Silver Skin

57

The point of no return
~
Accalia
~

The wound cut deep, but it would heal. This, baring witness to this union, sliced Cadence in two. It showed plainly on her face, her ghostly skin, and onyx eyes that were pitted wide, sinking and consuming everything she saw into an abyss.

But it would come to pass, Accalia reasoned, challenging her thoughts. It had to.

Freedom was in close range.

Accalia's sole focus was to leave this place and she had to have her people by her side to do that.

Cadence had to keep it together, hold those parts of herself that wanted to split apart.

Accalia casted everyone uncertain, but stern glances. No one opted to wait outside, not even the servant, nor Cole who was struggling to hold his own. 

Alexene went in first, her eyes falling directly onto Rexton as she grappled with whether to go to him or not. She went to the shadowy corner.

Tala and Claire crept inside and Erisa and Cole followed after them.

One by one, they all filed in and were graced by the Queen sitting on her throne.

Adriana gripped the sides of her ruby crystal chair and leered down at them as though they were beneath her. She had won. After all this time, she had ceased victory.

Accalia stopped focusing on the Queen and settled her rigid stare of Rexton. He already had the cage door wide open for Lycus to walk free. Only, he hadn't. He stayed put in the centre.

A flood of emotions drowned Accalia seeing him like this. It was a crushing weight gushing over. Without thought, she strolled over and gripped the sword tightly in her grasp.

This was all it took. Rexton only had to yes to Adriana and freedom would be theirs. It was so simple. Just a simple sacrifice was what it took.

It took all this waiting, all this torture and confinement for it to finally be done.

But Rexton would be caged. A gilded, promising cage that doomed his fate.

And he didn't seem to care. He showed no sign of it. Rexton stretched the door wide open and tried to coax his brother out.

Lycus didn't come and cowered deeper into the corner of the cage with his tail bristling in threat.

Accalia came to the door of the cage and peered inside, staring at the creature that occupied it.

This upset Lycus further, his tail brushing over his face, covering his eyes to hide what was his mate — what had become of her.

He was staring at the blood on her, blood that wasn't her own, the sword in her hand and the bloodbath that shedded around them.

But it had to be done. He had to understand that. Lycus was the king of bloodletting for his reasons, even if they were driven by anger and control.

"Lycus," Accalia said slowly, her tone strained and forced. She laid her hand flat against the floor of the cage and stuck her head in, growing closer. "Come out."

He stayed put and ignored her.

A pulsating and revering frustration up Accalia's body and she came close to yelling in desperation for him to come out.

That wouldn't do, Accalia chastised herself and retreated back, guilt building in her chest.

What was wrong with her? She was so tense, enraged, she wanted to yell at her mate.