-Karen-It was late in the evening, around nine, as I got ready for bed. I layered several blankets on the floor in front of my armoire and got a pillow from the bed so I could go to sleep alone. It’s odd but I miss him and his warmth. I finally had a friend and now I’m alone again. Why do I feel like I failed? I changed into a frilly nightgown and braided my hair to prevent knots. I was tired and depressed from being shunned like an outcast. I was dumb to think I could be friends with a prince. Or anyone for that matter. I curled up to the soft pillow. I bit my lip so I could focus on that pain rather than the emotional pain I felt. See Eldon? Emotions are stupid and this is exactly why I don’t like mine. As I was falling asleep, I was strongly considering leaving in the morning after he left for his day. I could go back to my servant room in the basement whether I had permission or not. At least I won’t shun myself. But I’m definitely going to take a couple blankets since its turni
-Karen-“You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?” Joanne asked spinning me around to face her. I bit my lip and nodded shyly. She gave me a warm smile. “I’m telling you, Karen. It’s gonna happen! I think you’ll enjoy being his companion. He talks to Bart and me about you almost all the time. He says that he enjoys your witty quips and that you make him laugh without trying.” I felt my cheeks tinge at her words. “Don’t be shy! It’s great! He feels very comfortable around you. Plus, you’ve undone all the mean and cold things Beatrice did to him over the last few years in just a few weeks! He’s back to his normal self now and we can thank you for that.” She exclaimed dragging me out to the table where breakfast was waiting for us. “Before you came into the picture, he was really aggressive and got very depressed easily. Those last few days were just a sample of how he was back then.” How awful! He has such a sweet smile too. I stopped for a moment at the thought. I guess I do like him a
-Karen-“Nervous?” Conor asked with a chuckle. I felt my face get red at the question. “You’re still cute when you get flustered, you know.” That didn’t stop me from drinking one and a half bottles of wine in fifteen minutes. “Kay.” I looked directly at him as he flashed a charming smile. “I have something for you.” Something… For me? He went to his dresser and pulled out a small pink box from one of the drawers and gave it to me. “I apologize for treating you the way I did over the last couple of days. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings and make you feel lonely.”“It’s not necessary-” I tried to give him back the gift, but he rolled his eyes and then gave me a playful grin. Damn you. That’s cheating! I scoffed and gave him a dirty look. “Fine! I know that look Conor... I know exactly what you’re going to tell me. If I try to give it back, you’re going to say that you’re the Prince of Zargo and I have to accept and use the gift you have given me. Right?” I asked with a raised eyebrow
-Karen-“The companion thing? Right?” I asked softly. I felt slightly anxious in his grasp. Maybe he is being truthful. He hasn’t made any advances on me at all since I’ve been sharing his apartment. Aside from trying to kiss me… And saying I’m pretty.He smiled and nodded. “Partly… I want to be better friends with you.” Better friends? He was silent for a few minutes as I sat there trying not to get nervous and run into the next room. Breathe girl. He hasn’t hurt you or given you any of the warnings that he will. He leaned in towards my right ear. “What should I do to you today?” I snapped my eyes over to him while he snickered. “I won't hurt you! I promise, Kay!” He chuckled shaking his head. “Poor choice of words…” He sighed shaking his head. “I have to stop doing that.” I need to trust you. If he were going to hurt me, he would not have gotten me such pretty earrings.“I can’t decide if I should teach you to dance or if we should just talk until we fall asleep tonight.” He wants m
-Karen-“It will add to the experience. It’s not the same if you see it coming.” Conor explained. “I’ll only kiss you once unless I see that you like it… Then I’ll kiss you a couple more times. We have a deal?” I nodded once and closed my eyes feeling completely unsure of this decision. I hope this was a good idea. I felt him lift my chin a little bit. Heart please be still! A few seconds later, I felt his soft lips against mine as he pulled me closer to him. Oh… It’s not what I expected at all. I really like this! It was over relatively fast. He kissed me several more times as he cupped my cheek and held me to him. I can't think… At all… I felt as light as a feather as he pulled away from me. “I have wanted to do that for so long now.” He whispered. I slowly opened my eyes as he gazed at me. “I’m sure Joanne has been harassing you over this for a while too... So, if you see her tomorrow, you can tell her I finally kissed you and it was more than once.” He said softly as my face got
-Karen-“How long have we been here, Conor? A couple hours?” I mused out loud. I hope it’s only been two hours ‘cause I wanna spend all night here.“Like this? Since we had lunch?” Conor asked me nuzzling my cheek with his. I nodded resting in his embrace. “We ate around two… and it’s about seven now…” I gave him a surprised look.“It did not feel like five hours…” I whispered biting my lower lip at the interesting thought that ran through my mind. Time went so much faster with those kisses and cuddles.I heard him laugh softly while I smiled happily. “What are you thinking about?” He whispered in my ear. “I’m interested to know what has caused that cute smile of yours.”“I’ve enjoyed this so much… And I will answer a question you asked me a while ago.” I got with an inch of him.“You have my full attention.” He whispered meeting my gaze. “I would love to have dinner with you again. If you don’t mind dining with me?” I said kissing his cheek. I slipped my arms around him and held him
-Karen-He took my hand within his. “A soul mate is someone who inspires you to live your life to the fullest- They can be your best friend and even the love of your life. They’re someone who loves you for you. That person typically complements your personality and makes you stronger in ways you never thought possible. They’re there for you when you need someone most- They carry your deepest secrets and take care of you when you fall apart. They can be a pillar of strength when you feel like you’re about to shatter.” Conor explained. “I’ve been told that a soul mate is someone you absolutely cannot be without. I’ve also heard it’s supposed to be an amazing feeling when you finally find them. Some people, who believe in such a thing, spend their entire lives trying to find their other half…” I guess it must be pretty special…To spend your life doing that.“Oh… I wouldn’t know anything about that then… I’ve not been close to anyone but Lizette or Novo and even they were at arm’s length.
-Karen-I rolled over and searched for something to cling to while I tried to go back to sleep afraid to think of where I was. After searching for a few minutes, I found a pillow and squeezed it to my chest. I sighed into the pillow and laid there still as death. Please don’t be a dream… I could hear two voices speaking quietly from what appeared to be in one of the next rooms. I sat up sleepily as a pair of arms wrapped around my shoulders. “Morning Karen!” Joanne whispered in my left ear. Joanne! What a relief!“Morning…” I sleepily replied after I yawned and stretched. “It’s not a dream.” I felt a happy peace and an extreme feeling of relief descend over me at that moment. Those kisses were real… I want more of those amazing kisses. “The boys are talking and told me to keep an eye on you. How are you feeling today? Conor said he carried you to bed last night. Are you feeling well? Are you hungry?” She asked with a concerned look on her face. I smiled warmly. “I’m alright… It was
-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