When Darkness Burns

:Chapter 27:

*Kane*

I sat next to Xander and Fern, Styx on my other side. Sia took the little ones inside with Mary, Fern's Mate, to keep them from seeing what was about to happen. 

" Let the Challenge begin!"

Integra moved first, pulling out a English rapier from her shadows. Even though it was night, when she'd be stronger, Mom had the advantage of fire at her disposal, and she was using it to power her other daytime gifts. Mom had grabbed the rapier by the blade, jerked her arm downward, breaking the blade, all while pulling Integra closer in the same move, grabbing her by the throat, jumping into the air and slamming Integra into the dirt, the heel of Mom's boots landing inside Integra's chest. Stepping off her, Mom started talking, and what she said sent chills down my spine. 

" I warned you, little girl, about playing with fire. I warned you about pissing me off and I warned you to remember your place. Well, now you get to feel the wrath of fire, and why you don't want to be burned." 

" You never deserved him, you fucking tart." 

Mom grabbed her by the hair, dragging her a few inches, before running and slamming Integra over her head into the dirt. I knew Mom to be brutal, but this was borderline savage. I looked to Xander, and he was laughing a small bit with Fern.

" Who knew Farline was so cruel?" 

" You don't live with a tyrant as long as she did and not come out with some new tricks." 

" That's fair." 

" Bet you twenty bucks Farley uses a fire spear to impale Integra and end the whole thing." 

" You're on." 

I turned back to the fight, and Mom was destroying Integra, throwing her around and beating her pissless. The crowd was enthralled, cheering my mother on.

" Xander, I thought Vlad said the people of his kingdom hated her."

" Oh, they do, why do you think they all bowed to me? It was either me or her, and they hate her more than they sort of hate me. They would rather listen to a true born king than a half hearted made queen." 

" Makes sense on why Mom's got so much support then." 

" Farley will always be their queen. She's ruled as No-Life Queen for so long now, she knows no other life, having been a vampire since her mid-twenty's."

 Mom had just summoned a fire spear, and ran it right through Integra's middle, then stuck the handle into the dirt to let her squirm, a very audible groan from Fern told me that Xander knew this would be how she ended the fight. Xander got up, and walked over, and looked Integra in the face. She wasn't going to die, but damn, was she in pain. 

" You now know your place in this hierarchy, yes?" 

" Yes! Get me down! I'll*cough* behave, I promise!" 

" Are you sure?" 

" Yes!" 

" Yes, what?" 

" Yes, my King!" 

" Thatta girl. Farley, let her down." 

Mom let her go, dropping her to the ground, her wounds not healing. 

" Farley, you broke it, now you fix it." 

" Come on, Xander. I say let her suffer." 

" I think you did that enough. Heal her, please." 

" Fine." 

Mom placed a hand over the wound, slashed it, and with a few drops of her blood into the wound, it was healed. 

" Now, Teggie, you are to take your brats and never come into my kingdom again. You are allowed to live, but my personal rule is that you are to remain in exile until you come to grips and understand that I am the true queen, for I have ruled the night, and now I rule the day. I am a huntress, a queen two times over, a pyrokinetic, wife and ex-wife of two separate kings, and a mother to three very powerful children. Now, what am I?"

" You are my Queen, The true High Queen, and I am but a lowly maid in your court." 

" Good. Now, take your spawn and scatter." 

I watched Integra call her kids, all three clinging to her legs, and warping out. 

" Now, to the rest of you! Does anyone else wish to dispute the rights of me and my husband, like she did, or are we all going to play nice and not be stupid?" 

Everyone knelt to her and Xander, and it was terrifying seeing how she had commanded them all. I loved my Mom, but she was starting to remind me of someone. And that someone just had his heart ripped out by my stepfather.