The Last Silvermaw Hunter

Chapter 21

Everything hurts.

That's the only thought that reruns through my head when I limp through the hall, Drayco is still helping me walk down that hall. As we turn the corner we come face to face with Zhoron.

I ignore the fact that my heart may or may not have skipped a beat when I saw him, like I ignore the pain cursing through my body. "Zhoron."

He gives me a small nod, "Adorite," He looks to Saber, "What happened?"

Saber looks at me before responding, "Shifting stage complications." He flinches when my nails dig into his shoulder as a bolt of pain shoots down my spine.

"She didn't tell me that there would still be times when the spell on your ring wouldn't work." I hiss through clenched teeth.

Zhoron's expression shifts, "Why does she have your ring?"

"Cause I was the only one close enough to give the healer one to -"

"Stop." They both look at me, but I still see Zhoron give Drayco a look, "I don't have time for you two to fight right now, the king wants to see me and as much joy it would give me to see him upset, I can't risk...a lot. Now you two shut up so I can get to the king in a reasonable amount of time. Got it?" I ask, they both nod, "Good, Zhoron you can follow if you truly desire, like I know you'd like to, or you can go back to wherever you were headed. It's your choice."

He watches me for a good minute and as soon as I start to fidget he slowly nods. "I'll follow."

Everything hurts.

That's the only thought that reruns through my head when I limp through the hall, Drayco is still helping me walk down that hall. As we turn the corner we come face to face with Zhoron.

I ignore the fact that my heart may or may not have skipped a beat when I saw him, like I ignore the pain cursing through my body. "Zhoron."

He gives me a small nod, "Adorite," He looks to Saber, "What happened?"

Saber looks at me before responding, "Shifting stage complications." He flinches when my nails dig into his shoulder as a bolt of pain shoots down my spine.

"She didn't tell me that there would still be times when the spell on your ring wouldn't work." I hiss through clenched teeth.

Zhoron's expression shifts, "Why does she have your ring?"

"Cause I was the only one close enough to give the healer one to -"

"Stop." They both look at me, but I still see Zhoron give Drayco a look, "I don't have time for you two to fight right now, the king wants to see me and as much joy it would give me to see him upset, I can't risk...a lot. Now you two shut up so I can get to the king in a reasonable amount of time. Got it?" I ask, they both nod, "Good, Zhoron you can follow if you truly desire, like I know you'd like to, or you can go back to wherever you were headed. It's your choice."

He watches me for a good minute and as soon as I start to fidget he slowly nods. "I'll follow."

🗡️🛡️🗡️

Zhoron's quiet the whole way down to the throne room and as we enter it's silent, the throne room is empty and the only other person in the room is the king. He watches as I limp in holding onto Drayco with Zhoron close behind.

"I see you have gotten yourself an entourage." He says, waving his hand.

Drayco lets go of me and I don't have enough time to brace myself before I hit the floor. A curse slips through my lips and I feel my face flush.

I hear Caesar get up and walk down the steps of the thrones. He stops in my line of vision, he hooks his finger under my chin and lifts my face to look me in the eye. I don't try to shield my mind, what's the point, it won't ever be strong enough, he already knows my fears.

A line appears between his brows the longer he looks within my eyes. Soon enough he pushes my face away and head backs to his throne. "I hope you know that you should be punished for what you did." He says, and he sits back down.

I stay silent and I know he wants a response, but what am I supposed to say?

"I'm sorry."

His face contorts in anger and I try not to flinch. "You're sorry? You should feel more than sorry, you should feel ashamed."

Now it's my anger that flares, "Sorry?! I did nothing! It was you who took my wings, it was you who started the chain of events!"

He laughs and I flinch. I absolutely hate his laugh, it sounds normal but there's something insane under it, something I can't tell apart from the rest, it just grates against my ears. "It wasn't me who took your wings." he says once he calms, "it was you."

"No."

"It was you who didn't know who was your ally and who was your foe. It was you who had so little control over your own power that you started attacking your own body."

I can't say anything, all I can do is just shake my head and deny it over and over again.

"It's true, we tried to help, but your power kept striking out and harming anyone who had tried to help, so fatal, some not, but still, if letting you harm yourself saved others then I wouldn't stop it from happening. I let you cut your own wings off and let you scream, your mother was a fighter but if that was all I could do to save my staff. Then, I would have you harm yourself to protect them."

I still when his words sink in. He would let me harm myself, even kill myself if it came to it, just to protect his fucking staff. You've got to be kidding me. The rage that curses through my veins shocks me, I stand and I don't even feel the pain. "You're saying that you didn't even try to find any other way to get me to stop without you risking the lives of your servants?" I don't even try to hide the disgust in my voice and I say the last word. And I don't even care that I'm looking straight into his eyes.

He just looks at me before he waves his hand, "Bring in the beast." he says, and Drayco walks out of the hall, followed by his men.

I feel my brows turn inward and my confusion rises along with my fear. I nearly fall back to my knees again as a group of people drag Vashak along the floor leaving a trail of blood. A strangled cry slips from my throat and I fall back down onto my knees, as I see his breath shudder.

"He tried to help you know, tried to curl around you and keep you calm, your power started attacking him, but he stayed by your side and took the hits."

I feel something wet and warm slide down my cheek and fall onto my palm. I wipe my cheek and my hand comes away with not water but a mix of white and black. That's all it takes for me to spin on my heel and sprint back the other way.

It hurts, physically hurts to run from Vashack, but I can't face what I've done, I've never been able to. I hear people yell behind me, but I don't stop.

 I can't.