Prisoner of Chaos (Redemption Book #4)

Chapter 55

Rift

It's official.

Raia is an eating machine.

Kyla tirelessly feeds her wild boar and heru birds from the jungle and yet our little red-scaled, flame-eyed, beast-child continues to ask for food with an open mouth. 

She's a big question mark in terms of magic and I confess to myself, even I'm worried she won't ever have a human form. And my magic does not recognize Kyla anymore.

We've rejoined the group gathered at the Sanctuary after our brief vow exchange, and I study my new wife, in her drakon-form, distracted with our child.

Wife.

Never thought I'd have one of those... except, for some reason, when I first saw Kyla, I knew if there ever was a woman who'd be my wife, she was it. Now we just have to figure out this parenting state of being as a couple. It feels kind of odd not having a moment to ourselves either. Instead we have to act on our advantage the breaking of the Curse has given us.

Kalvar is returning from the palace.

"Our intel have informed us King Lionel is on the march to attack, apparently he doesn't know that the Curse is broken," I overhear Kalvar say conferring with Queen Lucy, Kyla, a general Hayne (who happens to be a sylph), and Helle.

"What should we do?" Helle asks her husband.

"Honestly, I haven't a clue if I'm still immortal," Kyla says to us, and we all realize we haven't actually tested if after the Cursed left her immortality stuck. "So maybe his army can kill me."

My granite heart cracks at the thought.

"She's not going to die," I say, stepping into the conversation even though I'm sure I'm not meant to. "I'm going right to the source. King Lionel."

"How will you get to King Lionel?" Kyla asks me. 

"I'm going to trace myself to him," I announce. "I can demand he pull back his army. And who knows? Maybe the Dark Lord will be there with him waiting?"

"I thought you didn't have the same powers the Dark Lord gave you originally?" Kyla says warily. "How are you capable of pulling off such a feat?"

"I can use a good old-fashioned Scourge," I say dryly. "Anyone want to save their kingdom by going through a little pain?"

"I'm not volunteering myself as tribute to a Scourge, and if you were to even think of putting one on me against my will, my leniency to your involvement with the Sorceress' plots and dark magic possession will be revoked," Kalvar snorts, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

Of course you're not. You're just the man who likes to pretend he's sacrificing so much for his people.

"I'll volunteer," Queen Lucy says, chin held high in brave determination.

I admire her for it and understand where Kyla get's her sense of duty.

"My husband died so we could destroy the Dark Lord once and for all. I will let you Scourge me for that power," Lucy adds.

"I won't risk Scourging you," I tell her quickly. "You were weakened by what happened with the Blood Queen. Besides, Kyla's already lost one parent by my hand and Underland needs you, my queen."

"Mother!" Kalvar says, stepping in front of her, I can tell he's agitated his mother has the stones for it while he shirks at all his responsibilities if they involve unpleasantness. "How could you do something like that?"

"Because, I'm tired of letting him win. He took my husband from me, and I want to have some part in defeating him," Queen Lucy says, like a true warrior.

"I have a better idea," Kyla interrupts us all, shrinking in her humanoid form. "Let's just see if I'm still immortal before we go about Scourging our own people. I believe I still am."

"Heavy claims, Princess," I murmur. "You are the mother of my child and I will not have you--"

"Shut up, Rift," Kyla says, she takes her human form and grasps hold of General Hahn's dart. "May I? As a Cursed I could suffer a blow from a dart and suffer no real injury."

I lurch forward to stop her, but she raises the barrel of it to one of her wings.

Not your perfect wings!

The shot rings and I close my eyes out of impulse.

Kyla is laughing. I'm taking it as a positive, but perhaps becoming a mother has driven her mad.

"Rift, you do actually love me, don't you?" she says, her blue eyes flashing as she meets my fearful face.

"Have I given you reason to fucking question that?" I grate, noting her completely uninjured wings. "You're lucky you're immortal. I happen to adore your wings."

"I know," Kyla says, a smug smile on her face.

Switching roles on me, huh, Princess? I'm not sure if I like being on this side of the teasing. Still, she's kind of giving me a hard on, so maybe I do?

"I'll find King Lionel. Use my immortality to my advantage and take their weapons onto myself until I find him," Kyla states. "And I'll warn him that the Curse is broken. That his fire blood army is useless against me because my fire blood mother is no longer as such. I'll tell him to prevent the spilling of his own men's blood and the anger his own empire will hold against him over such an act, it would be wisest to rethink his plans of war."

"I will come with you," I say.

"Of course you will," Kyla says, rolling her eyes at me. "But what about Raia?"

"I'll keep watch of her," Father Ryland speaks up. "I recognize light magic in her, and my own magical abilities will keep her contained and soothed until you return."

"How do you know this?" I ask, turning to my father. "How do you recognize magic in her while I cannot?"

"It's possible your encounter with the Dark Lord and losing his possession on you is tainting your abilities," Father Ryland offers. "It's also possible that once you've ended the Dark Lord, you will regain all of them or lose all power completely."

Lose all my power? If sacrificing that protects my family, I'l make it work. Still, best make sure to create enough gold to live off of if that's the case.

"Shall we go?" Kyla asks me. "The sooner we finish this the sooner we can properly mourn my father and plan the future of Underland."