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"For those I love, I will sacrifice."
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Danika
IN THE early days of my life, I had been no more than a frail doll. Sheltered by the likes of my family and shielded from the horrors of the world. Blinded by my love and adoration for those around me, I believed that the world was a kind, merciful place.
I had loved my family. Loved them so dearly I had believed it held no bounds. In my eyes, they could do no wrong. In my eyes, my elder sisters and mother were the greatest of people. Gods in my own mind.
And within the bout of a day, that vision had shattered and broken so horribly I had feared I might never see the world the same. In a way, I never had. That world of happiness and love had turned to no more than a kingdom of ash, blown away by a cruel wind.
Beaten and bloodied, tortured and brutalized, manipulated and controlled, I had become a weapon. Honed and sharpened to become all they ever wanted. All they ever needed.
And it was in the very mind they had controlled—in the very mind they had brainwashed to believe them—that they had given me everything. Taught me how to maim and cut and kill, destroy and conquer and plan.
It was my every intent to show them the monster they had created. To make them see how terribly and greatly they had forged me. Cut me.
But...I would wait. I would prove them right, I would let them believe they had finally controlled me. Finally had me in their clutches and then I would make them pay. Pay so terribly that they were begging for death by the end.
You could not win through blunt force—not truly. Eliminating all in sight would only serve to indulge violence. Feed my own demons and prove myself the hot-tempered girl they believed me to be.
Kill the King of Hybern, and the Flame would merely come back in full force. Kill Stijin, and his soldiers would come for me. Kill Hyberns soldiers, he had armies to spare.
Always one waiting, always one lurching ready to step in.
No, if I wanted to win—truly win—if I wanted to demolish Hybern and all he held dear—if I wanted to become all Stijin feared—if I wanted to end this war...I could not do so only by blood and violence.
I would be cruel and cunning and calculated. Cold and rageful and icy. I would be all they made me to be. Deceive them. Ruin them. End them.
After all...the devil doesn't come dressed in a red cape and pointy horns. He comes as everything you've ever wished for.
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Sharp. Everything was sharp and drawn and vibrant. Like a painting. A surreal vision that could only be imagined but had now become my reality.
I was new. As though I had died and been reborn as something...powerful. Infinite. Immortal. I was not human, nor Fae, nor anything, I was a creature not yet born. Not yet found or named.
I was a damn god.
And they all knew it. Knew that I was the predator they should fear, not the King, not the Flame, me.
But...not yet. Not now. Soon, they would all know the true extent of my abilities. Soon, they would all quake in fear at the mere mention of me. Soon, they would all realize how true my ties to this world were. But...not yet.
No, first...first I wanted my way with them. I would prove just how much I didn't need this power to make them fear me. First, they would fear my mind. My intellect. I did not need to possess magic to ruin them, I merely needed to be better.
Only then, once I had destroyed them so thoroughly through mental warfare would they finally see the power that roared in my veins, my mind.
Only once Rhys and my family and friends were safe and protected would I unleash myself.
And it was that thought—that promise alone that forced the words from my mouth.
"My king," I said to the King of Hybern, still clutching his skinless arm. The cold stone of the floor nipped at my knees from where I bowed, my head hung low not meeting his eyes.
A display. A show, I told myself even as my very existence screamed that this wasn't right. That my power far exuded his own and I could erase him from the planet with a mere flick of my wrist. Could destroy this world with a mere snap of my finger.
But I was also smart. And I would play this in a way they would not expect, deceive them so horribly they would never see it. Kill two birds with one stone.
I spoke again, not yet looking up at the king, not until he said to. "The Cauldron has bestowed me with a gift best of use to you, my king. Just as the Cauldron does, I serve you and only you."
Disgusting.
The King of Hybern was panting, trying to catch his breath as he watched his wound slowly heal, "What?" he asked.
"I serve you. I am under your command for whatever you wish." I repeated. He would not believe me, not yet. The King of Hybern was no fool—well, in the sense he was smart enough not to think I was his loyal servant...yet.
But he would. I would prove it to him. Become his weapon along with the Cauldron. I would make him believe I was his to wield like a blade. And then I would ruin him and the Flame. Annihilate all they held dear.
I just needed to get my family out of here, I needed them safe. And not in the King's clutches.
With a mere thought, I shattered through the Cauldron's shields. Through the wall blocking Rhys's mind from my own. Not a strain, not even a resist.
The Cauldron was no match for me. Not anymore.
And as if a dam had burst, I felt Rhys down the bond, felt all he did. His panic, his fear, his dread, his love, it slammed into me all at once. I might have stumbled, might have fallen as if his emotion hit me like a physical blow had I not been so careful to set my composure.
I needed them out. Now. And I could do it. I could.
Get to them. Go to them now. I told Rhys down our bond, a desperation in my voice that I did not show on the outside. I will handle the rest, just go to them.
I felt his shock ripple down the bond. But I did not look. Merely kept my head in a bow as I kneeled before the King.
With the power that lay deep within my chest, I created a tie. I bridge between Mor's mind and my own. If this was to look real, if this was to be convincing, then she would be necessary.
Mor, listen to me carefully, do not react, do not do anything but look at Azriel as you are now. I did not turn to see if she was listening—
I was forced to pause as the King spoke again, "You are under my command?" the King questioned, still a bit shocked.
"Yes, my king." I said, even as I continued on in Mor's mind. When I signal, you are going to leave Azriel, and you are going to rush to my sisters. I will take care of the rest, do you understand me?
Silence. A pause, as she no doubt recovered and processed what I was saying. Yes. she finally shot down our mental bridge, surprise following after.
Good.
This would work. It would. It had to.
