Scars and Burns (No Light Without the Dark #1)

18. Dinalia

18

Dinalia

I ’m startled awake to the sounds of screaming. I shoot out of bed. My heart is racing. Grabbing my blades. I head down the hall towards the screams. Not bothering to change out of my sleep attire.

Not sure where to start I take in my environment. Flames have descended upon the castle. Shadowlings are assaulting us from all sides. Their black smoke chasing and invading people’s minds.

I feel the energy making its way towards me but before they have a chance to infect my mind. I am throwing my own magic back at them. Forming a whip. Wrapping it around their arms. Gripping it to their torso. It’s like a snake restricting them. Breaking their ribs. Crushing their lungs.

Another Shadowling is running straight for me. Ax raised, ready to chop me in half. I duck, countering him with my own attack. Our weapons meet. The sound of steel meeting the other rings through my ears. He’s far larger than me. And his strength will soon over power my own. Fighting and gritting my teeth. Still gripping the first Shadowling with my magic. I rage on.

Dodging and countering strike after strike. Allowing him to wear himself out. His movements become slow and sluggish. His rippling muscles wavering. It’s clear to me that he solely trains to defeat his enemy in a few good swings. Not training for the endurance of a lengthy one-on-one battle. I maneuver around him easily. Hitting him with quick jabs and slices. Bring him to his knees. He makes one final attempt. Swinging his blade at me. I block and knock it out of his hands. And with one final thrust I am jamming my blades into his chest. At the same time finishing the first man with my magic. It squeezes him one final time before ripping him apart. Tearing him in two.

With every passing assault I see. I am making my own. Hurtling my blades and magic anywhere and everywhere I can. Seamlessly changing my weapon from two dueling blades to a double edge sword.

Every single one of them underestimate me. Thinking I am an easy target. Believing they will kill me with ease. But I am not the same girl I was the first time they attacked. I am lethal. Bringing each one I see to their deaths. Killing with my blades and decimating with my magic.

Releasing it from my hands. Always hitting its mark. It burns them alive. But not in the way you would assume fire does.

My magic is still cold. It doesn’t burn hot. No blistering wound. No smell of sizzling flesh. But turns the flesh it comes in contact with black. Freezing the skin and underlying tissue.

Unless I control otherwise.

Icing it over afterwards. My magic crystallizes over the skin it touches. Searing pain. Screaming in terror. They all meet their death one way or another.

This is what I have been training for. This is what I have been preparing myself each and every day since I came here. Releasing everything I’ve kept inside these past years. The anger building inside of me since that very first attack .

This is what I needed.

Rage burns through me as I make another kill. Watching their body slump to the floor.

I look up to see King Perseus leaving.

He’s walking away in haste. He pauses, looking up at me for a brief moment. Giving me a quick smirk. Then he’s gone.

Stunned and confused. Maybe I imagined the smirk. Glancing in the direction he was coming from. The servants quarters. Why would he be coming from there? Why would he even go there? Wouldn’t he want to make his way to King Elio. Or perhaps Princess Saphrina.

I rushed over there. Finding everyone dead. Mostly from the Middle Kingdom. These were servants. Innocent lives. They were not soldiers. No fighting ability. Just good people trying to make a living and provide for their families. They were slaughtered.

Butchered.

Massacred.

Each and every one of them.

My body begins to shake with anger. How could a man, a King at that, allow this? Want this?

Only caring about one servant. I run straight for Cookie’s room. She’s alive, but barely.

I kneel by her side. She smiles up at me, “Hello, little light. Finally getting to use those skills of yours you’ve been working so hard on I see.”

Giving her a weak laugh, “I’m sorry. I should have been here. I should have come here first.”, I say, shaking my head.

“No, little light. You could not have prevented this.”

Lifting her onto my lap the best I can. I rest her head in my hand. Trying to make her as comfortable as possible. My other hand finds her stomach. She has a huge slash through her abdomen. Cutting through major organs .

I lift my hand up slowly. It’s shaking uncontrollably. Drenched in blood.

I am staring down at her as tears run down my face. “Cookie, no”, the words are broken. Barely able to be uttered.

I can’t lose her. The only other person to ever feel like family, other than my Mother. The only person to ever show me love and kindness. Accepting me regardless of my mixed blood.

My heart is breaking. I can see the light fading in her eyes. She smiles up at me one last time, before saying, “You know as well as I do that death is not a sentence, but a release . Go now, little light. Go find your Mother before it’s too late.”

Then she’s gone.

I cradle her in my arms. Bringing my forehead to hers. Rocking back and forth.

I lay her down gently. Standing, emanating rage. I pick up my blades and start running for my Mother’s chambers.

Barreling through countless other Shadowlings. I can’t seem to get to her room fast enough. Having to keep stopping and kill them or else they’re going to kill me.

Jumping and stumbling over bodies.

I barge through her doors. Finding the room empty. Frantic, my eyes scan over the room multiple times until I’m certain she isn’t here.

Where could she be? Her study. It’s the only other area in the castle she would be at this hour.

Rushing back out of her room. I stop when I hear whimpering. It’s Saphrina. It’s the only other person who would be in this wing of the castle.

I walk into her room. Straining my ears to pin her location. She’s hiding by her bed. In between that and her nightstand. I look down at her. There’s not a drop of blood on her. No bodies in her room. It doesn’t even look like anyone has entered it at all. She’s crying out of fear. Hearing the screams of others around her.

She peers up at me from underneath her lashes. Knees tucked to her chest. “Saphrina, are you hurt?”

I know she’s not but I’ll ask anyway to be nice. Making it seem like I care.

She doesn’t answer. Quickly losing my patience. I kneel down beside her. I’m sure I look horrifying to her. I’m splattered in blood from head to toe. My blades are still dripping from my last kill.

Sighing, I say, as calmly and sweetly as I can, “Saphrina, you are alright. The battle is dwindling. No one is coming after you. I need to go find Mom but before I do. I want to make sure you are okay.”

She’s staring at me. I’ve never once talked to her like this. We’ve always been so kurt with one another. Her being the blessed princess. Destined for greatness by our Goddess. Walking high on her instep. As if the ground was only paved for her. Loving the way everyone bows to her as she passes by. Growing into a great beauty. Embracing the spotlight.

While I, on the other hand, escape to the shadows. Hiding in the background. Never given a second glance or thought unless it’s to be gossiped about.

She’s terrified. Not having seen death before. She hasn’t left her room. But she’s heard it. Heard everyone’s screams of terror as they died at the end of a blade. Screaming from the onslaught of their fears coming to life. As the black shadow magic seeped into their minds. Ripping their souls apart. Heard the assault on her home. Hearing the fire crackling. Burning people alive.

I set my blades down. Sighing, I rest a hand on her knee. “Everything is going to be okay.” I give her my best smile.

She finally nods her head. Giving me leave to go.

I pick up my blades and begin my haste to my Mother. Pausing, I look back at her just as I am about to walk through the door. She’s staring at me. I smile at her one last time. Giving her a quick nod before I disappear down the hall.

The castle is completely vacant of any Shadowlings on my route to my Mother’s study. Has their assault ended? Did they get what they wanted, who they wanted?

I burst through the doors to her study. Prepared to fight. Blades up and magic ready, but it’s no use. I’m too late.

She’s gone.