Page 70 of One Last Promise
“Alora, hold still.If you don’t fight, it will be over quicker!”Xavier ordered, but I noticed the smirk on his face.The bastard was enjoying this.Helikedwatching me be humiliated.
Uri’s power teased the inside my sex, making sure no seals had been broken.The feel of his light there had tears trickling down my face.Thiswas what being violated felt like.This wasn’t a soft touch like Darce had done.This was an intrusion.This was being touched without consent, and it was my own race doing it to me, not a barbaric Noxlin that I had been taught about from a young age.Suddenly, being back with my mother’s murderer felt like a better option.My race were everything Darce had told me they were.They were the barbaric ones.
“Good news, My Lord.She is yet to be deflowered,” Uri called out to my father, finally removing his hand.It was too late, though.Hate and power had already started to surge through my body, and this time, Darce wasn’t here to extinguish it.
“You fuckinganimals!”I screamed, pulling from their hold as my light power scorched my entire body.“This is how you treat yourprincess?”Pulling the light sword from the nearest guards scabbard, I aimed it at Uri and Xavier.“Would you like to find out how well theNoxlintrained me?”I threatened.Twisting the sword in my hand, I stared deadly at Uri.“If youevertouch me like that again, I willkillyou!”
“Alora!Enough!”My father shot his light power at me, but I caught it, holding him back with my own.“You’ve manifested?”he gasped, dropping his light beam in awe.
“No!This is just a sample of the power Iwillchannel.”Shooting my power straight at him, it hit his shoulder and he fell back towards his throne.
“My Lord!”Xavier stood in front of me, protecting Zohar.“Bond her to me now.I will make sure she gets back in line.”
“Fuck you, Xavier!”I spat, getting into a lunging stance.I wanted to take this bastard down.I would ratherdiethan bond with him.
“I see that the Noxlin has been teaching you thingsotherthan fighting.You appear to have learnt theirfoullanguage, as well.Where did our innocent princess go?”Xavier goaded, drawing his sword.
“She is right here, but can protect herself from predators like you!”
“You think of me as a predator?”It felt good to tell him the truth...for Xavier to see how much he repulsed me.“You’ve been mine since birth, Alora.”
“I belong to no one,” I seethed, making the first blow.Xavier blocked my attack.Two of the guards tried to join in, but he signalled them away.He was testing me.He wanted to see how well Darce had trained me.
We continued the dance for a little while.Xavier was our best warrior, and those in the room could hardly believe I was defending myself so well.
Pivoting, I managed to knock his sword from his hands, but he used his brute strength to shove me back in time to be able to stretch for it.Lunging while he was still kneeling to collect his blade, I aimed the true edge of my sword at his neck.Xavier spun just in time, protecting himself as he tried to sweep my legs from underneath me.It was a move I knew well.I retreated a few steps before I made my advancement.Spinning as I moved, I connected with his blade over and over.The clink of metal was all that could be heard in the great hall.
Leaping back, I gave Xavier a feigned movement.You’ve got to surprise your opponent.Catch them off guard.That was one of the things Darce had taught me.Leaping back towards him as he let his guard down, I cut him slightly on the left side of his arm.All these centuries of practising, I could hardly believe that I was as good as Darce had told me.
Xavier looked at me in awe, standing down.“I’ll give it to the Noxlin.He has trained you well.Not one of my soldiers has ever been able to draw blood.”Xavier surrendered his sword, backing away from me.He looked over to my father, who had a perplexed look on his face.“My Lord, let’s be done with this.Bond us, and I’ll be able to control her for you.I can make her forget this Noxlin andeverythinghe has taught her.”I charged for him with pure fury until Xavier shot a wave of fire at me, stopping me in my tracks.All those centuries of learning.All those moments with Darce.No, I didn’twantto forget them.He may have been the Noxlin that killed my mother, but those memories were all I had left now.
“We can’t do that yet, Xavier.”My father stepped towards me.“Alora has something to do for our kind first.”Touching my face, he gave me a smile of bewilderment.“It seems this Noxlin cares for you a great deal.”How would my father know that?“You have played your part well, my daughter.”I had no idea what he was talking about.“He won’t see you coming if you continue on as you have.”
Frowning at his sudden change in mood, I started to speak.“Father, I...”
I didn’t get a chance to finish before he interrupted me.“You have the power to beportaledto where he resides, Alora.You can find him inEallarim.His connection with you will be his undoing.Uri had a vision while you and Xavier were duelling.”
“I don’t understand,” I whispered, looking at Nell and Noor, who had been allowed to join me.Noor threw her arms around me and sobbed.
“You can channel the portal to him,” Nell commented.“In time, you might be able to create your own portal, but Uri can give you some of his power for now.You can use it to find the Noxlin.”
“Why wouldIneed to portal to Eallarim?”I couldn’t help but grimace when I watched Elin come into view.
“That’s easy to understand,” she sneered.“You will gain his trust.Find out all of Eallarim’s secrets...and then betray him.What better way to get revenge for your mother than destroying the entire Noxlin race?”Right now, I wasn’t sure what I was capable of, but there were two things I did know.One: I wanted to get as far away from my father, Xavier, Uri, and Elin as I could.Two: Darce had ended our conversation abruptly, and I had my own questions to ask him.I wasn’t finished with him yet!I might run him through with my sword after I had my answers, but I would allow Holy Ether to make that choice for me.It seemed she had answered my prayers.She had given me a way to escape, even if it was only for a little while.
“When do I leave?”I asked, playing the perfect little spy my father wanted me to be.He, Uri, and Elin began to laugh out loud, clapping their hands.
“Wonderful!I knew you wouldn’t fail me in the end, Daughter.”When he pulled me into a tight embrace, I closed my eyes and wondered how this was going to play out.I wasn’t sure if I was capable of bringing down an entire race, but finally taking revenge for my mother was all that filled my mind.I needed answers, and I was determined to make the murdering Noxlin pay!
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“ICANNOT BELIEVE HOWfoolish you’ve been!”I had never seen Nell so animated.“Do you have any idea how hard that was for Noor and me to watch?ANoxlin, Alora!What were you thinking?”Nell had joined us in my bedchamber, along with Noor and Luz.They were all giving me quite the dressing down.
“Can we appreciate Alora sparring with Xavier, though?”Noor butted in.“That backhanded swoop was incredible.”
“Noor!”Nell cautioned her with a look.“Alora, do you have any idea what your father is asking you to do?He might as well have fed you to the pack of noc beasts you fought earlier.”
“I’ll doanythingif it means I won’t be forced to bond with Xavier right now.He tooktoomuch pleasure watching Uri check that I was still pure.”Enyo came over, resting her head on my lap.“I have questions I need to ask Darce, anyway.A few things between us were left unsaid.”
