The Dragon Prince The City of Smoke and Night

Chapter Seventeen Ephai's Fury

Ephai glared down at the mirror in anger as he saw Callum and Karim run out of the maze with Miyana. His blood boiled. Once again, Naima had foiled another plan of breaking her spirit thanks to her unshakeable optimism. He hurried down to his lair and cast a spell to send the Heart of Charringmoure to the stadium. Soon he would activate the Heart of Charringmoure at sundown and all of Lux Aurea and the Human Kingdoms would become nothing but a bad memory. Just like Kelilah and Adir. He should have done away with their biracial daughter when he had the chance sixteen years ago if it weren't for Kelilah's sister and brother in law. Why couldn't that family leave him alone and mind their own business? But defending the innocent and helping those in need was what the House of Gentlekind did. That was what they earned their dynasty name. That honor and compassion reminded him of Queen Aditi and it made Ephai's stomach turn upon witnessing it. When he discovered that Naima had found the queen's diary, he'd convinced Aaravos to kill her and burn the diary but he had told him to let her go, explaining that if Karim had learned what really happened to his grandmother, the earth shattering truth would undermine his confidence and it would give him no choice but join with them. Ephai had thought it was a stroke of genius but Naima had shown Karim a letter his grandmother had written for him. And he refused to accept his offer again in exchange for Miyana's life. Very well. If he couldn't recruit Karim and turn him into Aaravos's successor, then he would just have to kill him. He was the great grandson of the first king of Lux Aurea and he intended to follow in his ancestor's footsteps to destroy the Sunfire Elves' camp and all who had inhabited it in order to avenge his legacy. When he was done with Naima, he would see to it personally that he would make Charringmoure Team Zym's final resting place. He was the one who people in Xadia and the Human Kingdoms should be afraid of. Because he was Ephai the Execrable, the royal Sun mage of the House of Gentlekind who had fallen from grace due to his lust for power and striking fear into the hearts of his enemies. People would tell stories about how he had vanquished the heir to the Gentlekind throne and brought the Sunfire Elves' camp and the Human Kingdoms to their knees. He would be known as Ephai the Destructor. Ephai the Undefeatable. Ephai the Sun Killer. The whole world would know his name from the Human Kingdoms and Xadia. He turned to an old portrait of Kelilah and Adir in their wedding attire and frowned at their wise, kind expressions. "Don't look at me like that, Kelilah," he said. "You and your husband must have known this day would come. My cannon is finally ready. Is your daughter ready?" He walked away from the painting and went into the stadium. He patiently waited for Naima to arrive. "Finally, the sun will no longer rise for the Sunfire Elves," he said, looking at the Heart of Charringmoure with a nefarious smile. "Lux Aurea, your days are numbered."