Prisoner of Chaos (Redemption Book #4)

Chapter 36

Rift

I approach the sarcophagus and place a hand on the gold face as per Belinda's direction.

"You must banish him from your body," Belinda says. "But beware, if you aren't powerful enough, it will kill you to do so."

"I'm already dead if I can't get rid of him," I say with grit teeth.

"Let the dark energy surround you, take it in," Belinda advises. "Then, throw it into his sarcophagus. If you awake him, it will open on it's own."

I inhale deeply. This is it.

"I banish you from my body, return to your true form," I growl. For a moment, nothing happens, then a spasm of a thousand needles racks down my spine. Is this what it feels like to be Scourged?

This is hell. Pure hell.

True fear grips me. I recall my mother's death. Will I be soon to join her?

The pain is too much, I roar in anguish.

I have to remove my hand, I'm not strong enough.

Father Ryland rushes to me, he holds my hand on the sarcophagus. "I will be strong for you, son."

"No, no! It could kill you!" I shout, but he ignores me, and Light shines through his grip, illuminating the entire tomb. I hear Father Ryland cry out in the same pain I'm feeling.

He's not strong enough. He doesn't have years of abuse to prepare him for this.

All my energy is draining into this coffin. Father Ryland collapses on the harsh stone floor of the tomb, his head sustaining lacerations on impact. I keep my grip on the face of sarcophagus, and finally cannot take anymore. Depleted of energy I stumble back, and fall to my knees next to Father Ryland's lifeless form.

"Father!" My voice is breathless, I grasp for him, his hand is cold and limp. "No, don't you dare die, you idiot. I told-told you not to touch me!" I scramble over him, my hand covering the bleeding gash on his head.

Belinda descends down on us. "You woke the master! Now, live up to your bargain and kill him! Set me free!"

"I can't," I say, my voice choked up. "Can't you see my father is dying?"

"He's not going to die, you can heal him," Belinda says, as if I'm an idiot for not knowing this fact.

"What the hell are you talking about?! I know nothing of healing magic! The magic I possess will kill me if I try," I say, my father's blood covers my hands as I helplessly try to stop the bleeding. "I'm of darkness!"

Another parent dying in my arms because of me.

The sarcophagus rumbles, the lid of it sliding open.

Belinda is right. He's awake.

"Heal my father, God of the Light, take pity on me, dark as I am," I breathe the words out, squeezing my eyes shut.

I care about this person. He means something to me. He's--he's family.

Ryland's eyes open and the warmth of surprised relief floods me. Despite my exhausted state I manage to smile at him. "Next time, don't be a hero."

Father Ryland gives me a crooked grin in return, but then his expression turns to one of sheer horror. "Rift, watch out!"

Kyla

I'm controlled. My movements are stiff as Wes brings me to his chambers to plot who I am going to kill for him. My beast claws inside me to be free.

I understand the horror my father went through in simply not being able to unleash his beast when needed. I fear I'll go mad.

I'm further dismayed when I see Diana sitting on Wes' bed dressed in nothing but a red night dress and Wes shirtless, rubbing her smooth shoulders.

She smiles at me evilly. "Kyla, good of you to join us. Notice how Wes adores the lack of appendages coming from my back. You never stood a chance. How are you feeling in your new condition?"

Wes is not allowing me to speak.

"Allow her to talk, I'd like to hear what she has to say," Diana says with a giggle.

"You're from Earth," are the first words out of my mouth at Diana. "I'm not stupid about that world, even though Wes might be."

"Oh, Wes, did you hear that? She called you stupid," Diana says, her flashing eyes narrowing at me. "You should punish her."

"How would you like to punish her, my love?" Wes asks, stroking her hair adoringly.

He's her bitch.

"You can make her transform slowly," Diana says. "It hurts when they do that I hear. Plus, it's fun to watch. All those bones changing and... clothing ripping. Exciting."

Wes' gaze snaps to me, this time he doesn't seem apologetic. He's angry with me for lying about Rift.

"You wanna watch me transform? I can do it all day!" I throw back, not to be defeated by them.

"Can you now?" Wes says, quirking a brow challengingly.

I swallow. Arlite, this is gonna hurt.

"I have a better idea," Wes says with a smirk. "I don't like wasting time. I want you to head directly to the northern pass. Diana tells me that my father's Fire Bloods train there. Massacre them for me, then come back here. If you kill them all, I'll allow you to bathe the blood off."

Blood. How that word affects me. In a moment I will be helpless to stop myself from killing.  My beast is ready to rip into anything in her imprisoned state.

"Kyla, I have one question for you before I send you off," Wes says. "Why did you choose Rift over me? I'm much more handsome, civilized, and highborn than him. I believe in every way I'm better."

"You don't compare to him in any way," I snort, and laugh when Wes' face turns a dark shade of crimson. "You never were a real option for me, Wes. At first I thought as a princess I should be more interested in you than a dark mage like Rift, because you were a prince and you said the right things in the beginning while Rift never said or did the right things... but that's the problem. I don't want all the right things. Rift is everything I actually want. He showed me how to live. How to be free. Whereas you're the one who put a Fe collar on me. You are commanding me to kill." I pause and look to Diana. "Your true colors show, and I've found you nowhere near to being a noble gentleman."

Wes' embarrassed expression turns for a nanosecond to one of shame, then I see the anger build in his features till he's practically snarling at me. "And you are anything but a beautiful, sweet princess! You're a hideous Cursed, with animal desires, who deserves to be treated and used like the disgusting monster you are."

I answer him with a monster shriek and he causes me to fly out his window and transform. Slowly and painfully.