Crowned in Crimson Cinders

Chapter 33: Aleah's Return

I returned to my room, my rage a palpable force. I could have sworn the very castle trembled with each furious step. For years, my mother had woven a web of secrets around me, and now that I had finally torn through it, she still expected me to be the same soft, subservient girl.

I wasn't willing to continue to bend to her will. I wouldn't sit idly by. I was not the innocent, weak, fragile girl she always thought me to be, and I would never be her again. If this new, fierce version of myself was the one destined to save everyone, then so be it.

My room was empty when I flung the door open. I walked to my bed and collapsed onto its welcoming warmth. I could have lingered there for hours, escaping into the boundless landscape of dreams, where I could be anyone and anything. But there were more urgent matters at hand.

I had a mission now. To unmask the person behind these attacks and murders before it was too late, before more people I cared about perished. Whoever was behind the assassinations was also trying to dethrone my family and whoever took their place could mean the end for Atalar.

Just as I pushed myself upright, a chilling thought struck me. If the plan had gone smoothly, Brock should have been here, waiting. He must have gone looking for us. He would have gone to the dungeons. The dungeons where I had left Darian.

Oh, gods. I had to go back for him. If he was even still there.

I was about to bolt for the wardrobe when my door swung inward. My hands instantly erupted into dark flames and I sprang up from my bed, preparing to attack at whatever was about to enter.

Brock stepped through, followed closely by Darian. They looked surprised and taken off guard, their faces plastered with fear. I realized then how I looked, my powers flaring and pointed at them. The tension in my body instantly melted away, and my flames receded. Darian looked a mess. His hair disheveled, parts of his clothing torn, and a blossoming bruise on his face. That was almost certainly from me.

Brock looked as relieved to see me as I was to see him. He rushed forward, his arms outstretched. He embraced me so tightly I could barely breathe.

"Aleah," he murmured, his voice thick with relief. "I'm so happy you're okay."

"Of course I'm okay," I replied, hugging him back fiercely.

"I thought something terrible had happened to you."

"No. I'm fine. Everything is okay."

Brock released me, and my gaze shifted to Darian. We simply stared at each other, a silent question hanging between us. Had he figured out I was the one who knocked him out? Was he furious?

"You knocked me out." His words, flat and direct, answered my unspoken question. I winced, bracing myself for the anger, the fury.

I nodded, a small, involuntary cringe.

"It was unexpected, but thank you," he said, much to my surprise. "For not getting me caught."

"I figured it would be better for me to get caught than you," I mumbled, my gaze lowered, not daring to meet his eyes.

"Well you throw a pretty good punch, thats for sure," he said. That comment earned a smile from Brock which made me laugh.

Silence descended, thick and heavy, until a knock echoed from the door. All three of us instinctively reached for our weapons. Brock summoned his earthy powers, and my hands flared with dark energy.

I looked at Brock, who slowly began to approach the door.

"Hello? Aleah?" a voice called from the other side. It was high-pitched and chirpy, instantly disarming my defenses. "Are you here? Please be in there."

It was Bri.

Brock opened the door, and Bri stepped into my room, her eyes widening in disbelief. "So it was you!" she whisper-yelled.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

"There are rumors that a girl broke into the dungeons tonight. No one knows why, but..." She trailed off, her gaze sweeping over me, taking in my disheveled appearance. I must have looked utterly ridiculous. "How did you escape? And more importantly, how could you not tell me?" Her voice held a clear note of aggravation, and I understood why.

"Escape from where?" I pressed, still playing dumb.

"Well, apparently, she—I mean, you—were brought to the King and Queen to be questioned. Is that true?"

Both Brock and Darian turned to me, their faces etched with shock.

"Did you really?" Brock asked, his voice hushed.

"Yeah, I did. And you know what? For the first time in forever, I finally got to reveal to my mother that I know all her little secrets. Everything. She got what she deserved." I didn't care how Bri knew, or why the rumor had spread so quickly. Those guards must have blabbed the moment they were out of the throne room.

"What secrets?" Bri asked, her aggravation morphing into intense curiosity. I realized my mistake. Bri didn't know about my powers.

"Wait," Brock interjected, stopping me mid-sentence. "Does she know about your—"

"Hey!" Darian's voice cut in sharply from the corner, silencing Brock. "Shut. Up."

Brock had clearly been about to ask if she knew about my powers. Thank the gods Darian stopped him.

"Oh, yeah, right, um..." Brock scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Does she know that... you know, about—"

"Yes," I said, cutting him off. "She knows. And she also knows that I'm not afraid to use them if I have to. She also knows that I will stop at nothing until I find out who has been trying to murder all of us!"

Everyone stood in silence again, weighing my words.

"Um, guys?" Bri said from the corner, her voice small. "Am I supposed to know what you're talking about?"

I sighed. "No. You shouldn't. I'm sorry, Bri. I haven't been completely forthcoming with you lately." I could feel both Darian and Brock frozen, waiting for my next words. Did they actually think I was going to tell her about my powers? "There's a reason we haven't been inviting you to our meetings anymore. None of us wanted to get you wrapped into any of this. We never thought we would have to break our own laws to get information. And if we were ever found out, I didn't want you to take the fall for it too. I'm sorry."

I realized how good I was at telling lies. They fell from my lips so freely now. I had probably told more lies in the past few days than I have in my entire life.

"I'm your friend, Aleah," she said, her voice firm. "I would do anything to make sure you're okay. To be honest, you're probably my only friend. Ever. And I want to be a part of whatever you're a part of. I want to be there for you through it all. I want to have your back. Just promise me that the next time you try and do something crazy like this, you'll tell me. Okay?"

"Okay. I promise," I said, and Bri stepped forward, wrapping me in a tight hug. I hugged her back, feeling more alive than I ever had before. I was finally surrounded by people who cared about me. My friends. My family. And the best part was, all of them were willing to do anything to unmask this murderer.