The Vampire's Bride

Chapter 31

Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!

Axel felt his heart bleating in panic as Adelaide glared at him. Why was she here? His swords were still in the room with Iris. Smoke started to gather at his sides as he was gripped by terror.

Adelaide clucked her tongue in disappointment.

"Axel, why would you betray your dear mother?" She asked. "After I raised you, and nurtured you... you bite the hand that fed you, just like your sisters."

There was something evil brewing within her. Axel could sense her power growing, twisting, writhing. It burned with a madness that made his stomach turn. His mother had truly, completely, gone insane. Even her physical form was shaken, smoking around her empty eye-socket and arms.

"I apologize, mother, but you were such a colossal bitch that I decided Iris would make a better queen," Axel spat. He wanted to run. In truth, he wasn't entirely sure that he could kill his mother. Adelaide's eye narrowed further.

"You have little idea what Hell needs in a ruler, Axel. Hell needs chaos, power, fear," she spoke as if she was explaining to a child. "Iris is far too soft to take Hell's throne, as is Evelyn. And so, it seems, are you."

Axel summoned his wolves to his sides, his hazel eyes beginning to glow turquoise.

"I never wanted to be king. Neither did father," he replied. Adelaide flinched back. Her eyes burned with tears as she lifted her dagger.

"You have no idea what your father wanted."

Axel stumbled back as she lunged at him, gasping as he felt the knife slide into his chest. His wolves flickered and vanished. He'd hesitated, damn it, he'd hesitated and it had cost him everything. He fell to the ground, clutching at the wound in his chest. Axel gasped and tried to pull himself away from her.

"I promise that I know what's best for you, dearest. Let me take Iris, and you can go," Adelaide murmured. Axel stared her down, his eyes burning. He spat blood in her face. The queen wiped it away, glaring down at her son.

"She may be determined to put a knife in my back, but I refuse to let you kill my little sister," he snarled. The queen sighed and shook her head, lifting the dagger.

Iris beat the blade away, dashing in front of her brother with a fire in her eyes. Adelaide reeled back, eyebrows raising in shock, before grinning wildly. The blonde girl was breathing heavily, clutching her chest as if she had been the one stabbed, and holding Axel's sword in her hand. Iris was terrified.

She glanced back at her brother, seeing that he was bleeding heavily. She had to finish this quickly. Iris lunged at Adelaide, slashing and stabbing with desperate strikes. The queen kept up with ease.

"Why are you so scared, Iris? Didn't you already slaughter one of my best and send me back his head?" She asked sweetly, though her voice was taunting, menacing. Iris let herself fall into her butterflies to speed around the queen, panic making her heart trample her chest.

She yelped as Adelaide shoved her hand into the mass of fluttering wings and slammed Iris against the wall, holding her still with a hand around her throat. How had she...?! The queen dug her nails into Iris' neck, her silver eye gleaming as she smirked. The helpless girl swung her sword, only to have it knocked from her hands. The queen was nearly twice as strong as she had been before in Evelyn's body. What was more, Iris could sense the awful darkness brewing within her mother that seemed like an endless void.

She choked as she felt the queen enter her mind. A dull ache filled her head as Adelaide sorted through countless memories, thoughts, secrets, everything. Iris screamed as her mother found the source of her power and began chipping it to pieces. Something in her stomach jolted, and she choked slightly.