Page 24 of Beyond the Darkness

“Well done, I didn’t expect this. Quite the turnout. Congratulations, you’ve passed the final game. You’re free to live the rest of your life out here in Korth,” Azazel’s voice pulled her from the pain. All she could feel was fury. She looked up at him, rubbing the tears from her eyes as she tried to force back any feelings.

“You’re a vile creature,” she whispered, feeling completely defeated. She wanted to stab the dagger into his chest, but she knew it wouldn’t fix anything. Brinley was dead and there was no way to change that. “You’re such a pleasant creature, as always, doll,” he only laughed. “The guards will escort you to your rooms to prepare you for the ball in a celebration for your survival,” he motioned to the guards and they grabbed a hold of her. Shethrew an elbow, letting it collide with the man’s face. The guard swore and grabbed her tighter. She tried to fight, but she felt the Neuro slip into her mind and everything began to fade.

Chapter Thirty Three

Aerilyn

Aerilyn felt numb as Marianna ran a comb through her knotted hair. It had taken her several washes to get the blood out of her white locks. It had been severely stained with a red color. The blood from the people she cared so deeply about. After over an hour of scrubbing her hair and body, she was left with raw skin and a pestering headache. The lack of the cuffs around her wrists had felt odd at first, but she was thankful for their absence the moment she had slipped into the bath. She had assumed they’d been removed when she was unconscious. The maid didn’t speak to her, able to realize the pain in her expression. She continued to see the light drain from Brinley’s eyes playing in her mind. All the blood. Her severed leg. It was all too much to process and it became overwhelming. Her hands began to shakeso she pressed them against her thighs. She wasn’t entirely sure what emotion was right to feel at that moment. She wanted to be sad about the loss of her friend, but she felt a powerful anger lingering in her mind. Azazel would pay for what he had done.

“The king chose a special dress for you tonight. I know you’re upset with his actions, but I think you’ll look stunning in it,” Marianna whispered, breaking the silence that Aerilyn had begun to cherish. “I refuse to do anything that the bastard wants,” she snapped, instantly regretting it as the small maid flinched. Aerilyn hated that she’d caused the girl to be afraid. She wanted to apologize, but the words were stuck on her tongue. “I think wearing the dress is more to pay back to him than anything. He changes when he’s around you, I’ve seen it. You can be his weakness,” she spoke worriedly, her eyes darting around the room to ensure nobody was listening to the things she was saying.

Aerilyn had to admit that the girl was right. She didn’t want to comply with anything the king desired, but she could use it as his weakness. “What does the dress look like?” She questioned, turning to face the other girl. Marianna flashed her a smile before rushing to the wardrobe and grabbing a sparkling light blue that matched her eyes. The gown was slit up both thighs and the neckline dropped dangerously low. The dress was a weapon itself. She was a bit uncomfortable with the idea of so much of her body being exposed. She knew that the neckline would expose her breasts to anyone who desired to glance in her direction.

A thought ran through her mind as she studied the gown. She had to think through a plan entirely, but she could easily use her looks to seduce the king. In a dress like that, she knew she could make any man go to his knees. The king included. If she could just get him alone, maybe even intoxicated, she could use her dagger on him. The idea was rough around the edgesand didn’t account for anything that could go wrong, but it was a start. The thought of his blood staining her hands was enough to solidify the idea of attempting to go through with it. He was the reason she’d lost two people now. He deserved to die.

Marianna helped her into the gown, lacing the strings up in the back to cinch in her waist. She gasped as the air seemed to be taken out of her lungs. She wasn’t used to wearing gowns yet, it still felt odd to her. She had become too comfortable in slacks or leathers that any other clothing was foreign. Though, when she looked in the mirror before her, she had no words for the way she looked. The exposed skin was enough to take her breath away again. She could feel her cheeks warm as she studied herself, finally seeing some beauty.

“You’re going to every man on their knees the moment you walk into that ball.”

Aerilyn couldn’t help but agree with Marianna. She had never noticed the curves of her body. She hadn’t considered the fullness of her breasts or the way her waist curved. The lack of food throughout her life had left her skinny most of her life. The recent intake of food led her to look healthier than ever before. She almost smiled at her reflection.

“I plan to do just that. I’m going to bring them all to their knees.”

Aerilyn declined Marianna’s offer to walk her to the ballroom. She wanted to have a moment of peace by herself before being surrounded by a room of people. She still didn’tfeel mentally stable enough to survive the entirety of the night. She had to mask all of her emotions to hide any pain in her expression. Nobody would see her as weak. Especially after the citizens had seen her break into the arena after killing Brinley. She refused to be a target.

“Aerilyn?” His voice was weak, lacking the usual playfulness that filled his tone. She turned to face Blaise, her stomach rolling with guilt when she met his puffy eyes. He had been crying. His expression showed all of his pain, unable to mask it the way she did. Brinley’s words spoke into her mind, reminding her of the promise she’d made to her dying friend.

“Blaise, I’m so sorry.”

“I didn’t get to say goodbye,” his voice finally broke as he took the few final steps to close the space between them. Without another word, he wrapped his arms around Aerilyn and tucked his face into her neck. His entire body shook as a cry escaped him, letting his emotions go. She froze, unsure of how to provide him comfort. All she could feel was guilt for what she had done.

“I don’t blame you, I know this wasn’t your choice.”

“She had been attacked. She asked me to get rid of the pain. I didn’t want to, Blaise.”

He went quiet, trying to process what she was saying. She hated that she had to give him any details, but she was grateful that he didn’t see the aftermath of how horrifying her death had been. If he had seen the bloody mess, she didn’t think he’d ever be able to return from that level of pain.

