‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
I dreamed of my parents funeral. It had been many years ago, but the day was imprinted in my brain. I didn't think I'd ever forget that feeling of helplessness as I stood by Tellie, listening to some man from church speak about how their souls were now walking up to the gates of another life. A better life. All I had wanted to do was pounce on him. I wanted to slam my little fists into him and beg for them back. I so desperately wanted my mothers arms around me, to smell her lavender soap and feel the reassuring brush of her hand on my face. I wanted to press my ear to my fathers chest and hear the deep, vibrating rumble of his voice as he spoke. I wanted, I wanted, I wanted...and I'd never get any of those things again.
I had been nearly crying the entire time. Meanwhile Tellie had been stiff as stone beside me. She was the one who was being strong, not me. While I cried and slept for days Tellie was the one preparing the funeral and making sure I had a blanket pulled over my shoulders so I didn't freeze. She hadn't spoken much in the days before the funeral, just like she wouldn't speak much for years after. Tellie did not go to others for help when dealing with a crisis, she just stayed silent and suffered.
I had been listening to the man drone on about their passage over when I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I thought I had been so strong, thought I'd been keeping it composed like my sister. But I was nothing like my sister. I was six years old and desperate for my parents and I couldn't take it anymore. So I did what all six year old did when faced with something troubling. I ran.
My little body darted through people so easily most didn't even feel me as I moved through the throngs of people in our small village. Despite the day being black and heavy for Tellie and I, the rest of the village seemed fine. But how could they have been fine? My parents were murdered by strange people with tall ears and strange complexions. But no one was talking about that, no one remembered. They said our parents were killed by robbers. No one wanted to believe two little girls.
I ran and ran until my legs ached but I didn't stop. Children had a way of using so much energy but never tiring. I had grown up running. Running around the house, running around chasing chickens or goats. I thought if I ran fast enough, I'd run away from all the demons, all the grief. I didn't know how wrong I was.
I got to the forest though I did not stop. The forest was dangerous. Rame officials warned their people never to venture inside because of dangerous animals and poisonous leaves and berries. I didn't think of those things then. All I thought of was peace and quiet and somwhere to cry where no one could judge me.
I was sobbing then, big awful sobs that were near screams. I felt my face go hot, my throat burned. I picked up my pace, green blurring around me, when my foot suddenly caught on a root. My body went flying forward and I fell to the ground with a thump. I did not move though, I stayed there, my cheek pressed to the soft grass as I cried. I cried and cried until I saw a spider moving in the grass beside me, small and brown, and practically forced my trembling body to crawl over to a tree, far from the spider. Tellie had told me stories of spiders crawling into peoples ears and making homes there. Needless to say, I hated spiders.
I kept my back against the tree, hanging my head. I felt so alone. So sad. It felt as though a dark little cloud stayed hovering over my head, casting away any good thoughts or light, just simply pouring down on me, drenching me so thoroughly that I felt too stiff and cold to move. I had been feeling cold ever since my parents died. It was hard to explain, but it felt almost as if frost was spreading over my heart. The ice was nice though, the ice was keeping it whole and protected. As long as my heart didn't break again, I didn't care.
I pressed my forehead to my knees and wished it all to go away. I didn't know how long I had been in that position for but I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. I picked my head up to see a boy with dark hair and gray eyes before me.
"Take it away," I said, pressing a hand over my heart. The boy sighed, his brows furrowing. He had tattoos covering his skin and he was wearing dark clothes. His image was fading in and out though and I could've sworn that something like dark shadows were moving around him. He had pointed ears too, though he did not feel dangerous like those men who raided my house. I trusted him.
"I know what it feels like to lose everything," he said gently. He flickered a hand and I saw a dark tendril wind through his fingers. "I wish I could take away your heartache." He leaned forward and pressed his lips to my forehead. It was then that I was no longer a little girl but nineteen. Sable was before me, his hand at my nape, his scent of leather and embers wafting to me.
"But you did this to yourself," he said. I opened my eyes to see that he no longer looked like Sable. His eyes were pure black, his veins dark, he looked...evil. I opened my mouth to scream-
I jerked awake to my head getting thrown to the right and prickles of pain erupting over the left side of my face. I had been slapped. My eyes flew open to see a guard hovering above me. He had his sword at my throat, pressing so hard that tears stirred in my eyes.
"Execution day has come early, sweetheart," the guard rasped. I felt my eyes go wide and the breath catch in my throat. Execution? Sable hadn't said anything about execution.
