I was being dragged by my arms through the palace which was probably one of the most uncomfortable things I've ever had to experience in my life. We passed hallway after hallway. Door after door. I was surprised to find that my hood was still draped over my head. Why hadn't the guards revealed my face yet?
After a while, I recognized where we were going. Who they were bringing me to. The very people I was trying to avoid these past couple of weeks.
My parents.
I didn't try to escape or run away. Even if I did manage to evade their grasp, where would I go? A pit formed in my stomach at the thought of explaining myself. There was no avoiding what was about to come. I would face my mothers wrath one way or another.
There was no sign of life when we arrived at the throne room. My parents were most likely asleep in their own rooms. How mad they would be to have to wake up for someone like me.
The guards threw me down on the floor like every other criminal and thief I've seen been treated in this room before.
"Stay down," one of them said to me.
I half wondered if I should just scorch him right where he stood but obeyed.
After about twenty minutes, the doors swung open and I could hear a man's raging footsteps approach. I knew immediately that it was my father. I realized, at that moment, that I had never been so scared before in my life.
"This better be with my time," I heard a female voice call—my mother—from behind me. I internally sighed. I would rather rot in the dungeons for the rest of my life then be forced to kneel in front of her with my hand bound behind my back.
"We caught this one sneaking around in the dungeons. The two guards standing watch were found knocked out cold by the door connecting to the underground tunneling system. We're assuming this one came in through there," the guards' words were harsh. Although, why would he care about me? For all he knows, I am just another criminal that threatens the safety of the throne.
For a moment, I wonder what my parents will think when they take this stupid hood and mask off my face. I wonder what the guards will think. Will they even know who I am? My own people don't even know me according to that woman in the dungeons.
"Let us see who it is under that mask," my father demanded.
A guard tore down my hood and took away my mask to reveal my face. I could see the utter shock on everyone's face. Especially my mother and father. But for whatever reason, I couldn't help but spread a devilish smile across my face at how shocked they were.
I didn't let my fear show. I wouldn't give her that satisfaction. Instead, I schooled my face into neutrality and calmness, pretending that I had the situation under control when I very much did not.
I stared my mother down. I would not be afraid of her or anyone else here. Even though I was kneeling, I will still rise taller after all of this is done.
"Leave us," my mother said. When the guards hesitated and looked at my father, her face was filled with pure rage. "Leave us right now," she repeated. My father nodded and they let go of me and left.
As soon as the doors shut, I braced myself for the storm to come.
"Aleah. Are you insane!" My mother shouted in anger. "What were you doing down there?"
She pointed an accusing finger at me and I tried to think of an answer that wouldn't give me and my friends away.
But then I remembered, I didn't have to answer her. I didn't have to answer to anyone.
I hated my mother so much. I hated her for forcing me into marriage. I hated her for ignoring me as a child just like everyone else in my family did. And most of all, I have a new-found hatred towards her for not telling me about my powers.
I felt my anger broiling in my stomach and threatening to show.
Why would she keep such a thing from me? I had and have a right to know. But she doesn't know that I am aware of my powers yet.
It's true that she told Brock about them, but she doesn't know that he told me afterwards. She doesn't know that I've been training and could probably leave this god forsaken castle anytime that I wanted. I could break myself out of these binds and burn this entire castle down.
Maybe I would fulfill the prophecy and destroy my kingdom after all. At this point, I didn't even care anymore. I just wanted my revenge and I would do anything to get it.
"Since when did what I do with my spare time have anything to do with you?" I said, refusing to meet her gaze.
I could feel the rage coming off of her from here.
"How dare you speak to me like that? I am the queen of this kingdom and in the blink of an eye, everything that you know can be taken from you. I'll put you in those dungeons myself if you love sneaking around in them so much you insignificant little brat!"
I tried so hard to ignore her little show of rage towards me but it was hard to do so when I could feel myself start to sweat and my powers just begging for release.
Not yet.
"And to answer your questions," she continues. "Once you start breaking our laws and violate the rules of this kingdom, then it becomes my concern," she says. "Are you even going to look at me? Or are you too ashamed of your actions to look me in the eye."
That's when I snapped. If she wanted me to look her in the eye, then fine. I will look her in the eye.
Shadows exploded from my body and filled the room like fog. I felt my anger rise and saw my hands turn black. My eyes turned dark and I watched as the tips of my hair joined them.
My mother gasped and I smiled.
She was afraid. Of me.
I rose from where I was on the ground and slowly started to make my way over to them. I made sure to take my time. I summoned my flames and burned the rope keeping my hands together but kept my hands behind my back so that they still thought I was bound.
