Chapter 26

DANTE

My heart jolted as I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I had left the room two hours earlier to deal with tons of paper works, but there was no doubt that this feeling was Leah's

Without thinking, I rushed. Taking a swift left before finding the door that led to her, my heart was drumming in my ear, but I didn't care, I could feel her uneasiness and I didn't like it. I opened the doors and saw her drenched in sweat, her body pale, her eyes widened in fear.

“Are you ok?” I blurted out and facepalmed myself as I walked to her side while trying to remain composed, but I certainly was not.

“Why does…" She trial off and tears rolled down her cheek.

“Hey!” I reached for her, but her head was already going for the headboard and her eyes went shut “Leah?” I held her head and her body went limb in an instant

My heart raced uncontrollably as I shook her, trying to wake her up, but her skin was turning cold and paler by the second, I wanted to scream for help when I realized a faint glow on her shoulder, without thinking I pushed the piece of cloth covering her shoulder blades and I saw a tattoo of something I couldn’t quite place, but it glowed red and blue

The longer we remain with many unanswered questions, the more unreasonable things come to life.

“Leah” my voice sounded nothing like my own, it was faint and cold and lost “what in the world was going on?”

It didn’t matter how much I shook her, she didn’t wake up, she didn’t stir

The power in the room was silent, heavy, I wanted to leave to get help, but it all seemed so wrong, and I was terrified at the mere thought of leaving her alone, but she was burning up way too fast but I needed her out

I scooped her in my hands entirely ignoring the burn on my skin from her body as I stepped into the corridor, a sense of dizziness hit me, but I choose to remain awake, I couldn’t fall down with her, but everything felt like gravity took a shift that was far too dangerous for me to take a single step further anymore

Pushing through the force I felt upon my shoulder, I pushed past everyone, and the moment I got into the car I took to the wheels and drove like a mad man, I wished I hadn’t chased the doctor two hours away from the palace, but I had due to my stupidity

In less than an hour I was there, I drove over the speed limit and honestly didn’t care.

“Open the door!” I growled, and the ground shook beneath my feet before the door flew open.

“What in the world is… your majesty?” his eyes widened in horror and I immediately moved away

“I don’t know what’s going on, she was awake and the next minutes she was uncon…”

“The prophecy” I stopped, holding on to my nape as I froze in my spot

“What does this have to do with the prophecy?”

“She has awakened it” he looked as if he had seen a ghost and that made my heart race, in which it shouldn’t

“What do you mean by that?”

“The first mark is not a place, it's not a weapon, it’s a bloodline. A vessel. A curse made from flesh” my heart hammered hard against my chest as I felt a sting in the corner of both my eyes which I hadn’t felt in years.

“No!”

“It cannot be help”

“There must be a possible way, I cannot have the queen suffering because of a prophecy, I cannot have my wife being killed because of something she knows absolutely nothing about. Your real role has always been the royal seer, so do something, delay it if you can’t stop it, suppress it in some kind of way before it kills her”.

“If you stop this from happening, things will go to hell”

“I don’t give a damn about what state the world is in, if I’m to drive them through hell to keep my wife healthy and safe, then I will”

“If you cage her, you will lose her”

“What?” confusion settled within me as I looked at her and looked back at Leah who seemed very lifeless, but I could still hear the faint sound of her breathing

“If you hold her away from this, hide her away, she will become a woman you do not know, she would not even remember your very existence and the world would rather die than be under her again” I sank quietly beside her as my head battled with questions, I already knew the answer to

“She’s not ready for this…” I whispered to myself, “… she can’t be…”

“She is precisely who she must be” he suddenly interrupted me, “the fire is not waiting. The storm has not stopped. You will choose soon, your majesty. It’s her or the kingdom”.

“That not even an…”

“You might not be able to keep her like you claimed”

******

I sat next on the left side of the bed looking at her quietly. Colors had returned to her skin, the glowing had stopped, and she had life, but a faint bruise designed itself upon her neck, and it felt like I was being suffocated, with no air to breathe. She was yet to wake up, not even a flicker in her fingers.

A knock came at the door and I stared, unable to respond

“Your majesty?” it was Gareth, and I was still seated and numb

“Gareth” my voice was edgy just like I felt, and the door clicked before he walked in

He knew exactly when to walk in without permission, but my nose picked up the scent of blood and my head immediately whipped up to look at him. Drenched in blood and heavily injured.

“Guards! Get the nurse” I yelled, but Gareth shook his head.