I screamed as he and another guard grabbed me by the arms and forced me to stand, they were wearing gloves lined with iron. Before I had fallen asleep, someone had thrown me a shift dress and told me to change. I had no idea where my ice dress went, but I doubted I'd ever see it again. The dress I was wearing now was nothing more than a potato sack with arm sleeves, the hem going down to just above my knees.
"Where are you taking me?" I asked as I was forced out of the cell. I didn't have any shoes on, they confiscated those last night as well. I grimaced as I felt dirt stick to the soles of my feet.
The butt of a sword cracked into the back of my skull and I staggered forward, my legs buckling as dark spots scattered over my vision. I could hardly think through the pain as I was hauled up the stairs. My knees knocked into the steps so much that I could feel the skin peeling and cold blood leaking out. Obviously Gabriel hadn't told them to be gentle.
I was marched up the dark stairs and into the hall. Servants eyed me with disgust as we walked, some even spat on me. I hardly cared. All I could think about was what I was marching to. My execution. Gabriel was going to kill me.
I fought against the guards holding me but they only tightened their grips or slammed their weapons into me. One guard even landed a solid punch to my nose, making blue blood splatter onto my shift.
But the physical pain wasn't the worst agony. No, the worst agony was the betrayal. Sable had told my story to the king and now he was going to kill me. Sable probably hadn't even tried to stop my execution, I wondered if he'd suggested it. I wouldn't have been surprised.
I tried not to let them, but I felt tears swirl in my eyes. I had gone through so much. So much. I had endured becoming a fae, feeling my bones break and my tendons reform. I had gone through that gods-awful boot camp in Camp Caligo. Been assaulted by the Ensign of the army. Lost my sister. Been tortured by Sable for months. And this was how my life ended? I had been broken time and again but I rebuilt, over and over again. But was it all for nothing? Was this what the gods had planned for me?
Sable told me there had been a prophecy of a girl, a human girl, in Rame who was destined to bring an end to the crown. Sable was sure it had been me but I wasn't sure how. I was going to die today, not bring an end to Gabriel. I would die and the world would keep on moving. Gabriel would keep on ruling, Hiraeth would keep on dying, and Sable would keep on killing. I was sent as a spy to change the world of Hiraeth, to bring about freedom for half-fae across the kingdoms. But I had failed. I had died for the cause but ultimately did not help them. I was a failure.
My heart practically stopped beating as I saw large, looming doors before us. Two guards on the outside were opening them. Inside I could see a large golden throne. A sick feeling embedded itself in my gut. I didn't want to die. I didn't want to die. I had no choice. I was thrown through the doorway and marched into the room.
The throne room in the spring palace was similar yet different to the one in the winter palace. The spring palace throne room was larger, the throne grander, and everything much more expensive looking. This throne room was for show, it was meant to intimidate others with a show of wealth and power.
As I was marched in I felt my breath stop in my throat. Sitting on the throne was Gabriel himself. His amber eyes were glowing and the crown on his brow was black as night. Next to him was Sable, wearing all black. He looked worse than he had last night. Sickly almost. He kept his eyes trained to the floor, not once glancing at me. That was somehow worse than if he was glaring at me.
Stationed around the room were guards and the...cadre. They were circled around the room wearing what looked like battle clothes. Fine clothing lined with armor. None of them would meet my eyes either. But the betrayal...I could practically feel it in all of them. They were ashamed of me. No one but Ayaz met my eyes and when he did he simply shook his head and looked away. It felt like a punch to the gut.
Gray was standing near a cluster of guards on the kings left. He was staring at me, his brows furrowed. He had sobered from last night and looked...different. It took me a moment to realize he wasn't wearing any makeup, or all his rings. Betrayal shined brightly in his black and gold gaze as well. I wished I could've apologized to all of them.
I was thrown to my knees before the king and I winced as my scraped skin met the ground. The guards walked away from me and in three second, the kings power washed over me. I couldn't stop the scream that left my lips as pain erupted...everywhere. It felt as though my bones were snapping, my veins bursting, my very soul shattering. I could barely think through the agony.
I fell forward, my face buried in the carpet. I screamed until my throat ached but I couldn't stop. All I felt was agony. The pain did not stop but I felt a hand grip my hair and force me up. The pain on my scalp was washed away by the agony of his power.
