Hope is all he has left...
Prince Kian is supposed to be dead. He was only 8 years old when the Dark King came into his home and slaughtered his family. Now 21, he lives in hiding, grieving the family and the kingdom both lost. With no magic left...
The treck through the forest was rather dull. Days were spent conserving energy and discussing our pasts, while nights were spent solely focusing on rest. Kian didn't say much about what to expect when we arrived, just to let him do the talking. His withdrawment wasn't doing much for morale. To make things worse, the beast in my blood had begun to find its voice again.
"We'll be at the camp's doors by midday tomorrow," Kian stated when we had settled down for the last night of our journey.
Areis frowned, "The entrance to your top-secret mountain hideout is just a pair of doors?" he asked with a puzzled expression. I stifled a chuckle, Areis had made a game out of asking the young prince a series of increasingly idiotic questions over the course of the last few days. Unsurprisingly, Kian had not yet caught on.
"Of course, it's not just protected by doors. I was just using a simple expression," He retorted with an exasperated look in my direction.
Can you believe this guy? He seemed to ask.
I shrugged, raising my eyebrows. He raised some valid points.
Kian shook his head with a not-so-subtle eyeroll. You people are strange.
"Zora?" Tyri asked.
I turned to face her, "What is it?"
"I've been talking to you for the last minute and a half, but you obviously haven't been paying attention."
My cheeks flushed red and I shook off the strange moment Kian and I had shared, "Sorry, I guess I just must be tired. What were you saying?"
"I was saying that I think we should just finish the trip out tonight. Why settle down when we're so close?"
"Kian seems okay, but from what he's told me about his court his advisors remind me of the council back in Stockgrove. I don't want to walk into a place full of people like that unrested and weak. Do you?" Tyri eyed me with a thoughtful expression.
"I suppose not."
I shifted to face the others.
"I've never really been in a tavern before. What kind of ale do you recommend when we get there? I want my first drink to really mean something, you know?" Areis was prodding Kian.
"Cavern. I do not live in a tavern. I live in a cavern. A type of large cave."
"Meh, a tavern would be more fun."
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I am falling fast and hard toward the unforgiving sea. Its depths are black and its waves rise higher than any I have ever seen before. I scream as the water rises to meet me. The impact is hard, the pain nearly renders me unconscious. I try to swim but it's no use, the liquid is too cold, too thick. My limbs won't move. Suddenly a hand latches onto my arm, its muscles go taught as it struggles to pull me to the surface. I rise out of the sea to find that the arm belongs to a beautiful boy with ice-blue eyes. He is helping me into a small boat. I shiver and my heart thumps rapidly, my body begins to spasm and the waves begin to rise higher and higher.
"Breathe, Zora." I look to the young man above me, his face is indistinguishable but his blue eyes are vivid. His voice is soft and velvety. I try to focus on him. My body shakes, still the waves rise.
"You must try and relax. You control the sea, do not let it control you." I do as he says and breathe, releasing the tension from my muscles. My body immediately goes slack. The waves calm, the water turning a silver instead of the daunting black color it had been moments before. The edges of my vision begin to turn black. My head feels light. I turn to the young man above me. He seemed to know what was going on.
"Who are you?" I ask him, struggling to stay conscious.
For a second his face is clear, "We will meet soon enough."
I woke in a cold sweat, Cayra was kneeling beside my head.
"Are you okay Zora? You were shaking in your sleep," She said quietly, as not to wake the others. I tried to sit up but immediately fell back from nausea.
"I don't know, I just feel really strange," My response was hoarse. My hands began to shake. Shadows began to surround me, I saw black figures in the darkness. I was vaguely aware of Cayra resting her hand on my forehead.
"You have a very high fever, I'm going to need a cold piece of cloth. I'll be right back, don't try to move," She said. I couldn't have moved if I wanted to. The shadows and figures increased. I tried to scream but it was caught in my throat.
I hadn't felt this sick since I was a child. I looked through the haze to see that Kian was up. He and Cayra spoke in rapid whispers before she and Areis left the cave. Finally, the darkness shrouded my vision. The monster in my blood began to whisper. We're not safe here. We need to move. I began to rise, without much trouble this time. Suddenly there was a face in front of me. I began to back-peddle. They are here to kill you, just like before.
