The Cruel Crown (A Young Elites Fanfiction)

Enzo Valenciano

Her true face taints his thoughts—not her illusionized mask. Adelina Amouteru's features are etched into his head, ending all other thoughts from passing through. Her scarred face, finished with a snarl, and her blood red eye are always hiding in every crevice.

I want to be free. I want to forget. But myself will not allow me to, not yet.

"Enzo, what's your next move? I mean, since we've sent Nyx to the castle, we cannot abandon her and return to Beldain now," Raffaele says. He sounds tense.

"We're staying here," he replies. "I have something I need to take care of while we're here for however long it may be."

"Enzo, please do not tell me it has to do with her."

"You know me all too well, so you must know that I cannot stay settled while she still breathes," Enzo utters. "She doesn't deserve the joys of living. I won't be the one kill her, not yet, anyway. Nyx will get what we need and then that will be the moment I strike her down with her own dagger."

I hold ill-confidence toward my ability of being able to kill her. 

And I will also be slaying myself in the process. I am okay with dying and laying to rest for the final time. Even though I thought the last time I died would be the last time I saw the sky and her again. I thought the last time I'd see Adelina would be in the Underworld for the souless damned.

Raffaele does not respond immediately. He must think I am just as cruel as she. I am, I own a murderous heart. "Yes, gossip has been there have been circles forming in despite of Adelina. This country scorns her, but all are too afraid of her so they are forced to secrecy."

"Adelina will not allow anyone who opposes her live to see another day," he says. "We may see a lot of people disappearing. Once she finds out about this meetings, no one will be seeing mercy as they pray; just their own blood." She has shown his team mercy because there may be an ounce of compassion that still lays in her heart, but it is blackening and waning fast.

"Magiano will never allow anyone harm her. From what I've seen, he would undeniably take his own life to save hers. He must know how virulent she is, but he is in love with her, and her the same; I just don't think even she knows that yet." He hears Rose's dulcet tone come into conversation. Her confident red eyes bore into his, daring Enzo to challenge her.

Rose has slain her own abusive father. She has been freed from the shackles that have weighed her down because of her father's faults toward her. She has not been in any blithe mood since, she should be appeased with his death, but she isn't. She still looks as if she is living in shambles chained to the wall in a set of metallic cuffs.

"I agree," Enzo says. "Magiano will be be a problem. He is a clever one, too. I just hope he does not pick out any faults to our devisable plan."

Nyx said she had a past with Magiano and they tried to kill each other, neither succeeded, but Magiano let her go. He thinks that if Magiano meets Nyx again, that he will try and kill her. That's why Nyx must make a temporary ally with Adelina because her protection might just save Nyx's life. Sending Nyx to the castle was suicide, Nyx is adept in combat but doesn't show true expertise in mastery. She was sent to make an alliance to Adelina just to soon betray her so that the Daggers may make their move.

"Magiano can mimic any Elite's power so, obviously, he will sense your power immediately," Raffaele warns. "And Violetta can quell powers as I can. Though, we don't share the same ability."

A resonant scream bounces off the small walls. Lucent's heavy treads add to the commotion. "Raffaele," she screeches. "I— I can't feel anything. It's like I've been given a sedative to numb my muscles, but I can't feel anything. Confident enough that if I were impaled with a sword that I would not feel the sharp, stinging edge."

Enzo looks to Raffaele and gives a small nod, heedless to anyone else. Raffaele and him discussed the issue of Elites dying out instantaneously. Enzo and others may have interesting abilities, but they all have an augmenting disease that can only get worse.

Where as he is already dead. I have nothing else to loose. I can only wait for myself to return to where I laid serene.

"Lucent, stay calm. Stressing yourself will not help with your condition. You mustn't allow your muscles and bones to tense. It will kill you if you don't." Raffaele stays nonchalant.

Her face is of pure shock and horror. She is afraid. Fearless, brave, courageous Lucent is afraid.

"Raffaele, Enzo, I— I can't," Lucent screeches. She is in much pain. "And if this will be my deathbed, then I want one avengeful thing, kill Adelina, Enzo kill her, please . . ."

"I will, but your death is not to come quite yet," he says so that only she hears his consoling words.

Raffaele takes her to the Elite of ours who can heal any wound, injury, indifference. Enzo will be praying that Lucent lives through this night.

He will be the one to slay Kenettra's Queen when that time shall arrive. And when I kill her, it will be a frightening mirror image being tossed right back at myself. But I am okay with that because I should have never been resurrected.

"What's going on?" Maeve makes her appearance. "Enzo—"

"Lucent is in pain, fearing for her life." He is as blunt as can be at this time, but not all seriousness and sympathy is lost to him.

But I will not watch the ones I care about die. It will never happen again. The Daggers have watched me fall, and watched me rise. I do not want them to watch another Dagger fall. I will protect them all until my last breath.

"Lucent!" Maeve shrieks. She must have sincerely not known. "Lucent!" She turns to Enzo. "Where is Lucent? Enzo, where is the Windwalker!" She moves so quick that she almost trips over the waterfall layers of her exquisite embezzled with jewels dress.

"Raffaele has taken her. He and the Elite are doing all possible to assure she survives this dark night."

"I must see her!" Maeve continues her wails. "Where has Raffaele taken her off to? What wing of this palace?"

The Daggers have found an interesting cottage to stay in which Maeve refused to house in, but it was their only option. She insists on calling it a palace and making herself the queen of it.

"I'm not sure. Raffaele just picked her up and ran to the Healer immediately."

Maeve bolts to the nearest exit way and almost trips over the large folds of her dress again. Worry and doubt plastered on her face, expression grim, tears falling like rapid waters in a canal.

I am dead, but unresting; I won't let my hourglass empty without destroying every last one of her precious and fragile Roses. I refuse to let her avail and let one of my own die.