Prisoner of Chaos (Redemption Book #4)

Chapter 23

"Why are you fighting your calling, Rift?" The Blood Queen asks, studying me with narrowed eyes. "You can have everything you want."

"You do not know me at all then," I mutter, pondering my life up until this point, and feeling utterly exhausted. "Nor do you know the horrors I suffered under a dark magic puppet such as you."

"Puppet? Please," the Blood Queen says with a laugh. "I am not a puppet. I chose my path."

"So did my mother," I say, drawing in a steep breath, and I realize it's because despite not mourning her death, I hate that I am the one who killed her.

"I want an answer, will you kill Wes? Or should I return to Erlund," the Blood Queen says.

"I cannot kill Wes, for reasons I shall not disclose to you, but I will show you why suffering is more powerful than death," I say striding over to her and splashing my drink in her pretty face so she stares at me, eyes wide, and mouth agape in shock. I grip her by her shoulders and throw her to the floor. "If you don't tell me what I want to know!"

The Dark Lord is fighting to take control of me again, this time I can't resist him. It's as if we are the same person. Rage built up over years ignites inside me as my chemistry alters. My eyes burn with dark magic, my fingers tingle with power.

No more games. My mother loved games. This witch reminds me of her.

"You won't get anything out of me," the Blood Queen hisses at me. "I'd love to watch you try though, hottie."

"I killed my mother, witch," I snarl. "Killing you won't bother this conscience you think I have."

"What of Kyla?" The Blood Queen asks. "Will it bother her? I am connected more than you know to her. It is quite possible the only reason Kyla exists is because of me."

Dark energy pulses through me at the mention of my Mate's sacred name uttered by this witch. "What do you mean?" I ask, shaking her with teeth grit. "How can you be responsible for her existence."

"That's a long and boring story, unlike this story of yours... this forbidden love... your story is not going to have a happy ending," the Blood Queen cackles the words with glee. "You would have been better off never meddling with her, mage. If you'd never meddled with her then you could have accepted what you are easily and done what your Master requires without objection. What you are is a gift, and I envy you. Kill me and I won't tell you what the man you refuse to kill for me has planned for Kyla."

"Wes is involved then? What are you saying?" I shout, throwing a Scourge at her so her body writhes and twists in unnatural ways, I know I've broken her Earth human wrists with the impact, but I can do so much more damage.

"You... bastard... you won't... break me..." the Blood Queen manages to gasp through the agony. "You're... not the first... who thought he... could."

"This is so easy to do," I say, any emotion I had vanishes, the Dark Lord is one with me now. "Even if I'm miles away, I could hold you like this for days, BQ. Give up the information I want."

"BQ?" The Blood Queen hates the nickname, a cruel smirk crawls across my lips.

"You are from Earth, you are in way over your head here, you should have staid where magic isn't quite so deadly," I say with a snicker and I walk toward the exit of my tent, leaving her in her misery.

"I've died before," the Blood Queen yells after me, and I turn toward her to see a smile parting her lips while blood oozes from her mouth. "I'm not so easy to kill."

"What do you mean?" I ask. "He couldn't have been more powerful than I. Who tried to kill you?"

"Everything I loved was destroyed by Queen Lucy," she gurgles through the pain. "I saved her world, but I was left for dead. Imagine my surprise when your mother was the one who saved me, not my old friend from Earth. When she brought me here, I realized that Lucy got everything, the sexy powerful king, the crown of a kingdom situated in a beautiful tropical paradise, and a--a family."

"I care not for your sob story," I hiss at her. "Why won't you play along with me?" I kneel down to meet her shuddering form's gaze. My hand cups under her chin. "Maybe I'll want to kill Wes anyway if you tell me. I can perhaps help you."

"I've always been in love with you," the Blood Queen whispers, leaning in to my touch. "From the moment your mother told me about you..."

"That's not what I want to hear, and you'd find as a lover I'm only inclined to darkness, you're not strong enough for me," I mutter, standing up and continuing to Scourge her. "I could go on with this for days. You know who I am, look into my eyes."

"My Lord?" She stares up at me, her face awash with fear. "Oh my god, it's really you."

"Yes, I am your Master and you need to tell me why the tainted Arlite and Cursed blood is going to Erlund."

"Wes isn't the one," she rasps out the words. "It's everyone else in his kingdom besides him who believes by creating an army of defiled blood, they can destroy the Cursed once and for all. They hate the Cursed here. Their hoping to draw even King Alvar back into their world by taking Underlund from Kalvar in a surprise attack, the night of his wedding to that new Westerly princess. But Wes wants Kyla, he does, not because she's a beautiful princess, no, he wants her for protection, his plan is to keep peace using your beloved as his shield, and he's got a Fe collar with her blood in it, curtesy of mwah."

I release her from the Scourge and she collapses on the floor of my tent. "That's how you know about Kyla and I, then?"

"Yes," the Blood Queen pants.

"Interesting. I shall pay Wes a visit after all," I say, extending my hand to help her up.