Solar Reign

X X I I I

And now, she was doing it to another. If it wasn't Kyle, maybe she would have felt bad.

"Kyle, you wanted to talk, right? Hope these accommodations will work for you."

Kyle flinched at the sound of her voice. "I know, a little bit different from the cell you had me in, but I find that this suits you so much more than a bedroom would."

"Andy, please," Kyle groaned. She cataloged the fact that he was still feeling in pain. If it was this constant for him, then he had to have been ignoring his blood promise for a bit of time.

"I learned something interesting Kyle. You can say a simple yes or no. Did you make a blood promise?"

Kyle flinched again, which was the only answer Andorra needed. She saw sweat gathering at his temples and slipping down the sides of his face.

"How did you know?" His voice was hoarse. Andorra watched as a tremor wracked his body. "Who told you?"

"No one. I was researching about it for something unrelated, and connected the dots. Your promise must have something to do with me, right?"

A low groan left Kyle as he pitched forward. Andorra might had thought he was faking, but he had been keeping this act up for weeks now. And she could taste the truth in his pain. It was potent in the air that he was suffering.

"Please. I need to... I just need to erase your memories-"

"Not happening." It was Callum that interrupted.

"Not all of it!" Kyle's voice was wild and loud. He was nearly screaming. "It'll kill me! It's already killing me, please Andy. Just one memory, just one!"

Callum kicked the cell, and the sound sent Kyle careening back, blind to what was happening and perhaps worried Callum would kick him instead. Andorra watched his jerky movements, the way Kyle was shivering against the floor. It wasn't cold.

It wasn't cold. The promise was killing him. Potentially right then and there, right in front of them.

And Andorra hated herself for it. Hated herself for her human heart and the way guilt grabbed her chest. She forced herself to remember Kyle holding her down while her aunt forced lemonade down her throat. She forced herself to remember how conviving Kyle really was.

But he was dying. In front of her.

"He doesn't deserve your pity." Pyatt spoke to her, his voice calm unlike how her own inner voice sounded. "He deserves death."

"Why did you make the promise?" Andorra's eyes tracked the way Kyle panted. Another groan of pain bled from his lips.

"I didn't have a choice. He made me do it. There wasn't a way out of it."

Andorra's stomach suddenly felt sick. She had a feeling she knew who he was. But, she had to ask anyway. "Blakeley."

"He hired me to erase memories. And yours... yours was one of them. I didn't... I didn't know he would make me do that." Kyle suddenly shuddered. He rolled over as vomit exploded out of him. But, because his arms were cuffed behind his back, he was nearly laying in his own bodily waste. "He... he would have killed me himself." Another gag, another gurgle, and Kyle was vomiting again.

"I think that's enough, my Queen. We should leave before he soils our shoes." Callum made a point to step away from the cell with disgust.

Andorra felt the guilt in her throat. Too human, she reminded herself. I hate that part of me.

Then, she stopped. Because, she didn't actually hate that part of herself. And wasn't that the part of herself that Coronomous valued the most? Wasn't that the part of herself the Prophet loved as well? Praised her for?

She let Callum lead her back to her bedroom, despite the sobs from Kyle to come back, to please come back, to please save me.

Andorra had to block it out. Had to swallow the lump in her throat. There had to be another way, right? She couldn't get the thought out of her mind. Because as much as she hated Kyle, she didn't really enjoy watching him suffer.

Someone had to know about the ability to erase memories. Someone had to have the answer for the blood promise, and how to reverse it.

By the time Callum had left her at her bedroom door, Andorra was already shoving her travel bag onto her back. She was going to see Nohx, but this was more important. Kyle didn't seem like he had any extra minutes left for her to give Nohx a kiss.

"You shouldn't feel bad," Pyatt was saying, but Andorra couldn't think about that. She was supposed to be human. It was why Cornomous made her Queen.

And maybe he hadn't meant she had to save everyone, but where should she have drawn the line, then? And technically, she was Kyle's Queen. What sort of Queen would she be if she didn't fight for her people, as horrible as Kyle was?

"Where are you? We need to get to the Prophet's cabin. ASAP."

Pyatt circled overhead as soon as Andorra stepped out of the castle. He swooped down, landing hard on the grass as she approached him. She could only describe the look he gave her as annoyed when she stepped on his wing.

"Oh, stop it. I may not even be able to save him. Think of this as a learning opportunity."

Pyatt snorted in response.

And then, a belated yell as Pyatt shot up into the air: "Andorra, you better not be running away!"

Andorra gave Callum a sheepish grin. Oops.