My Throne Or Yours | ONC 2023

Nine:

"How?" I looked up at him. His soft brown skin glistened with sweat. He was scared. That was panic on his face. "Jaxon, those monsters are right outside the cave—"

"And my father's men are handling it." His brows pinched together. "We're safe inside, out of danger."

I pushed away from him. I wasn't a child, he didn't have to lie to me. If this was his way of protecting me, it was infuriating. I loved him but I loved the honesty, too. Needed truth. Jaxon had always been an open book with me, to make me comfortable. What changed? Death? Fear?

"I told you the creatures of the night were real, Paulina." Jaxon squeezed my hand and brought it to his lips where he kissed it gently. "I am trying to keep you calm as I keep myself together—"

My brows lifted. Honesty. He was scared.

"—I am supposed to be brave for you, and yet, I made a decision that terrifies me to my core."

Weakness. Flaws. I closed the space between us and sighed. "Jaxon, it's okay to be scared. I'm scared."

"I know." He brushed his hand over my cheek. "I only wished to not add to the energy. I am keeping sight of the positive. My father's guards are strong, they will keep them far from here—"

Glancing back at the entrance, I looked into the shadows. His father's men had to have done well, only losing one; meanwhile, my father's men died. Could they have survived? We hadn't stopped to check; we couldn't and from here, how would we?

"—and we'll find the mages and get you the answers you need, Paulina. That's my promise and I will not break it."

As soon as the words left his left, Caress shrieked. Her front legs shot up in the air before she hurried deeper into the cave; not escaping, just further into the darkness.

Grabbing hold of Jaxon, I flattened my ear against his chest. His heart hammered like the beat of a rapid war drum. I gulped. Shivers traveled up my spine as the echo of squelching steps came from deep in the cave.

Where was Caress? Had she passed whatever it was? Had it scared her?

"I've got you," Jaxon whispered. "Nothing will happen."

"Oh, nothing will happen, he says," a voice came from our right.

I quickly turned my head but saw no one there.

"If it isn't the heir of King Rafael," another voice said.

"Yes, yes, his miracle child," replied the first voice.

"Oh, but look here! She comes with Marcus' bastard, what a packaged gift!" the first voice returned.

My stomach tightened as Jaxon and I looked around. We spun in a circle, investigating the shadows. There was nothing. Just stone. Only darkness.

"He isn't a bastard, Arnet," said the first voice. "His mother was a whore!"

"Yes, a whore!"

"Arnet, Jail, quiet, both of you!" a third voice echoed, lighter than the first two. "She was not a whore but a victim of love and a prisoner of fear. She could not keep her happiness as she ran from the responsibility of her bloodline. Victims, purely victims, like these two poor souls."

"Souls, yes," the first two voices spoke in unison. The sound of wet footsteps followed after.

My fingers gripped the folds of Jaxon's clothes as he held me tightly. He lifted his chin as he called to the darkness, "Mages, show yourselves!"

My eyes snapped up at him. Have the mages found us already?

"Oh, he knows us," Arnet's voice echoed.

"As he should. If it wasn't for us, he wouldn't have been born," Jail replied.

"Right, right, how could I forget? Marcus the peasant searching for greater in life."

"Life and love, yes yes."

I squinted my eyes as shadows appeared. Three of them and in the center was a candle. I could make out the silhouette of slender fingers, the outline of cloaks. I gulped as they got closer, closer, closer—

"Children." The center shadow became clear. An older woman with only wrinkles on the corners of her eyes smiled at me with yellow teeth. Her age was in her hair, her hands; tough in texture, brittle to touch. The tips of her nails, pointed and cracked, were grey like her eyes.

My heart had to have stopped beating because I no longer felt it.

"We are the mages of Palon," the woman said. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

*

A/N: Word count: 14583

I am slowly getting there. If you're reading here and participating in ONC, we got this!!! <3 Sending all support everywhere ~~