The Black Swans Secret

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝟣𝟧

★★★

She had to give it to Keefe, he sure knew how to get under people's skin. But even as he sat there making jokes, y/n could see it in his eyes.

He knew he was trapped.

The blonde girl on the floor was awake, and she was plotting. The ropes binding her cut into her skin, drawing out a small line of blood.

Gisela was still trying to convince Keefe she was helping him, but he wasn't buying it. A memory crept from the back of y/n's mind. She remembered all she went through, but she also knew how much Lady Gisela sacrificed to get to this point. It was almost impressive, seeing how she was so okay with Keefe hating her.

"You knocked all of my friends unconscious! I don't think you're seeing the full picture here. There's no way this is what I need," Keefe said, a nervous edge lacing his voice.

"Not all, Sophie is still awake," said Gisela.

Keefe's eyes flicked to the restrained blonde girl. Her name is Sophie, y/n thought. She scanned Sophie's face, and sure enough, there were the brown eyes Tam had been so fascinated with when they first met.

So that was why y/n had felt so connected to this girl, it was the reason why she felt Sophie's pain as she watched her friends get hurt. She could almost feel the emotions herself, as if they were her own.

There was no time to waste, Gisela was finally going to complete her plans, she wouldn't wait any longer.

Keefe continued his jokes, sending his mother over the edge. She pinched Keefe's chin, turning his face so they were staring at each other. "There's no getting out of this Keefe, so stop resisting your legacy."

Lady Gisela turned to look at where Tam stood next to y/n, fixing them with a glare even though y/n knew Gisela wasn't able to see them through Tam's shadows.

"That goes for you too Tam, there is no way you can stop this."

She felt Tam's fingers tense around hers— their hands had been loosely twined together since the dwarves took down Sophie's group.

"I've resisted your bonds once before. I can do it again." His voice was tired and deep, y/n could tell how much of an effect this had had on him.

With Tam's carefully placed threat hanging in the air, Lady Gisela tensed. She threatened his sister, pointing to Linh's unconscious form. Lady Gisela knew Tam's weaknesses, she'd known them since the day she kidnapped him.

Y/n didn't understand why Gisela was so set on convincing Sophie she wasn't a villain and that she was trying to helpKeefe.

But then again, if Sophie worked on her own, she could take Gisela down. Tam had told her about Sophie's powers, and how she was a proclaimed 'Moonlark'. Yet, she hindered herself with her friends, ending up giving Gisela the upper hand.

Lady Gisela enjoyed playing games, and she enjoyed winning them. She was always strategizing, always one step ahead. By bringing her friends here, Sophie handed Gisela more cards to play. Gisela had been planning this for months, Sophie's scrambled plan of attack wouldn't be enough to take her down.

She motioned for Tam to get into position, showing him where to stand. With Tam away from her, y/n felt exposed, even with Tam's shadows hiding her. He would keep her out of harm, he'd promised.

His bonds were as bright as ever as he raised his hands, preparing for the hardest thing he's ever done.

While Lady Gisela was explaining what he had to do, he stole a glance at y/n. She could see the pain in his eyes, but he still seemed determined.

"If I do this you'll let us go? You'll hold up your end of the deal?" Tam questioned, seeming especially prickly towards Lady Gisela.

"Yes, Tam, I'll hold up our deal as soon as you do your part," she responded. "And remember Keefe, embrace the change."

'Embrace the change'. That was what Lady Gisela had been saying this whole time. As if embracing it would make it any less wrong.

Keefe truly was skilled at making people feel better, his conversation with Tam earned him a real smile. Tam didn't smile often, but y/n liked it when he did. It was a bit of brightness to contrast his dark demeanour.

At Lady Gisela's signal, Tam nodded, wisps of shadows darker and thicker than anything y/n had ever seen before poured out of his hands. Shadowflux, he'd called it that the one time y/n had been brave enough to ask.

He shaped the shadowflux into an arrow, taking aim and firing it into a magsidian stone on the wall above the throne. A flash of black lightning followed, the darkness crawled over the arms of the throne. Keefe, looking horrified, was showered with an array of sparks. Tam fired the final beam of shadows into the base of the throne. The room shook as the effects took place.

Seconds passed before y/n realized what was happening. The throne was melting, turning into black goo. It wrapped around Keefe, spreading to cover the boys whole body. It kept him in place, preventing any movement.

Embrace the change.

"Now Glimmer!" Lady Gisela yelled.

Glimmer took action immediately, shooting her own beam of light into the etherine crown still resting on Keefe's head.

The crown melted, the glowing goo dripping into Keefe's perfect hair, and down his face. The darkness around him sank into his skin, going through him, now a part of his very soul.

He thrashed, trying to slow the effects, but it was useless. He couldn't escape his legacy.

Then it went silent, his body slumped forward, sprawling out on the cool floor, limbs askew.

His skin glistened with sweat, looking almost normal expect for his eyes...

they were wide open, staring at nothing. He didn't blink. Y/n wasn't even sure he was aware his eyes were open. His breathing was rapid, heavy pants replacing the silence.

Sophie was speaking with Lady Gisela, trying to find some sort of bargaining chip. She was desperate to help Keefe.

But Lady Gisela looked concerned too, she seemed concerned about what she had done to her own son.

And that was it, Sophie's way out.

★★★