Prisoner of Chaos (Redemption Book #4)

Chapter 38

Kyla

"Rift," I cry, wrapping my arms around him, I don't care Wes is sobbing at Rift's feet and Diana is nowhere to be found. Rift had clothed me the moment I'd transformed. "You came for me." I stare up at him, eyes welling with tears.

Rift is stiff in my embrace, his eyes burn amber as he meets my gaze. "Kyla, this scum..." his voice trails as he throws a Scourge at Wes, "Kyla, you better not protect him from me. Did he touch you or--?" Rift's countenance darkens as he can't finish his sentence and he closes his eyes, his jaw twitching with rage.

"No!" I hurry out before Rift can break the Erlund castle down. "But I have no desire to protect him, he was about to have me murder a bunch of teenagers because he's a spineless coward who'd see others die before him," I snort, with my eyes flashing red.

Rift stops Scourging Wes and opens his eyes, giving a long exhale.

I cock my head. "Something else is different about you. What happened to you?" Rift's face is weary. His eyes although burning with magic have a far away expression in them.

"I failed in killing the Dark Lord, instead I let him loose on Axus," Rift states stonily. "I also no longer have the power I did when the Dark Lord inhabited my body. Now I must Scourge things to survive and get power, just as I had before my mother died. That's why I'm keeping this dickwad alive." He nods down at Wes.

"Where is Diana? The woman who made the Fe Collar for Wes?" I ask, but when Wes' blubbering starts to annoy me I glare down at him and snarl. "Shut up! He's not Scourging you anymore. You're alive, and that's more than you deserve right now from us." I can't believe I just said that, but it felt so good. Especially after Wes took away my freedom of will.

"Quiet," Rift snaps down at Wes using mind control and Wes immediately stops. "I can only use my powers because I just Scourged this bastard on and off for the past ten minutes. While doing so, I tried to figure out where the Blood Queen went. I believe this is the person you're referring to as Diana."

"Blood Queen?" I blink at him.

"She's a maker of Fe Collars, in order to make Fe Collars she needs your blood to meld into the metal," Rift says. "I learned she got your blood from my mother. I don't know how my mother got ahold of your blood though."

I make a face as a shiver crawls up my spine. Creepy. I don't know how either.

"Let's not think too much about that," Rift says, shrugging. "The main thing now is, we need to defeat the Dark Lord, before he grows too powerful. I believe the Blood Queen joined the Dark Lord, she desires to be his Queen, and their first target is inciting Erlund to war. Wes, you may think she's in love with you, but she wanted me to kill you in order to cause war, so let that sink into your thick skull a moment."

Wes's face twists with stunned grief and I too am surprised by this revelation.

"Can your father help us?" I ask, tactfully changing the subject since I don't care to dwell on it. The wounds are too fresh.

Rift glances out the window. "He's--he's not in a good way, Kyla."

"What do you mean?" My eyes widen. I'd rather liked Father Ryland, and I can tell Rift cares about him.

Please, say he's alright.

"We both went to resurrect the Dark Lord, and as I said, once the Dark Lord left my body I no longer had the ability to survive on my own, I needed energy from a Scourge," Rift murmurs. "My father--he offered to help."

"Is he dead?" I ask, my heart sinking.

"No, but he's recovering at his Sanctuary. We also gained a strange ally. Her name is Belinda. She wants to help us kill the Dark Lord as he killed her people, a race known as the Azure, along with destroying her world centuries ago. Once the Dark Lord awoke she was released from the binding spell he placed on her to guard his tomb. She has the ability to teleport. She took Father Ryland to the Sanctuary, and I went to you after seeing him well cared for there."