To Break A Curse

Chapter 30

"No!"

Alessander's shouting at me, I think, but I can't hear anything over the searing hot pain tearing into my stomach. I want to scream, to cry, but nothing comes out. This has to end, now. Both of my hands shake as I grip the sword for the last time, and pull. Stars dance in my vision as I let it clatter to the ground beside me, and collapse. All that's left is to wait.

But nothing happens. It feels like an eternity before I open my eyes enough to see Alessander crouching down beside me, and Fale, still in dragamon form, standing perfectly still behind him. My hand flies to the gash on my stomach, but it's not there. Instead, a dark gray bruise stares back at me through the torn fabric of my shirt. Blood coats my hands and the sword, but otherwise, there is no sign I ever stabbed myself at all. "How? How am I not dead?" I choke out. The pain slowly ebbs away as I prop myself up on an elbow. "I-I stabbed myself! I know I did! And he," I motion to Fale, "he attacked me! How is he just standing there?" I'm on the edge of hysterics now.

"You did, and he did," Alessander says, almost gently.

"Then I should be dead!" I scream, ignoring the salty taste of tears on my tongue. "The curse should be over! I'm the last one. It should have died with me!"

"Indeed, it should have. And if you truly were the last one, it would've."

I stare at him. "What are you saying? Is someone else in my family still alive? That's impossible. There aren't any heirs left besides me."

"You're right, there aren't. But it's not another heir I speak of."

Unease courses through my body. "Then who do you speak of?"

"And here I thought you were smarter than your old man. Tell me, who could hold such power that even kings obey him? Who can command the dragamons with a single word?" He gets up and walks over to the sword. "And who could wield a sword that's cursed to disintegrate anyone who dares touch it?" He bends down and picks it up.

I can't breathe. "The one who created it."

A slow, sinister smile spreads across his face. "That's right. I've waited over two centuries to hold this again," he says, twirling the hilt in his hand. "Thank you for bringing it back to me."
Fale growls at the sword and Alessander holds out a hand to quiet him.

"Tell me who you are," I demand. "I want to hear you say it."

He chuckles, leaning against the sword like a cane. "I'm your great great great uncle. Well, maybe there's one more 'great'. I've lost count over the years. But most people just refer to me as the Sorcerer King."

His words are a slap to my face. I squint my eyes shut to concentrate on what he's saying, to figure out how this could all make sense. "So, that's why it didn't work? Because you're the sorcerer and also related to me?"

"That's right. I did try to warn you though."

I scoff and shake my head. "Why did you do it? Why would you want to curse your own family?"

His eyes flash and he runs a hand through his long hair. "Because they deserved it. Because you all deserve it. I was supposed to inherit the throne as the eldest son, but instead, my father made my brother heir and disowned me. They were all filled with such hate that they eventually cast me out because of my... practices. They thought I would put a dark stain on their golden reputations because I used sorcery. But what they failed to understand is that my sorcery could have made our power infinite, that we could have been unstoppable if I reigned as Sorcerer King. So once I realized they cut me off for good, I decided to repay their hatred with something a little more permanent. As revenge, I cursed anyone who shared my blood to be overcome with an eternal rage that slowly kills the mind with insanity. The only mercy would be death, and that is only granted by this sword, which I so generously gifted my brother as a coronation present. At that point, all I had to do was sit back and watch as they all slowly went mad, killing each other off in a blind rage. But even so, they had children. And then those children had children, all inheriting the curse and the sword. And just like you, they all tried using it to end the madness. To end the line is to end the curse, no?"