Gabriel stood before me, looking more lethal than I had ever seen him before. If I thought I knew fear before...it was nothing compared to what I felt then. "I found you when you were nothing more than a little girl. You wanted to be a soldier and I gave you power. I gave you a spot on my elite cadre, gave you glory and wealth, and you betray me?" He threw me down and I collapsed back to my knees. The agony was slowly leaving my body but I was still trembling, barely able to keep myself upright.
"I never wanted any of those things," I croaked. Another wave of pain washed over me and I screamed.
"You think you're powerful?" he asked, returning to his throne. "Did you really think you could've snuck around my palace like the rat that you are and I wouldn't find out?"
I sniffled, feeling tears leak from the corners of my eyes. I let out a weak laugh. "It took you a while though, didn't it?" I said. Gabriel did not retaliate with power, instead he laughed.
"But I did find you, didn't I?" he said. "My killer has ripped the secrets from your head and soon I'll know everything I need to know about The Killers of Kings-" I looked up at Sable, who was keeping his gaze downwards still. Sable lied. He hadn't ripped the secrets from my head and Gabriel still hadn't asked him for what he had found. He hadn't betrayed me. The thought was enough to make the agony pounding through my body silence for just a moment.
"And you will be dead," Gabriel finished, leaning back. "How does it feel to know you died for a spy organization that will soon tarnish."
"They will not," I said, breathing heavily. I was starting to feel dizzy from the pain. Vomit was slowly rising up my throat but I quickly swallowed it down.
"No?" he asked, amused.
"The thought of rebellion crosses every mind in Hiraeth," I said. "It's everywhere, the seed has already been planted. It doesn't matter if I die, those seeds will grow and soon it will flourish, growing new hope in the people you let suffer. I don't need to be alive to know that your kingdom is not on your side. There are more people who hate you then adore you, your majesty, you just surround yourself with the ladder. You're a fool if you think this ends with me." I could practically see Gabriel's anger roiling through him. His crown slipped on his brow as he leaned forward.
"Nothing but hopeful words from a little girl," he spat.
"Hope is all people need to fight. Hope is what will end you," I said.
"It was supposed to be you," Gabriel said. "There was a prophecy fourteen years ago about a girl in Rame who'd bring an end to the crown." He reached up and fingered the black thing, so dark against his gray hair. "My guards thought they killed you and I thought the deed was done. But no, here you are. On your knees just moments away from your death. Can't you tell, Eira? I always win." I had no retaliation against that. He was right. Today I'd die and he'd win over me. He wouldn't win over the half-fae though. I was right. A war was coming, I could feel it. I knew it. The war would not end with me, and that was a nice thought to bring into death.
"You know, tales of Cynefin have been around for centuries. Longer than I have been alive," Gabriel said. I felt my stomach drop and my gaze lift to Sable. He looked tense, his shadows flickering. "I thought they were just legends, old wives tales. Cynefin haven't occurred in such a long time-" Suddenly my arm was wrenched forward by an invisible force and my wrist was upturned, showing the interlocking crescent moons on my wrist, a stark contrast against my pale skin.
The room gasped. "And to think, with my killer. I genuinely thought my boy was incapable of love." Sable remained expressionless. "But somehow, you opened your legs and seduced him, didn't you?" Gabriel said. Anger, harsh and cold, stirred in my belly and a growl left my lips. "It's too bad you won't ever see the extents of your bond or your connection. They say that Cynefin have the most powerful type of love." Gabriel chuckled. "Which is another reason I'll have to kill you. I can't afford for my killer to be distracted with thoughts of love."
Gabriel suddenly stood and threw down two things at my knees. A vial of poison and a dagger. The poison shattered on impact but the dagger stayed just inches away, spinning from the momentum of the throw. "An anonymous source said you were plotting to kill me. I hadn't believed it but we had your room searched and found the exact items they described were in your possession."
He stalked towards me, pulling a sword out of its sheath. It was large, larger than any sword I had ever seen before. "Stupid girl, leaving your evidence so easily out in the open. I will take pleasure in cutting your head from your body." I fought against his hold on me but he easily kept a force of power wrapped around me, keeping me imobile.
My heart stammered in my chest and I desperately called upon my power but I was met with nothingness. Gabriel raised his sword and I sucked in a breath. My parents died, Tellie died, Heather died for all I knew. Death, death, death. Death had been my close companion all through life. I should've expected he'd come to call on me as well. I didn't want to die. It scared me.
The sword glinted in the light and I met Sable's gaze. Finally. I wanted him to be the last thing I saw. The boy who held my heart. I saw the sword arcing downward and I braced for it to collide with me but it never came. Instead...darkness exploded.
