A/N—Since I've been taking such an incredibly long time to update, I thought I'd give you guys a special preview of what happens in the next chapter of this story.
Enjoy!
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SNEAK PEEK OF Chapter 26 The Dying Hope:
Before Japeth could react, Sophie had fallen to the ground as if she'd been pushed by an unknown force. Sophie tried to get to her feet, but a sudden blast of gold hit her square in the chest, flattening her back to the ground.
Japeth's head swiveled to see Tedros, his golden fingerglow raised menacingly. There was a determined expression upon the prince's face, but deep inside, Japeth thought he glimpsed a look of pain in Tedros's blue gaze. Tedros's hand was trembling as if the prince was dreading whatever he was about to do.
Japeth felt his scims stir and his lips curl into a snarl as he prepared to lung at Tedros, suspecting that Tedros was gonna take Sophie away. Instead though, Tedros didn't grab Sophie in his arms like Japeth had suspected.
Much to Japeth's surprise, Tedros pulled out an object from behind his back.
Excalibur glinted in the dusky light, blinding Japeth. Then, with a cry, Tedros brought the sword down upon Sophie. Japeth's heart lurched as he watched Tedros plunge the blade through Sophie's gut, and a scream of rage ripped from Japeth's throat.
No! No, no, no!
A Scim tore from Japeth's suit to rocket towards Tedros and the prince stumbled back, Excalibur ripping free from Sophie's flesh. For a second, Tedros sat there on the ground, sadness brimming in his gaze as he stared at a bleeding Sophie before he wiped his eyes and fled.
Japeth would've gone after Tedros, he had Excalibur after all, the same sword that tied his blood to Camelot's throne. The sword that proved Tedros was king. But Japeth had Tedros's ring, the final ring he needed to burn to destroy the last shred of faith left in the Storian. And Japeth couldn't leave Sophie behind.
Tedros hadn't just stabbed Sophie out of the blue. He'd done it with the intent to take her life, because marrying Sophie was the very last thing Japeth needed to do to become the One True King. Japeth couldn't marry Sophie if she were dead.
So Japeth scrambled to Sophie's side and pressed his hands against the stab wound on her abdomen. His palms were sticky with her blood, but he was focused on only one thing; saving Sophie's life.
Sophie's face was pale and clammy. Strands of her blonde hair stuck to her forehead with sweat, and her chest was rising up and down rapidly as it were a struggle for her to breathe. Her green gaze was alight in pain as Japeth applied steady pressure to her wound to prevent the blood flow.
"Shhh, little minx...I've got you," Japeth tried to soothe her, pressing down harder and a gasp escaped Sophie's parted lips. For a moment, she looked dazed as if she didn't know where she was before she met Japeth's gaze with her own.
"I—I've felt this before," Sophie rasped, her fingers wrapping weakly around Japeth's wrists as if in an attempt to keep herself grounded.
Japeth could barely hear her words. He was too busy tending to her wound. It was only when Sophie's fingers tightened around his wrists that he looked at her.
There was a confused look upon Sophie's face. Her mouth parted but no words came out, only a wheezing breath. Japeth figured she was in shock until he glimpsed her expression suddenly darken in surprise. Pure surprise. The sort of surprise one would feel after discovering something terrible or crazy. Or perhaps it was the sort of surprise one would feel after coming to a great realization.
"I've...I've been stabbed before," Sophie whispered, her voice soft, but Japeth heard her loud and clear. "In the stomach...with the Storian. And Aggie—oh god, Aggie saved my life—"
Sophie's breathes were no longer slow and ragged, but fast and hard like she'd suddenly gone into a panic. Her green eyes went wide in sudden horror when she looked Japeth over as if she saw him for the monster he was. Japeth struggled to hold her still as she began to thrash around, crying out in pain as her wound continued to bleed.
"Hold still, Sophie!" Japeth warmed her, pinning her wrists above her head with one hand while he covered her wound with his other hand. "You're gonna bleed out if you keep moving around like that."
Sophie stiffened, her body freezing. But this only lasted a moment as she glanced up at Japeth, her mouth hanging open in not a cry of pain, but a cry of absolute horror.
"Japeth," She gasped.
