Page 50 of The Curse of a Kingdom
He lifted his brow, staring blankly at her.
“What? You both said the same thing at the same time. Find some sense of humor, you two.”
His lips twitched, and he struggled to school his features from her curious eyes. It was peculiar that the mythical creature spoke with her.
They reached the area where the open gate quivered in the air. The forest became hazy with smoke, and their travel slowed down as they moved forward, keeping their steps as quiet as possible.
There were no noises here, no animals, no rustling of the leaves with the wind. The air hung stagnant with something malicious. In this destruction, even their breath echoed.
The ends of his hair stood on end when a smoky shape fluttered between the trees. Orion’s steps froze alongside the rest of them. He was not wearing his armor or carrying any of his weapons—not that a metal sword could help him against a demon.
Immersed in this destruction, Orion’s power rejoiced at the possibility of battle. It always hungered to take energy and life.
Something warm called to him, like a lover’s embrace. Orion turned to his side and let out a breath when encountering the beauty of Nava’s aura. Yellow and blooming like the sun. Her power embraced her as she prepared for the evil presence that approached them.
The smoke took shape, and a demon formed in front of them. A giant insect-looking thing that could come from anyone’s nightmares. Taller than seven feet and looming with a snarl that showed ebony teeth behind a gaping hole.
The Beekeeper's stance widened and his magic billowed around him, yellow like hers—no, his was gold, shimmering like metal. Orion's own aura exploded around him, mist, smoke, and shadows that looked so alike the ones around the demon.
The Zorren’s eyes traveled to him, shining red as it also realized how alike the two magics were. Orion’s stomach sank deeper. No wonder people always feared him.
The child of royal blood came to this world sick, poisoned by evil, and was taken into the world of shadows, away from the land and our people.
The words written on Devon’s parchment flashed through his brain as fire bloomed from the demon’s clawed hands. Soon, a ball of fire came their way—toward Nava. It burned a path of charred dirt and everything that once had been alive and green.
Nava gasped when the heat scalded their skin. Panic bloomed inside him, and without thinking, he stepped in between her and the enchantment. His shield of black ink came over them, and the fire bounced off, dissipating in the air. His energy dwindled.
“It shouldn't take it long to fire back.” He heaved out of the way as the Zorren ran to them, its segmented insect legs kicking ash and dirt in the air, steam pouring out of its wide mouth.
The roots of the burnt trees moved, and the dirt groaned under their feet. Orion struggled to keep standing, gazing at the two Beekeepers by him. Nava shone like a beam of light, her anger burned into her beautiful face. She strode forward as the branches swung low toward the demon.
The Zorren weaved out of their reach. The wood of the tree withered away in large coal chunks.
Roots lifted from the ground, not just from one tree. All around them lifted, causing a tremor on the forest floor and forcing Orion to take flight. The land stayed still as the demon tried but eventually failed to run from the attack.
The forest soon pinned it under roots, rock, and debris, and the evil thing screeched as fire lit from its skin, charring everything in its path. The trees burned, and the soil melted with stone, but the woodland didn't release its hold. The three of them ran to the demon. From this close, its features were even more horrifying. Its snappy movements were jarring to his eyes.
It smelled like charred flesh and burnt acid. Orion lifted his hand to it, and soon the smoke around the demon started dissipating, rushing to his extended fingers. The creature’s eyes widened as its fire dimmed; a high-pitch scream left its mandibles again, lacking some of the energy it previously had.
It was never easy seeing the life of a living creature flicker away under Orion’s destructive pull of energy. The demon’s eyes became vacant as his magic fed from it.
With the destruction surrounding them, his human compassion dwindled, and instead, the bitter tug of resentment took over, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to fight against it this time. Why was it on him to always turn away from his natural urge to steal energy from someone else, even when it was against something as evil as this demon?
His depleted energy soared, but with it came an increase of rage and bloodlust.
A small hand wrapped around his arm, momentarily distracting him from the strange veil of anger that had come down over him. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts as he focused on Nava’s face.
“Are you all right?” she asked, her brow crinkling. One blue and one brown eye studied him closely.
“Yes.” His voice came out hoarse, and he wondered if using his power to suck out that evil energy had affected his thoughts. Had the malicious essence of a demon somehow clouded his thinking, made him angrier and ready to enjoy killing it?
The Beekeeper creature held the demon by its neck, and the gold of his power enveloped them both. Soon the Zorren’s body turned from burnt matter to vines twining around it. Nature soon devoured the body of its adversary. The only remnant was a pile of ash on the ground of what now appeared to be a fallen tree.
He cut his gaze from the Beekeeper to Nava. Her face had been tense before, but now it rested at ease with her surroundings. Sensing him, she met him with a raised brow.
“Your magic . . . is incredible,” Orion breathed as her hand dropped from his arm. He had all but forgotten about her touch.
“I know.” She smirked, and the air of laughter escaped him before he could stop it.
