Kingdom of the Nine: The Princes (II)

Chapter 11

A voice slithers into my mind like fingers curling into my skull.

"Red..." It's a low growl, haunting and endless, reverberating through the darkness. "I've been watching you, child..." Her tone gnaws at my soul, each word digging deeper, leaving raw, open wounds in its wake.

"I know your deepest fears," she continues, her voice a cruel whisper that echoes and wraps around me. "I know how you cling to her... afraid she'll slip away." Suddenly, I see her, Alyse, sitting bound to a wooden chair, an inferno roaring behind her, flames licking hungrily at the edges. She's motionless, helpless, and my heart clenches as I watch the fire creeping closer.

"Join me," the voice promises, honeyed poison in every word, "and I swear she will remain... untouched." A figure materializes from the shadows, cloaked in black with purple accents trailing the edges, as though darkness itself had shaped her. She laughs, a sound sharp and manic, and steps closer to Alyse, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Red, don't listen to her!" Alyse's voice rings out, desperate, her eyes wild with terror. "You can save me, you don't need her! He's got me here, in a cage, and he's going to hand me over to her. You can't let him, Red. Please! Save me!" Her cries tear into me, each word searing as the figure behind her pulls her back, dragging her into the flames.

"Alyse, no!" I scream, my heart shattering as she's swallowed by fire, her face contorted in terror. Tears burn my cheeks as I reach out, powerless to help her.

"Join me, Red..." the voice calls again, the words wrapping around me, tightening, binding.

"I'll kill you!" I roar, the fury rising in me, breaking through the fear as I bolt awake, gasping.

Domnik jerks upright from where he's been sleeping nearby, his eyes wide with alarm. "You'll kill me?" he asks, concern laced in his voice. "Are you okay?"

The room swims back into focus, the cold marble beneath my feet, the bustling noises of the palace at daybreak.

"Yeah," I murmur, wiping the sweat from my face. "Just... a nightmare."

"Another one?" Domnik asks, rubbing a hand over his face. "With Alyse?"

"Yeah," I say, nodding slowly, my voice still shaking. "But this time there was... someone else there. A woman, dressed in black."

Domnik's face hardens, a flicker of anger igniting in his eyes. "My mother," he mutters, practically spitting the words. "She would be. Feeding off your fear, twisting it, making it hurt more." He stands, his jaw tight, resolve burning in his gaze. "But today's the day, Red. She's not haunting you, not hurting you, anymore. You'll save Alyse, and that vermin will be gone from your dreams."

I nod, the nightmare still vivid. My fists clench involuntarily as I try to shake off the lingering dread, the image of Alyse burning, her desperate cries ringing in my ears.

Domnik's expression shifts to a bitter understanding. "She loves this, you know. All of it. She wants to get in your head, wear you down. It's just... what she does," he says, voice low, almost apologetic. "My mother feeds off fear like a vulture on carrion. Especially when it's tied to something... someone you care about."

I swallow hard, unable to shake the image of that shadowy figure, the way she taunted me, promising Alyse's safety like a twisted, impossible bargain. "It was more than just fear," I manage. "It was like she was reaching inside, tearing at every weakness, every doubt. It felt like she knew exactly how to break me."

Domnik nods, anger flaring in his eyes. "That's how she works."

"Domnik..." I say, the name slipping out before I know what I'm trying to say.