I tucked in on myself as I heard the terrible sound of something akin to glass shattering. I felt pieces of the glass fall down on me and I grimaced. Suddenly, something was slamming into my side and I was getting pressed down into the floor. I glanced up to see Ayaz hovering above me.
"Don't do anything dumb," he said before springing up and shooting out his hands. I felt my own hair blow back as a gust of wind collided into a cluster of guards that was charging at us. They all flew back and collided with the wall. I grimaced as I saw their armor dent from the impact.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"Sable told us the truth," he said. More wind, more guards falling back. "Regardless of you lying to us, we still care about you Eira." He looked back at me and it was in that moment that I saw two guards in black armor running at us. One collided with Ayaz, the other with me.
I fell onto my back, the wind getting knocked out of me. The guard wrapped his hands around my neck and slammed me into the floor. I tried to get air into my lungs but I couldn't. He was suffocating me. I struggled against him, kicking and thrashing, but he was too heavy.
Black spots started to form on the edges of my vision and slowly started to shift inwards. I felt the blood rushing to my head and a fire start in my lungs. "I'll be a hero when I end you," the guard said. I clawed at him, nails raking down his skin, but it was to no avail.
Suddenly, some sort of metal structure slammed into him, knocking him to the side. I rolled onto my stomach, gasping for breath. The fire slowed in my lungs and I could finally breathe again. I coughed and spluttered, blinking quickly so that the black spots disappeared.
"Hello, beautiful. You looked like you could've used some help," a familiar voice said. I glanced up to see Gray standing before me.
"Thank you," I rasped. He kneeled, reaching for my cuffs. With a simple twist of his fingers the iron fell away, practically melting off of my wrists. Now with the cuffs gone, my tattoo was on full display. Gray frowned at it, running a finger over it. His nail was painted black, he had gotten them done for the ball last night.
"How long?" he asked.
"Since last night," I said. He nodded before suddenly thrusting out a hand. I watched as pieces of metal wrapped around a guard, pinning his arms to his body. He fell down with a thump, knocking his head on the ground and going unconscious. Gray grabbed me by the arm and pulled me up. I felt dizzy, weak from Gabriels power but I was alive and free. My ice swirled deep inside of me. I was back.
I watched in awe as Nazira, Caspian, Ayaz, and Sable all fought against the guards. They worked together, in perfect sync. It was almost like a dance, watching them fight against the royal guard. Obviously, the cadre was winning, the guards were thinning out.
"Where's Gabriel?" I asked as I shot my hand out and entombed a woman in ice. She had been midscream, her face contorted.
"I don't know, he must have fled!" Gray shouted. Fire erupted somewhere to my left and I knew Nazira was close by. She had the coolest powers by far. I shot ice bullets out at anyone in black armor. All my training with the cadre was now coming into play. I felt..strong, fighting amongst them. I felt like I belonged.
Ice bullets careened into people and I tried not to focus on the noise as bodies slumped to the ground. Tried not to focus on the smell of blood leaking out onto the floor. At the sound of lips sucking in their last breath. I couldn't focus on that, not now.
I had just been shooting ice at a guards legs, freezing them in place, when I felt something shift on the tether, tugging at it. I knew I needed to turn around. I just knew. I sent one more blast of ice at my enemy before whipping around. My gaze caught on Sable, who was slicing his sword through someone's middle. The cold of battle had leached into his eyes and he no longer looked like the boy who'd kiss me under the stars and held me as I slept, but like the warrior he had been honed to be since he was eight years old. It was a tragically beautiful thing to watch him in battle.
It took me a moment to realize there was movement behind Sable. I watched as Gabriel limped towards him, a large glass piece in his hand. He looked badly beaten. Sable must've attacked him with shadows after shattering his sword. He hadn't fled then, he must've been unconscious.
Gabriel lifted the glass piece, aiming it right at the middle of Sable's shoulders. "Sable!" I screamed. I shot a hand out and froze Gabriel in place. I then sent an ice bullet straight at the glass piece, making it shatter into nothing but dust.
Sable finished off the woman he was fighting against and whipped around, eyes widening as he saw his king struggling, frozen all the way up to his neck, before him. "Your majesty," Sable said, bobbing his head, his breathing hard as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Eira!" I heard someone shout. But it was too late. A blade grazed against my side, cutting through my dress and to the skin below. I slammed my elbow into the guard who Nazira had burned thoroughly and he stumbled backwards. Cold blood leaked out of the wound but I hardly noticed as I created a wall of ice around him. I heard him banging on it but then I sealed the top. There.
