Crown of Blood (English) (Complete)

Now Would Be a Good Time To Be Anyone But Me

'You have no idea how much I'm enjoying this. Just yesterday I was in your dungeons, and now you're in mine.' A big grin adorns her face, and she takes a few steps back to get a better look at the boy. His eyes are red-rimmed, but he looks at her with indifference. 'I helped you escape. Aren't you going to free me?' Dyses cast him an incredulous look. 'You can't possibly mean that. You hunted me down like I was prey, and now you want to be friends?' Cassian clamps his jaws together. 'I wasn't thinking clearly last night. In the end, I didn't kill you, so the promise is not yet broken.'

Dyses' laugh echoes through the dungeon. The sound causes goose bumps on his arms. 'The only reason I'm standing here alive is because the Star saved me. You were about to pierce me with your sword. Believe me, any kind of promise is gone. You wasted that chance.' Fear flashes across his face, but then he smooths his face. 'You wouldn't do it. You wouldn't dare.' The Star clears her throat. 'We must go. Dyses, do you have a sword with you?' The girl draws her sword, swinging it slowly past Cassian's face.

'There you're making a mistake, king.' She pronounces the last word disdainfully. He silently follows the sword with his eyes. She pushes the weapon against his neck. How easy would it be to kill him now? Then everything would be done immediately, and she would have all the power. 'Dyses, put your sword away immediately. Don't you have twenty minutes of patience?' With a menacing look in her eyes, she withdraws her sword. Cassian swallows, tilting his head. An arrogant smile shimmers around his lips. 'You don't have the guts.'

Dyses ignores his remark, and slides her sword back into its scabbard. She walks toward the Star, casting the boy a fiery look. He has no idea what he's talking about. Once they reach the Tree of Life, she will sacrifice him. He will pay the price of her rule. 'Close your eyes.' Cassian looks at the girl scornfully, and feels carefully at his arm. A thin pin is tied to his arm with a string. He just has to find the right moment for it. It is his last resort. A sudden flash of light passes through the dungeons, and he clamps his eyes shut screaming.

Pain plagues his body, and cold flames dance across his legs. He slams to the ground, the fall rattling him. His chest rises and falls violently, and the world races around him. Only after several minutes have passed the world stops spinning. He scrambles to his feet, and notices that his arms are tied. Annoyed, he stares at the rope going from his body to Dyses' hands. She grinningly pulls on the rope, and he, of necessity, takes a step forward.

He casts her a furious look. This is far beneath him. He is the king of Uthomor, not an animal. Dyses laughingly turns to walk beside Star. The landscape where they walk looks unreal. Yellow sandy flatlands stretch as far as they can see. Nowhere is a trace of shade to be found, and the sun burns mercilessly. 'Where are Thalassa and Arlo?' asks Dyses, looking around her searchingly. In the dungeons, the children were still there.

'I sent them home. This will not be a pretty sight. Are you ready for your task?' Dyses nods, wiping the sweat from her forehead. 'I am ready to give everything for the rule of the world. This is just the final step.' Meanwhile, she casts a quick glance back. Cassian walks through the sand, appearing to be deep in thought. 'When will we get there?' All she sees is the endless expanse of sand, and a thin stream of water struggling through it. The further they walk, the wider the stream becomes, until it has become a small river. 'Just a little more patience.'

Dyses walks on impatiently, pulling a few times on the rope to which Cassian is tied. He looks at her furiously. She decides to pull even harder. He deserves it after all that has happened. She pulls hard on the rope, and the boy loses his balance. Laughing, she looks at the king who is on his knees in the desert. The boy spits in the sand, and gets up. With his hands cuffed, he tries to knock the sand off his clothes. Dyses pulls the rope again, and Cassian loses his balance again. He looks at her scathingly. She walks slowly toward him, holding out her hand.

