Burntout

End of the Line

Andromeda Claire Holloway

"Cassie..." I sobbed out, feeling my heart breaking once again as I looked at her fragile, broken body, so carelessly thrown on the floor. I told myself it wasn't real but that was far from the truth. All of this was real, more real than anything I had ever experienced. And now Cassie was dead, my father as well.

Tears slipped down my face but I turned my attention to a still Regulus, his sword fallen on the floor as he gazed in shock at the imposing figure standing close to him. He uttered something I couldn't hear before he said it again, muffled from the shield but loud enough for me to hear-

"Mother."

I felt my insides twist, a sick feeling coming over me at the sound of Regulus calling the woman who had murdered Cassie 'mother.' Something about his frozen and rigid posture made me think something was off but the way she smiled so dangerously wicked when her gaze settled on me focused my thoughts on her. I racked my brain for her name, eventually coming up with Queen Leonara but it didn't matter because the only name I would ever know her by a would-be murderer.

The queen turned back to Regulus, shifting person settling on the dark-haired figure who walked with such prowling grace, like a hunter in the shadows waiting for its next meal. She spoke, her voice just as cold as her, "Is that her?"

Regulus looked down at his feet, "Yes, mother."

She clicked her tongue, looking back at me with Cassie's dagger clutched in her hand, "Such a disappointment. Her power is weak, her beauty is disgusting, and she's not a fighter." Leonara turned and gazed at Regulus, "She allowed you to trap her that easily? Such a shame, from what I heard she puts up quite a fight but clearly not."

I wanted to hurl at the sound of the word 'trap' my insides twisted so much it hurt like an aching pain, the same ache in my heart at the sound of Regulus betraying me yet again. Again. Why?

"Mother-" Regulus started again but she didn't look at him, instead, approaching me. I held my dagger just as tightly as she did, prepared to prove her wrong, maybe with a carefully slit mouth so that she can take all of her cruel words back. I wasn't going to go mad as Regulus said, but it wasn't like he cared.

I had yet another right to feel betrayed. He didn't try to stop her, even as I met his gaze frantically as his mother came closer with the cursed dagger in hand. My voice was choked in my throat, I couldn't force myself to yell with the winding feeling in my stomach, growing more restraining with each breath I took.

The shield fell the moment Leonara touched it, her hand reaching out and catching me by surprise as she clawed my face with her long fingernails, sending a pain shooting through me as blood started to seep out from the scratches. She smiled, "So young but far from innocent."

I choked out, "You murdered my friend from one of the most respected and known family in Thalor."

"But I'm the queen, a family name doesn't matter when you look at the ranks of power," she laughed a cruel cackle.

"You're correct about one thing," I look hard at Regulus, trying to ignore the dagger inches away from my face. "A family name doesn't matter."

He looked away and I felt the last shred of hope I had fade away.

 But I gritted my teeth so hard my jaw hurt and fueled my emotions with hate instead of hurt. I would deal with that later if I ever got out of this alive. Not like I thought I would.

It was two against one and together they had three different powers and I only had one, one that didn't seem to harm the queen. The queen reached out and took my bleeding face in one of her hands, harshly squeezing it, "You think he's going to help you? He was the one supposed to kill you in the first place."