Wake of Darkness [1]

Chapter Forty-Two

♕ Regno ♕

The light of the fire reflected like a circle of red around Nerezza's eyes. So bright and clear that even when they were not standing close to each other Aubrette could see it perfectly. The tone matching the color of her blood. Blood that Aubrette intended to spill. Nerezza laughed again, letting go of Mason, who had been previously holding her back from walking towards the fire that divided them for the most part.

"Hello again prince" she said, walking closer to the edge of the fire, her hand almost caressing the flames. "Do you recognize it?" she said, the tip of her finger touching the deep red flames, the heat becoming increasingly stronger as she parted her hands from it, making it almost fly into the sky.

Aubrette turned to Asher, watching him as his hands turned into fists by his sides.

Nerezza clapped. "I get to keep it till my queen comes back, isn't that wonderful?" she said. Asher took a step forward, reaching for the missing weapon that he usually wore at his side. "Its as if it was meant to be don't you think?" Nerezza kept talking. Aubrette stood in front of him, not missing how Mason walked the other direction, slowly making his way towards Taj. "That the thing that used to make you... well you, will be the one to kill you" Aubrette felt Asher's chest collide with her back. Nerezza's laugh sounded like an excited giggle and Aubrette wanted to carve the smile out of her face. "King of poetic if you ask me, it's a shame I didn't get to use it on your dad. Now that would have been fun"

Asher did not need to move for Aubrette to run straight into Nerezza, not caring for one second about the flames that managed to touch her skin. When she got to Nerezza she realized she'd done exactly what she'd wanted her to do. Her hand wrapping around in a leash of shadow that pulled her forward, throwing her into the floor. But she'd dealt with worse shadows before.

Aubrette turned, kicking Nerezza to the ground and not wasting time to climb on top of her, punching her on the cheek. Nerezza just laughed, and her eyes glowed, so brightly Aubrette had to look away. Aubrette tried to hold her to the ground, keep her hurting her and not anyone else, keep her attention on her, so that maybe they could get a fighting chance when her hands touched the point of a cold metal.

She did not waste time yanking it away from Nerezza's clothes, pushing it into her stomach. Nerezza screamed as the dagger teared her skin open. Shadow pushed on Aubrette's shoulders, sending her rolling back to the ground. Nerezza pulled the dagger from her stomach, the wound closing in a matter of seconds. Not a single drop of her blood staining the ground.

Nerezza stood, throwing the knife to the ground, no longer she wore an arrogant smile, and just for the sight of her eyes filled with rage Aubrette felt like it had been worth it. Nerezza's hands moved, and shadow made a path for the fire to follow, smoke closing in her throat and filling all the air in the world.

Aubrette stood up, coughing up as the lack of air tightened in her chest. She took a step towards Nerezza, feeling the heat of the fire in her face. So deeply that she thought it might have been coming from inside her. Nerezza grinned.

"What princess? Can't fight me without magic? You're as pathetic as the wretch"

"At least I'm not the one who had to give away my life for this" she said.

"You're trying to get under my skin" Nerezza said placing her hands on her chest. "How cute" She said and licked her lips before giving her a smile that filled her arms with chills.

Aubrette followed her eyes and leaped forward, her hands wrapping around Nerezza arms. Nerezza laughed as they fell to the ground her hands wrapping around her throat. Aubrette barely had any air allowing her to breath. She pushed her knee forward pushing into Nerezza's stomach, the impact making her drop her grip around her neck.