"Bastard," I said. I turned to where Sable had been only for my vision to go foggy and my head to spin. I stumbled, looking down to see a lot more blood than I had originally thought staining my shift. I ignored it and walked forward, my hand pressed to my side, as I watched the cadre stand before the king.
"Kill him!" Gabriel screamed. Nazira, Caspian, and Ayaz stayed silent though.
"We no longer take orders from you," Caspian said. Gabriels jaw dropped and Ayaz smirked, giving him a low bow.
"I think you've been a tyrannical douche for a little too long, don't you think?" he asked. No one laughed though, certainly not Sable who was staring down at Gabriel, a wound from his head leaking blood.
"My boy," Gabriel said. "This isn't like you."
Sable began to tremble. "You don't know me."
"Don't know you?" Gabriel laughed. "Boy, I own you."
Sable stalked towards him, bending low to speak right in his face. "Not anymore," he said. "From this day on I am done being controlled by your crown as is my cadre. We're done." He took a step back, glancing at me. "We're done."
Gabriel growled and it was then that I felt something shift in the air. I watched in horror as everyone, save for Sable, was thrown into the air. Nazira, Caspian, Ayaz, and Gray were thrown backwards and I cringed at the noise of their bodies hitting the stone walls of the throne room. Gabriels power kept them pinned to the wall. As much as they writhed and shouted, they could do nothing. Nothing could beat power itself.
"You dare test me?" Gabriel said, looking up at Sable. Sable swallowed hard. For the first time, ever, I saw something like fear dance in his eyes. I wondered when the last time he truly felt fear was.
Ice shattered. Gabriel was free of his restraints. I was about to throw my arm forward to stop him when suddenly, the bones in my legs snapped. I screamed, falling to my knees, hands slamming into the floor, as incredible agony washed over me. There was no crack, no bones shooting out of my skin, so I figured Gabriel hadn't actually broken any bones, only made it feel like he did.
"Stop," Sable said, taking a step towards Gabriel, but Gabriel threw out a hand and I watched as Sable froze mid-step. The muscles in his arms and back strained, veins popping out of his neck. He couldn't move.
"Cynefin," Gabriel purred. He turned towards me, blinking once, and more of his power washed over me. I felt each and every one of my ribs "break". I let out a terrible scream, unable to stop myself. I collapsed forward, my hands hitting the carpet. My whole body was trembling and I could hardly think over the roaring in my head.
"Stop it," Sable said, his silver eyes flashing. Shadows swirled but Gabriel batted them away as if they were nothing more than measly butterflies.
"I thought Cynefin were myth. My mother used to tell me stories of them. Of the great love that would conquer all. Is that what you two think you have?" Gabriel looked over at me and another wave of power washed over me and I moaned, beginning to tremble. I spat out a mouthful of blood and alarm rung through my head. That wasn't good.
"Please, hurt me," Sable said, fighting against Gabriel's hold on him. "Don't hurt her. Please Gabriel."
"I never thought I'd hear you beg," Gabriel said, taking a step towards his killer. He bent down towards him, amber eyes scanning his face. "Do it again."
Pain, much more than before, erupted in my veins. A blood-curdling scream left my lips and I fell to the ground, stars bursting behind my eyes. I was sure I should've gone unconscious by then, but Gabriel must've been keeping me awake.
"Please!" Sable yelled as my screams continued. I couldn't stop. "Touch her again and I swear to the gods, I'll rip your heart from your chest and crush it to dust. Hurt me instead. Use your powers on me." Gabriel turned slowly and his powers ebbed on me. I sucked in a sharp breath, collapsing onto my stomach. Everything was pounding, everything was aching.
"I don't think I'll stop," Gabriel said. I peeled my eyes open to see his face just inches away from Sables. "Not when her screams are music to my ears and your anger is the most beautiful painting." My body was suddenly thrown into the air and I gasped. The gasp was the last bit of breath I got into my lungs before my air was suddenly cut off. Panic stirred in my chest as I felt a tendril of power wrap around my throat, keeping me from breathing.
"Gabriel-"
"I said I'd kill her," Gabriel said. The power tightened and I let out a strangled noise, clawing at my throat. "I stay true to my word. Three hundred years, Sable. I thought you would've known that by now." I felt my face grow cold and fire erupt itself inside of my lungs. Black spots danced across my vision and I felt my heart pound against my chest. This was it. This was how I died.
