-Karen-When I woke up, I could see I was in a closed dungeon cell on top of a sparse pile of hay. I felt like I had been beaten severely and my head hurt from a terrible migraine. I went to touch my head and saw I was in shackles. Shackles? Why? And why am I here? I managed to roll on my right side just enough to push myself into a sitting position with my legs crossed under the dress I had been wearing when I was in the armoire room with Conor, Bart and Joanne. I looked down and I was covered in a dark crimson colored substance that was flaking off from my skin. Is this- their blood on me? What happened to them!? It was all over me. It reminded me of the attack when she hurt Conor while we were on the Cliffs of Typher. Michael and Monica must have hurt them all so terribly! What the hell happened after I blacked out?The door slammed open making me jump. The king walked in holding a folder with one of the generals. The door shut and they walked over to me in an intimidating fashion.
-Karen-I left my thoughts drift to Conor, Bart and Joanne. I hope they are going to be okay. I hope they don’t believe I would hurt them… Not after all we have suffered through together. I felt my left foot start to curl down where the toes were being pushed under towards my heel. I heard popping and snapping noises as an unbelievable amount of pain shot through my leg. The same process was done to my right foot and the pain ricocheted throughout my lower body. Breathe Kay! Even if it’s shallow.“Not bad... Hearing your bones and tendons snap is music to my ears. I kinda regret that paralytic but I don’t want people hearing you scream. We are trying to keep this hushed up. Cause, you know, you are a Princess, well… Until I kill you at least. Then you’ll just be another name on the very long list of people I’ve killed.” Michael explained as he blocked the light for a moment. He had a shatter stick in his hands. Not that thing again.Over a progression of several hours, he slowly broke
-Conor-“Hey Conor! Wake up.” Joanne prodded impatiently. “Wake up! Come on sleepy head!” She shook his shoulder gently and he opened his right eye and looked over at her. “Yes! Your Majesty! Conor’s waking up!” Ugh… What the hell happened? I remember being stabbed several times again… But after that?Zachary bolted into the room and was next to Conor’s side in an instant. Conor slowly stretched and flexed his fingers as he held them up a few inches from his face. Damn… I feel like I got ran over by a truck. Or hit by a train. A couple trains. “Can you hear me, son?” Zachary asked seriously. Conor nodded with a wince. Though I don’t want to... “You’ve been unconscious for about a week now… Whatever that girl injected into almost killed you.” That girl? “Roger said there were eight different poisons in that syringe. It’s taken him five days to start to reverse its effects… Your liver failed and then your heart but thankfully we were able to replace those… Your kidneys are on the verge
-Conor-“When they got back from the Cliffs, Karen was covered in his blood then too but it’s because Monica said she wants Karen to feel responsible if Conor dies. I would bet everything that this is just a scheme on Monica’s part to try and get Karen out of the picture. Karen would do anything to protect Conor. Anything!” Joanne exclaimed after she calmed down a little bit. Anything and I know she wouldn’t question dying for me either. Don’t die on me love. I need you. “Michael and Monica did say that this was a ploy to get me out of the way and for her to die in the process. I was fully conscious when Michael said that.” Conor added quickly.“So… That means Augustus probably lied to me on two counts… Augustus, Michael and Monica are the ones I need to hunt down… The three of you are not to leave this room.” Zachary commanded as he left the room. “Roger, go to the dungeon immediately and check on that girl. I want you to make sure she isn’t dead. That servant I sent about twenty mi
-Conor-There was a swift knock on the door behind them and the king entered the room. Everyone bowed as Zachary pursed his lips. He looked furious. “Lady Monica confessed to it all, Conor. She was rather proud of her attacks on you.” He stated plainly. “These latest attacks have been part of a scheme to get you and the rat out of the picture at the same time. The main goal was to put Michael on the throne by assassinating you… And to get rid of Karen by framing her for the crime.” Zachary paused. “I’m going to be sending Michael back to the ship for several days so I can figure out what to do with him. I will likely have Monica executed in the next day or two for her role in the plot, but she will also be going onto the ship to keep you both out of harm’s way.”“I told you so! Why don’t you ever listen?! And I want to be the one to kill her! After what she has done to Karen and to me, we should be allowed to take our revenge on her. Michael too!” Conor snapped tiredly. I’ll rip her f
-Karen-There was a faint but familiar beeping sound in the background that woke me up. I’m in the medical ward? Why? I was in the dungeon… What am I doing here? I woke up feeling a great deal of physical pain, but I felt the extreme depression come over me as I lie there thinking about Conor. He’s gone. I never got to say goodbye. I feel like my heart has shattered into a fine dust. Never to be fused back together. I felt my grief bubble up as I started to cry quietly. I slowly sat up on the table, but I had a hard time getting my bearings and I accidentally fell off. I felt a sharp pain in my right arm as I landed on the hard floor. Ugh… That hurt… I looked down and saw I ripped out my IV, but I didn’t care. This physical pain doesn’t even remotely compare to the emotional devastation I'm feeling right now. I just want to end this heartbreak.Michael’s words echoed in my mind over and over again on an endless loop of misery. First our baby boy and now, ‘Your fiance just died about t
