King's Cage [Completed]

Chapter Fifty-One

Mare

Cal is dead.

Dead.

Maven killed him.

I haven't moved in hours. I sit on my bed staring at the wall doing nothing. Feeling nothing. For my own sake, I let Maven believe that I am mourning all the others I lost. I do not cry for Cal. I do not cry at all. My tears have run out, my heart has grown cold.

Kilorn.

The Newbloods.

Shade. I just got Shade back. I thought that I saved him by sending him away, but instead, I sent him to his death. His actual death. His unborn child's death.

The rest of my family.

They're all dead and Maven killed them. Somehow, it was his fault. I know it. There is no possible way this could have been an accident like Maven says. I will kill him. I don't care what he thinks anymore. I don't care if he knows how much I have been pretending. He killed my baby's father. He killed my family. My friends. The Guard. He just ruined my chance at surviving. And now I will diminish the flame that has burned my heart. I will make him feel the ache that he has caused me time and time again. I will trick him into pouring out his heart to me so that I can crush it. I will torture him until he begs me for mercy. But like him, I will grant none. It's time for me to avenge Cal's death. And oh, I can't wait.

♥

Maven left me alone for the rest of the night. During that time, I was able to devise a plan. It will take time, perhaps a few days... but it will work. I know that Maven will take the bait. He's already tied around my finger.

He comes to me the morning after he told me the news. I hear him as he opens the door and walks to the bed where I am resting. I pretend to sleep. He crouches down in front of the bed so that his face is level with mine. When he runs a finger down the side of my face, I do my best not to jerk away. Maven sits there for a while, staring at me. Then he starts to talk.

"I'm sorry, Mare." He whispers. I don't move. Does he know I'm awake? "I just had to do it, you see." He continues. "You are so in love with my brother, with him, it was a way to get rid of this tension forever. The war can be over now. We don't have to fight anymore." Maven stops and sighs, petting my face again. "And you can never know that I did it, or you'll hate me forever." His whisper grows to a faint murmer. "I just want you to be mine. My Red Queen... forever." He stands up and starts to walk away but I hear him speak once more, harder; louder. "And now you will."

♥

After Maven leaves, I get up and get ready. I need to look my best today. I need to be able to pretend, and I can only do this if I look the part. Ruining my plans, Maven comes back when I'm in the bath. He calls my name once before walking into the bathroom.

"Oh, I didn't expect you to be awake." He says, surprised. I raise an eyebrow at him, but eventually look away and sink deeper into the water.

Maven hops up onto the counter, planning to stay awhile. For a long time, neither of us say anything. We just stare at each other.

"Maven." I finally concede, allowing my voice to sound broken. And honestly, underneath all the stuff I've buried it under, I am broken.

He looks at me, really looks at me. He hasn't done that in a while. "Yes, Mare?"

"Could you ever forgive me?" I force the sentence out of my mouth, not meaning a single word. I just need him to believe it.

Maven stands up, looking confused as he walks closer to the bathtub. "For what?" I hear the guilt in his voice, but I ignore it.

"For betraying you. For lying and running away. For leaving you when all you ever wanted was to love me." I force my voice to crack, thinking only of Cal. "I'm sorry that I couldn't be the girl you want."

Maven grabs my cold, wet hands and grips them tightly. "You are the girl I want, Mare. No matter what you do, I have always wanted you. No matter how hard I've tried to ignore it, to make it go away, I have always wanted you."

Now that I have him exactly where I want him, exactly where I planned him to be... I add the first step to taking him down. He should feel guilt. Because when Maven feels guilty over something he has done, he will do anything to make the feeling go away.

I touch his face, drawing him in like a siren. Whispering, shaking, and cold. "Then why do you hurt me so much? Why did you kill everyone I love?"

His facial expression is all that I needed to know that everything is going according to plan. He's right in the palm of my hand, and I won't let go until his Silverblood is spilt all over the floor.

Okay guys, I know this is like, horrible, but I rewrote it twice already. 😭 Sorry. Cal's POV is next shattered_quill I promise! Let me know what you think by commenting!!