"I'll do anything," Sable said, sounding breathless. The power loosened on my throat by just a fraction. A relief, but not enough to actually permit me to breathe.
"Anything?" Gabriel asked. I looked down, through the haze covering my eyes, to see Gabriel staring down at Sable, a wicked grin on his lips.
"Yes," Sable said. "Just let her go. Don't hurt her anymore." Gabriel glanced up at me, licking at his lips. I wanted to cry out for Sable to stop. That he was an idiot for making such a deal. But I couldn't speak. Couldn't think over that inferno in my chest.
He turned towards Sable. "Deal." My body plummeted to the ground and I winced as I slammed to the floor. I could taste coppery blood filling my mouth and I spat it out, trying to compose myself.
"Get on your knees," Gabriel said. I opened my eyes to see Gabriel glowering at Sable. Sable had his hands twitching at his sides, shadows flickering around him.
"Sable, don't," I said, my voice a rasp. Neither of them turned to look at me, as if they were the only two people in the room. The cadre were still struggling above me, but I hardly focused on them. "Sable." He sent me a warning look.
"Now, my killer." Sable swallowed hard and I watched as his face went stony. He didn't like to bow, just like me. "Do it or she dies." At that...Sable's face paled. I saw his jaw clench and unclench. I knew this was more than a simple kneel. It was an act of submission. A sign that Gabriel had won.
"Don't," I wheezed as I saw Sable begin to drop. But the act had already begun. The sound of his knees hitting the ground was as if someone had stabbed a dagger into my belly. Sable's face didn't so much as stutter as he kneeled. The only sign of his discomfort was his clenched jaw. I could feel his disgust, his hatred, flash down that bond we had and I grimaced. I silently pleaded for him to get up but it was to no use.
"You will always be lesser than," Gabriel growled, bending low to say it right in his face. "Always." Sable only let out a sharp breath, his silver eyes flashing. Gabriel turned, chuckling to himself, and started to reach for one of the many swords positioned at the side of his throne.
When I tell you to, do as I say. A voice spoke inside my head and I recognized it immediately. Sable. The bond flared and I felt a strange, soft magic wash over me. Cynefin magic. Soulmate magic. Was that one of the perks of our connection? Communicating with each other?
Okay. I said back, even though I wasn't really sure how to do it, or what Sable meant. I watched in horror as Gabriel started to pull a sword out of it's sheath. Someone must've kept those things well oiled because it shone and gleamed in the light. Sharp and perfect. Perfect for killing. Holy gods, did he plan on killing Sable?
"You always were disobedient," Gabriel said, his back still turned as he admired the blade, running a finger down it. "Always had your head in the clouds. A dreamer, you were. Never able to make quick, efficient kills. Always hesitant." Sable glanced once at me, and it was then that I saw he was rising from his kneeled position. I did the same.
Freeze him. Now. Sable commanded. I threw my hand out at the same time Sable did. Ice burst from deep inside of me and shot out of my palm, wrapping around Gabriel. He let out a howl as ice rapidly spread across his body, covering his neck so that only his head was free of it. Sable's shadows wrapped around the still-setting ice, wrapping like chains around the king. Gabriel struggled, but he could not break free. My ice was impenetrable, Sable's shadows were like iron. Separate we were strong, but together...we were uncontrollable.
The sound of boots hitting carpet alerted me that the hold Gabriel had on the cadre had dropped as he had become constricted in Sable and I's magic. The four of them walked towards us, weak and dizzy from his magic. But they were with us, we weren't alone. That was more than enough.
"How dare you!" Gabriel yelled. Magic washed over the throne room and I fell to my knees from the sheer power of it. Sable must've felt the magic too because I watched as his shoulders twitched, his head bowing. Gabriel was constricted, but it didn't mean he was powerless.
I glanced down at my knees, seeing the flash of a silver blade. "Sable, here!" I said. I grabbed the dagger Elda had sent for me and threw it at him just like I had been trained to do. Sable plucked the dagger from the air. It was a good thing we were Cyefin, because if we weren't, I wasn't sure Sable would've been able to catch that dagger without knowing I'd throw it at him.
"You can't kill me," Gabriel said, fighting against my ice that I was slowly letting melt, just enough to expose his heart. "I'll...I'll kill your ice bitch, I'll kill your cadre, I can end everything you love."
