Korova Avenue || ONC 2022

Chapter 14

TW: Mentions kn!ves, sw0rds, injury, and bl00d

Crow raced down the hall as fast as he dared without making too much noise. He had to stop three times to catch his breath.

He had a close call with a servant who stepped into the hall ahead of him. Crow waited like a statue until the maid entered another room. Then he crept past the door, hoping that she wouldn't leave until he was safely inside the room at the end of the hall. The one that housed the book that could make or break everything.

He rushed forward, panting quietly as he went. When he reached the end, he hesitated. He was finally there. He'd come so far. What if it was all for nothing? He shook the negative thoughts from his head and focused on the reason he'd even come down there. To warn Dominique about the possible search party and threats.

He tried to open the door, but it was locked. He tapped lightly on the door, hoping that Dominique was inside and would let him in.

"It's Crow." He tried to whisper as quietly as he could.

Dominique swung the door open with a knife in her hand.

"Oh, it's you."

Her voice sounded exasperated, and Crow thought he could see tear streaks on her face. Had she been crying?

Dominique put her knife away and pulled Crow inside. Once she'd locked the door, she shoved him against it.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to warn you. I heard two people talking, and apparently some kids have snuck into the palace. A boy and a girl. The boy's got a sword, and the girl seems dangerous too. We need to watch out for them so we don't get hurt."

"No you idiot! I bet we're the kids that you heard about!"

"But- but I didn't steal a sword from a soldier. He said that the boy stole it off of him."

"We know that Rhodes is a skilled liar."

And that's when it hit him. The voice that he recognized was Rhodes. Crow was devastated. Not only was Dominique right, but now half of the King's army was probably out looking for them.

Tears pooled in Crow's eyes. "I really thought he was my friend."

"I know, and it probably hurts, but you're going to have to let him go. Rhodes is just being loyal to his King."

"I guess."

"Now we better get out of here before we're caught."

"But what about my fate? Am I going to save the whole world?"

"I don't know. The book's blank."

Dominique stepped back so that Crow could see what she meant. His eyes darted between her and the book that was laying open in the middle of the room.

"What do you mean?"

"Can't you see it? There's nothing on the page."

"Yes there is."

Crow could see shining golden ink dripping from the paper. He couldn't read what it said, but he could tell that something was written there. He pushed past Dominique and looked at the book. He began to recite the words.

"Reading this fate is quite unwise, so it is made for only your eyes. You have the ability to save us all, but beware of emanate downfall."

Crow's eyes glowed as he read the riddle. His whole body started to glow.

"The light inside you, for war or for peace, will carry on even when everything has ceased. Don't let others get under your skin. Whether it's good or bad, you can win."

"I guess that settles it," Dominique shrugged. "You're supposed to save us."

Crow just stood there, staring at the book. He couldn't believe what it said. He really was special.

It was at that moment when Dominique noticed another door in the back of the room. She was certain that it hadn't been there before, but doors didn't just magically appear out of nowhere.

She realized too late what was happening. The knob twisted slightly and someone shoved the door open.

Dominique screamed Crow's name and he was barely able to jump out of the way before a knife came whizzing by his head.

He struggled to get his sword out. Once he did, he just stood there, the weapon shaking in his hand.

Dominique was ready with two knives in each hand. She flung one out the door and heard someone scream in agony as her blade made contact with skin.

Crow charged forward with Dominique at his side. He swung open the door and nearly collapsed when he got a look at the other side. One soldier was standing in the middle with three men behind him. There was a gap on the right side where a fourth was supposed to be, and Crow could see him struggling on the ground. He had a knife straight through his heart and blood was gushing from the wound. The weapon was buried too deep for him to pull it out.

Even with one out of the way, Crow couldn't see how the two of them would ever stand a chance against this small battalion. All of these men had been specially trained in combat, Crow wasn't. Even Dominique couldn't fight well enough to save them.

The soldier who was standing in front of the others removed his helmet.

"Rhodes!" Anger surged through Crow's body.

""Well, well, if it isn't the Golden Boy. Fancy seeing you here."

"You betrayed us! You acted like our friend only to turn at the last minute."

"You're very special Crow. I'm sure the King will reward me nicely for finding you."

"Dominique would have rewarded you too, but you didn't care."

"Ah yes. I would love to have received some nice gems that the thief stole off of a wealthy man, but I'd rather be honest with my earnings."

"So very honest. I heard you talking downstairs. You made it sound like you tried to stop us. You did nothing Rhodes! You agreed to help!"

Rhodes clapped his hands and everything went black. For a moment Crow thought he was dead, but then his eyes started to adjust. He felt strong hands on his shoulders and he struggled against them. Dominique called out, but there was nothing either of them could do. They'd been captured.