Prisoner of Chaos (Redemption Book #4)

Chapter 37

Rift

"Do what you said you were going to do! Kill him, please!" Belinda shrieks, cowering in the corner of the room as a black mist shrouds the tomb, enveloping us in darkness.

"This is what I desired all along, Rift," the Dark Lord's voice, so familiar to me, but now audible to all, booms out, shaking the ground we are on.

"He's going to destroy us," Belinda whimpers, "He is at his weakest now, this is your only opportunity to do away with him.

My power returns to me, my body relieved to be rid of it's host.

I have to kill him now. This is my chance to finish this.

"When I had your mother create you with this powerful priest gifted with the Light's power, I knew you alone were powerful enough to restore me to my full glory," the Dark Lord growls, a shape appears in the swirl of mist, taller, and broader than any human I've seen. "Do you know how long I've waited, floating from host to host who still used my magic, only living in that magic? How tortured my existence was!"

"Feeling real sorry for you," I grunt sarcastically.

"My son, please, I don't want to lose you," Father Ryland says, gripping my wrist from his fallen state.

"No," I say, rising with grit teeth. "I have him where I want him." My eyes narrow to slits as the Dark Lord's mass of energy charges at me and a sharp pain bolts down my spine, sending me back to my knees.

He's using the Scourge on me.

"Your training can't save you, Rift," the Dark Lord says, his voice smug. "I invented the Darkness you use in your magic."

And in that moment, all I can do is think of Kyla. How much I've changed since meeting her! Even in this incredible pain, the love I have for her, the vision of having a family with her and finally finding freedom from the darkness I was born into... it makes me strong enough to endure the pain. I pull myself up from the ground and throw the dark energy back at the Dark Lord.

"You didn't invent me," I snarl. "You underestimated me."

The Dark Lord falls back, spluttering as he's afflicted by his own power. "So I did."

He moves forward, and I watch as he becomes gaunt till his eyes are black holes in the eye sockets of his skull. With a shriek he vanishes from the room.

"Is he gone?" I ask Belinda.

Damn, I already know. He traced out of here like the coward he is.

I'm alarmingly aware of the effort it took to throw the Scourge back at the Dark Lord. My power depleted, I fall on my hands and knees coughing. Something warm trickles down from my nose to my chin. Red drops splatter on the ground as I continue to cough. I lift a hand to wipe my face and find it covered in blood.

I'm not healing like I used to. What is wrong with me? As if something about me broke when the Dark Lord left my body.

I gasp for air, but my lungs are squeezed.

Ryland scrambles next to me, the sound of his feet against the stone floor rankle my ears.

"Rift!" I hear Father Ryland say, his voice distant even with his face next to mine.

Can't breathe.

"I am going to make you strong," Father Ryland says. "Please, take my energy. You're the only one who can defeat him."

"Don't—want—to—kill—" I manage, my eyes wide as I fall to the ground.

He's already dangerously weak from what happened when the sarcophagus opened.

"Without the Dark Lord possessing you, you're the same as you were before the Dark Lord latched himself onto you when your mother died. You need energy from chaos through your Scourge in order to heal," Father Ryland whispers, he grasps my hand and squeezes it. "You now need physical contact to get energy back from the Scourge. Take my energy. You can save the world without me. My time has come to play a role in this."

"No." I shake my head at him. My eyes squeeze shut and tears of blood hit the ground.

"Rift," Father Ryland says firmly, "Go to Kyla and make things right. The two of you can accomplish anything together. You can do this."

"Never forgive myself," I choke out. "If you die." My grip on his hand tightens.

"I forgive you. No matter what happens," Father Ryland says, his kind eyes crinkling at the corners in a smile before my Scourge washes over him with its agony.

Kyla

"Dragon attack!" the shouts rising up from the Fire Blood group of soldiers let me know they don't realize yet what I am.

With just one look at them I want to cry.

They're just kids... most of them no older than sixteen.

Wes so help me, you will pay for this savagery.

I close my eyes so I can't see the expressions on their horrified faces as I land in front of them with a threatening roar.

"Charge! Remember, fire can't kill you!" Their instructor shouts. "Do not fear."

A prick against my scales as drakon darts hit my impenetrable flesh.

My mouth opens, displaying my fangs the size of sword blades and I lunge at the instructor first.

How easily my teeth slice clean through his skin! I never realized how dangerous I've always been to everyone around me. No wonder everyone in Axus has lived in fear of my potential.

The instructor screams. "It's not a drakon! It's a Cursed! Fire everything you have—" I cut him off my chomping down on his shoulder and throwing him down the cliff.

I turn to the group of teenagers, who according to King Lionel should be able to take me down. They don't even have a chance. Even with immunity to my Cursed fire, they are not immune to my claws, teeth, and sheer bodily power.

Just when I believe I'm going to release hell on them, the pull of my Fe Collar draws me away. I take off, above the trees and find myself flying back to Erlund Castle.

What is going on? Why didn't Wes have me finish them?

I fly to the window of Wes' room, and transform back to my winged human form, landing on the ledge in a crouched position and my eyes widen at the sight before me.

"You had a choice, Wes," Rift says, his amber eyes aglow with fury. Wes kneels at Rift's feet, sobbing loudly while Rift holds the key to my Fe Collar over Wes' head. "Now, you don't."

Rift strides forward and clicks the key into the lock on my Fe Collar without blinking. Our eyes meet, and he takes my head in his hands and brings my lips to his in a deep and possessive kiss. I lean into him and close my eyes.

When given a chance to have complete control of me he doesn't think twice about leaving the collar on me.

Rift pulls the metal off me and melts the device in his hands along with the key.

"I still have a purpose for you, Wes," Rift says with grit teeth, turning his fiery gaze back to Wes. Rift smiles wickedly. "I'm in need of a power source."