"I fell for that once," Sable said, running the blade down the king's throat. His eyes were cold, colder than I had ever seen them. They looked more deadly than the blade he was running over the king's skin.
"I am done being controlled." And with that, he sent the dagger plunging into Gabriels chest. Gabriel's eyes widened and I felt the entire room freeze. I waited, waited for it not to work, for Gabriel to laugh and tell him he'd have to try harder. But none of those things happened. Instead, Gabriel's eyes slipped closed and he fell forward, blood leaking from his lips.
There was a rush of silence, much more powerful than Gabriels magic. The sound of breath scraping against throats filled the room, of hearts beating, of blood rushing. I couldn't think. I could only see Gabriel's slumped form. His lips as they parted for one final breath. The sound of a dagger clattering to the floor pulled me away from my trance.
I rushed to Sable who had dropped the dagger with a thud. I wanted to run into his arms, but I hesitated. I couldn't stop seeing the betrayal in his eyes, the disappointment after he learned of my lie. Could he even bear touching me anymore? All my fear shattered as Sable turned towards me, eyes wide, breathing unsteady. He let out a little breath before stumbling towards me and wrapping his arms around me. I encircled his narrow waist with my arms and he buried his face in my hair. He was shaking.
"I thought I'd lose you," he said, running his hands down my back, my arms, as if checking to see if I was still there.
"I'm here, I'm here," I said, bunching the fabric of his shirt in my fists. I guess I needed a reminder that he was still with me too. I turned to see Caspian holding Nazira, and Gray awkwardly shifting an arm around a trembling Ayaz.
Sable pressed his lips to the side of my head. He smelt of sweat and smoke but still like Sable. Like the person I wanted to press close to and share my hopes and dreams with. He was still him, and I was still myself. A blanket of calm settled over me and I pressed a kiss to his collarbone.
"You did it," I said, leaning away from him to stroke his face. "You stopped him."
Tears were swirling in his eyes. I went onto my toes and pressed a firm kiss to his lips. His hand went to the back of my neck, squeezing it. He hadn't stopped shaking. "We're safe," I murmured against his skin. I said it again and again until his trembling ceased and he held me tighter, firmer, with more purpose.
"Is it really over?" Sable asked, burying his face in my neck.
"Yes, my love," I said, glancing at Gabriel who was still half-frozen. Blood was pooling on the ground from where it was dripping from his mouth.
"Well, this is certainly going to go down in history," Sable muttered.
I leaned away from him. "What?" I asked. He ran his fingertips down my arms, dropping his hands to my waist he bunched the fabric of my dress in his hands.
"The girl that defeated the king of Hiraeth in nothing but a shift. There will be paintings" He grinned down at me and I felt a smile spread on my own lips. I reached up to kiss him again when he suddenly jerked back. I broke away from him, glancing up to see his brows furrowed, his hand pressed to his chest. His face was drained of color.
"Sable, what is it?" I asked, grabbing his arm. His skin felt hot. It nearly burned my skin. He stumbled backwards and began to shake, shake harder than before. He fell to the ground and heaved, gasping as if he was in great pain. I ran forward, falling to my knees as I pushed the hair from his face.
"What's happening? What's wrong?" I asked, my voice just a shade away from crazed. It was then that I saw his pupils expand. But they didn't just expand, they spanned outwards. Covering his entire eye until all I could see was blackness. I fell back, horrified.
That was when the air dropped in the room, the candles blowing out. Something primal and evil filled the room and goosebumps erupted over my skin. Sable had stopped shaking, and was instead on his hands and knees, head bowed. Unmoving. Somehow...that was worse.
"Sable?" I whispered. But then, he was screaming. I watched in horror as his veins started to turn black and he fell onto his knees, twitching. Blackness fell from his lips and onto the floor, it looked like tar.
An arm wrapped around my waist and hauled me up. Gray. I fought against his hold, trying to get back to Sable. He continued to spew up that awful blackness, letting it coat the carpet and the rug. I thought that had been the worst part, but then, to my horror, I watched as the crown on Gabriels forehead turned to nothing but ash. That ash, on some magical wind, floated over to Sable.
"No!" I shrieked. The ash began to collect above his head. And all I could do was watch as a crown, darker than Gabriels had ever been, decked in black diamonds and razor sharp edges, fell onto Sable's brow.
