Burntout

"It's a Curse."

Regulus Pierce Rowe

I'm sorry

That's all I wanted to say to her, to make things right. Except I knew they couldn't.

I was going to do what I needed to do.

Kill Theodore.

Then it would all be over.

Of course, someone would be next in line to take the throne and as Theodore had no children nor did he have any younger siblings, the throne would be passed on to me, his half-brother who isn't fit to have a relationship so how can he preside over a whole kingdom?

Andromeda's blue fire flickered out of the corner of my eye and I was grateful she hadn't asked any more questions about what I had meant. I had left the important detail of my mother wanting to kill her on purpose because that would be handled all in due time.

Her fire kept going in and out, a fireflies light almost, and I knew it was because of her constant shift in emotions. Worry resulted in a gentle light, comforting her. Anger and frustration were one and the same, and an explosion of flames that had only occurred once on our journey to the mountainside after the river. Anxiousness would make the flame wrap itself around her, making a shield and protecting her.

No happiness had been shown but I knew from the past it was a happy, dancing light like she was dancing with the glowing embers in the fire. That light had always been shown when she was with me before Theodore had ruined everything.

There were so many things left unsaid when she disappeared, so many things I wanted to tell her. The words were always on the tip of my tongue when her eyes flickered with bliss, lighting up her face and hiding her dark soul. The words whispered in my sleep, a little bit felicity before I was reminded of how our relationship was, "I love you and it's killing me."

Maybe we could mend the red string of faith dangling between us but there was a sinking feeling in my gut that told me I was trying to trick myself into thinking something that would never happen.

The Duridrar mountains came into view, a rose-quartz pink with gently sloping hills. The mountains were deceiving, a pleasant sight to any weary traveler that Riseria was just on the other side. Yet anyone who would try and venture across would find themselves lost in the valleys until their death due to the curse that had been cast long ago. The only way across would be through the mountain, a smearing of Thalor blood would open the entrance.

I felt my sword on my side, newly returned after Andromeda had thrown it at my head in her anger. Soon it would be used to impale Theodore after we got through this blasted mountain and walked to the castle.

The light flickered again and I looked behind me to see the fire wrapped around her, tighter and closer to her than it usually did when she was anxious. She wiped a tear from her eye and flicked it away and the fire seemed to hug her. It was an unusual sight, to say the least, and when Andromeda saw me watching she quickly extended the blue flames outwards, nearly burning me. She glared at me half-heartedly before casting her gaze downwards, the fire wrapping around her again.

I heard her sniffle quietly and suck in a breath and I could feel my heart slowly ache. It should be wrapping my arms around her, not a damn thing she conjured.

I should be the one wiping her tears away and quietly comforting her.

I should be the one.

Andromeda Claire Holloway

I wish he was the one.

I gripped my dagger tightly in my hand as we stood in front of what he called the entrance.

"It needs blood-" he said and without thinking, I stabbed my finger onto the tip of my dagger, the crimson dripping down into the fire surrounding me before I streaked it onto the mountain.

"Thalorian blood..." he whispered and I recognized my mistake because I had the heritage of a pure-blood Lumarian and Riserian. No Thalorian blood from me, only two of the sworn enemies of the kingdom. I think I just needed to feel something, even if it was pain, to block out the numb feeling I felt inside of me, coldness in my veins.

Just as Regulus was about to slice his finger on the side of his sword I noticed a change in the color of the stone. He must've noticed it too because he paused a looked at it, his eyes opening as the stone started to become more translucent like it was slowly dissolving away.

It had to be a trick of the light, I wouldn't accept it. Too much had happened in the past few days, too many discoveries and lies and memories and hurt that I wouldn't accept something else to add to my growing pile of troubles.

But it wasn't the light because I watched Regulus put his hand on the stone as it opened up, the rose color melting away to reveal an open space, a gaping hole in the mountain.

"No, it's not true. It's. Not. True." I muttered to myself, backing away and nearly falling off the cliffside. I couldn't have Thalorian blood running in my veins.

"The curse doesn't lie. It detects even the slightest trace of heritage in your blood. And with how quickly it opened the entrance... there's a lot of it."

I looked at him, the flames surrounding me now, the blue flickering in and out as the anxiousness coursed through me, "I don't, no, it can't, it's not possible."

Regulus looked at me blankly, no emotion showing in his eyes as he asked, "Do you know what your mother did?"

"What? She's from Riseria, full-blood, not a trace of Thalorian. The same goes for my father except he's from Lumar-"

"I didn't ask about your father, I asked about your mother."

I wanted to glare at him but I didn't, instead, mimicking his expression, "Well, no then."

"It might do you some good to know that your power isn't a blessing."

I opened my mouth to say something, anything really, to contradict him but he said-

"It's a curse."

__________

A/N:

I have this other story idea I've been holding off until I finish this so the next few days might wind up being a bomb of updates for y'all, my lovely Ravens! It's a win-win because I get to work on another project while also having one done! This is the only update for today but there will be MANY more coming up so keep reading!

Vote, comment, and read, my lovelies! #VOCOR

(Note for Raven No.1, a.k.a Leah Fisher, I'm putting your character in the story in about 2 or so chapters! Love you girl and thank you for all of your support :) )

-Rae