Secret Keepers

Chapter 30

   I almost vomited at the amount of gore I'd just witnessed, but then I felt fear instead of disgust.

   The world was lost on Rage. He was in a state of the purest anger I'd ever seen. And his eyes fell on me. I'd never seen anything like him. He'd murdered a man with his bare hands, his eyes were as red as the blood on his hands, and he was snorting and panting like a bull. I backed away and put my hands up. "Rage. Calm down. I'm not gonna hurt you."

   He snarled and came closer, his bloody frame getting dangerously near me. "Rage. I know you wouldn't hurt me."

   He still came closer, his eyes boring into me. I was running out of options I got a crazy idea, but I was desperate. "Peter!"

   He froze and his eyes widened. He blinked a couple times and his eyes lightened to a bloodshot white. His veins calmed down and flattened out while his breathing became normal. He swayed on his feet and collapsed to his knees. "Shadow? Was all that real?"

   I knelt down in front of him and nodded. "Yes. But it's okay. You saved me."

   He shuddered and his entire body shivered. I looked around and grabbed a handkerchief from the desk. I gently reached up and wiped off his face which was smeared with blood. He shook his head to clear it and he suddenly looked like he was about pass out. I gently took his neck in my arms and turned him so he could lay over my lap. He trembled and shook, but then he balled up and whimpered like a child. "I'm so sorry!"

   I shook my head and shushed him, rubbing his hair. "It's okay. You saved me and I owe you my life."

   He shook his head. "No. I still owe you. No one else has ever calmed me like you."
   I smiled and patted his shoulder. "I'm just doing what I feel I should I do. Now where are the others?"
   "I don't know. The noblemen found us and we had to fight our way through it. Cutter and the others went downstairs while I held off the dozen of them still living upstairs. I got done and I was stuck in that mental meltdown and when I heard you screaming my body immediately went towards sound. Everything seemed blurry and distorted and I couldn't tell what was an enemy and what wasn't. But when you said my real name…I thought you were my momma."

   I could've wept right there. He truly did see me as a mother. I kept my cool and I urged him up. "I know you went through a lot right there, but we need to help the others. Can you do that?"

   He took a deep breath and nodded, getting up and following me out the door. We ran downstairs towards the sound of some large conflict. I paused as we came to a large main hallway decorated in chandeliers and jewels. But the floor was covered in blood and bodies. The Secret Keepers could be seen in the center, fighting off dozens of noblemen and soldiers.

   Rage snarled and I saw his subconscious bloodlust eating at him, but I held him back. "Wait. We need to see if there's a way to stop it."

   As I spoke, I spotted a nobleman at the head of the room, the royal crown on his head. He was smiling triumphantly over the crowd of men killing each other. That was how. The soldiers would listen to whoever was king. I pointed at the "king" and made Rage turn to look him. "We need that crown."

   He nodded and ran across the steps and over onto the large flat stage like platform where the thrones of the king and queen were placed. The man saw us and chuckled. "Oh look. The angry runt and the Spoilers' whore. A nice pair to come try to overtake me."

   He snapped and a pair of soldiers lifted their spears and approached us. I frowned and backed away, but Rage stood his ground. "Fight me. Leave her out of this."

   One of the soldiers listened to him, but the other one was willing to tempt the fates. He moved around Rage and locked his eyes on me. Rage growled and grabbed his spear, yanking the soldier to look at him before he let out another battle scream. He yanked the spear from him and then singlehandedly grabbed the solider and threw him into the other one, killing both by impaling them all the way through with the spear. Very quickly, he whirled on the crowned nobleman and snarled.

   I reached up and stopped him before he could kill him though. "Hold on, Rage."

   He paused, but still managed to keep his mental state together. I held my hand out to the man. "Hand me the crown or I let him get it for me."

    When I mentioned Rage, he snarled and snapped the spear between his hands. The man on the throne trembled and cowered from him, but he seemed reluctant. "What is a little peasant whore going to do with the key to the entire kingdom's respect?"

   "I'm going to give it to someone who knows how to wield power. Now call me a whore one more time. Let's see how far you'll run before you get your heart ripped out of your chest."

   I felt someone approach behind me and I turned quickly, but only to see Runner right behind me. Rage glanced at him, but I held up a hand and he stood still. Runner glared at the nobleman. "Give us the crown, Darwin. Now!"

   Darwin, whether that was his first or last name, got defiant immediately. "What if I don't? What if I keep it on and we win? If you bow to me now it'll save you the forty lashes you'll be dealt…again."

   Runner's eyes widened and I saw his body lurch with uncontrolled anger. His lips curled and his teeth clenched. He was about to rip the man limb from limb, when I made him pause. "Hold on."

   He paused and gave me an impatient look. "He deserves to die, Shadow! He was the one who whipped me!"

   I glared at Darwin and held out my hand. "Once again. Hand over the crown. How many more of them will I need to placate before you give it up?"

   He snarled and jumped up, backing away from us. "You can't stop me. You can't stop any of us. We've fought this long for victory. I'm not about to hand over my prize to a lowly whore!"

   As the word whore echoed around the entry hall, silence stretched out. I turned around to see the other four of them standing amidst a pile of ruined carcasses, staring was at Darwin with the intent to kill.