"Are these the eyes you want to see, Mother?"
"You... You're..."
"Yes," I said in confirmation. "I am Heir to Shadowfire."
"You are a monster."
I smiled but was careful to keep my hands behind my back.
"I can see why you think that. But I am what you made me and if you think I'm afraid of you, you're mistaken," I say..
"You're lucky I don't send you back down to the dungeons where you belong."
Her words were sharp. Like glass. They cut through the air and were almost able to cut me, to make me feel wounded. But if I've learned anything about glass, it's that you should be exactly like it. Someone can forge you with such delicacy, make you feel loved and valued. Then after they've gotten their use from you, they'll break you, find you old and useless. But if they're going to let you crumble, fall, and break into little shards, you cut them. You make them bleed. Make them pay.
But I wouldn't back down from her. I wouldn't let her words or empty threats break me.
I was half surprised that she was still willing to speak to me like that after revealing my abilities. I now have the power to end her or anyone else's life in seconds.
"And how are you going to do that," I say with a smirk on my face. I lift my arms from behind my back and drop the singed rope on the floor. "Are you going to get your guards to come bind me again?"
Pure terror washes over her face and I can't help but laugh at how utterly stupid and surprised my mother looks.
"Oh please, I could have gotten away at any moment. I could have killed all the guards... and," I say taking one step closer. "I can kill you."
"Aleah," my father warns, stepping closer to my mother. I almost laughed, again. This is the first time he has spoken since the guards left the room. But I don't care about his prescience here right now. All I care about is settling the score with my mother.
"How long were you planning on letting me live my life without the knowledge of my powers?" I asked her.
She didn't respond. I took another step forward and she took another step backward.
She was afraid.
Good.
"How long?" I pushed, flame erupting from my palms. Something like pure terror flashed in her eyes and she put her hands up as if that were going to protect herself. I realized seconds later that she had formed a dome around here. Like a protection shield made of wind. It had been so long since I'de seen her using her powers that I had forgotten that she had them.
I suddenly remembered that my father had power too. It didn't matter, I could take them both. I heard the crackling of a flame coming from my right as I looked over to see my fathers hands lit with flames.
"I was never going to tell you," she finally managed to say.
With my suspicions confirmed I turned my attention to my father.
"And you? Did you know too?" I questioned, pointing an accusing finger at his face. My flames were inches from singing his eyebrows.
"No. I swear to you, Aleah. I never knew. I am only finding out now."
He stares at my flames in awe, unlike my mother who is white as a ghost.
"What sort of power do you possess?" My father asks.
"Death," my mother says. "She is nothing but death."
"No," I say. "I am only Death if you give me reason to be."
"What were you doing in the dungeons, Aleah?" My mother asked, trying to regain the ground she gave up.
"I do not think you're in the position to be asking questions, Mother. But, I'll humor you and give you what you want."
I paused a little and backed up before speaking again.
"I was down there to question the prisoners. The ones who are trying to kill my siblings. Which happens to be the lowest thing on your priority list. If you two weren't going to do anything about it, then I was," I said with full confidence.
I saw the disgust on my mothers face but something like pride shone on my fathers. A small part of me was happy that someone finally felt that way about me.
"That," my mother said with a stern voice, "is not your job. That is the job of The Guard. It is not your business."
"Well," I say. "It became my business when someone killed my sister and almost killed my brother and you decided to do nothing about it."
"Aleah," my father says with a soft voice, "we've conducted countless investigations and questioned anyone who could have been involved. There is nothing that we haven't done yet."
"Really?" I challenge, "Because I made a few simple threats and the maid who killed Breya in the dungeons told me more than you have probably learned in these past few weeks. Have you been doing nothing or are your men that bad at getting information from people?"
"This is not you Aleah," my mother says. "The Aleah I knew before would never hurt anyone. Since when did my innocent little girl turn into a monster of destruction?"
I slowly walk towards my mother again, one step at a time.
"It's funny to me that you think you know me. But you're right, mother. I am different. The Aleah you knew was a coward. She was weak and foolish. I am not her. Not anymore."
I turn around and start making my way towards the door. I'm about halfway to the doors when I call, "And make sure to call your guards back. I don't want to be chased all the way back to my room."
I take only a couple more steps before my mothers voice echoes from across the room, "You may think that what you are doing is right. But before you leave here tonight, I want you to know that whoever the old you was before, I liked her better."
I fully turned around to face her now.
"Of course you did. She was more gullible to your lies and deceit. She was weaker and easier to kill. I will fall for your tricks no longer and I will not rest until my sister's killer it's brought to justice."