Page 88 of When the Moon Met the Sun

Stalking forward, as though he wanted to soak in every detail of what was about to happen, Father instructed, “Finish this, Prince Dimitri. Then there will be nobody standing in the way of you and the title of rightful heir.”

Rayven speared towards me through the shadows of the tent, but I made a small motion of flicking my wrist, and he stopped in his tracks. I could sense his hesitation and his urge to defend me, his queen and friend, but he obeyed anyways.

Father had been too busy staring at the blade against my throat to notice the slight movement.

I felt Dimitri’s small pause, a beat of hesitation, and that alone was enough for me.

There was only one option left.

Just as I felt Dimitri beginning to move—to do what, I didn’t know, but I wasn’t taking any chances—I sprung.

I threw my energy forward, begging but also demanding a quick connection with the shadow Father’s pitch black wings cast along the ground behind him.

Within the span of a heartbeat, the connection was solidified, the tingling working quickly this time, overtaking my entire body as though the shadows also realized how dire of a situationthis was.

One second, Tarrious was pressing into my skin, my blood beginning to spill, then I was nothing.

I was nothing yet everything all at once. I could still see and hear, but it was as if my body was far away, disconnected. I became lighter than I’d ever imagined possible, and there was no restriction to any of my movements.

If I thought flying felt like freedom before, it was nothing compared to not having a physical body.

I could still feel the sting of my wounds, but somehow I knew in this form, they weren’t something I had to worry about.

I speared forward, aiming straight for the shadow I had originally connected with, then loosened my grip on the connection that was holding me in this shadow form.

With that loosening, I materialized behind my father, and in the same heartbeat, flung my hand out, calling crystals to it. Once a large chunk of that iridescent crystal landed in the palm of my hand, I gripped it tightly, not allowing myself even a second to hesitate as I drove it home.

Straight through my father’s back.

I shoved and twisted, an angry yet gut wrenching sob breaking free from my throat as the crystal shard struck home—straight through his wicked heart.

The crystal broke free of his chest, having gone all the way through him, completely impaling him.

A strangled sound came from deep in his throat as his hands reached up around the crystal.

Then I watched as he fell to his knees before me.

Dimitri’s scream rung out through the air, dropping Tarrious and lunging forward to catch our father, gently lowering him to the ground as blood began to pool around them.

I watched, hands soaked in my own father’s blood, as Dimi examined the crystal protruding from Father’s chest, as though he could somehow fix it.

Dimitri continued to cry out, tears falling from his eyes, as he tried to bargain with Father to keep breathing. To stay alive.

My heart began to crack.

Father’s breathing slowed as he reached up to place a hand on Dimi’s shoulder.

With labored breathing, his attention solely on my twin, he said, “My boy. Carry on my legacy. Do everything I was unable to, do you understand me?Conquer themall, Dimitri.”

With those final words, Father’s arm went limp, falling back to his side, and his last breath shuddered out of him.

Dimitri, hand shaking, reached up and closed Father’s eyes, then tilted his head back and let out an agonizing scream, tears streaming.

I could vaguely feel my own tears rolling down my face, but I felt so far away from my body, I didn’t even register the shadow pooling by my feet—a silent comfort.

After his scream cut off, Dimitri slowly turned his head to look at me, soaked in our father’s blood.

“You.”

---