"The curse," Gray muttered. He sounded terrified. I had never heard that quaver to his voice before. "This isn't real, this can't be happening." I had no idea what he was talking about but I couldn't ask because then Sable stopped shaking, he stopped vomiting. He went entirely still. And then a dark plume of smoke wrapped around him. It covered him entirely, trapping him in the swirling darkness, obscuring him from view.
"Sable!" I screamed, tears dripping down my cheeks as I clawed at Gray. "We have to help him!"
"There's nothing we can do," Nazira said. The cadre was now at my side, all of them looking as pale and frightened as I felt. "We have to go, the palace is crumbling and we need to leave." It was then that I realized the walls were shaking, dust falling to the floor. I flinched as a crystal chandelier shattered on the ground.
"We can't leave him!" I said.
"If you love him you'll leave. If we stay we die, understand?" she said. Her eyes were red, her cheeks flushed. She was as terrified as I was.
"He's your friend, you coward," I said.
Suddenly, Nazira's hand was slamming into my cheek, whipping my head to the side. "He's my family. But if we don't leave we're going to die. So fucking run." Nazira and Caspian took the lead and fled from the ballroom, while Gray practically hauled me out. I kept my eyes pinned to the swirling black around Sable. It was the last I saw of him before I was out of the throne room and the doors were slamming shut.
"Come on, Eira," Gray said, keeping a firm arm around me as we ran through the palace.
"What's going on?" I gasped. "Why is this happening to him?" My head was spinning, part from hysteria part from the fact that I was still leaking blood from the wound in my stomach.
"It's a myth," Gray said, hopping over some debri. The palace really was falling down around us. Servants and nobles were running amuck, screaming and demanding to know what was happening.
"A myth?" I asked. I couldn't stop seeing his face. The terror.
"A campfire story. People said that when Gabriel killed his mother for the crown that he cursed it. They said that he got involved with some dark magic and made the crown grant him incredible power, it was why his power was so unmatched. Legend says anyone that kills the king must wear the crown and bear the dark power. But that power keeps them separate from themselves. It says they turn..." he trailed off.
"Turn what?" I asked. We were sprinting down the stairs now, we were getting close to the exit of the castle. The palace around us shook and I felt more of that dark, ancient...power flowing in the air around us. I had felt it with Gabriel but now Gabriel was dead. Now there was only Sable.
Gray looked down at me, his brows pinching together. "Evil." I felt my stomach sink. Every part of me wanted to go back to him. He was my Cynefin, my love, my everything. I wasn't supposed to be leaving him. But if what Gray said was true then...then Sable was changed. And I was terrified.
We ran out of the palace and down the steep path until we got to a forest. I didn't know how we had gotten to the forest, my mind had been focused on Sable, on the palace behind us. I couldn't think of anything else. Everything up to there was a blur.
Once we were in the middle of the trees, we slowed down. Everyone was gasping, trembling, no one could believe that what happened happened. Gabriel was dead, Sable....Sable had the crown on his brow now.
Gray had removed his arm from me as we all took a breather, well hidden among the trees. I pressed a hand to my forehead, about to ask what was going to happen next when I felt something stir inside of me. The bond. The bond that had been somehow closed when Sable was writhing in pain was now back on. In full force.
Darkness, sweet and heavy, flooded me. I let out a gasp, falling to my knees as power crackled over me. Sable's side of the bond felt...different. I could feel him, very much alive, but he felt...darker. It was hard to explain, but Gray had been right. Sable felt evil.
"Eira," Ayaz said gently. He was kneeling at my side as I stayed on the ground, hunched over as the bond shifted and changed, adapting to the new Sable. It was painful, and every inch of me ached. I felt stretched out, different.
Ayaz suddenly reached out and touched a bit of my hair. "Is this a Cynefin thing?" he asked.
"What?" I breathed. Caspian, Nazira, and Gray all stared down at me, equally confused and enraptured. "What is it?" I asked. I looked down to see that my hair had...changed. What had once been fully white locks, bright as snow, was now changing. I watched in horror as the tips of my hair started to darken. They turned from white to gray to a deep, dark black. They stretched up, fading until they disappeared. Just the ends went black, but it was a sign. A sign of the change.
I looked up and through the trees I could see the palace. It had changed as well. Whatever dark power had come upon Sable had come upon the palace as well. No longer was it Hiraeth's colors of bronze and rose gold but black. Deep, unending black. I watched as a storm cloud settled over the palace.
It was then that I felt the bond stop shifting. It was done. On the other side of the tether there was someone different yet the same. Whoever it was, it was not my Sable, and in his place a new king had arisen.