Hey Guys,
I am aware that this isn't a very long chapter, however it is quite a powerfull one and I was going to drag it out a little longer but I feel that it need to end where it ended. Don't worry though, the next chapter should be a bit longer than this one :)
Happy reading!
Love Daisy xx
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(Obsidian’s P.O.V)
It had been hours since she had left. The moon had disappeared long ago, and now the sun was being to make its appearance and I was ready. I was ready for this to be over. I stood at the window, looking out the courtyard and felt as though my heart was slowly crumbling into dust. Fury replaced my insides, cold hard fury and anger and rage. Rage at myself, for allowing this to happen, for being in this situation. Anger towards everyone who was against me, who longed for my death. Fury towards my Father and what he had brought down on me. And now I was to pay for his crimes.
There was a knock at the door and I snarled in reply, feeling a feral instinct rise up from inside of me. This had to be it. This had to be the moment. The door burst open and I dropped to my knees, clutching my head in pain. It was as though a dam had burst open inside of my mind, and suddenly, I knew what I had done.
“Get to your feet traitor!” He jabbed me with his rifle and a roar ripped through me as I reached up to swipe the gun from his grasp, sending it clattering to the other side of the room. I rose slowly to my feet, the monster tearing its way out, my head still throbbing. I smiled evilly at the now unarmed guard.
“Do you want to do that again?”
*
(Circe’s P.O.V)
Time seemed to stop as he was forced into the room, battling them every step of the way, his hands tied in front of him and covered in blood. The guard on the left had a nasty gash above his eye, and was trying to wipe the blood from his face while at the same time trying to keep a hold on him. The guards at the door posts rushed to his aid and the injured man fell back, sitting down on one of the pews at the back.
Obsidian was brought to his knees in front of us, his eyes wild, his pupils narrowed into slits. He gnashed his pointed teeth, snarling furiously. He struggled against the guards again, lashing out with his bound hands, his chest heaving. His shirt fell open as he thrashed around and I saw that he had been beaten on the way here.
“Zalas,” My Mother beckoned him forward. “If you would be so kind,”
Zalas smirked, stepping forward. “It would be my pleasure your Highness.”
Before I could say anything, he had thrust his hands out towards Obsidian, rooting him to the spot with incredible power. Twisting his hands as though he was controlling a puppet, he forced Obsidian to kneel again, his hands in front of him. Tears sprung to my eyes as his head was forced up, his eyes wild, his teeth bared, until his chin was painfully angled, forcing him to look straight at us.
Zalas however was enjoying himself, his face twisted into a hate filled sneer. He walked forward to the immobilized pirate, bringing his fist back before releasing it with inhuman force, punching him right in the face. I winced in pain as I heard the horrible crunch of his nose breaking, but Obsidian did nothing but snarl back at his attacker, spitting out words through the blood that was now pouring down his face.
“Feel better?”
Zalas smiled, leaning down. “I will now,” He said spitefully, before ripping Obsidians pendant off his neck with unnecessary force. He swiftly kicked him in the stomach so hard that I felt as though I could see his ribs cracking through his shirt. Obsidian roared, his gold eyes burning with unleashed fury, but there was nothing he could do with Zalas’s power still rooting him in place.
But I could not sit and watch any longer. “What are you doing!” I half screamed, tears brimming at the corners of my eyes. “Leave him alone. What has he done?”
Zalas approached me, grabbing my face in his hands and forcing me to look at Obsidian. “What has he done?!” He snarled in my ear. “This man, Princess, stole one of the most precious items in existence. This man, Princess,” He spat out the word as though I was undeserving of the title. “Stole a Dragon egg from my Father. Do you know how often a Dragon is born Circe?” He asked, his fingers tightening their grip on my cheeks. “Once every 500 years!! Do you understand now? Well? Do you? DO YOU?” Tears squeezed out from the corners of my eyes as I nodded my head, my hands reaching up and trying to pry his fingers off.
“That is enough.” My Mother’s voice was final and Zalas released his hold. I backed away from him quickly, looking towards Hobbson. The old man’s face was torn, but his eyes were desperately warning me to be careful. “Zalas, my daughter has spent too much time with these pirates and she has a compassionate heart. She is not to blame, now bring me the stone.”
Zalas complied, bowing low as he presented her with the cursed golden gem. She took it from him, holding it up to the light. Seemingly satisfied, she tucked it into her bodice, rising from her feet.
“I trust you have your Mothers?”
Zalas rose also, nodding in reply to her question as he tugged out a blood red stone from his neckline. It was on a beautiful silver chain and caught my eye instantly, tugging me in. I shivered. Such a deep red…
“Good. The elders are already planning the ceremony to join the pendants together, for the sooner this is done, the sooner all of our worlds will finally be joined once again, as they should be. Now,” She said grimly, advancing towards Obsidian. “We will find the truth.”
I could not sit down; desperately I looked towards Cobalt and found his panicked eyes. He knew better than to speak up but I could see that he was itching to be heard. My lips trembled as I realised that I couldn’t do anything about what was going to happen next without giving away my true feelings.
