I felt... nothing as I stalked down the remainder of the hallway in the house. That scared me slightly, how easy it had been to slice my father's head from his shoulders. He had killed hundreds of innocents, if not more, and was a cruel and wicked leader who did not care for his people. I heard the steady pat of blood against the wooden flooring as it dripped from the severed head in my hand.
I didn't bother to enter the room skilfully or quietly, they knew I was here. In fact, I likely entered the room in the least tactful way possible. Multiple floorboards creaked, my footsteps sounded on the floorboards and I accidentally swung my father's head against the doorframe as I entered leaving behind a smear of red. I didn't bat an eye at it, he wouldn't feel it, he was already dead after all.
The sight before me sent my heart skittering as I entered the small dusty room. A threadbare sofa was pushed haphazardly to one wall, a thick layer of dust coating it. Lopsided art hung from the walls, they were nothing to note. But what caused a thick layer of unease to coat my tongue was the scene in the middle of the room. Two guards held Quilo's arms outstretched in an uncomfortable position behind his back, his knees pressed harshly into the floor below him. His face turned a sickly white colour as my eyes met his, they widened slightly, "run, get out of here Anala". I gave a small shake of my head, "I'm not leaving you". My eyes dragged upwards and behind Quilo, to the figure holding a sleek blade to his throat.
"Hello, princess" The king of Calvain crooned. The head in my hand continued to drip steadily, the red liquid creating a puddle at my feet. I flung it to the feet of the king of Calvain, the unpleasant squish as it hit the floor and rolled echoing through the room. "Kin slayer" Quilo's father chuckled looking at the head distastefully. I laughed, "you're one to talk". He lifted his shoulders and then let them fall, a dismissive gesture that told me he didn't care for his family at all. I steeled my shoulders, preparing for whatever blow he was about to give.
The king merely sighed, "I have to admit I'm disappointed in my son. Using the object for such a simple thing as these... crowns and sharing its power with you". Was he really that idiotic? "it was supposed to be used to save our kingdoms and here you are using it for vanity like a couple of villains". I snorted but stayed quiet, my mouth wouldn't help me here, I wouldn't risk Quilo. The king brought the dagger closer to Quilo's throat, a faint trickle of blood soaking into his shirt. "He tried to convince me that there wasn't an object" the king shook his head, "such lies. I wonder who taught him to be so selfish". I sucked on my teeth, willing the words I wanted to spit at him to disappear down my throat. I found that I couldn't, so I said instead "he spoke the truth, there is no object". The king sighed exasperatedly as if disappointed. Then to my annoyance, he looked up at the ceiling, counted to ten then looked back at me as if I were the problem.
"give it to me or I will kill the boy," The king said simply. Quilo let out a breath between his clenched teeth as the guards tightened their grip on his arms. I moved past his pain and instead raised a cocky eyebrow, "what makes you think that has any power over me?" The king raised an eyebrow at me, "if he dies, so does your magic". I must've looked confused because he added "once its power is separated and the user dies if one half of it ceases to exist the whole is broken". I shivered, the king didn't know what that was really about. My eyes met Quilos, I couldn't imagine him not being by my side. If one side of the coin was wiped away, it lost half of itself. "I'm not going to let that happen" I assured Quilo over the bridge. I couldn't be certain that that was the case but the despair that had flashed across his face was forever going to be etched into my mind.
"How did you even know where to find us?" I asked, saying anything to buy time. I couldn't risk attacking anyone, not with the guards at his sides and the dagger at his throat. I needed a distraction... the king coughed as if sensing my attention slip. "we got word from one of the whores at that place called the vaults, I'm sure you're familiar with the place, she seemed more than happy to hand over information about you" He explained. Vassa, the name slithered through me uneasily. It had to be her, she was the one who was pissed I had upstaged her. I was not in the least bit sorry, it wasn't my fault I was a better dancer than her. I glared at the king, the suggestion around the word whore making my lip curl, the king shrugged.
Quilo let out a soft groan and my heart sped up, he'd been like this too long but all I could do was keep the king talking until I figured out a plan. His father clicked his tongue, "we tracked you through the mountains once we discovered you had not started to return despite the fact you'd located and acquired the object. Not wanting to risk it we followed you". I narrowed my eyes at him, there was no way that was the entire truth. What could he be hiding? It seemed pointless to hide information from me now, not when there was nothing I could do. I shifted on my feet, "how did you track us here though?" Time, I needed time and I was quickly running out of it. The king's eyes darkened, he was losing patience, "We got reports of two people galavanting through town with rings of light above their heads. it was pretty obvious what had happened". It wasn't obvious, considering the fact that the king had absolutely no idea what the truth was. I couldn't tell him, he'd kill one of us just so he could watch as the other's soul was ripped in two.
