Through the Archway

Chapter Twenty-Four -- Part Three

"Why did you do it?" David asked, clenching his fists by his sides. Hold it in until the right time, he thought.

Thomas shook his head, "How can you be so blind? Can't you see what's been going on? I'm tired of covering for you! Tired of being blamed for your screw ups!"

"What are you talking about? You've never done anything for me! You killed our father, you probably killed Will, you've kidnapped hundreds of people — you're a monster!"

"What was clear was that you had powers and I didn't. Do you really think father would have let me rule on my own?"

"I don't know if you noticed, but I don't exactly have much control over mine!"

Thomas laughed, "Don't you?" David couldn't think straight. Suddenly it hit him. It had been Thomas all along, egging him on, manipulating him into losing it and just recently choking himself at breakfast, making David look like a killer... Rebekah was right — he was the missing piece in Thomas's plan. An angry prince with a reputation for losing control. It would be easy for Thomas to frame him. Far from feeling weak, David felt invigorated. He was in control — he always had been.

Didn't? David finally absorbed the words. "So you do have powers?" David asked more curiously than angrily.

Thomas held his hand out towards the nearby curtain and set it alight. David immediately responded by putting it out. "It'd be great if you didn't set my room on fire. How do you have them?" David demanded. He wanted to keep Thomas talking as long as possible — there was still the chance that someone would find them.

"Oh... well that is a very interesting story indeed. A very well developed plan thanks to Ms. Evelyn Quinn. I took them from Will. Shame he had to die though, you would've liked him. He was a lot like you, a coward and all."

"You killed Will?" David was yelling now; he could barely contain his anger. He remembered the grief Rebekah was put through when Will died. It had almost killed her too.

"Small price to pay in the grand scheme of things."

"Taking someone's life is a small price?" David blasted a surge of energy at Thomas, throwing him into the mural his mother had painted. "What is wrong with you? Don't you feel at all?"

"You shouldn't have done that," Thomas growled.

"You shouldn't have killed our father. You shouldn't have killed Will."

"If you think you can win in a fight against me brother, you are sorely mistaken. I have powers greater than you could imagine."

Thomas didn't move at all, he remained crumpled on the floor. There was no sign he was going to do something in retaliation to David's blast. Yet he did.

David's head began to pound like there was some foreign entity crashing into his skull, trying to escape; his brain was expanding, ready to burst out at any moment and spill its contents. His face became hot, and he couldn't help but yell out in pain. David fell to his knees.

Thomas stood now, and walked towards him. "What should I do with you? Killing you would be the easiest option. Yet I do have to frame you for our father's death. It was so very convenient that you and that Rebekah girl weren't in the ballroom at the time of the accident. No alibi."

The pain was getting worse. He stared up at the face of his grinning brother and tried to think of when everything had changed within him. At some point something must have happened to him; there was no explanation... unless it was all just an act from the beginning.

"I could consume your powers too," Thomas suggested with the air of someone deciding which show to watch, "That would be easy — I've already done it with Will and father."

David thought of everyone that would fall if Thomas rose to power. Everyone he loved would die. He had to get out of here, he had to do something.

David tried to centralize his energy, build it all up and focus it against the man he hated. He ignored Thomas's ideas on what he would do to get rid of David. The pain in his head had increased to such a level that he almost didn't feel it anymore. There was only one thought on his mind, one goal. Get out, get out of this room. Stop Thomas.

What happened next was a blur. There was a bright light, and the throbbing pain in his head subsided slightly. He couldn't know if he had left his brother alive or dead because he was already fleeing down the hallway as fast as he could. The further he got from his brother, the lesser the pain in his skull. He ran along the grounds at a break–neck speed, back to the grove where the concealed archway was.

He stopped under cover of darkness beneath the trees and panted. His rested his hands on his knees and worked on steadying his breaths. He couldn't hear any noise up at the castle, yet David still felt the weight of fear pressing in him. He raised his hand and let his energy flow to the archway. It's form shimmered but didn't take any full form. David had no idea where he was going, but he knew what he needed to do. Somewhere, the missing Commoners were being forced into Thomas's army. He had to find them, rescue them, and convince them to turn on Thomas.

He took one last look at the lights of his home, glowing brightly and sighed. He had to fight Thomas, but he couldn't do it while living under his brother's thumb, and he couldn't do it alone. There was no time to warn Rebekah, Evelyn, and James. Going to them would surely get them killed or captured, and his messages were being watched. They were safer if he stayed away. He pulled his Tablet out of his pocket, holding in his fist. Steam issued from his hand and he dropped the twisted ball of metal onto the cool grass. I'm sorry dad, he thought to himself, and then, I'll come back. With a last breath, David stepped into the unknown.