For Terrasen

Before

Evalin sighs deeply and the girl, a Katerina Allovs, smiles broadly. She puts her cards down the smile growing. Her black eyes gleam brightly as Evalin studies her cards.

Katerina couldn't be older than Evalin at seventeen, she guessed that Katerina was the same age. But her eyes showed something older in them as if she'd seen the world come and go.

"You know I really thought I would win." She sighs again.

"Too bad." Katerina hums, "Put the cards down so I can get my money."

"Okay." Evalin puts down her cards, Katerina's face drains of color at Evalin's cards.

"Evalin wins." The dealer announces taking the cards away.

"Oh wait, I did win." Evalin stands Katerina following in suit now glaring at Evalin.

"You were bluffing." Katerina demands throwing her long black hair over her shoulder.

"Yes, that's the game." Evalin winks, "But keep the money." She waves a hand to the dealer and grabs her cloak as she exits out a back door.

She walks down the alley wondering where her friends have gone. They all said something about a bar but Mala, her younger sibling was only fifteen. And so was Alric Owen. Nox Owen's son.

The door swings open and Evalin turns to see Katerina storming out of the building. She walks angrily towards Evalin fists clenched at her sides.

"I don't want your money!" Katerina practically screams.

"Just take it Katerina." Evalin says placing a hand on her hip and leaning on her leg.

"I don't want your charity." Katerina says, quieter this time.

"It's not charity, I do it for everyone." Evalin rolls her eyes in annoyance. No one ever questioned why she gave the money away. But this girl sounds like she's from Adarlan so maybe she doesn't know who Evalin is.

"Look-"

"No. Just take the money and leave me alone." Evalin snaps.

"No!" Katerina screams.

"Gods," Evalin sighs and walks away again.

"Who are you anyway, letting all that gold go." Katerina demands forcing Evalin to face the girl.

"Princess Evalin Ashryver Galathynius Whitethorn." Evalin says proudly.

Katerina swallows hard and then suddenly her eyes turn black, pure black. Her eyes show none of the girl before.

"Katerina Allvos?" Evalin questions panic rising in her.

"No." A deep ancient voice says, replaced from Katerina's light voice.

"Who are you?" Evalin asks taking a step back.

Her hands reveal a black fire and since they were only a few feet away Katerina lunges grabbing Evalin's arms. The pain hits Evalin hard, it was as if her arms were slowly being ripped away burning with pain.

She screamed, so loud and so horrible that Ornyth stopped. The only sound her screams.

"I must take you back to my King." The voice says, the fire burns spreading along her arms.

Then it drops her and she falls but when she tries to catch her self she can't. Her arms scream in pain even when she tries to roll over. Evalin screams again. Katerina, but not Katerina, kneels down to Evalin. With all the strength Evalin has she grabs her face her own fire leaving her.

The thing screams as Evalin melts its organs, red blood covers Evalin's hands by the time she lets go. It falls down next to her blood leaving her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Something like thanks crosses across the girls features before she takes a final breath.

Rhoe's scream echoes across the street, "Evalin!"

Rhoe her sweet older cousin runs into the alley his long dark brown hair falling in his eyes. He looks at her arms and screams for help. Her arms have smoke leaving them and she can't move them.

Her brother and sister sprint into the alley a few seconds later. Mala screams and kneels down next to Evalin, Evangeline Ashryver runs past her brother Sam.

Sam stops breathing staring at the corpse. "Evalin, what have you done?"

She stops breathing, her?

"Sam I-"

"What have you done!" He screams angrily at her. Her older brother, her Sam, stares at her and only one emotion is in his eyes. . . hate.

More of her friends run in but she doesn't hear them, she doesn't even acknowledge them. She only stares at Sam and he stares at the body.

There is more screaming, but not for her. No it's only for the girl she's killed. Only horror and fear. Mala and Evangeline each hold one of her hands. Rhoe wipes Evalin's tears away as she cries quietly watching her friends stare at her in anger and hate.

Her friends. Her family. Just pure disgust and hate filled their eyes. Evalin's heart breaks slowly each one a crack to her heart. Alric says something to Rhoe and helps Mala up so Rhoe could lift Evalin.

He lifts up her arm and she screams again, this one the worst, because she doesn't only scream from the pain but also from the ache in her heart.

— — — — — — —

Rhoe runs through the castle still carrying Evalin. She goes in between consciousness every few minutes.

There is shouting at guards and running, her friends follow close behind but some of them stay a distance away. There are sounds of running and as Rhoe places her on the table she sees her mother come in. She stops and a scream rips through the now silence at the Queen's presence.

That scream will never leave Evalin, the sound of pure terror sadness. Her father runs in and he holds his wife as she slowly falls to the ground sobs racking her body. Evalin cries with her mother as their eyes stay with each other.

Yrene Westfall runs in the room a robe not even fully tightened around her. Chaol Westfall, her husband, runs after her with a bag of healing supplies.

Yrene reaches Evalin and takes her face in her hands pulling her eyes away from her mother. Yrene's eyes are filled with fear as she looks down at Evalin's arms.

"It'll be okay." She says her voice soothing. Evalin closes her eyes as Yrene braces her hands on her arm. Evalin screams and her mother sobs again Mala now on the other side of her.

Sam still stands on the edge with her friends, some of them are crying. Rhoe, Evangeline, and Alric stood by Evalin Evangeline holding her hand.

Evalin's screams and her mother and father's sobs echoed along the walls all night.