The wicked and the brave (Book 1- Valhireya Series- Completed)

Chapter 19

Clara

I open my eyes and see Gabriel sleeping on a chair. His beard is long and his hair is a mess. He has dark circles under his eyes and his clothes look all dusty and worn out.

My head is spinning and I have this sharp pain in my temples. Thank the Gods the curtains are pulled, otherwise the light would have killed me with this headache.

I see the glass with the purplish potion on the nightstand and I lean in to drink it. Then I tiptoe out of the bedroom to find Luca, but he is nowhere to be found.

I go to the kitchen and start making some pasta. I imagine Gabriel is hungry and Luca will be as well when he returns home. I am so happy that Gabriel is here. I've missed him so much. As my head is spinning, I manage to drop a plate on the floor just as I am trying to set the table, causing Gabriel to come running into the kitchen.

"Are you alright?" He wraps his arms around me and taking a deep breath. I wrap my arms around him and let his presence comfort me.

"I'm sorry I startled you. I was just trying to set the table so we can eat." I tell him with a feeble voice. My legs give up on me and I fall in his arms while the pain in my temples intensifies.

"For fuck's sake, Clara..." he mutters and he sits me down on the chair behind me. He runs out of the kitchen and returns a few seconds later with the glass in his hand. He opens metal bottle and pours me some potion. I drink it all and feel the dizziness fade away.

"I'm sorry!" I tell him again. "Come! Sit down and let's eat. I missed you soo much!" I give him a small smile to hide my real emotions. I have this weird feeling. I feel panic and anxiety and fear, all mixed up together. And there's also this damn feeling that something is wrong.

Gabriel just stares at me for what seems to be ages, making my anxiety reach even higher levels. My hands begin to shake and my breathing ability seems to vanish slowly from my lungs. My hands start shaking as panic rises to the surface and makes me finally break down in front of him. Tears just run down my cheeks as I struggle to breathe.

He gets up from his chair and wraps his arms around me as he kneels next to my chair. I hide my head in my palms, crying my heart out. I don't know why I'm crying but something inside my heart told me that everything is wrong.

"I'm sorry..." he whispers against my shoulder. "I am so sorry!..." He says to me and tightens his grip around me body.

"I couldn't do anything!" His voice is barely audible, like it's breaking. My blood freezes in my veins as I realize that something is indeed wrong. I push him away from me and jump up from my chair, taking a few steps back. Horror comes upon me when I realize that there are tears in his eyes.

"Gael?... what happened?" I can't even recognize my voice while I speak.

He just lowers his head, looking at the floor and clenches his fists until his knuckles turn white.

"Gael!!!" I shout at his from the top of my lungs.

"I am so sorry!..." he mutters again trying to maintain calm but I can see him breaking down slowly on the inside.

"Sorry for what?" I ask him and take a step towards him. "Talk, for fuck's sake!"

"I killed king Stafan!" he looks at me with hollow eyes.

I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding and thank the Gods that this was the news he had to deliver.

"It was bound to happen at some point. I have seen it!" I tell him and take a few steps closer to him, wraping my hands around him in a hug.

He starts crying softly in the crook of my neck and I realize there must be more about this story. The bad feeling didn't go away, it's still rooting inside my heart. I break the hug and force him to look me in the eyes.

"What are you not telling me?" I ask him and feel my body start trembling with fear again. I am afraid of his answer. I look around, trying to get my mind to calm down and I notice the clock on the wall. It's 7 pm and Luca isn't home yet.

"Gael? Where's Luca?" I ask him and his eyes fill with tears once more.

"You've been out for 3, no, 4 weeks. Luca came to find me and send me to you, to fix you. He said your visions have taken control over your mind and you wouldn't wake up. He was so scared! He came to me the same day you blacked out." He starts to tell me and I feel my head spinning around with flashes of the visions that I've had while I was out.

"Later that night, we were going to the portal in the forest when they attacked us. Luca stayed behind, to lure them away from the cabin so I could reach you and help you." I sit down on the chair, struggling to breathe by the time he finishes his sentence. Tears roll down my cheeks as my body shakes uncontrollably.

"Where's Luca?!" I yell at him with a voice that doesn't sound like mine but he doesn't answer. He just looks away and continues with his story.

"I came here and contacted a friend of mine, asked her to look after you and make you drink the potion to get you back to yourself." He lets out a sigh and looks at me. "But I couldn't leave you! I had to stay! You were worse than ever! My potions were not enough! You needed magic to heal you as well! I thought I lost you for good this time."

"Please..." I whisper as fear takes over my mind, pushing forward my visions even more, but they are still cloudy.

"He wanted his revenge. He was a mad man, a psychopath! He captured Luca that night and told him that he would let him live if he took care of his baby and married his daughter. When Luca found out about the baby, he agreed. He knew that either way he couldn't escape Stafan anymore."

Flashes of Luca dressed up in royal clothes come in front of my eyes. He's holding the hand of a heavily pregnant woman. They are in a big ballroom that has been decorated with a lot of flowers.

"He married her." I whisper in disbelief.

"He did... and one week later, his son was born. But Stafan was so thrilled there was finally a male heir in his dynasty that he took the baby away from them to raise it as his own. Luca was blinded with fury and went after Stafan. They fought until the last breath..." he finishes  speaking and realization hits me. If he killed Stafan, then that means that Stafan killed...

The flashes come back again, as Stafan has Luca pinned against a wall. Beams of red light come out from his fingers that are wrapped around Luca's throat. Luca's skin is slowly turning cianide and his veins are popping up, looking black. Blood comes out of his mouth as he finally lets out his final breath.

And then, everything goes black.