“Obsidian Bones. Did you steal the Dragon egg from the Air Kingdom.”
I stared at him, begging him to look at me. If he would just explain what he had said to me last night, they would believe him, they had to. But what happened next broke me. Obsidians eyes flickered from my Mothers to mine and there was no love there. His lips twisted up into a cold smile as he spoke the words directly to me.
“Yes. Yes I did.”
“No.”
I didn’t believe it. “Obsidian,” I moved forward towards him, my tone pleading. “You didn’t you couldn’t have, you’re lying.”His expression did not change as he looked at me with utter contempt and before I could stop myself I was screaming the words at him.
“You’re LYING! Tell them the truth! TELL THEM YOU’RE LYING!” I screamed, my heart twisting in my chest as I fell to my knees in front of him, all pretences forgotten. I grabbed his bloodied face and shook it, tears falling down my cheeks. “Obsidian please! Tell them the truth!”
I rounded on my Mother, begging her. “Please, he is lying, he has to be. He was on the ship the whole time; there was no way that he could have gotten in!”
I wanted to tell, I wanted to tell her what he had told me, that he was being framed, but even if she figured out by my actions now, my true feelings for him, there would be no forgiving the fact that I had spent a night with him. And something was wrong, my heart was telling me this was wrong.
Obsidian wasn't pleading his case, if anything he was condemming it. No one was framing him here, he was framing himself and from the look in his eyes he was on the road straight to hell. It was as though someone had flicked a switch in him, and although I didn't want to believe it, the small seed of doubt that Aisling had sown back on the boat, was whispering in my ear, telling me that I had been played. Cruelly manipulated. That this was him. This was him all along.
“Circe-“She started towards me, but I turned back to Obsidian, refusing to believe.
“There is no way, you could have done this. It is impossible.” I pleaded but his eyes were cold as he leaned in towards me and with every word he spoke it was as though he was tearing off strips of my flesh.
“Are you sure about that Princess?” His words were soft, deadly. “My Father managed to do it.” He sneered. “So why is it so hard to believe that I could have as well, just as easily.” My mind filled with desperation as I clung to his shirt, trying to shake some sense into him.
“No, you aren’t like him.”
His eyes flashed. “Aren’t I?” His next words were quiet, whispered as though between lovers, meant for my ears only, his golden eyes boring into my own. “I don’t want you anymore.” His statement was simple, but it stung more as though he had slapped me across the face. The words were quivering with hatred and contempt and, just like that, his eyes slid from me, to look straight ahead. As though I was nothing, as though I meant nothing.
And just like that, I was ruined.
A hand on my shoulder tried to pull me away but I brushed it off, my vision clouded by my tears. He was doing this on purpose; it was some kind of sick self-sacrifice, it had to be. “It doesn’t have to be like this, you don’t have to do this!” I pleaded with him, but he wouldn’t look at me, his eyes staring straight ahead, his face impassive.
“Circe-“
“Don’t touch me!” I half screamed and half sobbed, but now someone was pulling me away and I was hysterical, thrashing in their arms, not wanting to let go of the dead man in front of me, the man who finally looked back at me with the cold hard eyes of betrayal.
“How could you!” I screamed, the anger finally breaking through. “How could you do this to me? I trusted you!”
More hands were on me, pulling me away from him but I continued to scream profanities back at him, not caring how it looked, not caring that it was obvious now, obvious that I had feelings for him.
“Remove her please.” I heard my Mother demand.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him as I was carried towards the door, sobbing uncontrollably. He didn’t turn around again and as the doors closed, blocking him from view, I felt as though my heart had been ripped from my chest and left bleeding on the ground in front of him.
*
(Obsidian’s P.O.V)
My heart was empty and I felt nothing as she was dragged from the room, her sobs dying in my ears. I looked up at the Queen impassively. There was no doubt in my mind about who I was and what I had done. I would not deny that. Her pleas had fell on deaf ears, my cold heart had not felt anything as she had begged better of me.
Queen Evangeline’s face was filled with disgust. “So you do not deny it?”
I smiled a bloody grin of death. “Why would I?” I asked carelessly, ignoring the cry of outrage that came from my brother.
“Obsidian you know it isn’t true.” He looked towards Hobbs in desperation; the old man was frowning at me, his hand on his chin. “Hobbson was there as well, Obsidian was on the ship the whole time.”
I smiled again. “Was I really?” They were all so foolish, but if they couldn’t figure it out for themselves, who was I to give myself away? Let them stew. Let them worry. Let them think that it could happen again.
Hobbson still looked deep in thought when he replied. “I am afraid I can’t vouch for that, there was a day when I didn’t see him at all, right after he had shot a crew member in the eye for looking into his room. No-one went in, and I didn’t hear him in his room until the next morning.”
My grin widened as I looked back to the Queen. “See?” I said, incredibly pleased with myself. Cobalt was looking at Hobbson in betrayal but the old man’s eyes were still on me and it was making me uncomfortable.
“I trust that our deal is still in place though,” I said. “This was my crime and mine alone.”
