Heartless | A Powerless Fanfiction Novella

Chapter 18: Corrine

The man I'm now walking beside is no longer one I know. I used to think Matthew was one of the few who understood me, one of the few I could call a friend with so very little chance to even attempt that title in my position. But now as I glance to his ridgid figure next to me I can only see his dagger pummeling its way towards me, my power losing control, my fresh kills haunting me. He makes us slow down to one side of the corridor where the early morning doesn't call many guards on patrol, of course he knew the schedules - he helped make them.

"Lowes, I'm sorry." His voice is low, the solemn tone reminding me the label of 'superior' isn't lost between us, "I had to force you to do it."

"You forced my hand to kill, Matthew." I turn to look through the window before us instead of at him, "I know I never had a choice in who my next victims are, we never do it's part of our duty. But to not be able to own up to my own actions of taking someone's life?" I scoff, "If Lain's command was to kill me...you might as well have done your duty instead of-"

"Lowes I couldn't kill you. I will not kill you. Lain's order was given behind closed doors, I don't even know if he's the one who issued it or..."

I shift to meet his look, worry now carving their way on his features.

"What if it wasn't Lain?" I watch his throat bob with a shallow swallow, "Matthew would he issue a death sentence without the Enforcer's permission? That would be against the rules."

And Lain one way or another is always known to follow his kills by the book. He thrills in the excitement of it, the praise from...

"The king." Matthew says.

A low chuckle comes from our right where Commander Lain now approaches us, his ebony hair faded with grey and scar along his jaw highlighted by the morning rays, "The king indeed. His majesty wishes for any weaknesses to be swiftly removed from his army as quickly as possible." That cruel, disgusting smile is now directed towards us as he comes to a stop before me and Matthew, "I'm more than obliged to agree with the king's wishes, especially when a small nudge your way got me exactly what I wanted. Little dove you survived the night, but I can't make any promises for the future."

"The king ordered my death last night?"

"Yes, all it would have taken for your body to be cold amongst the Ordinaries' was you to back away from your oath in the moment of the kill."

"Pity," I say, my tone laced with threat.

"Yes how unfortunate, you see Corrine the fact remains you have a death warrant on your head. One wrong move," He makes a motion of his hand floating in the air as if that of a bird, then dropping flat down, "And you're dead."

"I'm not dead yet."

Lain ignores me with a darkened look Matthew's way, "And you, I would watch myself if I were you. There's nothing wrong with adding one extra body to the pile."

Matthew takes a step towards him, the two men the same height but even with their titles standing head to head, he is still the one more built against the mass of fading muscle. Afterall, he will take Lain's place in exactly a year - the unspoken hate now more lethal than ever before.

"I'm curious what the king will think of your comments after he finds out about your midnight wanders to the taverns of Ilya. And for a man sworn by the rules it seems that you've made some of your own...or at least the alcohol has for you." Lain's jaw clenches, but Matthew continues, "You praise our king. I wonder what he will do to you after that? Maybe that pile of bodies will have its cherry on top."

"Return. To your duties. Matthew." He says through clenched teeth.

The guard only gives him a twisted smile, giving me a nod before leaving to return on his patrol, "You know where to find me if you need me, Lowes."

He will be on the East side of the palace today, until the evening where he will switch guard placement with another. Our routes usually intersect on this day, in fact it's how we met in the first place.

"You too, dove. And careful with your wings," A cynical smirk blooms, "I'd hate to see them clipped."

It takes everything in me to not reach for my dagger and aim it at his back as he leaves, but as soon as my power thrums in response to my anger something in me is rattled. That feeling...the feel of death at my fingertips. A shiver dampens my rage. 

The king wants no weaknesses, and he's targeted me as one. With the new knowledge of the Resistance it's more than clear why he spotted me now: the crown wants to present its strong hand against the enemy. Image is everything, maybe even more important than the calculated spill of blood because image can fool and deceive better than the fact of bodies laying cold before you. I've let my guard down, so maybe it's time to regain some footing back. The Enforcer will be back tomorrow with the trials finished, the balls will commence accordingly, the games will continue. But the one thing that doesn't fit in this puzzle I'm finding myself in the middle of?

My brother. 

It's time for a proper family reuinon.