The Inured Villainess

Chapter 43

Kyrell

The castle around me shifts and I lose sight of the sorcerer king.

I spin around the area, but pause as I notice where I am.

A carriage stands before me, laid on its side.

I hold my breath as I walk around it.

"Mother. Mother. Please wake up." A small Kyrell sobs, holding his mother's head in his lap.

Blood stains his hands and tunic.

I step back unable to handle the memory.

To my side, I see my father along with my elder brother.

"Father, brother, wait!" I reach out to them but it's too late.

The sorcerer appears and they die before my eyes again.

"No! Please." I fall to my knees before my brother. "Please live."

My brother spots me and smiles. "Don't worry, little brother. You'll be a good king."

"No, please. Being king is for you. It was never my role." I hold his head close to my chest.

The sound of footsteps makes me lift my head up.

The sorcerer stands in front of me.

"You were supposed to die as well." He raises a hand and magical spears pierce my sides.

I groan, releasing my brother. I hurry to my feet, ignoring the pain.

The sorcerer mystifies, changing into Claudonia—the sorcerer king.

"How interesting. The both of you have such tragic memories, so easy to exploit." He chuckles, stepping towards me. "However, you don't interest me as much as the other one."

"You should have left your interest in the grave." A voice says behind the sorcerer king before a sword emerges from his chest.

Estella backs away from what she has done, pivoting her foot and making her way to me. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, but how are you here?" I frown, pulling her arm so she could be further from the sorcerer.

"I came to help you." She turns to the sorcerer king.

He is smiling. "You think a sword like this can kill me?" He grabs hold of the metal and slides it backwards, out of his body.

The wound heals instantly.

"No." Estella says with confidence. "A sword won't kill you but I know what will."

I look to at her, intrigued.

The sorcerer king falters. "What? Ha. That's a bluff."

"How do you know it's a bluff?" She smirks. "I know what can kill you and so does he." She nudges at me.

The sorcerer king narrows his eyes at us. "Then tell me. What can kill me?"

"Why would I tell you?" She muses, still confident as ever. "You told me yourself what can stop you."

"You insolent woman!" He raises a hand, his magic reappearing.

I will my shadows around us like a protective shield.

Estella leans towards me. "Kyrell, we need to pin him down. I think I know how we can stop him."

"I trust you." I nod and use my shadows to wrap around the sorcerer king.

It goes between the two of us, a battle between black magic and my gift.

My shadows then get the upper hand, pinning him to the ground.