“Our deal is still in place as long as you give me the information you promised.” The Queen replied, the fury in her eyes unmistakable.
“Deal? What deal?” Cobalt protested from beside me, but I ignored him, closing my eyes briefly.
“Very well” I laughed loudly; this was going to be marvellous. I began with a teasing titbit, words that I knew would peak her interest. “I suppose you know that for whatever reason, when magical folk breed with humans it produces a twin? Well my Father was a half breed.” I said slyly.
The Queens face whitened slightly and Zalas moved towards me, his attention grabbed once again. I spat a mouthful of blood in his direction and it splattered on his shoes. I smiled victoriously up at him and he snarled nastily, forcing my chin upwards with his blasted magic until I could barely get the rest of the words out of my mouth. This Prince was scum, using his power just to show that he could. He would be taught eventually. I bared my teeth at him and he returned the gesture, showing me his fangs.
“Find my Fathers twin and you will find your husband,” I hissed out, my eyes still venomously locked on Zalas’s face, but this time the blow came from Evangeline’s hand as she struck me across the face.
Her voice shook as she spoke. “Where is he?”
I snarled at her, my fangs lengthening even more, cutting into the bottom of my lip, my words coming out strangely twisted as I tried to speak around them. “I don’t know!”
She struck me again, harder this time and the rings on her hand sliced into my face. Her words dripped with venom. “You deserve to die, you scum.” She spat out before looking up at the guards. “Take him away. Lock him in the dungeons until we are ready to escort him to the Elven King.” Her eyes fell back on me, hardening into shards of ice. “And may he have mercy on your soul.”
*
(Circe’s P.O.V)
It had been a week since Obsidian had torn my heart right out of my chest and I could not even begin to figure out how to pick up the pieces. My hand maidens came every day to bathe me, washing dried tears from the night before from my face, untangling my hair from the knots that I had wound it into. They brought me scattered pieces of information, Obsidian had been thrown into the dungeons, Cobalt had been released, his name cleared, Lacy and Nathaniel had been asking for me, my Mother was busy planning the ceremony that would join together the pendants, and also the ceremony that would see me legally become Princess Circe Deuaich, sole heir to Queen Evangeline Deuaich.
All I could see in front of me though, was those dead golden eyes. They had branded themselves into my vision, into the skin behind my eyelids, so even when I slept there was no reprieve. And all of the time, memories of his touch, his kisses, his soft spoken words swept through me, all empty, all hollow. Each one a perfect memory. Each one meaning nothing.
*
Zalas burst into my room, sweeping me up from my spot on the chair where I had been sitting for most of the day. The view was beautiful out of that window; I could see the whole city stretched out below. His slender fingers wrapped around my arms as he shook me roughly, forcing me to look at his face.
“Snap out of it.” He snarled, slapping me across the face. The pain registered late, stinging and throbbing. I felt blood on my lip and reached up to wipe it, dropping my gaze as I did so. He shook me again, bringing my feet up off the floor.
“I fine job you did of staying away from him.” Zalas’s voice was thick with an emotion that I didn’t recognize. “He is scum Circe, you shouldn’t be dwelling over someone like him. You are fortunate that your Mother has not decided to condemn you for loving him.”
There was that word. Love. A word that had barely had time to raise its fragile head before it was stomped back into the dirt. A perfect tear slipped from the corner of my eye. I raised my head, my blue eyes meeting his white ones, but all that I saw was gold. Deep burning gold.
“Get out.” My voice was hoarse from lack of use.
He released me but did not move away, staring down at me, his chest heaving and that unknown emotion burning in his eyes. How dare he.
“I said get out!” I yelled, pointing at the door, only just noticing that Aranel was standing there also, her face blank.
The Prince glared at me hard, before turning on his heel and storming towards the door, slamming it with such force behind him that the hinges rattled. I slumped back down in my seat, my hands shaking from the confrontation. Drained, I closed my eyes, slipping into sleep.
*
I woke when it was dark and my legs were tangled in the sheets. I frowned, sitting up, I didn’t remember moving to bed. My gaze fell upon a figure sitting in the chair by my window, but for some reason I was not at all surprised. The moonlight streamed through the window, highlighting the blue of his hair.
We stood at the same time; he turned to face me without words, simply offering his hand. I studied his face for a moment, he was so incredibly beautiful that I couldn’t help myself; I reached out a hand to touch his face. His skin was cool against my fingertips, and felt as though I was resting my hand on the surface of water, yet when I pulled back my hand, it was perfectly dry.
Ambrose reached to take my hand, bringing it back to his face. His eyes closed and he breathed out slowly. It was as though he was coloured with paint and it was being washed away, I watched as his skin dissolved and the charade of his clothing vanished, until there was nothing but a body of water standing in front of me. The moonlight shone through him, lighting him from the inside and his eyes opened, blending in now, with the rest of him. His hair was no longer hair, but strands of water that extended out around him as though it was floating.
He looked very out of place in my room, as though his form would crumple at any moment into a puddle of water on the floor. But he didn’t. Taking my hand from his cheek, he took it in his own and led me out the door. I followed without question.
*