'Did you fall over, highness?' she asks with an innocent face. Cassian's eyes seem to spit fire. He grabs her hand, pulling her to the ground. Dyses falls down beside him, taking in a large bite of sand. Cassian casts a quick glance at the Star, not realizing what is going on behind her. He grabs the pin tied to his arm, and pulls it loose. With a quick motion, he presses it into Dyses' arm. Her eyes grow large, and she pulls the pin out. 'What are you doing?' she yells, throwing the object away from her. Cassian grins and stands up. He knocks the sand off his clothes and looks at her triumphantly. Dyses shoots upright, reaching for her sword. What did he do? What the hell was that about?

'Was that your best weapon? A pin?' Scorn drips from her voice. His green eyes look at her curiously. As if he's waiting for something. 'What is it?' she stammered, feeling her cheeks turn red. Every time she looks into his eyes, it feels like she is struck by lightning. The golden speckles in his eyes look like little suns. A warm feeling spreads in her stomach, and she smiles. What was she making such a fuss about just now? She can't remember. 

'You're actually quite handsome,' Dyses murmurs. Cassian looks at her, grinning, and pushes off the sword. Dyses allows it willingly. He's not so bad; she doesn't understand why she had wanted to threaten him. She puts her sword back in its scabbard, memorizing every detail about the boy. Her arm stings a little, and curiously she looks at it. A small red dot adorns her arm. She wipes along it with her finger, and the dot leaves a red smudge. How did that get there? She looks up at Cassian, and immediately feels her cheeks turn red.

She stretches out her hands, sliding her thumb along his face. The stubble on his chin tickles. Grinning, she withdraws her hands, and stares at the boy. She has never seen such a beautiful boy. Dyses sinks to the ground, continuing to stare at the boy. She never wants to leave here; she never wants to be separated from Cassian again. The Star turns, and sees that Dyses is sitting on the ground, facing a smirking Cassian. With quick steps, she walks toward the pair. Cassian notices the woman, and quickly steps on the pin. Dyses doesn't notice anything. All she is looking at is Cassian. Within seconds, Star realizes something is wrong. She tries to pull Dyses up, but she doesn't move.

Dyes stares at the king with a blissful smile on her face. 'What have you done to her?' snarls the Star, and she looks at Cassian furiously. He smiles innocently. 'Me? I didn't do anything. She's just very impressed by my charms.' The Star grabs his face. Her nails press deep into his skin. 'Don't lie, what did you do to her?' Cassian makes sure his shoe stays on the pin, and shrugs. 'I really don't know.'

Star's eyes enlarge, and she seems to focus. Surprised, Cassian looks at her. Then pain begins to ripple through his body. Ice-cold fire seems to eat its way out from inside him. Groaning, he sinks through his legs, folding in half. A second wave of pain enters, and he screams out. The sound fades onto the sandy flats around them. The pin is no longer covered, and the woman bends down. Cassian lies huddled in the sand. The Star picks up the pin, bringing it close to her face. The sun makes the object sparkle.

When a third wave of pain flows through his body, Cassian vomits. The vomit seeps into the sand. Dyses crawls over to him, placing her hand on his forehead. Concerned, she looks at the boy. The Star's face tightens, and she throws the pin far away from her. 'Dyses, can you hear me?' The girl shows no sign, rubbing Cassian's hair. 'So beautiful,' she whispers.

'I'll be back, with antidote. Stay here.' With a flash, the Star is gone, stopping the plaguing pain in Cassian's body. Out of breath, he looks at Dyses. His chest rises and falls rapidly, and droplets of sweat trickle down his head. Dyses looks at him with eyes full of love. Almost possessive. He can hardly believe he has succeeded. When the Nymphs gave him the enchanted pin, he never dreamed that Dyses would be affected with it. And now she sits here, and any hostility is gone from her face.

He stands up, grabbing Dyses by her arms. Cassian walks toward the stream, dragging Dyses with him. In the reflection, he sees himself. A few small fish swim by, and green plants grow at the bottom. It is an unreal piece of water, in the middle of the desert. He touches the cool water, trying to make contact with the Nymphs. After a few seconds, the water turns dark green, and figures come climbing out of the water. The sun shines on the water flowing off the bodies. They form a dense circle around Cassian and Dyses. Excited murmurs are heard. Cassian clears his throat, and the whole group falls silent.

'We must be quick.'