I studied the situation we were in, I had a sword now but I couldn't use it without someone swiping their own weapon across Quilo's throat. The image had my heartbeat quickening, he'd bleed out on the floor, the sound of him choking echoing through the room. I'd feel his pain and anguish and it would hurt me just as bad but the pain of losing him would be worse. He'd no longer tease me, make me angry, he'd no longer be at my side to make me feel anything at all. I'd be alone again, I wondered when I'd stopped feeling like I was, when I'd allowed him into my once cold heart. I knew the answer and it was terrifying enough that I pushed it away. The truth was that I'd begun letting him in likely before we'd even left the castle. What happens if you let go of the string? Rage seared my senses and my hands shook from the effort it was taking me to contain it.
"I wonder" the king drawled "will you beg as your mother did? Or will you give up as your sister did?" Quilo's mouth opened and closed as if he was trying to formulate a response, I knew he didn't have one that would help the situation. I wondered if Quilo had been there when his mother had been killed. Had she begged? Perhaps it was just some lie the king had made up to get a response, it didn't work. This man had killed Quilo's mother, the happy, vibrant woman who had dreamed of peace. As a result, his sister had joined her in the afterlife not long after. I squared my shoulders and lifted my head, meeting the eyes of the king with newfound confidence. My grin was wicked as I snarled "I once made you a promise". His nostrils flared in annoyance and recognition, the grip the king had on the weapon at Quilo's throat faltering slightly.
Flames rippled across my skin and Quilos's father stumbled back a little, his eyes going wide. I hadn't wanted my flames to show so I looked back toward Quilo. "let it burn" Quilo whispered into my mind, I would've hesitated if it wasn't for the triumphant expression in his eyes. Something old and fierce began opening its eyes inside me, it felt like a happy cat stretching as it awoke from a day's nap on a warm window sill. It was so ready to be released, "yes, let it burn my Queen. Listen to your king. Let it burn, let it burn, let it burn, let it burn!". "you are a child before a god" I snarled at the king of Calvain. I was not a god, but I felt like one as I let my flames devour the house around us. The dagger didn't have a chance to hit the ground before it was turned into nothing but a puddle of dripping silver. I heard the high pitch, horrifying screams from upstairs as the flames reached a new level. My sister's and my mother's screams threatened to shatter my brain but I refused to cover my ears, I would not hide from what I'd done. I'd have a chance to think about how I'd single handily killed my entire family later. In fact, I now had nothing but time.
The room suddenly swirled with blue and red light as Quilo used his Ice to protect his body. It was odly beautiful watching the two come together, not opposites but not the same. Two sides of a coin. The beast inside me arched its back and the leash that held it simply vanished, I could've sworn my magic smiled in response. I screamed, loud and furious at everything the bubbling pile of flesh before me had done to my Soul Bonded. My fire reached a whole new temperature and the house around us collapsed, turning into nothing but ash. If this was normal fire the wooden building most likely would've charred, the beams collapsing in on themselves from structural damage before eventually being left to rot. But my fire was far from normal, it didn't just burn, it devoured. There would be nothing left but ash.
Suddenly I had the feeling of being wrapped under ice-cold arms and I instantly calmed. Ice soothing my fire, willing it to go back to sleep. It spluttered and hissed but eventually closed its eyes as the flames disappeared. Quilo was safe and he had stopped me from burning everything in the forest, including Rosie and the forest itself, into nothing. I was so grateful for my king. I whirled when I realised what was happening, my arms wrapping around Quilos hips. "your safe" I sobbed "I thought I was going to die, then I thought you were going to die and I tried to save you but..." He pressed his chin onto the top of my head, "I know Lil Red, I know and I never want to know again". Tears streaked down my cheeks, he had heard my frantic pleads for his forgiveness. He wiped away a tear with one soot marked finger, "Just so you know, I would never forgive you for leaving me. If you die, I die with you. If you live, I live with you. I will be at your side until the last moment because the moment you are gone, nothing is worth it if you are not at my side". I buried my face into his chest, hating the fact it was his blood that stained his shirt because I hadn't been quick enough to help him. "you stay with me" I whispered across the bridge, echoing the words he'd spat at me long ago.