Shattered Kingdoms | Book 2 ✔ (REWRITING AS 'THE EXILED KING')

Chapter 28 - Cursed Gift

Leyon peered at the unconscious archangel. His wings, previously blood red, had faded back to white, but he lay in a puddle of his own blood.

"Uh... is he the one you want me to heal?" Leyon asked, trying to break the awkward silence.

Eryna sighed, "No. I had no idea that... h-his ability would hurt him so much like that..."

She pointed to Taryn and the figure tucked in a bedroll.

"Please... heal her. We found her, and assume that that one that Aidan -She pointed to the archangel- was fighting did something to her."

Leyon nodded, "I'll go and have a look. But don't forget your side of the bargain."

He approached the girl and took in her appearance. Her pale white skin, cracked lips and short brown hair.

Pelos wanted me to heal people... so I'll heal them, in his name.

He knelt by her side and took her hand, closing his eyes.

"Revit!" He said, and the magic poured out of him.

<--<< >>-->

Back at Aidan's side, strange things were happening.

"Uh, Aidan?" Eryna asked.

His body had begun to shake and she touched his wing gently. It shivered under her touch and then she gasped, withdrawing her hand.

His body shifted and what appeared to be his shadow was moving independently. The shape slipped out of his body and Eryna stood up, backing away.

"Aidan...? Someone... anyone! It's Aidan!" She cried, taking another step away from him.

Elvina stared in shock at the archangel as he convulsed. Finally, after a horrible moment, he stopped shaking and lay still once more. However, something else stood up. Something with dark wings, a smirk, and was Aidan's mirror image in everything but clothing and hair colour. He had long stark white hair bound loosely at his lower back, where Aidan's was pitch black and cropped short, now with a blood red stripe, and he wore a simple dark overcoat with two neat rows of buttons and white outline. With a spark of violet energy, his wings disappeared, just like Aidan's could.

"Who are you?" Eryna asked, her voice shaking.

"I'm his other half," He gave a mocking bow, "I'm Cress Illuen."

<--<< >>-->

"Hey, you're that necromancer they told us about, right?"

Kylian and Lasair had found Ryhon.

He looked up and answered, "I am. What business do you have with me?"

Lasair grinned, "We're in charge of cooking tonight... and there's this guy who's really annoying. Like..." He smirked, "Like Jason. So I was hoping you could help us out?"

They'd both heard how Ryhon disliked Jason, and sure enough, they were right.

"Really? What is it you need?" Ryhon said instantly, his interest peaked.

Kylian and Lasair looked at each other with sly grins, then leaned forward to whisper in Ryhon's ear.

"Ah ha! I can do that," Ryhon nodded when they told him the plan.

Things were about to get interesting.

<--<< >>-->