Kindred Spirit

Chapter 24

All I could feel was anger, pure and utter hatred. I have been a kind person throughout my entire life so this feeling of rage is a new source of power for me. I charge towards Glenda with more speed I thought I could possess I knock her off balance and she stumbles to the ground. I don't hesitate before jumping onto her fallen form. I grab her by the throat and lift her head up. "You killed her!" I snarl before smashing her head upon the ground.

"I did indeed," Glenda says seemingly unfazed by my attacks.

The fact that she feels no pain only fuels my already burning fury. She continues smiling as I ball up my fist and swing it towards her. Suddenly a burst of pain knocks me back. Nothing physical touches me, but I still feel agony. Ryker looks over at me from his battle with Corden, I motion that I am fine and he returns his focus to my brother.

My vision of this battle has shifted so many times as new things are added and plans are changed. I feel blind and I can't be sure how things will end now. Glenda is already moving towards me, she appears calm and collected not even a hair out of place. I grit my teeth as another fiery wave of pain washes over me.

I try to move towards her but it feels as though a thousand weights have been placed upon my limbs. I fall to the ground struggling to get to my feet once more. "I don't know why you're fighting me really," Glenda says as she kneels beside me, her sinister smirk always in place. "I'm offering to give you the one thing you've been missing in this life."

"And that would be?" I ask coldly. There isn't anything else I require to make myself happy in this life. I have Ryker, I will soon have a Kingdom, and I will be powerful and happy. My future will hold many good things.

"A mother," Glenda says simply as she reaches down and pushes stray hairs away from my eyes. "I can be the mother that left you, I can raise you and love you, I can make you strong, I can make you feared..."

Throughout my lives I have had many families, I have had many mothers. But my mother in this life... I know she loved me, I know she cared. Whenever I try to picture a mother figure all I can see is Anne. My heart squeezes and my face twists into a pained expression.

"You want that don't you?" Glenda asks quietly as she strokes my hair, her long sharp nails gliding over my skin. She eyes me carefully, taking in my saddened expression, my shaking hands, my tearing eyes. "Tell me this," She says softly. "How could you love someone who took her away from you? The closest thing you had to a mother? He killed her without a second thought..."

My sadness crumbles away at her words. "Isn't that exactly what you're doing now?" I spit as I force myself up. The weights can no longer hold me down now. Glenda stares at me hard; I feel the weights increasing but still I do not fall, I cannot fall. I surge forward with a burst of energy. As I tackle Glenda to the floor I feel the weights lift off of me all at once.

I glare down at her; unlike her I do not have time to waste on unnecessary speeches or threats, I want this battle done with as soon as possible. I pull out the knife Ryker had given me on our journey here. The blade is small but deathly sharp. The handle is made up of several glittering jewels. It's both beautiful and deadly. I found it hard to believe that something so pretty could kill.

I take a deep breath before positioning the blade over her heart. I think of everything she has tried to do and all of the things she will do if I allow her to live. These thoughts give me the strength I need to plunge the knife forward. I expect to feel it the knife impact her body as I shut my eyes, but instead I feel my own burst of pain.

My eyes snap open instantly. Something has hit me in the stomach, a small dagger. I look up to find my brother staring in our direction. Ryker's eyes flash with an intense ferocity I have never seen in him before. I try to stand but fall instantly. The blood everyone has obsessed about my entire life now splatters uselessly onto the floor.

The distraction of my pain has left Ryker venerable. I watch from my place on the ground as Corden raises his sword and slashes Ryker across the pack. Ryker stands frozen for a moment as if in shock, he can't scream, he can't make a sound. The only sound I hear from him is his body when it hits the floor.

The scream the echoes throughout the castle doesn't belong to Ryker, it's mine.

Glenda releases a cold laugh as she lazily glances towards Ryker's final form. "Love is a weakness," She sighs as she raises her weapon to me once more. "But don't worry, I'll teach you that."

I wait to feel the same level of pain as Ryker, but I know there is a strong difference between us. He will die, I will come back... but it won't be me. Even if Glenda forces me into another life, with her brainwashing and evil ways, I don't think I would even be able to recognize myself.

I hear her blade sink into something, into someone's flesh... but then why am I not dead? Why do I not feel the pain? I open my eyes hesitantly and find Corden standing in front of me, Glenda's blade deep into his stomach. She looks upon him with slightly widened eyes, not because she is upset she has hurt him, but because she is astonished he was able to break the spell she had been using to control him. I grab my knife from the floor beside me, this is my only chance.

Ignoring all of my pain, all of my tears, all of the memories crashing through my head, I get to my feet. My movements aren't quick but they are determined. My hand closes around the handle of my beautifully deadly weapon, jewels now covered with my blood. Glenda's eyes slide to me, but she cannot move. My brother has pierced her with his own weapon. As his body falls to the ground I tackle Glenda from behind. She falls on her side though I had been hoping she would land on her stomach so my brother's sword would go right through her.

I suppose it is only fitting that I end her. She looks up at me with slight pride in her eyes. "Even the most beautiful innocent looking flower can be deadly, like a rose with its thrones." I don't let her get another word out before I plunge my blade into her heart.

"For everyone you have hurt and would have hurt, for Clayva, for my brother, for Ryker," I push the knife deeper, "And for me, your life will end!"

Glenda's eyes don't bulge, she barely looks afraid. Glenda knows she is going to die here and I will be the one who ends her life, this helps to cool my anger only slightly.

When Glenda no longer breathes and her wounded heart no longer beats I finally stand. I move as quickly as I can to Ryker's side. I collapse to my knees beside him feeling the slow pace of his heart and his shallow breathing.

"It's okay," I say softly as I cup his face between his hands, "I'm going to heal you." I lean down and press my lips to his softly. "I love you," i whisper as i pull away. Through the pain I feel I cal forth the remainder of my energy. My anger is long gone now, leaving me empty but filled. I am no longer able to hold myself up, I collapse onto my back beside Ryker and as I turn my head to the right I find Clayva on my other side. As breathing becomes a struggle I let myself drift off. I know Ryker will be okay but Clayva won't be.

I reach out and take her still warm hand in my own. As I do a soothing stream of memories enter my mind. These memories cause me no pain and I have no trouble accepting them as my own.

Finding Clayva on the bloody snow, healing her, laughing with her, turning her, spending countless hours with my now best friend. I know I am only imagining it but I think I feel Clayva squeeze my hand slightly, as if letting me know she still feels the same about these memories, and about me.

A light smile spreads across my lips as I watch happy memories of the three of us play out. When the last memory fades away I follow soon after it. I squeeze Clayva's hand back.

As one pair of eyes closes another one opens.

(Clayva and Amaya's song. )