Page 96 of The Lands Defying
He laughs. “But only we know that, don’t we?”
I move to the side, further down from the cell with the beast, Frederick mirroring me. “Where is Kade?”
“Why, at the castle of course.”
“What have you done to him?”
He smiles.
I go for him.
Frederick’s laughter still surrounds us as I leap over the bodies between us, blade in a death grip as all my focus is on one of the people that turned my childhood into a monster, swallowing it whole.
Darius calls my name, his voice urgent as Frederick aims a blow at me. I dodge it as he walks backwards, and as it crashes into the wall, rock tumbles down from above, nearly hitting me.
I pause, looking at it and then the ceiling.
I don’t think it can take a lot of hits.
“Kade is a good boy, when he listens.” My head snaps Frederick’s way as a cry comes from the other side of the room.
Mathew is on the floor with his arms raised as Darius goes for him, Leo now helping Zaide with the beast.
I let my power out, aiming for Frederick but his barrier appears. My magic hits it, causing ripples, but it doesn’t disperse it.
“Come and fight me you coward!”
“Like you haven’t been a coward, hiding away for years,”
That stops me short.
“Think about it. All of this,” he twirls a finger around the room. “Was done because you got up and left. If you were where you were supposed to be, well, no one else would have suffered.”
“You’re lying,” I spit. They would have been greedy and done this anyway.
“Am I?”
“What is the purpose of this, what do you want!” I scream at him, letting another ball fly.
“Power.”
“You have it. You rule over Vrohkaria. This is pointless!”
“Vrohkaria is just a start.”
What.
He looks at my face and laughs. “Vrohkaria is nothing to the rest of the lands. And we will all get a slice of it.”
“The other lands?” He smiles, and his barrier drops.
I duck as another ball comes for me, and I barely manage to miss it. The ground shakes when it lands into the wall, more rock crumbling down.
They are doing all of this forpower? To rule the other lands outside of Vrohkaria?
They are insane.
“You’re all fucking crazy,” I pant, and then I’m sprinting, crashing into his barrier with gritted teeth.