-Karen-Nine days passed by and nothing changed. I fought them every time I saw them in the room. On the second day, I tried using the restraints they left behind to bar the door and hang myself. They managed to get in and stop me before I died. I was restrained for two days and refused to eat or drink. An IV was put in my left arm but I ripped it out and bled all over the floor and bed. I tried to attack them all and became even more combative than I had been in the beginning. I tried getting on to the small balcony so I could jump off. They chained the door shut. I started trying to make weapons so I could end my existence. I was trying everything I could possibly think of to die. I was desperate to die, and I was persistent in trying to make it happen anyway I could. I tried everything from hiding under the bed, to hiding in the armoire, the second room’s small closet. I tried to break the table and chairs, hoping I could stab myself with the wooden shards. I managed to break the
-Karen-I slowly woke up curled up to a wet pillow again. I cry even in my sleep… How have I not dried out from all these tears? I tossed the pillow to the foot of the bed and watched it fall off onto the floor. I’ll hold onto this one. I pulled a different pillow from behind my back and latched on to its semi-warm fabric. I had the feeling that I was being watched. I sat up slowly trying not to use up the small amount of energy that I had. I looked over at the center of the room and saw Joanne watching me silently with a sad yet concerned look on her face. “You should leave, Joanne.” I ordered plainly. Sister or not. “I don’t want you here.” I don’t want anyone here. I just need to be alone.“I can’t leave you Kay... Roger put me on suicide watch last night.” She replied sighing sadly. Lovely. I just need to find something sharp so I can cut the big vein in my neck. I should be able to bleed out in a minute… “Everything is going to be just fine Kay.” I scoffed at her. No, it’s not!!
-Conor-“I have a terrible feeling about this Nathan. We need to go to her. As soon as possible.” Conor said pacing back and forth in front of all the Mages. “After she lost consciousness, Eldon came and took her away. All he said was that she was being summoned by a tree. That's when a portal was made for me to come back here.”Nathan's eyes got wide and he lost the coloring in his face. “The Tree summoned her?” A serious yet terrified look remained on his face. Alexander started screaming making everyone jump. A portal opened and everyone stood up while Joanne worked to calm him down. “Karen?” Conor asked feeling hopeful. Eldon walked through carrying her, but he was stoic. “She’s going to be okay, right?”Eldon gently placed her into his arms. He didn’t answer right away. “Not exactly.” The portal shut as all the Mages gathered around. “As you know, she won the war against your father with your help. However, she lost the fight.” He said quietly. “Senescence, has deemed that she i
“Soul Release.” I whispered quietly. I watched as the souls compressed into different color orbs and floated away on the breeze. Bombs started falling around me while breathing became harder. “Healing Serenity.” I’ve used a flurry of spells and I still have a small chunk of magic left. I can easily get two or three more Master spells… I think. I decided to change positions so I could get a better aim at the last large ship flying around. I still have those small ships too… I took a deep breath and sent a Blazing Hypernova up to the middle area of the small ships. They all exploded in a bright flash and the wreckage fell to the destroyed town. I looked around for the large ship, but a bullet ricocheted very close to where I stood. Suddenly, more soldiers appeared charging at me.“Frostfire Surge!” I shouted angrily. All the soldiers shouted in pain and collapsed dead around us in heaps. I pointed up at the sky as the ship tried to leave again. “Blazing Hypernova!” Due to the high level
-Karen-A blow to the back of the head put me on the ground faster than I ever thought possible. Blow after blow was delivered as I squirmed to get away, but Zachary pinned me under him and continued to land a barrage of punches. He yelled and screamed about what I had done to his family. I grabbed his ankle and let him have a taste of ‘Lightning Surge’. It bought me enough precious time to weakly get to my knees.“Recovery Salvo.” I shakily got to my feet and leaned against the wall, but he was no where to be seen. I looked around nervously, but nothing moved. I heard the bullets before I felt them. Hot metal burrowed its way into my right thigh followed by my abdomen, left arm and chest. I collapsed in heap trying to fight the massive amounts of pain I felt. “Healing Serenity!” I whispered under my breath. Damn, another healing spell… I whispered for a portal and fled to the shadows of a building across town. There were still so many ships in the air, and I was starting to feel the
