Long Ago

Chapter Twenty Seven

I stood there with my friends, we all stared at the king as he smiled wickedly at me. I vaguely heard the sound of footsteps marching towards us. A guards hand grabbed the back of my neck, and a mans voice filled my ears as the guard hissed, "You dumb or something? You are to bow before your sovereigns." He tried to shove me down to the floor, but I remained standing, using all my strength and willpower to stay upright. My legs barked in pain as my knees buckled.

"No." I said, my voice loud and booming in the quiet room. "Why bow to a man that does not deserve it? Why bow to a boy who plays king? Who sits on his throne and destroys his territory. Why bow to a villain, a thief that steals lives to further his own agenda?" I elbowed the guard holding me in the ribs and shoved him away. When he released me I said, "I will not bow to a man that submerges himself in the blood and gore of the people he kills."

"Who are you?" A guest in the mass of bowing people called out.

"Me?" I asked, looking around at all the faces in the crowd. I tore the glimmering mask from my face and said, "I am the one who was prophesied. I am the light that has come to burn away the dark. I am the kings demise." I smiled triumphantly at the king, allowing my true face to appear.

The king began to clap slowly, the sound echoed through the room. Chills erupted along my whole body every time his hands touched. "What a convincing performance, Lila... or should I say Raven Willows." He chuckled. "What a passionate speech, you almost got me to hate myself... almost." He began to walk, his shoes clipping and clapping on the ebony floor. "I am sad to say, however, you and your friends will not be allowed to stay. You are working with some very dangerous people, Raven. Wiping out thirty five of my best men..." He smirked, "Impressive. Too bad you all were absent when I had to inform their wives and children of their deaths." He stopped his walking once he was three feet before me. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

A bright light shot from me, aiming right for the kings chest.

It bounced off an ebony magical shield... and hit the chandelier above me.

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The last thing I remembered, a chandelier was rushing towards the top of my head. Then... darkness.

I took a huge breath, filling my lungs to their capacity. I groaned as I opened my eyes, almost complete darkness surrounded me.

"Raven." A voice called out. I knew that voice... but... from where?

I turned my head to the side, the concrete floor scraping my cheek. A black figure sat in the corner of the cell I was in. They tilted their head at me. "Who... who are you?" I asked, my voice raw and gravely.

The figure grew taller, the person stood up. "Me? I am the light that has come to burn away the dark. I am the kings demise." I knitted my eyebrows. Those were the words I said... and that was my voice. "I love Ray. I want to fix Apollo and Teylie. I want my father back. I want my family whole again." My voice called out to me.

I shook my head slowly. "What are you?"

The thing stepped into the light... it was wearing my skin. It had my eyes and my smile, it had my hair. Its nostrils flared and its eyes widened once before going back to their normal size. "I am a Skinshifter. The king keeps me here in case he needs my... services."

"And... does he need your... services?" I asked slowly sitting up. I winced slightly as pain flickered to life in my body.

"No." The Skinshifter said, amusement laced in its... my tone. "But you do."

I flicked my eyebrows up. "Do I?" I lifted a hand to my head, a headache piercing through my temples.

The creature nodded once. "Yes. You do." It took another step towards me. It wore a ballgown, a mirror to the one I wore; covered in dirt and ripped in some places. "You need my help to kill the king. And I offer my services to you."

"Why would you want to kill the king? What's in it for you?"

Its... my eyes filled with anger. "The king killed my family and took me captive. I do it for revenge and my freedom."

"Two noble things to fight for." I mused. I listed my head, "How are you able to shift skins? Is it magic?"

"Yes. I can do it only because the king allows it. He lets me keep my magic so I can serve him... I can adapt my skin to look like those standing before me. I can absorb their minds and souls... I become an exact replica of whoever I want... so long as they are in my eye sight. So?" It asked eagerly. "Will you let me help?"

"On one condition..." I straightened my spine, trying to master more bravado than I felt. "Where are my friends?"

The thing knitted my eyebrows. "I don't know. They are probably in a cell nearby."

I nodded, "You want to help? We get them out first."

"First? Don't you mean second? Have you looked around? You do know you're in a cell too, right?"

I marveled at how the creature even copied my sass. "Right. Second then." I declared as I stood up.

The Skinshifter smirked. "Right."

I cleared my throat. "So, here's the plan."

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The plan. I kept repeating it to myself over and over. It would work. It had to work. If it failed, we would all die.

I sat in my cell, my legs criss-crossed under me. I quietly cleared my thoughts. Then I screamed. The sound so loud and ear piercing I had to cover my ears. I screamed and screamed until my voice gave out, then I continued to scream, the sound raw and broken.

I heard footsteps running, the sound getting louder and louder with every clap of shoes on concrete.

Good. Everything was going according to plan.

I laid down in the cell and began flopping around and sobbing.

A guard appeared at my cell door, he was looking inside at me... just watching as I writhed on the concrete floor. I wanted to scream at him to just come inside! But... I had to remain hidden in the corner as the Skinshifter wearing my skin danced out death on the ground.

I then heard the sound of keys turning a lock. Keep going. Keep coming in. Come see what's wrong with me.

The guard stepped into the cell.

And I bolted.