Page 67 of Beneath the Flames
He paused, glancing up at me.“They put the beast to sleep, deep beneath the earth.The Pure Fae queens led the Fae of Eroth to believe this was in their best interest.Many of the Dark Fae were followers of Kharos, however, and they searched for a way to release the beast.”
Rhydian fell silent for a while, and I waited, knowing there had to be more to the story.
“What the queens failed to understand about Kharos was that he was the lifeblood of Eroth.Without him, Eroth began to suffer, plants and animals alike began to wither and die.Eventually, when no cure could be found for waking him up, many of the Dark Fae were forced to leave Eroth just to survive.”
“They would really condemn an entire kingdom like that?”
Rhydian’s lips pursed before he answered.“They believed they were saving all the kingdoms.Though I have a great hatred for the Pure Fae queens, I do not believe they knew what the ramifications of their actions would be.They are many things, but stupid is not one of them.”
“How could they not?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.Perhaps they knew and didn’t care about the consequences.Either way, Eroth is payingthe price.”
“And breaking the curse will undo what they did?”
Rhydian nodded.
“Including freeing Kharos?”
“Yes.”
“Will he destroy Avalea if he’s freed?”
Rhydian turned his head and stared into the flames for a long moment.Finally, he whispered, “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?And you’re still willing to risk freeing him?”
He was silent for several heartbeats, and I started to wonder if he’d answer my question at all.
Then he clasped his hands together over his knees, never taking his eyes off the fire.“If it gives Eroth a chance at life, it’s worth the risk.”
“But I thought he was cursed because he was going to destroy everything?”
“That’s a bridge I’ll cross if it comes to it,” he snapped.“Kharos is what kept Eroth alive in the first place.Without him, there’s no chance at all.”
My mind spun over this information for several minutes, trying to make sense of it all.It seemed like a battle of which was the lesser evil.I couldn’t help but put myself in Rhydian’s shoes.If it were me, what choice would I make?Free a beast that could cause destruction and risk destroying Avalea, or keep him cursed but allow everything I once loved to die?
It seemed like an impossible decision, and I felt a sudden burst of empathy for the Prince of Eroth.
“What about Nefaroth?”I asked.“It also had a beast?”
“Ixos,” Rhydian said with a nod.“If you ask me, the queens should have puthimto sleep instead of Kharos.He was the true danger.”
“Then what happened to him?”
Rhydian shook his head.“I think that’s enough for today.You should get some sleep, Maren.”
Why was he avoiding the question?
“Your task begins at moon rise.Rest up.”
Before I could question him further, he rose to his feet, crossed the small space, and walked out into the cold, leaving me with the fire and my swirling thoughts, alone.
Iblinked my eyes open just in time for a hand to cover my mouth, stifling my scream.
A hooded figure stood above me, their features hidden in shadow aside from eerie silver eyes.I choked on a cry as they pushed harder against my face, my heart pounding in my throat.
“Shh, pet,” a voice hushed.“Are you going to scream if I release you?”
