-Conor-“That’s just your opinion. There are many other opinions who think you’re a good person and that even if you make mistakes, you’re still loved because we care about you.” Conor said rolling on his side watching the wispy soul dance around without the bones this time. Her bones are scattered around the surface of the Lake… She perfectly danced a ballet that Joanne had been teaching her before she got pregnant. My love. Please come back to me. I have to hold on- I can’t just give up on you. “I love you no matter what Karen.” Even if you hate yourself, I’ll love you more than yesterday. She stopped mid-bow and looked over with a sad look on her face. “Fine. Stay here. I don’t care.” She snapped her fingers and black water rose from the lake and encapsulated her. She’s shutting me out. Conor sighed as he lay back down rubbing his face from the emotional exhaustion and strain this had put him under. He lay there thinking about the fond memories he had with her from the moment he m
-Conor-“No… I have half a mind to piss you off so you can take me out. You’d make father, Michael and Monica delighted. But no matter what happens, Alexander loses, and you know I’m right. He’s going to lose the woman who loves him the most.” Conor whispered as he lay back down and shut his eyes. “Go away Karen. Go back to your fucking bubble and shut me out like you did before. Your actions tell me that you don’t care about us. I’m sure I’ll figure it out.”An hour passed and Conor opened his eyes to see Karen still standing there. Neither of them said anything so he rolled over and faced away from her. I failed. I need a barrel of whiskey right now. About ten barrels. He shut his eyes again and hugged himself as he drifted off to sleep.He woke again feeling sick from his emotions. Ugh… I feel like crap. Conor rolled over and saw Karen still standing there watching him. He picked up a piece of bread and took a small bite. “You’ve been asleep for a couple days.” Karen said softly.O
-Karen-The sudden urge to breathe made me cough several times. I breathed deeply and felt weak. I opened my eyes and saw I was in a tent with Eldon looking down at me. I was at the Lake… wasn’t I? He said something but I didn’t hear what he said. I shut my eyes again and rolled over onto my right side. I feel terrible… I feel a deep sense of regret and sadness. I remember being at the Lake. I danced with bones… Whose bones were those? Wait... Those were my bones… I used my magic… On myself… Because of an illusion. Conor and Alexander… They were hatefully killed in cold blood. Eldon… Despite the weak feeling, I sat up and looked angrily over at him “You… You killed them…” I growled hatefully. “I’ll never forgive you!”“Kay!” Conor called from the foot of the bed. He pushed Eldon several feet away and hugged me tightly as he cried all over again. “Don’t kill yourself again! I need you baby!” He kissed me deeply. “I need my flower… Our baby needs his Mama!” He kissed me deeply for a sec
-Conor-Karen placed a hand on the Lake surface and her belly. You can do it baby! She said the spell and an instant later, “Get out!” Eldon shouted creating a portal and shoving Conor and Nathan through. The portal shut and Nathan grabbed onto Conor’s arm and held him back as he tried to get Nathan to make a new portal back to the Lake. We can’t just leave her there!After several minutes, a shock wave shook the entire camp, making Alexander start crying. Aaron brought Alexander over to Conor while everyone waited in tense silence. “Alex!” Conor whispered kissing his small forehead. He continued to cry as he looked around. Aaron brought Conor a bottle in hopes of calming Alexander down. “It’s okay Alex. Mama is going to be okay.” I hope. I don’t even know what the hell just happened…The Mages whispered around Conor until Nathan came and sat down next to him. “Did you feel that shock wave, Conor?” Nathan asked nervously. Conor nodded but Alexander became even fussier. “He can tell so
-Karen-“Karen Anne Elizabeth… Wake up my flower.” Conor’s voice whispered in my ear. I slowly swung my head over to him. I feel like stone. Heavy and stiff. “I’m up…” I struggled to keep my eyes open. “I feel horrible…” I managed to open my eyes for a couple minutes and that was the extent of my energy.I felt a hand on my shoulder. “Stay still.” Aaron said softly. “Transfer.” I felt a wonderful rush of warmth run through me though my energy level didn’t improve much. The warmth made me sleepy all over again. After five minutes, Aaron let go. “Feel any better?” I kept my eyes shut. “Yes… A little better. Thank you Aaron.” I could feel the mood in the room was rather serious. I slowly turned back to Conor and watched him. “Are you okay, Conor?” I asked softly. “I’m better now that I see you’re awake-” Conor said until we heard crying. I immediately started looking around for Alexander. “Today was the first time we could get him away from you for more than five minutes.” I looked ov
-Karen-“There you are!” Conor called from behind us. “I’ve been looking for you three.” He came over and sat down next to me. “How are you feeling today baby?” He asked kissing me sweetly. I went to answer him, but he started making out with me. “How about you let her answer the question?” Joanne quipped as we kept kissing. She started laughing when I waved her off. “Never mind Conor, the Queen has spoken.”Conor and I chuckled softly together at Joanne’s comment. “Well, she does have the final say. So, tell me, my Queen-” I narrowed my eyes. “How much do you love your Prince?”I raised an eyebrow at him. “Prince? I love Alexander so much! I promise to do a better job at being a good mother. I wanted to start by giving him a good bath.” I looked down to check on Alexander as Conor chuckled.“I meant how much do you love me, silly.” He whispered in my ear.I gave him a confused look. Prince? “But you’re going to be king… You used the wrong title.” I corrected him. He dropped his gaze
-Karen-I woke up in my apartments, but I could tell immediately that something was off. The mint-colored walls were now a light lilac with the ceiling painted black and splattered with stars just like the sky at night. I sat up in the large bed surrounded by pillows. This- This is weird. They drugged me and stuck me in- The door opened, Delia walked in with Winholt and Nathan. Uh… Two of you are dead… Is this a dream? It has to be.“My dear granddaughter, we have the most wonderful news.” Delia said warmly. “We have settled your marriage contract. I wanted to tell you as soon as possible since you will be of age next week.” I blinked at her not sure what to say. “We have made a deal with the Zargan Empire- In trade for compliance to their customs, the demand was set for you to marry a Zargan Prince along with providing a dowry. Everything has been settled so I need you to get dressed and come to my Study at once.” She snapped her fingers and several Ladies, including Lizette, rushed
-Karen-“I can prove that I’m your wife.” I whispered against his lips. I know you like the back of my hand. Of anything I’ve ever done in my life, falling in love with you was the best thing I did.“Can you? Let’s see your proof.” He replied softly. I could see him smirking at me from the soft light that came in under the door.“Michael isn’t your brother. And you’re married to Beatrice, who is most likely sleeping with Michael behind your back. You don’t want to be king… You lost close friends in your first campaign. They died protecting you.” I said softly. I nuzzled his neck and gave him a love bite.“Well… Only two people know about Michael’s paternity… And all of that is true… What’s my favorite meal?” He asked as he started kissing my neck.“Steak cooked medium well, mashed potatoes with a vegetable. For dessert, you like cheesecake. Whiskey is your favorite alcohol.” I whispered as he moved down to my chest. It’s so familiar! I want this so much. I moaned softly as I felt him
-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