Two Thousand Years | The Empire Saga #1

Chapter Forty-Nine

Reylor remembered the Annals being far more threatening the last time he saw them.

He sent Bria ahead with the baby to begin the journey back to the Borderlands. He promised her that he would be close behind and reminded himself to thank her graciously for her assistance.

The initial blast, though it knocked him off his feet, merely shook the book from its pedestal—a vast improvement from his attempt years ago. The gathered power, however, repelled from his target, knocking over shelving units and littering the floor with books. He instinctively shielded his head as the explosion hit, blinking as the dust settled. He quickly discovered that he was still alive and well, which drove him to his feet.

Brushing himself off, he turned, eager to complete the task at hand, only to face Treyan as he stood within the doorway, brandishing his sword and ready to fight.

Reylor smiled at the sight. "It's about time you showed up."

"Where is he?" Treyan had a look of murder in his eyes.

"Who would that be?" Reylor responded coyly.

"Where is my son, Reylor?"

"Your son?" His lips curled into a devilish grin. "Are you so sure, brother?"

"Where is he?" Treyan shouted, his demand echoing from the ceiling to the floor as he took a threatening step forward.

Reylor stood his ground. "Treyan, you know you should never let your emotions become so obvious. Let's just say your first born is going somewhere safe."

Treyan stopped and looked at him, a slight smirk appearing on his face. "That's what this is about?"

Reylor peered at Treyan slightly, uneasy at his brother's reaction.

"Perhaps you needed to translate your scrolls better, brother." His brother continued.

"I don't know why you're being so smug," Reylor cut him off. "I have your heir, and once I destroy the Annals—"

"Lexan is not the heir."

Reylor paused. "He is the male twin. Bria was right there...."

Treyan perked his brow. "Bria? You should choose your traitors better."

"But the new Empress was born."

"An Emperor," Treyan interjected, the look on his face arrogant and savoring in his brother error.

Reylor raged, kicking a pile of books at his feet. He deserved this turn of events for allowing someone else to do his labors for him.

Taking advantage of his brother's obvious distraction, Treyan took another step forward. "Now, I'll ask you again. Where is my son?" he again demanded.

"Gone!" Reylor screamed, sending a ball of flaming power haphazardly in Treyan's direction. His twin easily dodged the attack, rolling to his knees with his blue eyes afire.

"One twin is better than none," he rambled on, pondering what to do next. "I will make due."

And he would. He always had.

He'd make Bria pay dearly for her mistake, but in the meantime his gaze shifted from his brother. There was only one thing left for him to do.

Treyan followed Reylor's stare as it fell upon the discarded Annals where it lay on the floor among the rubble.

"After all this time, do you still believe destroying the Annals will improve your position in life?" His brother's tone dripped with pity.

"It will make yours worse, and that's all that matters to me."

To emphasize his point, Reylor raised his hands and propelled another power spell toward the Annals. The red beams collided with the ancient book and ricocheted out toward the library's walls. Treyan dodged behind a nearby desk, attempting to protect himself from the damage as the impact caused the large tomes from the library's higher shelves to fall to the ground.

Taking a few centering breaths, Treyan opened his eyes once he was certain no harm would come, observing the Annals from where he hid as the dust settled. The book appeared unscathed despite the damage caused, but the same could not be said for the library.

"Reylor, you need to end this or you're going to destroy the palace and everyone in it," Treyan pleaded, hoping there was still some way to talk sense into his brother. "Alex is still here. If you have even a sliver of the love for her like you swore you once did, at least consider that!"

He couldn't see his twin from where he crouched but could tell by his delay in response that mention of the Empress had made him pause.

"She should never have come back!" Reylor shouted into the depths of the hall. "I will not be held accountable for her foolish choices. I would have given her everything and she chose to come back to you. How ironic, should she die now. What would you live for then?"

With a yell of frustration, Reylor sent another shock of power toward the Annals, knocking away Treyan's protective desk and sending him sprawling for cover. Mural pieces from the ceiling began to fall in large chunks, shattering into violent shards as they collided with the library floor. Treyan's concern for the structural integrity of the library was no longer his primary objective—he now worried about the resilience of the whole palace.

Thinking about his wife and daughter, Treyan hoped the Councillor would follow his orders sooner rather than later. And if he didn't put a stop to Reylor's attacks swiftly, Alex and the baby would never get out alive.