Shattered Kingdoms | Book 2 ✔ (REWRITTEN AS 'THE EXILED KING')

Chapter 21 - Aidan's Gift

"Honestly! Where on earth are Lirya and Jason? I TOLD them to be back in an hour so we could have the meal!" Eryna grumbled, poking the rabbit carcass that Ryhon had wordlessly handed them before promptly disappearing again.

"They will surely be back soon. Perhaps you would like me to have a look and see if I can spot them?" Aidan asked, jumping down from where he had been sitting in a tree.

Eryna looked at him in surprise, "That would be great... but..." She hesitated, "Wouldn't it waste your power? I remember you said something about your power being strong but tiring to you...?"

"Not exactly..." Aidan said, and sat down next to her.

He looked at Taryn, who was polishing his sword, and said, "Hey! Taryn! Mind searching for Lirya and Jason? Just make sure they're not in trouble or anything."

Taryn nodded and headed off.

"Now, as I was saying. My power is tremendous. However, to put it simply, it's too powerful for me," Aidan explained. Eryna was listening with rapt attention, the rabbit and her hunger long forgotten.

As he described his ability, his thoughts wandered back to his past.

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He was on the battlefield. He was watching helplessly as his friends died to protect him, the fledgling who had yet to show any powers. As he stood, unable to move and unable to think, paralysed by fear, Alysa fell to the ground and a vampire took the opportunity to run up towards her with his sword aiming for her heart.

"ALYSA!" Aidan cried, and before he knew what he was doing, he had run in front of the vampire and deflected the blow with his dagger. Aidan stood over her protectively, his body trembling, as tears streamed down his face. Still, he glared and the vampire before him. The vampire that stood there, smirking at the prince.

"If we didn't have to capture this chicken alive... I'd have some fun," The vampire mused, licking his lips. He smirked at Aidan. Aidan didn't see the other vampire that snuck up behind him and plunged a spear through Alysa's throat. She only screamed once, but Aidan heard her. His eyes widened as the realization dawned to him and he spun to see her there, coughing up blood as another vampire stared down at her with hungry eyes.

"N-No. Alysa. ALYSA!" Aidan yelled, tears falling and mingling with her crimson blood.

Tears slipped out of the corner of her eyes and her mouth moved but no sound came out.

I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, my prince.

That was what her lips said, what she had tried to say.

Aidan had left his back exposed to a vampire that suddenly grabbed his wings and lifted Aidan up easily, then held his sword to the prince's throat.

Aidan froze. But it wasn't fear he felt. It was hot, burning anger. The vampire that grabbed him dropped Aidan as his body heated up and flames spread over his body. He crouched on the ground, covered in flames. Neither vampire moved, as if afraid to draw the attention of the archangel prince.

Slowly, he stood up, the flames flickering around him. He glared at the vampire who had killed Alysa, at the bloody spear that had ended her life and the flames roared around him. The feelings of pain, fear and anguish blended together until Aidan could hear nothing but Alysa's final scream in his head, over and over again. Everything became too much and his power exploded outwards around him, destroying the bloody spear that haunted Aidan's thoughts. It destroyed everything else around him too. Blood trickled from his mouth down his chin and then he fell to the ground unconscious.