The Assassin Queen (Book Four)

Chapter 21- Ryia

The demon king paced in a line right in front of me his words long since lost to the screams of my mind. I was nearly thrown off my feet at the sudden rush of silence. "Have you not heard a word I've said?" he asked a red light flashing across his eyes. "They were screaming how could I possibly hear a single sound over their desperate pleas" I said shaking my head sullenly. "You hear their screams?" his eyes widened and he stumbled backwards. "Anyone who can't must be deaf" I said trying to wash away the wailing that still echoed in my ears. "What a destiny you have and to be able to hear their cries, your soul must have been created by a crooked maker. The fates are quite awful, are they not?" he laughed and for a second I saw something almost human in his eyes. "All I wished for was to merge the realm of the dead with the land of the living and look what hellish fates have been born from the desire" he said with a small smile. "Why? Why continue on this path if you know all the hell its created so far?" I asked thinking of Leo, his smile, his voice, his laughter, his hope. "You claim to hear the screams of the souls, all of the souls that were taken from the world to soon and have a reason to want to get back, and so their screams emit to only a few chosen souls. I want the screams to end and for the souls to finally be happy. Even your Fae prince unwittingly emits a scream asking to be returned to your side, to be able to raise your children together. No matter what the legends say I am not soulless the weight of their screams is unbearable" he said with a tired voice. "I may not have heard every scream as you have but some of them scream for blood, and yearn for war, death, and carnage. They wish for destruction, will you grant them their wish as well?" I asked knitting my brows together. He may be the one who ordered Leo's death but bitterness now would only lead to bloodshed that I cannot withstand, especially when the muffled screams began once more. "Those are the same question he asked so long ago, when this all started. You don't understand, they need to be free, they need joy, and I will not let your words or his words keep these souls in pain" He gripped his temples as he shook his head and when he lifted his head once more his eyes were completely black. "The merge must commence" his voice was different, more how one would expect a demons voice, scratchy and deep. He shook his head once more an all the human remorse was gone, I had failed and now I could feel the souls that yearned for destruction cling to his form. There was nothing anyone could do to change the demon king anymore, the piece of myself I had seen in his soul was gone replaced by a monster I had known since my first kill. "I see, there will be no saving you, you will not allow it" all the hope of saving him I had had withdrew. I was suddenly very aware of the presence that seemed to be lurking just outside my body, like a shield. "He is here to protect you, your little fae prince is still protecting you even in death" the demon king shook his head and let out a laugh far more bitter than anything I had heard before. I could feel Leo's warmth wrapping around me like a soft blanket. "Leo, damn you always having to show me up" I said through my tears. Then soft as a whisper as though I might have just imagined it I heard Leo say "I'm glad you still speak to me, I can still hear your voice when you speak to me at the tree, I'm always listening and I will always love you, and I want you to continue living, don't keep trying to find your way to the past". "Leo, it may take a while but I promise I will keep living for you and for myself" I said through my painful sobs. "Good" and with that word I felt a warmth like none other and I saw his face, ghostly and translucent smiling at me. He turned around to face the demon king and with words that seemed to be blocked from my ears another figure with a tremendous power appeared that made the demon king's pressure feel like the presence of an ant, patted Leo's shoulder and then their was a large flash of white light that caused me to awaken. I turned to Leo's tree and saw knew words carved beneath the obituary I am listening. Tears wouldn't stop rolling down my cheeks and I made an oath to Leo that of I lived through the battle against the demon knight I would do everything I could to live a happy life. "I promise" I whispered as I stood and hugged the tree before leaving back to the castle on my wobbly legs ready to start living again.