Chasing Embers | 1

20

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Anger flooded Maddox's senses as the wound on his cheek stung. He cursed under his breath and pushed the servant's hand away as he stared at the city below through the tall window in his study. His plan had been ruined from the beginning. That stupid Ragan Hatis messed everything up. Maddox gripped the frame of the window as his anger continued to grow.

A knock sounded at his large polished door. "Hunter Belkin is here to see you, my lord."

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Send him in."

The door slowly creaked open. Maddox returned to his original state, poised with hands laced in front of him as he watched his citizens below. When he heard the large wooden door boom shut, he spoke.

"You disappoint me." It was a simple sentence, but enough to make the boy standing in the middle of the room quiver. He glanced around the circular room, looking anywhere except the spot behind the large mahogany desk where his leader stood.

Hunter stammered to find the right words. "I apologize, my lord."

Maddox whipped around and slammed his hand on the fine wood, causing Hunter to flinch.

"You apologize? You apologize for screwing up the one thing that could bring an end to me! Have you gone mad? Do you think an apology is going to fix what you've done?" the lord yelled.

Anger flooded Maddox's senses. Realizing that he was exposing his weaknesses too much, he breathed out a long sigh.

"You told me she would be alone. When I transported half of my finest soldiers to Ardeina, I expected to not have to use them. I expected her to be alone. You told me you would take care of the others." Maddox paused to move in front of his desk, his black cape gliding along the floor. "Do I have reason to doubt you? I think so, Hunter. Remember what you put on the line when you do me services and fail."

Hunter's breath caught in his throat. "Please, my lord. I will not fail you again. I swear to it."

Maddox tightened his jaw. "Do not beg for my mercy. It is not yours to have. You became infatuated with something you knew you could not obtain. Because of that, you have failed me miserably. Remember that promotion I offered you?"

When he saw Hunter's face pale, Maddox continued with satisfaction. "You've lost that title. I expected more from you, Hunter. You have disappointed me. I will not make the mistake of entrusting you with something so important again."

Hunter tried to object. "My lord–"

"You are dismissed."

"But if I could just–"

"I said you are dismissed!" Maddox yelled, his voice filling the room.

Hunter hung his head. "Yes, my lord."

With that, he left the room, leaving Maddox alone to ponder over what had happened. Seeing Ragan had thrown him off guard. He hadn't expected to ever see her again. A part of him wished things were different between them. But he knew he had destroyed their relationship, that he would never get her back.

Maddox moved back to his spot behind the desk. He stared out the large glass window of his palace, remembering why he was so dark inside and why he had ruined their relationship. He remembered the day his father murdered his mother, eight years ago. He was thirteen at the time. His father had no mercy. He killed her right in front of Maddox and his beloved sister, then he left and disappeared from his life.

His father had just come home. He'd been living with another woman. Well, several other women. Why was he back? Were his little prostitutes not satisfying? No. He came for money.

Maddox shielded his little sister with his arm, pushing the eleven year old behind him. His mother, a woman with such beauty that any man would fall at her heels, reached out and slapped his father once he finished his request.

"You bastard!" she screamed in his face. "How dare you come crawling back here and taking things that no longer belong to you!"

His father was boiling with anger. "You will not call me such things woman!" he yelled back, pushing her to the ground.

Maddox rushed to his mother's side, helping her up and confronting the man he used to call father. "Why do you need the money? Is it for your nasty whores? Are you afraid they'll leave you the way you left us?"

Maddox's mother stood and quickly ushered his sister out of the room. His sister had been standing behind him with wide, frightened eyes. When his mother came back in, Maddox was sprawled across the floor clutching his chest. His father's face was dark red, his eyes turned completely black, like a deep and dark abyss. His attention was focused on Maddox, using his power to slowly crush his heart, to kill him. The man had the will to kill his own son. Maddox's mother gasped, begging her husband to stop. He only continued to kill his son, and slowly, the life started to drain out of him.

His mother foolishly decided that to save her son, she would have to give herself up instead. There was no other way to stop what was happening. She quickly moved in front of the angry man, grabbing his face and staring him straight in the eye. She looked into her husband's soul and sent thoughts into his mind, taking control of his brain and forcing him to direct his power on her. Maddox's mother knew he was too powerful for her to completely stop him from destroying someone.

She heard Maddox gasp behind her and then felt a sharp pain in her chest. It wasn't long before his father had burst her heart into a million pieces, like glass shattering. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as her lifeless body crumpled to the floor and Maddox realized what had happened. He cried out in agony as he cradled his mother's limp body in his arms. His father's eyes returned to their normal state as he looked down at his son.

Maddox stared back at his father, tears running down his face. He suddenly felt darkened, angry at his father for killing her. He felt his power growing inside him, a beast waiting to be freed from its cage. Only his sister knew about his true, secret power.

Now, he wanted to release his new power on his father. Slowly, he started to search. He searched for a life, specifically his father's life. When he found the quick rhythm of his father's heartbeat, he pulled. The older man clutched his chest and fell to his knees.

"Daughter!" He cried, thinking his little girl was the one killing him. "Stop this madness!"

It was only then that he remembered his father thought Maddox had the same power as his mother, that he belonged to House Tanmos. He turned and saw the little girl, her two big grey eyes staring at her brother. The look she gave him made him stop. He did not want her to live life knowing her parents were killed on the same night, both by family members.

Maddox's concentration on his father broke, leaving the coward lying on the ground breathless. He scrambled to his feet, looked at his daughter in fear, then bolted through the door. That was the last time Maddox saw his father.

His breath came out shaky as he looked down at his mother still lying in his arms. His sister slowly approached him and placed her small hand on his shoulder. He flinched.

"Maddox, what happened is not your fault." Her quiet voice hovered next to his ear. "Don't let that get in your head. Don't let what happened–"

"Enough!" he cried, wrenching her hand off of him.

She took a step back, startled by his sudden outburst. She didn't know how to comfort him or herself. Maddox looked up, instantly regretting yelling at her. She had only been trying to help.

"Ragan, I-I'm sorry I snapped at you. I'm just mad at father for ruining our lives and making everything hard on us. He is a terrible man. I promise I will avenge our mother's death. I will do it for you, for the good of our family." He said faintly, hoping to calm her and himself.

She shook her head. "Revenge will not give you what you desire, Maddox. You have to make good out of this. Killing our father won't help."

"You know nothing about what I want. You're just a stupid, naive girl," he snarled, his lie filling the quiet house.

Tears filled her eyes as his words stung. "F-fine then. I'll just go."

She turned and sprinted out the door of the house no one lives in anymore, streams of tears falling down her face. His anger was the last straw for his bright little sister. Then she, too, disappeared from his life.