Prisoner of Chaos (Redemption Book #4)

Chapter 43

Kyla

"Get our child, then leave here, the longer we remain the more chance the Dark Lord will find us," Rift says, he stands on the cliff ledge facing the mouth of the cavern I laid our egg in.

My knees will give out underneath me. I'm so afraid of this. So afraid of being a mother and bringing a child into this world of chaos.

Don't hatch yet, little one. Not until we've fixed our world.

I walk into the cavern and find the egg where I left it. I scoop it up in my arms. It's warm to the touch.

Rift stands next to Father Ryland and Belinda as I emerge with our egg, he strides over upon seeing me and lays a hand on the smooth shell. "Fear not, the baby is growing fine."

"How can you tell?" I ask him, holding it closer to me.

"This child has magic innate to it just as I did," Rift says. "You will bring out the best in her."

"You know it's a girl?" I ask.

Rift nods.

"Let's go," I say, wishing momentarily I possess his abilities or at least understood them better.

"We shall return to the Sanctuary," Father Ryland says. "And plan from there. As far as I know, holy places are not conducive to the Dark Lord. Maybe you want to keep your child there?"

"That works for me," I say.

"Your father has returned to Axus," Rift says, reminding me of the time I let him drink my blood in order to know the Cursed location at all times. "He will expect to meet you shortly, but I fear my own presence will be too much for him to handle. I will remain with our egg."

The first time we had sex was then, back when the Beast and Princess sides of myself were at war. If only it were that simple. How long ago that feels now... and here I am carrying our egg to safety. If it wasn't my situation I'd laugh at all of this, as if it were a bad dream.

Rift puts an arm around me and holds me close to him. Pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Belinda take us to the Sanctuary. Kyla, you will need to decide for yourself whether you want to tell anyone of our child or not."

I nod. Part of me doesn't want to speak of it to anyone. If I tell my father and mother of the egg it's just another thing for them to worry about. Also, I'd hate to tell my father and have his beast take over once more. He's so fragile. I fear I may become what he is someday if I'm not careful. Already my beast pulls stronger.

"Do not worry, Princess," Rift says. "I promise you, we will be back here someday. Your beast chose this island for a reason."

The Dark Lord

Axus is primed and ready to feast on. They forget I am in control. Mortals and immortals. They are all the same to me here. I've existed far longer than they have.

And I will exist longer still. All I have to do is take advantage of knowing more than they do.

I'm angry to be kicked out of my past host. Existing in him was a wonderful game. Especially when I was able to watch that beautiful winged Princess possessing my blood give herself to my host. I couldn't feel things through him, but that didn't mean I wasn't watching. I've been quite a voyeur since being exiled from my body.

I was so bloody close to to finishing what I needed to using Rift's body.

And that Princess threw everything out of place from the start. She, like her father before her, is a child of my dark gift. The mage who was my host, however, is a child of something I'm deeply afraid of.

Yet I know Rift's weakness: he loves her.

"My lord," the witch who calls herself the Blood Queen, greets me with her horde of men enslaved by Fe collars. She bows with her forehead touching the ground, her necklace of Fe Keys jingling as she does. "I am in your debt. Tell me what I must do."

She calls herself a queen. Thinks that she will sway me with her beauty like many before her.

What was the last bitch's name? Ah, yes, Belinda. The woman I bound to protect me till I rose to take what's mine. That didn't work out well for her. But she's too crazy to be of use to me anymore unfortunately.

"You are in earnest for my direction?" I ask her, laying a hand on the back of her neck. "You are not even a natural born being of Axus. Why do you desire to involve yourself in my take over?"

"A long time ago, someone who considered herself my friend took me out of my life and ruined me," the Blood Queen answers. "Now I want to do the same to hers."

"That is what I'm here for, darling," I say. "Except you failed me on every task I sent you to complete. I told you to get me Kyla with a Fe collar around her neck. You were supposed to kill Wes and come directly to me."

"But you weren't even in your true body, milord," the Blood Queen has the gall to protest. "You were still with the Sorceress' son."

"Which brings me to the other task... you couldn't get a man raised with no morality or standards to sleep with you? Rift was supposed to break his Mate bond with Kyla by being unfaithful. You've set me up with incredibly powerful enemies who together rival my own strength. Eons ago a lesser man took me down by himself, even though he couldn't extinguish my soul."

"My deepest apologies, normally men fawn over me like I'm a goddess... but what do you mean Mate bond?" the Blood Queen asks, having the audacity to gaze up at me from her kneeling position.

"People like Kyla and her father come from a mistake I made long ago, they share traits of my ancient race in having a Mate bond with the one who makes them stronger," I say, turning my back to her.

I don't give her anymore details as she's not impressed me enough to receive them. A Mate bond is what has happened between Kyla and Rift. It's a magical connection that makes the pair only more powerful, except it can be broken if the Mate's partner is unfaithful.

Like mine was long, long ago...

"Luckily you have a chance to redeem yourself," I say, smiling at the thought. "An old friend of yours has returned to Axus and her husband will be under my power. This is your chance for revenge."

"Why will he be under your power? He wears no Fe Collar," the Blood Queen persists with her questions.

"He's been Cursed by the gift he was born with. By spilling innocent blood he corrupted himself even while under the power of a Fe collar, and because of this he and Corseth have the same fate," I say. "But all of that is besides the point. You must find Queen Lucy and bring her to me."

I need Alvar on my side before they discover that Rift is more than capable of turning the tables on me. Too bad he doesn't know how. How I will laugh when I tell him right before his death.