Page 24 of Scars and Burns

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 arelease. 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 offear. 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.