Page 97 of The Heir

“I am getting to that. Do you really want to rush our reunion, brother?” He looked at Shad, and I watched as Shad glared at him, still holding me tight. Cade turned to me: “You are aware that I have been watching you, dear? In your room. You never minded that I moved your rose about, did you, Princess?”

I turned to him, glaring. It washim. He was the one who had moved the roses that Shad had given me around my room, toying with me, spying on me, and taunting me. My blood boiled as that realization hit me, and it hit me hard. He had been in my room. He had been in the bathroom while I was having a shower when he placed my father’s watch on the bathroom counter. It felt like spiders were crawling all over my body at the thought of him, that evil man, being so close to me, and I hated him.

Shad’s arm pulled me even tighter against himself.

“Yes, brother, I have been watching her—and you. I was aware of a connection you shared, butthisis remarkable, is it not? How long ago was the last souls—”

“Get to the point. I know you want something; get to that part,” Shad interrupted.

“I am sad to say that I will have to end that little connection of yours, no matter how tender. It gets in the way of whatIwant.”

“What do you want?” Shad spat back.

“So impatient. You should really work on that.” He stopped pacing around us and stood directly in front of me, while his eyes continued to lock onto Shad’s. “It's simple, really. I wanther. She is the only way I can go back to Embra and be crowned King.”

“No one would ever crown you King,” Shad spat.

“Oh, brother, with a melody like hers at my side, not one person would object to me ruling the kingdom, no matter what was in my past.”

“I am not going anywhere with you,” I shrieked at him, responding for the first time since he had entered the room.

He smiled. “She has spirit, doesn’t she?” He walked closer to me and placed a hand on my cheek, but before anything else could happen, Shad had him pinned to the floor.

“Don’t you dare touch her!” Shad bellowed, his voice echoing around the entire room.

“Okay, okay—no need for violence.” Cade sat up, leaning back on one arm as Shad walked back to me. Cade fixed his twisted, navy blue suit coat, tugging on the fabric to straighten it, and I watched as he dusted off his sleeves.

“I can either have her at my side or take her melody for my own. You see, if I had her melody as my own, well, that would be even better.”

“That cannot be done,” Keil spoke for the first time. I looked at him next to Ryker, who had passed out from blood loss. I hoped that somehow we could save Ryker, even though leaving that place seemed an impossibility.

“You see, on Terra, they fill our heads with so many untruths: we can't do this, we can't do that—when in reality, we can do it all.”

“You will upset the balance of the Ancients—” Keil said.

“TheAncients? You actually think they are real? They are made up tales to keep us all in line. Who has seen one since the curses were done away with and the blessings began? Since the truth came out?” Cade waved a hand at Keil as if he were an immature child.

“They are among us. I have met plenty, just because they do not show themselves to the corrupt like you–” Shad spoke up, defending Keil with his words.

“Ah yes, abeliever; you are just as soft as Mother. Well, no doubt, you will suffer for that one of these days, but for now, I will let you live in your little fairyland world. Truth is—I can strip her of her melody in no time at all and be on my merry way.” He stood up and walked to the far wall where a metal shelf had been fastened. He reached into one of the boxes there and brought out a small, black crystal.

“Here—you see, brother?” Cade continued moving the crystal in his hand, so it caught the lantern light. “The midnight crystal.”

“No,” Shad gasped, pulling me into his arms, until I was pressed firmly against his chest.

What is that,I asked.

That is the crystal I told you about; it’s one of those crystals from Soul’s Island which extracts melodies. It can create a Soulless.His voice seemed to shake at the end as he spoke into my mind and soul.

Is he going to use it on me? I thought you said those are rare? That no one can get one off the island except for a king or a queen?

Yes, that is what I thought; I don’t know how he has one—perhaps, things are worse in our realm than we ever realized.

“Yes, yes. So you see, now. I can have whatever I want, and I will take it. I need a strong melody, one that will set me apart.”

“How will you return? You really think that I will believe that a shard of a mirror will do anything? A broken piece of an Elvan mirror cannot propel you through the realms,” Shad said. “What is the point in all of this when there is no way to return to Terra?”

“Humm—well, you see, that would put a damper on all of this so very easily; however, little knighty-boy here, he knows the way back to Terra, don’t you?” He walked over to Ryker and kicked him in his side. Ryker awoke and moaned, and I screamed.

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