Page 96 of Their War

I didn’t know how she had done it, but my mother had gotten the best of us. Again. I fought the urge to spiral into despair, something I’d allowed myself to do too many times in the past. But since Rhowyn and Callum had been with me, I hadn’t felt the need. They’d given me hope for the future, confidence that we might make it out of all of this alive to live a life of happiness.

Now, I could see it all falling away, snatched away from me like a dream upon waking, fading into nothing but a fuzzy memory. I clutched at it as the guards behind me marched us out to the stage and lined us up. I knew what was coming up. Mother would complete the ceremony, secure Avalonia’s power from Rhowyn, and then execute us one by one, making sure Rhowyn watched each of us perish before she threw Rhowyn in the dungeons. She wouldn’t kill her. She’d make her suffer in silence and despair.

Meeting Rhowyn’s gaze, I tried to send reassurance, but she just looked at Baer next to me, a puzzled look on her face. Her eyes closed, and I felt her hope rush down the bond. It buoyed my spirits for a moment, and I found myself hoping against hope that she had something planned.

Her head jerked to Brannoc, that same puzzled look on her face before realization dawned. She turned back to face my mother and the ceremony on stage. My eyes were glued to her, my desperate attempt to take in everything I could about her before I was taken from her forever.

The crowd broke out into a fight, halting the ceremony. My mother stomped over to Rhowyn, her fury evident as she dragged her back to the middle of the stage. The crowd still focused on the fighting as the executioner was called forward, guards trying to regain control of the people who had come to witness today’s events. The ones who believed that my mother was honest, forthright, and benevolent. Fools. All of them.

My eyes widened as the guards forced Baer from my side and toward the block. So, it was beginning. I thought we’d have a few more moments to maybe find a way out of this, but it seemed that we wouldn’t even be granted that mercy.

Baer’s knees were kicked out from under him, and his head was forced into position. I couldn’t see his face, but by the look on Rhowyn’s, I knew he was showing her everything he felt for her and that he didn’t blame her. The same thing I would do when it was my turn. The anguish and despair were heartbreaking to watch flash across her face, something I knew I wouldn’t be able to witness. I could already see the devastation that would befall her once Baer was executed.

I closed my eyes, unable to watch what was coming next. I didn’t need to see it. Couldn’t bear to live through the death of a brother. I was just grateful I would be next so I could be spared at least that much.

Power hummed, spiraling slowly from me and toward Rhowyn, picking up speed as she called more and more power into her until it was almost vibrating in the air, raising the hair on my arms and skin. I tried to clamp down on it, my fear growing as it rushed from me in waves now. She’d kill herself if she took on this much.

One look at the others, and I knew they could feel it too, their faces painted with the same worry as I felt. The reflection off the blade drew my attention back to Baer as the executioner raised his ax, his muscles bunching in preparation for the downward swing that would kill Baer.

Everything that happened next seemed to occur in slow motion, movements mired in honey, slowing everything down. Everything but the guard beside Baer, who grinned with mischief.

The guard grabbed Baer by the arm, jerking him to the side as time sped back up, the ax slamming down on the block. Baer cried out in agony, but he was alive, his arm clutched to his chest.

I didn’t have much time to focus on him as all the power Rhowyn had been building burst from her chest at the same moment that time released, sending us all to the ground from the force of it.

The fighting from the crowd ceased as a brilliant light burst from her, everyone’s arms raising to block the source as we squinted our eyes, the light too painful to behold like the sun on Earth when you stared directly into it. Taking the moment we’d been given, my brothers and I burst into a flurry of movement. Arryn and I rushed to Baer who writhed in agony on the stage. Arryn doing his best to heal him.

“Fuck!” Arryn shouted, his own magic sputtering. At my questioning look, he answered, “She pulled too much of my magic from me.” His hands were tearing cloth from his tunic and wrapping it around the stub that used to be Baer’s hand.

Turning to look, I found his hand on the block, looking surreal just lying there inert, but at least it wasn’t his head. Movement drew my gaze to Rhowyn, her visage immediately transfixing me. “Holy shit,” I whispered.

Before me, Rhowyn hummed with power, floating above the stage by several feet, the light having faded enough that everyone could now see her, even though she glowed with the power that she had called upon, the power of Avalonia. Everyone stilled at the sight of her.

She began speaking then, her voice not her own, “I have chosen this vessel to speak for me, to wield my power, and to be my arm of justice. For too long, you’ve all allowed this traitor to twist my magic, to take from you that which I gave to you freely. For too long, my land has cried out in agony, and you’ve done nothing but ignore its cries for help.

“My new Chosen will bring balance and justice back to these lands and to my people. You will follow her, or you will fall alongside the traitor. The choice will always be yours to make but do not make it lightly. For consequences will follow.”

Rhowyn crumpled to the ground, everyone frozen in silence and shock. Callum moved first, but his dive for our Queen seemed to break everyone from their stupor. The crowd cried out and started to flee, pushing and running over those who were too slow, doing anything in their power to get free from the area, sensing what was about to occur.

Callum gathered Rhowyn up in his arms, Brannoc taking up a position of defense, preparing to cut down anyone who dared approach them.

Taking the opportunity that Rhowyn’s collapse presented, my mother stood and began barking orders at her guards to apprehend us. They hesitated, unsure what to do, half of them tossing down their weapons and fleeing with the crowd. The remaining guards approached slowly, warily encircling us again, hesitant to lay hands on the human fae who had defied the laws of magic.

Rhowyn woke as they got within striking distance, pushing against Callum’s chest until he released her to stand on her own feet. “You will not harm these Chosen.” Her voice sounded out again, still haunted by Avalonia’s magic, imploring the guards to listen, giving them a final chance to turn back from this course of action.

The guards stopped in their tracks, heeding the warning from Rhowyn as Jude, Rhowyn’s father, and Cyerra surrounded us. Cyerra placed a hand on Arryn and I and by extension, Baer, preparing to whisk us away from this place.

“NO!” A screech sounded out behind me as Genevieve pushed her way forward, unconcerned by us, her eyes solely set on Rhowyn. “You will not take what was supposed to be mine. It was supposed to be me!” She stomped her foot in anger, her consorts coming to stand behind her.

Her power rose and lashed out at Rhowyn. Instead of falling or being affected in any way by the magic that Genevieve had thrown at her, Rhowyn remained standing, the magic having glanced off with no effect on her. Rhowyn’s head turned eerily to the side to view Genevieve, like a beast would eye a gnat, annoyed but not fearful of the gnat’s power. “You have made your choice, now suffer the consequences.” Rhowyn’s words were spoken without anger and instead infused with a hint of sorrow.

Rhowyn raised her hand when Genevieve threw another blast of power at her. “Enough!” Rhowyn demanded, twisting her hand. Genevieve’s neck snapped to the side, and she crumpled to the ground, dead.

Holy shit! I gawked at what she had done, her power unlike anything I’d ever seen before.

“Not so fast, you little bitch!” Titania called out, gliding forward.

Rhowyn tilted her head to the side as she turned to face my mother. “You will not take any more of my power. You, the betrayer of your Oath. I have been patient long enough, but now that ends here today.”

---