Page 764 of Hell Hath No Fury
“You are Hail Vega. My friend. A good man.”
“Good?” I scoffed at the word. It had no place in this palace anymore. There was no good in me now. What I had done had painted my soul with tar, and the stars would destroy me for it once I passed beyond the Veil. “You are either playing the part of a loyal, simpering servant, or you are blind, Azriel. Which is it? Because you do not seem the simpering type to me.”
Azriel’s jaw tightened, and a hint of anger crossed his features that I’d had people punished for in the past, dragged into theamphitheatre to be made an example of while a haze of bloody fury took over my flesh. Not Azriel though. Never Azriel.
“I’ve been gazing into the shadows for guidance,” he said quietly. “They whisper of things, awful things…”
“Are you a dark prophet now then?” I growled, leaning deeper into the icy cage of my throne. “The shadows are filled with trickster souls who wish to lure you into their embrace. Is that not what you told me once?”
“True, but there is knowledge in them too,” he said. “And I sense something terrible is coming, sire.”
I released a short, dismissive breath. “It has arrived. I am the terrible thing. I am the plague which ravages the land. My soul is dipped in blood and there is no knowing what I will do next. But without my efforts, our enemies would have seized Solaria long ago.” Those final words were the only thing that kept me sane. That I was doing the right thing. That if I didn’t act mercilessly against my adversaries, then Solaria would fall to the hands of a worse power than me.
Azriel’s throat rose and fell. “Is this what you wanted for Solaria? For your people to live in fear?”
“When all threats against us are crushed, there will be no need for fear,” I said firmly.
“And what if it isyouthey fear?” he whispered, having the gall to accuse me of that, though it was hardly an accusation I could deny. My people may have cheered when I brought another threat to heel, some of them even revered me like a god, but all of them feared me.
“Then let them be afraid,” I hissed, but a tug in the back of my mind reminded me that wasn’t what I’d wanted for my kingdom.
“Those are not the words of the man I grew up with.” Azriel frowned, looking at me like he was trying to find something in my eyes, but they were as hard as slate and would not let him in. “Why not try to change? Why not visit the people andquell this fear in them? Let them know they are safe and that you will keep them so. Bring them bounties and alleviate taxes, remind them who you are beyond bloodshed. You could start by shutting down the palace amphitheatre and be done with public executions that turn killing into sport.”
I let myself think on his words, but even as my mind turned to such things, death and fire seemed to spark in my soul. Sometimes the darkness came upon me so rapidly, it was impossible to stop. It was why I kept myself contained within these palace walls as often as possible, only venturing out to hunt my enemies. Deep down, I was terrified of what I might do to innocent people if I lost myself to the monster in me. And as for the amphitheatre, well, it was where the most dangerous of rebels and insurgents were brought to face the price of treason. It was barbaric, yes, perhaps enough so to unsettle the people of Solaria, but it was necessary too, a tool to ensure more enemies didn’t stick their heads above the parapet. It was essential, wasn’t it?
“Make them pay, let the people watch your enemies die, remind them what will happen if they ever turn against you.”
The whispers in my head reminded me why the amphitheatre was important and squashed away my doubts.
“I cannot,” I muttered.
“You are in control of your own fate,” Azriel pushed.
My teeth ground in my mouth as I found an inch of clarity, holding onto it with all I had, but it fell from my grasp instead, replaced by a violent anger that had me rising from my throne and lifting the sceptre that held the Imperial Star. I pointed it at Azriel and he raised his chin, eyes wide with his impending death. He stared at me, the man he had once known, yet the only thing reflected in that man’s eyes now was a murderous stranger.
“There is no control, only chaos,” I hissed. “I am tossed to and fro in a tempestuous sea, the sky is dark, the water darker. There is no way out.”
“Let me help you find a way,” he rasped. “Help me to understand.”
A sneer pulled at my mouth, my mind drifting deeper into that pit of black where I could feel little emotion at all except hate.
“Do not insult me. I am your king. I do not need help,” I spat, tossing the sceptre onto the ground and raising a hand instead, fire magic crackling ferociously in my palm and proving my power was almighty even without the gifts of the star. I could incinerate him and wipe him from existence in the blink of an eye, and it didn’t even look like he was going to fight his fate. Though of course, he no doubt knew that one single finger lifted against his king would see him dead regardless.
“This isn’t you,” he breathed as my hand began to tremble, like two forces were colliding inside me. One begging me to lower my hand, the other to use the full ferocity of my magic to see Azriel dead. I loved him, but I had to get rid of anyone who opposed me. It was the only way to keep order. That was the role of a strong ruler, was it not?
“My King,” Lionel Acrux’s rumbling voice echoed through the chamber as he arrived and my eyes lifted, my teeth bared as I met his gaze.
He was dressed in dark green robes with the Councillor’s crests embroidered in gold onto the lapel, his blonde hair swept back stylishly and a single eyebrow arched in intrigue as he looked from me to Azriel.
“Has Azriel Orion offended you?” Lionel asked in shock as he moved closer, his gaze roaming over us both.
“Have I?” Azriel pressed of me, and I looked to him again as fire spiralled in my palm.
No…this wasn’t right. Azriel was my friend, damn loyal and an honest man.
I dropped my arm, shaking my head before dropping back onto the throne and carving a hand over my face as the fire extinguished within it.
“You should go, Azriel,” Lionel murmured. “The king clearly needs rest after yesterday’s victory.”
