The Opelux and Other Monsters || Book One

CHAPTER 53 - ORION

"What?"

He pushed away from the desk and walked back over to me. "We'd planned for you to arrive in time for the Ranking Duels I'd ordered, where we would prep you, you would duel, you would win, and immediately, you would be accepted as Tritteon's replacement, no questions asked." He sank onto the couch next to me, elbows on his knees, knuckles gripped together against his forehead. "But then Desraeon learned you were to be executed. He tried everything to get to you, but to no avail. Corvek killed you himself. Desraeon found you before the grave you'd been dumped in was filled and immediately flew you here, not wanting to run the risk of your body being discovered missing and Corvek beginning a search for it." He rubbed his forehead. "We tried our best to accommodate the plan with your being here, but, obviously, Daniel caught on too quickly."

My eyes stung. "I'm not worth any of this! I don't even plan on staying! Tritteon shouldn't have had to die—"

He took my face between his hands. "You are worth this. Every bit of it—"

I grabbed his wrists and tried to pull free, but his grip was unyielding.

"There are millions of lives at stake. You can't begin to imagine how many people would die for you if they discovered who you were. You are our only chance. And there will be an ending. You will defeat him. Desraeon has foreseen it."

I punched him in the crook of his arms and his grip loosened enough that I was able to jerk away. I threw my legs over the side of the couch and stumbled out of his reach, relieved they held my weight.

"Don't you dare put that responsibility on my shoulders. I didn't ask for it. And I won't be guilt-tripped into it either. You brought me here. His death is on you too."

Rilyin held my gaze for a long moment, and then looked down, nodding slowly. Without warning, he stood and strode from the room. I heard what sounded like heavy furniture being moved, and then everything was silent.

I sank to the floor. After everything that had happened, how could he think I would ever consider staying? He was crazy! I was not and would never be the person he wanted me to be. And I wasn't going to let anyone else die because I was here. None of my questions about my past were worth it. It wasn't about being someone no one else could be. This was about a desperate, stupid man who had not only stolen from the wrong person, but had also tried to use that person's stolen property to do exactly what he had been threatened against doing. That was it.

"You are no one's property," Lexicon said softly.

I buried my face in the couch cushion.

Thunder rumbled, rattling a few of the glass trinkets on Rilyin's bookshelves. I looked back at them. The room lit up as lightning flashed outside the office windows, throwing shadows in all directions, one of which was too large and entirely out of place. I stood slowly.

Lightning flashed again and the silhouette moved.

I padded to the door, my legs wobbling slightly, and peeked into the office at the windows.

The Carnac clung to the outside, its face upturned. The scar on its stomach was obvious.

"Rilyin," I said in a hoarse whisper, shooting a quick look around. But the office was empty. And there wasn't another door.

The double doors behind me burst open. I spun to tell Desraeon to shut up, but the words died in my throat and the two men were on me in a second. The older newcomer grabbed my mouth and nose, nearly suffocating me into silence, while Daniel stuck something against the side of my neck and ice surged through me.

I felt something click tight around my wrists, but all my concentration was on the horrifying sight between the two Carnac on the other side of the room. Tritteon hung limply between them, his pallid skin covered in prominent, black veins.