A male voice sounded within my thoughts, wrapping around the bond deep in my heart. Snaking through my very being. What do you mean get to them, Danika? Rhys's voice was hard as stone, though I could feel the worry in his thoughts.
I didn't dare elaborate, On my signal, go to Azriel and Cassian.
And what will happen to you?
The King spoke again before I could reply—a fact I was inherently thankful for because I barely knew how to respond. "What are you?" the king questioned, the wicked, immortal amusement returning to his tone.
"I am what the Cauldron made me." I replied simply. A lie. The Cauldron merely opened a part of me I had not yet known existed. Revealed what I did not know was there.
My mind went back to Rhys, telling him, Right now, it doesn't matter what happens to me. You get to them on my signal. Promise me.
Two things at once, two people to convince of different things. My mate: that I would be fine, that I had a set plan for all that I meant to accomplish and that he was currently getting in the way of it. The King of Hybern: That I was on his side, his to command and control.
And I would do it. I would convince both, because right now this entire thing relied on it.
"And under my command." The king mused, no question to his words this time as he barely whispered them.
I need you to trust me on this, Rhys. I practically begged into my mate's mind. Tell me you will do as I say once I give you the signal.
"Rise." he commanded. And like a minion obeying his master, I stood gracefully. Hands at my sides, face expressionless, straight backed, I met the King's cold gaze with my own carefully lifeless eyes. No more than a weapon hailed from the Cauldron. I needed him to believe that.
I trust you. Rhys's voice spoke into my mind. Relief washed over me so thoroughly I could have collapsed. This would work. It would and they would be safe.
But Astrid and Flynn...there was no way I could get them out of here without it being traced. Without them figuring it out in less than a few moments. Rhys did not know them, nor did Mor, and the two didn't know any of the others...
It was fine. I'd protect them on the inside. Find a way to stay near to them, while still doing what I had to. I couldn't risk them, not again, I had to protect them myself.
"Prove it to me." The king commanded, "Prove you are mine to use."
Idiotic moron. Playing right into the trap I set forth. Gave me the perfect opportunity.
"Of course, my king." I said, then lowered my voice just slightly. "As a sign of good faith, I tell you that in my rebirth the wards the Cauldron put in place against magic have collapsed. Those in here who have been bound by the spell are now free."
One second. One moment. Wait. Wait for it...
The King's mouth opened to yell for his guards.
Now. And don't look surprised. I said into both Rhys and Mor's minds.
Hell broke loose, guards yelling as Rhys and Mor ran to their separate positions.
Thundering footsteps sounded through the room, all racing toward different people. Both Mor and Rhys had been drowned away by the ruckus and I waited in sick, cruel anticipation.
"Get them!" the king screamed, but he was too late. I felt as Rhys made contact with Cassian and Azriel, felt as Mor found my sisters and placed a hand on their shoulders.
And with a mere thought from me, my power lashed out toward each of them.
And I winnowed them all away without even touching them.
I sent them flying through the folds of the world with clear intent as they each became no more than a whorl of black mist. Cutting through the wards of the House of Wind and placing them there without a fuss.
To the king it would look like they realized their magic had returned the second I emerged, using Rhys's daemati abilites he had communicated with them moments later. And when they were outed as free...they moved. Mor and Rhys winnowing them all away.
In a mere fraction of a second they were gone. They were safe and in Velaris. Home.
I breathed a discrete sigh of relief.
But I needed to convince further.
The second my power sent them all into Velaris—the same fraction of a moment I got them to safety—I winnowed to where Rhys had just been mere milliseconds earlier, my hands outstretched to look as though I was about to reach for his throat with iron tipped fingers. I allowed my power to invade the air as if my magic was reaching for them too.
I stumbled, lurching for nothing but air, a purposeful motion that would make it seem as though I was truly hurtling for him.
The King had commanded to get them, and I had tried to obey.
It would not make him believe me. Not yet. Not now. But I was a firm believer that it was the smallest things that made a lie plausible. The tiniest details that gave it depth. All those miniscule things adding up created a true scene to behold.
I righted myself, the sheer fabrics adorning my body draping right once again. As emotionless as a stone statue I turned back toward the king.
He narrowed his eyes slightly from where he stood just below the dais, and then slowly, as if looking at his new pet. The king's mouth ticked up into a smile. "Mine. All mine." he said with a satisfied shake of his head, "Come here." he commanded.
I didn't let myself think about my family. Nor did I let myself look toward Astrid and Flynn to see their faces. Not Stijin or any other soldiers. My eyes never roamed from the king.
Each and every one of my actions from this point forward had to be deliberate thought out. No more hot-tempered, anger-induced decisions. I had to be smart. Even shifting my eyes toward my old friends could give me away.
I could not be Danika any longer. I needed to become the king's weapon and nothing else.
Languidly, I walked toward the king, stopping in front of him as I bowed my head. "I apologize." I stated.
But the king only grinned, angling his head to study me best.
And then his hand reached up, weaving itself into my hair before he caressed my cheek with his cold hand. It felt like acid scorching my skin, burning away my flesh.
It took every ounce of restraint in my not to jerk away and cut his hand from his body. Every ounce of training to not cringe and look as utterly disgusted as I felt.
So very carefully impassive.
And with that final grin he said, "We're going to have so much fun, you and I."
A/N: I told you guys the Hybern chapters were hell. I tried to warn you.
I also think I'm going to make the next book in third persons with multiple POVs like the Bat Boys and Astrid and one or two other characters that I will not name yet...
Anyways, love you guys and there are only two more chapters left in this entire book and I am not okay.
Also, I need ship names. So do we like Danisand or Rhysika better? And do we like Lustrid for Astrid and Lucien?