Talia's Point of View
A few days earlier
She felt like she was drowning. Like she had fallen into an endless pit and could do nothing more than scream and scream. Velith had opened its gates at last, after sealing itself off from the world to avoid the wrath of Charlize and Swallow.
Three hours ago, she had been seated in the war room, the silence fogging between her and her brother and sister-in-law.
"Velith has opened its gates," Talia laughed, savouring the words. Toying with them, as though they were sour sweets in her mouth. "Velith has opened its gates," she let out a chuckle, wild, insane and vengeful. Her brother looked at her, concerned.
"Talia, I know this is going to be hard for you-
"What?" She blurted out. "Why would this be hard?" The two of them stared at her, confused, and as the trio looked at one another, they realised they had misunderstood completely.
Selene and Orion had believed that she would hold back from striking, from obliterating.
Talia had believed that there was no question of whether they would use this to their advantage. A stab of betrayal curdled in her heart. Was this the brother she had given her Name to? Selene was the first to speak.
"We cannot afford to fight amongst ourselves when the Kallian Empire has declared war, Talia." The Lady said gently. "Under any other circumstances-"
"Under any other circumstances? When you swear vengeance, when you draw blood from your hands and pour it into the river, and vow with me to never let go, you don't think about the price of that vengeance. You don't give up. You don't say under any other circumstances."
"Talia," her brother protested weakly.
"I thought you cared about them. I would go to the ends of the earth for their revenge."
"The lives it would cost to fight-" Orion reasoned.
"The lives lost in the attack-"
"Two wrongs do not make a right!"
"Blood can only be paid for with blood."
"Talia, you understand what is at stake here. We cannot-"
"Do you understand what is at stake here? Do you understand that if you do this, if you forget your oath, that I will leave and never look back?" Selene and Orion bore matching expressions of shock.
"You wouldn't."
"What do I have left here if you betray me?" Talia cried.
"The only children left." Selene whispered. "Naomi and Elaine are gone. You have only got two left to fight for. And I know that you would lay down not just your life for Layla and Maia. You would sacrifice your vengeance, too."
Talia watched her sister-in-law with such wild and burning fury in her eyes. Selene knew what she had done. Torn her down to the very last wish and purpose of her soul, the very last piece of her that she clung onto. The only reason she was still here. The only reason that she was still anywhere.
"If you do this, I will never love you again. If you do this, I will only stay by your side for the Layla and Maia's sake."
The two of them nodded, barely, shakily, as if they had known this was to be the price all along. That she was the price.
Fury rose in her heart, betrayal rotting in her. They were cowards, backing down when things became hard.
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YOU ARE READING
Three Broken Kingdoms-Book 1 of the Lost Continent (Completed)
Fantasy'Medea Crimson took a deep breath, walked into the abyss and died. It wasn't for the first time.' Completed, first in the Lost Continent Series. Three Kingdoms on the brink. A war on the horizon. The peoples of the Lost Continent are forever divided...
