."

"What?" I breathe. "Stay with who?"

"As my brother told the Prince, the Flame must keep the Darkness at bay."

"Brother?" I ask. "Prince?"

"Those matters do not concern you. What concerns you is keeping the Shadow alive until she does what must be done."

The Shadow is Val.

"What do you mean 'until'?" I question, dread coiling in my gut.

"Until the Shadow falls and the Star meets his demise."

"Val isn't going to fall," I snap with sudden vehemence. "Not while I still live." Never.

Then I remember what she told me about her dreams. "Screaming, pain, smoke, and falling."

Maybe I'd rather go to sleep now. So I don't have to think about it. So I don't have to wonder why the voice didn't respond.

But with a glance out the window, the sky is painted with shades of red, orange, and gold, marking the start of the day. It's too late for sleep now.

I hope Val slept, at least.

With a sigh, I stand, stretching my cramped muscles. I've been sitting for hours, firsts clenched for most of the time too. I stoop to gather a few stray cards off of the floor, wondering about how Val beat me so easily. Maybe it's because I was barely looking at my cards the entire time. Why look at my cards when I could look at her?