“I loved her. I was falling for her and I never got to tell her how I felt,” he slowly let go of Aerilyn, rubbing his hands over his eyes as he tried to compose himself. “She knew. She knew exactly how you felt. Don’t doubt that for a second,” she gave him a weak smile. He sniffled, his watery eyes feeling like a stabto her own heart. “I don’t know how to do this without her. Now we have to go celebrate as if we haven’t lost two friends.”

Chapter Thirty Four

Everett

Everett felt sick when he was forced into a suit to attend a ball to celebrate the end of the trials. He didn’t feel that any sort of celebration was right at that moment in time. They had just lost another one of their close friends and to host a ball after such tragedy was horrific to him. He knew that the kingdom of Korth held cruel ways, but he didn’t think they’d celebrate death. It only added to his disgust and hatred for the kingdom. He questioned what kind of ball Azazel would be putting on. There were a many balls back in Orissia, but he was unsure of what one in Korth would consist of.. They’d put on extravagant parties full of joy and light. The library had been a place he had often escaped to as a child when the party became too overwelming forhim. The sheer number of people in the palace was too much for a child to handle at times.

When the maid had finished preparing him, she left the room in silence. Within a moment, a knock sounded at the door. He knew the harsh hand couldn’t belong to any female. He opened up the wooden door to the sight of a guard standing before him. “Lovely,” he huffed with an eye roll. The guard didn’t say a word as he motioned for him to follow. “Not until Aerilyn is with us,” he shook his head, his eyes moving to the closed door that he knew the girl resided behind. “She’s already there,” the man growled in frustration. Everett was skeptical to believe him, but finally moved to follow behind him. He knew that if Aerilyn wasn’t at the ball, he’d be able to find her. But the way Azazel obsessed over her, Everett assumed the king wouldn’t try to hurt her yet. It was a long-stretch assumption, but he’d seen it firsthand the way the man favored her.

When they reached the open ballroom, Everett had to pause to take it all in. He couldn’t help but admit that the room was stunning. The hall they’d had dinner in was nothing in comparison to the vast space. He stood at the top of a staircase that overlooked the room. The ceilings were high and decorated with elaborately painted art. It depicted images of angels and devils, all fighting in some sort of war. Even with the violent imagery, it was beautiful beyond what words could explain. The walls were made of pure silver. It shined in the light at every single angle. The furthest wall was made of glass, giving a perfect view of the kingdom beyond the palace. The tiles at his feet sparkled with a glittering black. The entire space was decorated for the occasion and full of people. He couldn’t even begin to count the number of people that filled the space from wall to wall. The entire kingdom must’ve been in the room. No matter how large the space was, the sheer amount of people was overwhelming. He tried to scan the room for the bright whitehair that he knew belonged to the one girl he longed to be near. The last time he’d seen her, she’d been a wreck over the loss they’d experienced back in the arena.

There was a flash of white and blue across the room that he knew had to be her. She stood beside Blaise, the two clinging to each other and keeping space away from the strangers around them. He was grateful that the man was with her, she didn’t need to be alone. He didn’t trust a single soul in that room besides the two of them. He made his way down the steps towards his companions, trying to avoid meeting any of the eyes that were glued to him. The crowd broke to allow him a path as if they were all avoiding coming near him. They all knew he was the heir to the throne in their enemy kingdom. It still confused him to know that Korth knew about Orissia, but he had no idea anyone had existed outside of his kingdom. It made him feel naive and clueless about the truth of the world around him.

“Everett,” Blaise’s voice pulled his thoughts straight to the moment that was unfolding before him. Aerilyn turned quickly, her eyes filling with some light as she rushed towards him the final few feet and threw her arms around his neck. He grasped around her waist, pulling her tight against him. He let out a sigh of relief at the physical touch between them. It reminded him that she was real and that she was safe. He breathed in the scent of the new soap that clung to her hair. All the blood that had been coating her skin was no longer present. Her pain was still hiding behind a mask that he knew she put on when she was around others. She’d done something tragic only hours prior and he knew it was still weighing on her heavily. He pulled back just slightly to hold her face in his hand, searching her eyes.

“I’m okay,” she whispered, a forced smile on her face. “You don’t have to pretend with me, darling. We don’t have to stay here. We can go back to your room and escape all of this,” he attempted to give her an option to leave the crowded room. “Idon’t want to seem weak. I don’t want them to think we run and hide from things. We have to keep a strong front around them. Our image means everything right now,” she bit her bottom lip. He ran his thumb over the soft skin, releasing it from the trap between her teeth. “I understand, but if you want to get out of here just tell me” he kissed her soft and quick before he looked up at Blaise who awkwardly tried to avoid staring at them. Brinley’s request ran through his mind and he felt a pang of guilt for expressing so much affection in front of him. The two had a relationship that he’d been unaware of and Blaise had just lost the girl he’d cared deeply about.

“I’m sorry-” he began. Blaise held a hand up and shook his head slightly. “It’s okay Everett. It’s not either of your faults. It hurts, but I understand why Aerilyn did what she did. I can’t be upset about Brinley’s request to take away the pain,” his voice was raw. Everett knew the man had been crying. He could see the redness rimming his eyes from the emotions he’d released. He’d never seen Blaise have anything other than a snarky attitude. So seeing him like that wrecked his soul. He didn’t know what else he could do to help the man, but he also knew that Blaise wasn’t the type to put his emotions on display.

The sound of metal clinking against a glass quickly silenced the room. The music stopped playing and the conversations died out. Everyone’s attention was drawn to the king who stood taller than everyone else. He held a glass in his hand and a dagger in the other, the object he’d tapped against the glass. The sight of the weapon seemed to be a way to show off his power over everyone. The king seemed to always find ways to show his strength to everyone in the room. It disgusted Everett. He didn’t understand how his people could respect him with the way he acted.

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