Unveiled

~ Chapter 16 ~

Naya sees her uncle coming towards her, motioning to two guards in blue uniforms. Lord Julias stands in front his niece and says, "You are under arrest for the practice and possession of magic. Your trial will be held at sunrise the day after tomorrow." He looks from Naya to his brother, the kings face is in horror. He turns around and starts walking back to the dais.

The guards in crimson uniforms come forward to reach for Naya's bare arms, but she holds up her hands, blocking them. "I can accuse you of the same charges uncle." He stops in his tracks and turns around, his already dark eyes, becoming darker.

"Is that so?" Julias says, a faint smile growing.

Naya can see out of the corner of her eyes, her parents tense and so is Xander. In the last few moments she pieced everything together and it fit perfectly. "You possess dark magic." The hall was silent.

"That's enough. Arrest her." But the guards stood like statues as Naya held her hands up again and started to walk towards Julias. When she was only inches away from him, she stopped, looked up and smiled. Julias brings up his hand, to slap her in the face, but Naya is faster. Those training sessions with Xander really paid off. She grabs his wrist and twists it, while sliding past him and pushing his chest to back into hers with a knife at his throat. The guards run towards them and suddenly there are faint cracks and the guards slump to the floor, motionless.

"This is treason!" Julias yells.

"Pity you can't kill me twice." She lets him go and pushes him to the floor. Naya walks past him to her parents. All she wants is their warm embrace. The hall suddenly goes dark and Naya spins around seeing, what she believed all this time. Julias is standing in the middle of the hall, arms outstretched and shadows spinning around his hands. He smiles and Naya smiles back, her hands spiralling with orange flames.

Julias lashes out and Naya brings up a wall flame. Black and orange dances through the room as Naya tries to stop her uncle, but she fails and a whip of darkness brings her to her knees. She hears her father leaving her mothers side and running towards her, but Julias lashes out again and he is on the floor, moaning from the pain.

Naya sees a whip of darkness and closes her eyes, welcoming the darkness, but the blow never comes. Instead she hears a scream and look up to stand Xander standing in front of her. Julias moves closer and lashes out again. Another scream from Xander. She shuts her eyes and summons all the strength she has left and the entire hallway bursts into flames and screams.

Naya opens her eyes and sees Xander smiling at her. She falls to the floor and behind her she can see her uncle, or the ashes what is left of him and that is the last thing she sees, before everything goes black.