Crown of Blood

2.1|| Trix's Tale

"Where are you?" he whispered to himself, glancing around. "Trix?" he called.

There was a flash, as if something had passed very fast before his eyes. By the chill it left behind, Cage knew it wasn't Trix. His muscles tensed and he squinted into the darkness. The flash came again, this time closer to his face, the wind of movement clearly brushing his skin.

But with the sensation, something inside the void seemed to shift. He became aware that he was floating, so he looked down. Even if darkness still consumed the space, he could see a shape underneath him. He forced himself to drift down, keeping his eyes on what he supposed was the ground, while his senses kept alert for any sign of the foreign being rushing around him. The closer he came, he concluded that it was his own reflection which he'd noticed. There was no mirror underneath, but what he supposed could be considered a body of water.

When his feet touched it, it shimmered underneath him, part liquid, part smoke. This substance felt safer than the chill he'd descended from.

"Trix?" he whispered again.

"Cage?"

His friend's voice had Cage turning his head to look behind, but there was nothing there.

"Yes, it's me," he whispered back. "I'm here to get you out."

"You have to get out. Now."

"I'm not leaving without you." He turned a full circle, hoping to see something, but Trix was definitely out of sight.

"You can't be here."

"Neither can you. You're dying."

"Better that I die if that thing dies with me."

"Thing?"

The rushing creature was upon him again, circling him so fast that he could see nothing more than white wisps. The cold accompanying its movements struck him to his very core and he had to once again remind himself that he wasn't really there, but sitting in a warm place.

It's all in my head.

No, it's all in Trix's head. I am safe.

"Are you, though?"

The musical voice stopped his heart. He recognized it, but it was somewhat distorted. Twisted in unnatural ways that made his stomach churn and his chest heave with longing and pain.

"Show yourself!" he demanded.

"Cage, no!"

Trix suddenly appeared. There was an iron cage on the surface of the liquid, one maybe large enough to house a dog. Inside it, his friend lay on all fours, barely fitting. Each time his body touched the bars, it burned his skin as the iron sapped his magic.

Cage just stared, unable to understand how an iron cage could have the same effect inside someone's head. He didn't have time to fully grasp the image before he caught movement in the corner of his eye. He turned brusquely but once again, there was nothing there.

His heart now pounding, he hurried to the cage and crouched in front of it. "How the hell did you get in here?" He touched the bars, but the contact singed his skin and he was forced to pull back instantly.

"Don't touch that," Trix hissed.

"I'm trying to get you out."

"Don't get me out. The cage protects me." There was a half-smile on his face as he acknowledged the irony of the statement given Cage's own chosen name.

"Protects you?" Cage glanced up again, trying to identify the foreign presence.

Slender arms wrapped around his neck and delicate hands settled over his chest. He jumped, but could not free himself from the grasp.

"Save me," Kat whispered in his ear. "Save me from the madness."

He turned right away and she let him, dropping to her usual height, her eyes filled with tears of despair. A rabid pain shocked him as he glanced at her. The delicate lines of her face, the deep light blue of her eyes, her rosy lips... He hadn't seen her in so long, he'd forgotten the minor details of her face.

His stomach heaved and his skin crawled. A shower of guilt came upon him as he watched her. Was this where she'd been all this time? Had Trix stolen her from her body and brought her here and both of them were captive, terrorized by...? He looked upwards again.

"No. Look at me," she whispered.

Even if soft, her voice was like an iron dagger piercing his skin. This was his fault. All his fault. He'd failed her and himself.

"Cage, let her go!" Trix yelled.

"Don't ever let me go," Kat said. "I missed you. I love you."

Any potential words were stuck in his throat. The longer he looked at her, the more he wanted to give her everything. To make up for his mistakes and keep her happy. After all, she was his everything. He'd failed her. He deserved to give his life for her, so that she could be free and happy.

"I'll give you everything," he whispered to her.

She smiled. It wasn't soft. It wasn't joyful. It was hungry. It was cruel.

"Cage!"

Kat's image morphed the tiniest bit, but she resembled someone else Cage once knew. Laila. Lucille.

His skin burned where the image of Kat touched him.

Shit!

He should've seen that coming. Trix had warned him.

You don't have a body in here. There's no pain. He forced reason upon himself and the physical pain stopped enough for him to break contact with the being in front of him.

Kat pouted, her eyes filled with pain. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not playing your games, Lucille. Get the hell out of my friend's head."

Kat tilted her head in confusion, but small changes were still there. Her eyes were the wrong shade of blue. Her lips were a tiny bit fuller. The reaction of his ethereal body was not due to guilt. He was rejecting the vile magic of the former High Fairy. Lucille was using Kat to trap him.

"You can look confused all you want. I know you're not Kat. You tore Kat from me."

Not-Kat grinned and her teeth were sharp like needles. "It's still so much fun to toy with you, your Majesty."

"Fuck off and let Trix go."

The apparition waved her arms. "He locked himself in there. He's free to come out whenever he likes."

As if to prove her right, the cage disappeared and Trix straightened. His eyebrows were bunched and his mouth twisted in a snarl. He lifted his hands and shot a shockwave of magic at the creature.

She danced out of the way, laughing with glee.

"I usually do this until I'm exhausted," Trix said between his teeth. "I always miss."

"Is that why you won't wake up? Because you want to keep this thing in here?"

"Yeah. I don't want her manifesting into the real world through me like Wolfbane did. This thing is worse."

"I won't let you die to protect us."

Trix let out a hollow laugh. "Would you rather we all died at my hand? Can't you see, Cage? I can't be trusted with this thing inside my head."

The creature appeared again, this time its features even sharper and more terrifying. "Is that the best you've got?"

Trix raised his hands to aim another wave at it, but Cage grabbed his wrist.

"Wait, I can't let you hurt Kat."

⚜⚜⚜

Uh oh. What's going on? Is Cage about to succumb to the temptations of that creature? And holy crap, Trix's head is a dangerous place. But yay for wacky adventures. Maybe Cage will find a way to get Trix out.

You also get more lore. Here come the priests! Who apparently aren't very efficient. But anyway.

Hope you're enjoying the story so far so don't forget to vote and comment for support!