This time, it was Japeth's turn to freeze. He stared into Sophie's eyes and recognized her look of disbelief and sadness. The trusting girl he'd opened up to was gone. The princess who'd showed concern for him when he was at his worst had disappeared. For the first time since Rhian's death, for the first time since losing her memory, Sophie saw Japeth for who he truly was.
"You—you ki—killed Rhian," Sophie stammered, her memories finally flooding back to her. "You stole m—my memories...You lied!"
Suddenly, Sophie wrenched away from him, crawling backwards clumsily. Japeth saw the look of horror and disgust fixated on her face, and for a moment he felt his stomach churn. He couldn't bring himself to describe the feeling of betrayal and sadness that consumed him as he watched Sophie back away from him like he was a threat.
Had all that time they'd gotten to know each other dissipated from Sophie's mind just like that? Had she forgotten how he'd made her feel okay with herself and how she'd pulled him away from the edge of insanity time and time again?
Weeks ago, Japeth never thought he'd ever learn to tolerate Sophie let alone learn to care for her. But things changed. Sophie hadn't known who she was. In a way, Sophie had lost who she was without her memories just like Japeth lost himself after he killed Rhian. Together, Japeth and Sophie had saved each other, helped each other when they'd had nothing and no one to turn to. All they'd had was each other.
Now, Sophie's memories were back. The old Sophie was back. The Sophie who despised Japeth as much as he despised her. The Sophie who would do anything to protect her friends.
Now, Japeth felt truly alone for the very first time since Rhian's death. He had no Mother, no Aric, no Rhian. And now...now he had no Sophie.
"You—you killed your own brother!" Sophie reiterated, her tone shaky as the realization of Rhian's death sank in. Her whole body shook but Japeth couldn't tell if it was a reaction belonging to a girl who'd just learned the boy she truly loved had died or if it was a reaction belonging to a girl who'd just learned that she'd actually cared for the murderer of the boy she used to love.
Japeth saw the grief in Sophie's eyes, reflecting his own pain. Hesitantly, he took a tiny step forward and Sophie's gaze flickered to him, her sadness giving away to a look of rage and betrayal. Japeth halted his advances.
"Yes, I killed Rhian," Japeth breathed, his voice strangled with emotion. "I stabbed him with Excalibur and held him in my arms as he bled out. And you know what I felt as I watched him die? Do you know what was going through my mind as I held him so close?" He stepped forward, closer this time, and Sophie glared up at him, her cheeks wet with tears.
Japeth felt his heart break at the sight of Sophie looking so broken and enraged all at the same time. He wanted to explain himself, to tell her that he knew how she felt. After all, her pain was his pain. But the words got stuck in his throat, and he realized that whatever he said, no matter how hard he tried to explain, Sophie would never understand.
Sophie was no longer his princess. She was no longer his devoted fiancée or his crutch to sanity. And Japeth was no longer her Prince Charming. He was no longer the king who Sophie had taken it upon herself to fix.
Japeth was the snake. That's what Sophie saw him as. A monster who'd caused so much bloodshed and pain that he could never be redeemed. To Sophie, Japeth was evil, and nothing could make up for the terrible things he'd done.
"You know what, Sophie?" Japeth murmured, his voice soft before he composed himself, his heart hardening as an icy chill enclosed around it, encasing it in ice. His words spewed out, dripping in venom. "Hate me all you want. Rhian's gone, and he's not coming back. But Aric, however? He'll be back by my side again, I swore it. And you know what that means..."
Sophie stumbled to her feet, wincing in pain as she pressed her hand against the wound in her chest. She tried to take a step backwards, but quick as a flash Japeth lurched forward and wrapped his fingers around her wrist. She struggled to break free from his grip, but Japeth placed his other hand on her shoulder, keeping her in place.
"I'll never marry you," Sophie snapped, her emerald gaze blazing. "Not after what you've done. What you did to me. You used me, pretending to be your brother. You led me on, and the worst thing about all of this is that..." Sophie trailed off, her gaze meeting Japeth's, and a deep exhale slipped from her lips. "The worst thing about all of it is that...I actually believed I cared for you. That I loved you. But it was all a lie, because your heart belongs to another."
Was Sophie more hurt that the boy she actually loved and cared for was dead, or was she more hurt that she'd also learned to care for the boy's murderer?