Prisoner of Chaos (Redemption Book #4)

Chapter 57

Rift

"I can sense him, he's close," I tell Kyla. We've flown above mountains, and toward Erlund. "That mountain a few miles ahead of us, that's where he is."

"Where should I land?" Kyla asks, her shadow moves over the mountain cliffs and peaks, because of her size she cannot hover, but she circles the mountain I've indicated.

"He's at the base of the mountain," I tell her. "I believe he won't be unprotected."

"Who do you think will be guarding him?" Kyla asks.

"Fire bloods, or--" suddenly I sense it, the Dark Lord's magic, permeates and intoxicates. The closer I get to him the more I realize how his energy, which once was apart of me, calls to me to join it once more.

"Rift," Kyla says my name, her voice is distant.

If I were to merge with it, I'd once more have all the power I've lost. The need to Scourge would be over.

"Rift," Kyla calls.

My mind is hazy, she's descending down toward the seductive, dark energy.

In a moment, you will have the chance to take back what you so stupidly gave up for "love", boy.

"Rift!" Kyla screeches my name like a dragon, and I shake myself.

"He just spoke to me," I say, "His magic. It's within my grasp. Help me fight it."

"If you can't fight it we're getting a divorce," Kyla snaps, but her lips curl in a mischievous smile.

"Throwing around the D-word already, Princess?" I ask her, grinning graciously at my wife for how she doesn't take any shit from anyone anymore, including me.

"Incoming!" Kyla exclaims, and the sound of darts hitting her scales like raindrops begins.

"Is it the Fire Bloods?" I ask her.

"They will cower once they get a taste of my flames," Kyla growls, and her throat lights up before she spews down a light shower of fiery sparks on them.

Although they scream and receive burns, the army of men below stand their ground and continue firing their darts.

"Crap," Kyla mutters. "That was supposed to send them off in fear."

"Except, they aren't the Fire Blood army," I say, narrowing my eyes and getting my first glimpse of the group. I recognize them from my time with the Blood Queen. "They are Fe collar slaves, Kyla."

"Are you serious? King Lionel put Fe collars on his army? How would he convince his men of such a thing?" Kyla is incredulous.

"No, they aren't King Lionel's army, they are the Dark Lord's. He took the keys the Blood Queen gave him. The Blood Queen had an immense army of men who were tricked into collars," I explain. "You're going to have to work past them. Here, let me down there and I'll begin Scourging."

"Those are innocent men then, just as my father was when he wore one of those horrid devices, just as Scenna was when she worked for Dirk..." Kyla's voice trails. "This Dark Lord has fucked with me enough. Does he think I'm really going to let him make me spill innocent blood? Those darts don't even hurt my beast." She lands in the snow at the base of the mountain, in front of the Fe slaves. "Is this your idea of keeping me from destroying your filth?" Kyla shouts into the mouth of the cave the Fe slaves stand in front of. "Everything you've done has only made me stronger!"

I leap from her back and begin focussing my Scourge on the man closest, he crumbles momentarily in anguish, but the force of control from his Fe collar keeps him holding his dart and reloading.

"Come out and face us, coward!" Kyla roars, charging toward the cave, wings outstretched. She ploughs through the Fe slaves, knocking the men off their feet, but purposefully not killing them. "I can't wait to rip you in two with my claws!"

My Scourging inflames me with power. The man I focused on finally succumbs, collapsing from the strain in such a way that even the control of his Fe Collar can't lift him from the exhaustion. I won't kill anyone, but I have to reclaim my power before I face the Dark Lord.

Sorry, but you shouldn't have trusted that freaking Blood Queen only thinking with your little head.

Onward to the next one.

Darts direct at me, but now I've created my own shield, absorbing the power of the darts as they hit and focusing a Scourge on the next man in the line.

Kyla's entered the cave and I hate to think of her facing the Dark Lord alone.

Do you feel this power you receive from their pain? That is my power you feel. If Kyla destroys me, you will be powerless. The light magic in you will kill you for you are an abomination of dark and light.

"Fine by me, DL," I growl at him. "Just as long as you die with me, yeah?"

I trace myself onto Kyla's back using the power from the Scourge, just as she uses her tail to destroy a large stone wall in the interior of the cave.

Kyla

The Dark Lord is smaller than I expected.

It's my first thought upon entering his presence in a surprising empty, humble cavern he's locked himself away in.

How can this truly be the Dark Lord?

Is my next thought.

The Fe slaves keep coming at us, but the Dark Lord must think I'm an idiot if he think I'm going to kill a single one of those innocents to gain him any kind of power.

After everything I've been through I can stand the peppering of darts hitting my dragon scale-hide as I finish you off.

One of the Fe slaves attempts to jump onto my back to which I shake him off.

"Is this the best you can do, Dark Lord?" I taunt, my eyes narrowing on the slumped over figure. "You're weak, aren't you. We've made you weak."

Is this what my mother meant when she described the Sorceress when she first met her?

"Rift, good to see you, I see you've gone and made Kyla an honest woman for us," the Dark Lord begins, his voice is weak even. "Congrats to the happily wedded couple. May your marriage last longer than mine did."

"Shut the fuck up," Rift hisses. "You always were a fucking parasite with aspirations of being as powerful as I am. Now we're going to really kill you. And it won't be the kind of death you'll come back from."