Eternal Ebony

Chapter 3

Oblivion was fast asleep by the time the sun sprawled lazily across the sky. Ebon woke to find his head curled close to her own, his dark eyes closed against the coming dawn. His wing was still spread, warm and close, against Ebon's own. Suddenly, his eyelids creased. They abruptly snapped upwards, revealing Oblivion's scared and angry eyes. He leaped to his feet, ready for a fight. Ebon yelped and backed towards the wall. She nearly burned her wing on a candle. "Oblivion!" she squealed. "It's just me!" But she stopped yelling when he marched right past her and to the cave entrance. He spread his wings and felt the wind against them. "I know, darling," he said to Ebon, and she blushed. "Queen Jade said she would give you time to train, correct?"

"Yes."

"Well, she isn't willing to keep her promise. I'm going to teleport you to your room. You have to jump into bed and pretend your asleep. Can you do that for me?" Ebon was confused. Everything in her life was happening way too fast. But she nodded. The world started to fade to white around her. The last thing she saw was Oblivion's smile. Ebon felt soft mattress below her, looked down, and found that she was in her room, in the court wing in the palace. She heard footsteps behind her door. She had just jumped into bed when the door opened. Jade came inside, along with several guards shuffling behind her in procession. She heard the dark intentions boiling behind Jade's eyes, and the confusion behind the guard's. I thought you said this wouldn't be here tomorrow, she thought desperately. She heard Oblivion's voice, like shouting down a hallway, saying I know, just...hang on!

"Shh," Jade whispered. "Can't you all be more quiet?" She snuck over to the bed, where Ebon was waiting.

"Um, Your Majesty," one of the guards asked. "Why are we doing this again?" The queen quieted him.

"Because. I am not nearly ready to give up my throne. Ebon here already seems like she could take on the world. She could just as easily challenge and defeat me only a few days after I captured her. That would not be a flattering legacy, would it?"

They all heard a huge thump on the small balcony outside. The windows opened. "Well," a voice said. "What a surprise. I should have expected this much from you." Oblivion stood in the doorway, glaring angrily. As he sauntered over to the bed, Ebon winced as his rage slammed into her. He shook Ebon gently, and she brought herself up to stand behind him. Jade growled deep in her throat when she saw that Ebon was awake. But her anger changed to fear under Oblivion's withering gaze. "I cannot let you hurt her. Not without a proper challenge." Oblivion slithered around the bed to stand right in front of Jade. Oblivion nearly surrounded her in his large wings. "You promised," he growled. "You promised you would give her time. I can read your thoughts, your malice. I can't let you. I can't. Why? You were such an agreeable daughter under Rosethorn. But you always hated your brother, didn't you? You were always suspicious of Nightshade and Obsidian. So you poisoned her. You caused that scar on Ebon's leg. You're lucky it didn't work as well as intended." Oblivion shifted one of his wings to gesture at Ebon's leg. And her ferocious expression. Jade didn't want that either. She shivered under the glare of Oblivion. He folded his wings, revealing the terrified guards around them. "The guards may leave now. We are heading to the arena tomorrow. By then, your crown may have toppled off your head. Schedule the duel for tomorrow." He spun on his heel to face away from the queen. He turned his head one last time. "I would get ready, if I were you. Your death is not a long time coming." Jade gasped, but was encouraged to flee by her guards. The door was shut behind them. Oblivion sighed. "I hate to scare dragons," he said. "But sometimes it is the only way to get through to them." He smiled ruefully. Ebon walked to him and nuzzled the base of his neck. "But thank goodness you have me to encourage you," she said. Oblivion nosed her back. "Right." He flopped on the bed, and curled up beside her again. He sighed contentedly, and Ebon giggled. Suddenly, Oblivion's head shot up. "Someone's coming. Someone named Echo." The door opened, and Echo's spots promptly turned a blinding shade of green. Oblivion shot from the bed, and pinned him to the wall, growling maliciously.