Flames of the Past #4: A Tangle of Lies (A Ninjago Fanfiction)

Chapter 13

Lloyd sighed as he placed Laurie on her bed. Another day of trying not to snap Chester's neck had passed. That snotty prince was really testing his patience lately.

"Goodnight, baby," he murmured to Laurie, leaning down to kiss her forehead. He tucked her blanket over her shoulders.

"I not tired, Daddy," the girl protested. Her words were followed by a gaping yawn.

"Sure you're not," Lloyd muttered. He drew her curly hair behind her ear before rising to his feet. "Get some sleep."

As he turned away from his daughter's bed, he noticed an aching in his wrist. He grunted in pain, rolling his wrist to try and stop the throbbing.

"Lloyd?" came Nya's voice. She was deeper into the room, but after noticing his pain she walked over to him. "You okay?"

Lloyd lifted his arm and pulled down his sleeve, staring down at his glowing Baddie marking. "I'd say no, but there isn't really any way to fix this," he grumbled, wincing.

Nya followed his gaze with a frown. "There has to be some way to reverse the effects," she persisted.

"Reverse the effects of what? Karma?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I brought this upon myself," Lloyd stated, looking her in the eye. "I stole the Overlord Crystal from the monastery, I gave it back to the Overlord, I killed him with it, and I left it with his remains. I should've taken it back to the monastery and put it under safe guard again."

Nya's eyes softened. "You didn't know how powerful it was, Lloyd," she reminded him.

"And I still don't," Lloyd groaned in frustration. "I don't even know for sure if that thing can control my marking. I don't know where it came from, why it exists, what it can do." He laughed. "I was carrying that thing around in my sword for years and I didn't even know what it was."

Nya's gaze twinkled thoughtfully. "Was there someone who did?" she wondered.

Lloyd blinked. His thoughts had stopped. Was there someone who did? he repeated to himself. The Overlord Crystal... where had he first learned its name? From whom did he learn of its power?

There had been someone... hadn't there?

"Hey!" Jay's voice broke his thoughts. He and Nya turned to find the blue ninja in the doorframe. "Are you ready for another night of guarding the Water Crystal from nothing?"

Lloyd and Nya exchanged a look and Jay sighed. "Seriously, why are we still doing this?" he prompted.

"Because our mission is to protect Princess Skylor," Lloyd answered, heading out of the room. "That doesn't just mean from the Sons of Darkness, but from the people within her palace walls."

"Sleete," Jay muttered as he closed the door behind Nya. The three met Cole and Zane in the hallway and they started toward their positions together.

"Exactly," Lloyd continued as they walked. "Until we can get her safely out of her position, we have to keep up the idea that we're only here for the Water Crystal."

"Even though the Sons of Darkness haven't yet attempted a break-in," Nya added.

Cole glanced skeptically at the green ninja. "And you're completely certain we will get her safely out of this position?" he inquired. "When the king, queen, and entire kingdom have Chester's back and literally nobody cares what happens to Kai?"

"We care," Lloyd argued, "and that's all that matters."

Cole, Jay, and Zane seemed to grow uncomfortable and Lloyd huffed. "What's the matter with you guys?" he demanded. "It's like you're actually listening to all the crap people are saying about Kai. Our brother."