“there’s no need” he turned around, and a dagger was plugged into his heart, but I could not remove it, no one will I could tell he was gone, and the dagger was the only thing keeping him standing, if it pulled, he was gone?

“What happened”

“V… victor” everything froze in time, “an entire army is two hours away from here and everyone needs to prepare. I’ve gathered everyone and made them ready. Your majesty…” he trailed off as he immediately began to cough blood.

“Enough, guards! Why the hell is the nurse?”

“I told you there was no use!” Gareth yelled, putting his upon my arm and I looked at the contact, that’s something he hasn’t done in ages “it's time my friend, it’s ok. You have her now, you’re not alone anymore, its time” a series of mixed feelings crossed through my mind.

I didn’t know what it was, I couldn’t place a name to it.

Leah was not waking up; Gareth was dying and victor… I needed to deal with Victor, I couldn’t.

“We have two hours left. We can…” I turned to him, and he was staring at nothing with a smile on his face, but he had gone still, too still. The door burst open and a nurse walked in.

“Your majesty, I… goodness!” she reached for the dagger, but her body was starting to fall. And I didn’t need to be told, he was gone.

“Have the medical team ready for the war. Guards stand your grounds, Hans, make sure everyone who needs to be in the safe house is in the safe house, now!” I growled in an unrecognizable voice and each of the moved with immediate effect.

I picked Gareth up and placed him on a chair and closed his eyes. I needed to think straight, but I couldn’t. Victor… Victor was a problem I couldn’t solve; I wasn’t strong enough, I knew I wasn’t strong enough.

I had thought he was dead already, the bastard that tried to take my throne away before, but this doesn’t make any sense, but he wasn’t dead, if anything he was alive, and he was an hour and half away from here

The seer’s words rushed to my mind,

If you cage her, you’ll lose her. If you hold her away from this, hide her away, she will become a woman you do not know, she would not even remember your very existence.

Victor was no longer my fight, but I would rather die than let him come near my wife,

I looked between my unconscious wife and dead friend and there was only one decision. Kill Victor even if it kills me in the process.

Bursting through the door, I walked, letting my aura give way. Chaos filled the hall as they ran for their lives and towards the safe house, but no one dared to step in my way.

“Your majesty! News from the border…” I stopped in the midst of that chaos as a shattered voice made it through the crowd.

“What is it?” a warrior bowed his head breathing heavily

“They have breached the outer defense. He’s inside the kingdom” my throat tightened, and I didn’t need to be told twice as I let my beast take over.

The battle had begun.

My eyes flew open and the smell of death reached my nostrils faster than I could ever think, it smelt so bad in… me breathe hinged as I saw a body sitting on the couch and my heart dropped as I saw who the person was

“Gareth” I breathe out, my voice sounding too raspy as tears filled with tears and that’s when I heard it

The clash. The growls. The howl of pain. I reached for the curtains and my heart hammered hard against my chest as I saw bodies fly from left to right, a bloodbath I never thought I would experience.

Unknown powers surged through my veins and the will to fight stirred within me. I needed to get out, I needed to fight, the training was not for anything. I looked at Gareth and I had to be told this was Dante’s doings, he had brought him here.

Anger curled within me and reached for the door. Chaos rang in my ear with each step I took, but the urge to see blood, the urge to kill who was involved in this, the urge to kill their alpha. All of it swallowed me whole.

“Her majesty, you can’t…”

“Keep the people safe, I am entrusting you with that role, Hans. If Dante told you to keep me in, tell him I will not stay under shelter while my people lose their lives trying to save me when I am not the needy” I growled at him, unable to recognize my voice, but I didn't care.

“Yes but…” he hesitated, and I looked at him with worry shimmering from me, “don’t die. The kingdom needs you; we need you” I gave him a slight sad smile, but I could not promise what I didn’t know.

“Go, Hans” he bowed and walked away

I watched him run towards the tunnels that led to the safe house and I greeted with the silence of the house, everything was happening right behind that closed door.

My body stilled, but I didn’t stop, taking a deep breath, I pushed the door and the wind gushed through my hair along with the smell of complete agony

Reaching for my dagger, I moved fast and calculative. I didn’t know where Dante was, and I didn’t even want to know. I stabbed one of them by the eyes before doing a double kick upon another. I continued to move without direction as my daggers sliced through the necks of my rivals until my leg was caught midair, and I was hanging to a disgusting face.