-Karen-“We don’t have a choice anymore!” I snapped back frustratedly. “This is it, Conor- We fight or we die- I’m not about to let him claim victory. There is going to have to be a risk in order to win this fight. I plan on coming back, you know.”“But what if you don’t, Kay? What if Eldon doesn’t revive you?” Conor asked firmly. He cupped my face and stared me in the eyes. “What if you’re gone forever?” What if… Such a big 'what if' and its running through my mind too.I didn’t answer him right away. “I’m going to die someday. I’d rather die fighting for my family and the people I care about than to run and live in fear wondering if today will be the day. As long as I don’t exhaust my magic and turn into a demon, I should be fine.” I’ve used a small bit of my magic, but I still have more than plenty. As long as I can take them out in fifteen to twenty Master level attacks, it should be okay. Permitting this doesn’t drag out for very long.I could see he was very much not accepting o
-Karen-“Your sudden jerking movements re-opened a wound I repaired.” Bart explained as I lay still looking up at the ceiling of the empty crypt bed. “I stitched it closed but you can't be doing those type of movements yet.” I sighed feeling useless as another bomb shook the ground.“Let me put some salve on her stitches, doctor.” Valerie murmured rubbing in a sweet smelling cream. “This should help numb the stitches so they won't hurt if you do have to move.”“Thank you both.” I replied, slowly sitting up. “Those bombs have been falling for the last three days now. How much more punishment can the main floor of the Crypts take?” I asked Nathan, feeling uneasy about our situation.I could see that Nathan was very reluctant to answer. “It probably won't be much longer, honestly. We have to make some hard choices now. The only other place we can go is the Forest and that has its own set of challenges and hazards as you know.” He heaved a heavy sigh, rubbing his face from the growing pre
-Karen-At the snap of my fingers, my brother’s arms were torn from his body. Screams of agony echoed around me while the soldiers took aim at me. A soldier was yelling, but I paid him no mind. I heard the same soldier call my brother’s name, Marcus, telling him to hold on. I giggled softly enjoying this scary side of myself and met Marcus’s now terrified yet agonized gaze. “Marcus… I’m going to annihilate you and as I do, I will make sure that your soul quivers in unimaginable terror.” He some how lost more coloring in is face at my calm words“Ground Spears!” I shouted angrily punching up into the air. The soldiers that surrounded us were now high up on the points of the spears with blood gushing and dripping down the jagged rocks, more groans and moans of pain filling the air which was tainted with the scent of blood. “Soul Snatch!” I ripped the wispy soul out of the body, and he looked terrified. “Soul’s Doom!” Just like before, a white demon charged right at him and shredded his
-Karen-I woke up enveloped in warmth, but I was extremely sore. I really felt like I hit every tree branch coming down from that fall. So sweet- He changed my dress. The orchid under dress. I looked over to my right and saw Conor and Alexander cuddled up next to me both sleeping with their mouths open. Ha- My loves. “Conor!” I whispered softly. I tried to roll over and found out that was a mistake. Ah! I’m still busted up pretty badly… I grabbed his hand that was cupping my left cheek and gently squeezed it. Wake up!Without opening his eyes, “You’re the most recklessly insane person I know, Karen Anne Elizabeth. That was awe-inspiring, terrifying and thrilling all at once, but I don’t want to repeat that any time soon.” Conor said rubbing my cheek with his index finger. Mm. So warm… “We’ve only lost two ships in two separate incidents before but that was insane!” He opened an eye and leaned into me. “You have a lot of injuries still. You broke lots of bones. Bet you’re sore?”“Very!
-Karen-Conor groaned while rubbing his face and then looked up at me. He rubbed his eyes again. “Is that really you, Kay? You’re not an illusion, right?” He whispered sitting up quickly and grabbing my left hand pressing my palm to his lips. “You know I’m not upset with you- Don’t you?” I dropped my gaze feeling so much shame as I stood before him. “I-”“You may not be upset but I am.” I interrupted quietly. “I just see myself punching you and then charging at Joanne and then the nightmares I had. I may not be cursed anymore but the weight of my guilt is so heavy. I feel like I should just die and end everything once and for all. But that wouldn’t be fair to you or to Alex.” I closed the gap between us and hugged him tightly. “I love you Conor. I love you and I hate that I only hurt you… I feel like I do nothing but that.”He was silent but he held me tightly to him after he pulled me onto his lap. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to get this again.” Conor kissed my cheek and nuzzled my
-Karen-Sweet kisses on my lips woke me up though it took me several minutes to realize I was in bed next to Conor. As soon as I did, I tried to move away from him. “Ah ah ah!” He captured me quickly and pulled me back to him. No. Please don’t!I completely avoided his gazes and wouldn’t let him kiss me at all. “Karen- You won’t even look at me.” I could hear the disappointment in his voice. “Alexander cried all night after you left. Will you at least hug him?” I shook my head. “He says Mama now.” I don’t care. I can’t be here anymore! I only hurt you. I can’t continue to be a danger to you and everyone else here.I took advantage of the situation and pulled away from him. “Karen! Wait!” I left the tent as quickly as I could hearing him following me. “Please just listen to me!”All eyes were on me and it shot me right back to the memory of charging at Joanne. I dashed to the clearing and left the camp as fast as I could. I raced back to the Royal Crypt, crying the whole way. The guilt