“If this isn’t the queen of the kingdom, such a little thing” I struggled to let my legs go, but it was useless, he was too strong

A direct hit to my jaw made my eyes twitch, and I coughed out blood, but it didn’t stop. It was coming from every corner, a knee, a hand, a claw, and blood was something I couldn’t afford to lose more, I needed to think and think fast.

I shoot my eyes letting the taunts, the hits settle in and let my body fall numb. I summoned every bit of energy I had in my mind and without opening, I grabbed the next hand that tried to hit my head.

“Enough” I growled, and laughter ringed in air making every hair on my back rise

I pulled on the arm I held and took a direct hit to the man holding me upside down, taking him completely by surprise, ignoring the pain throbbing in my side I pulled my left leg from his loosened grip I swung towards his jaw

We both dropped to the floor and I rolled myself to my feet. My vision blurred for a split second and I gasped for air, but I dropped to my knees when a hand came towards my face, I rushed for his hand and thus him upside-down letting his neck bone crack into pieces.

I turned around so fast and my entire body was moved to the side by a warrior, forcing me into another fight. I would have been clawed in the fight if he hadn’t moved me fast. I picked my fallen daggers when my hair was suddenly pulled and swirled my knee swiftly, and I slashed open his thighs and threw a wolf’s open jaw at my leg.

“Queen!” I turned immediately and threw my dagger into the man’s heart.

I ran immediately, and my hand touched the warrior’s back, and he didn’t need to be told twice before he bent down, and my legs were off the ground and I glided against his back before delivering a final blow by stabbing the man in the eyes and he falls limb

I took a deep breath for the first time since I left the house and pain cursed through my bones, but there was no sign of wounds or bruises. Strange.

“Your majesty, are you…”

“I’m fine, thank you” he pulled his helmet off, and I immediately recognized him from training, but I couldn’t remember his same and I opened my mouth to ask, but a scream pierced the silent air around, but he didn’t seem startled “where’s the voice from?”

“What voice?” the scream came again

“That voice!” he furrowed confused, and my legs began to move before I could think of what direction it was coming from

The scream of agony and pain kept growing louder as I got closer, and my heart dropped to the ground but when I stood above another battle, where everyone else was. Dante was in the middle, fighting for his life and, as if sensing my presence, he turned and his golden eyes clashed with mine and a spark ignited.

But the spark died almost immediately as he continued to fight. I saw it, and he was losing and had no idea what to do about it.

A spark ran between the tip of my fingers and my mouth moved, as if saying something, but I couldn’t hear it. I could only hear the cries of pain of my people, smell the blood of those who had died, this couldn’t go on.

White light blinded my eyes and everything was suddenly dark, too black for me to see, had I gone blind?

“Child?” a melodious voice asked piercing through the darkness and a chill went down my spine in a good kind of way

“Who's there?” I question while turning around trying to find an atom of light and I saw it, just a glimpse of it from the ground and a gush of wind blew out of nowhere and that’s when I saw a figure standing in the corner and I reached for my dagger but it wasn’t there

What the hell?

“You should know I am no trouble, child” the power that radiates from the corner of the room where she stood made the ground under my feet shake

“Who are you and what do you want?”

“sit” she commanded and I immediately sat down “… you have such disrespect for the moon goddess” I felt the weight of her aura upon and realization laced through my body

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

“The first mark, the prophecy. You need to kill Victor or everything will go to complete chaos. You have your powers use it wisely”

“I don’t know who Victor…”

“You will return to the…”

“No! wait I don’t…” I felt a pull from my waist and my eyes flew open as I laid in the middle of the battle ground

They fought around me like I wasn’t there and I wanted to go back. Who the hell was Victor? What was this all about? I had a lot of questions left unanswered that only her could possibly answer

“Leah?” I turned to see Dante restlessly searching for me in the crowd and realization hit me. No one was going to see me unless I moved from this position “Leah!” he fought his way and I immediately stood up

“Dante” I breathe out and I immediately reached out for him “Dante, I’m here” I turned him and to my terror tears fell from the corner of his eyes

“Leah” he breathed out and hugged me tightly “... I need you to get out of here, I can’t have you…”

“I am not going anywhere”

“Leah please”

“No!” I pushed away from him “… this is my battle and you know too well all I need to do is believe I would not die

“I felt you were dead!” my jaws hanged open in shock as I looked at him

“I was not dead, I just…”

“The bond broke, I felt it, I don’t what went wrong but I felt you die and I don’t want to see that happen I will run mad seeing that, go home and their queen”

“I am being their queen by remaining here, Dante. I am not that little girl anymore; I am the queen of this kingdom and I would not die”