Page 138 of A Kingdom of Shadows

My heart collapses.

Blood seeps through his shirt, and he grits his teeth, tipping his head back as I hear the slice of a sword retract from his body.

No.

I grab him as he almost tumbles forward and, from behind him, steps out— "Aias?" I breathe in shock.

He wears a blank expression as he holds onto a blade dripping in Darius's blood.

"What—" Darius pants, holding his wound as it heals, but Aias cuts him off, rounding the pillars.

"Apologies for ruining such a tender moment." His eyes flit past me, and I look over my shoulder at Tibith, unconscious on the floor.

"What did you do!" I shout, rushing over to scoop him into my arms.

"Don't worry," Aias says. He does not look like the kind elf I've come to know. "He's alive... unfortunately. I had thought about getting rid of that incessant talkative thing, but." He shrugs. "I felt generous today."

Darius is trying to gather his bearings, and a flame ignites in his palms, conflicted as he aims it at Aias. "Aias if this is part of the king's plans—"

"Oh, Darius, for a Rivernorth, I truly expected more."

Confusion and anger rattle my insides.

"Then again, I did have you both fooled." He eyes the blade in his hand and hovers it over the pit. "Blood of a Rivernorth, release me from this body," he murmurs, and it only takes a second for me to realize what he plans to do.

"Aias, no." I shake my head. "Don't do this. You will only make things worse—"

"One thing you should know, Nara." His voice is raised as coal eyes lock with mine, and a cruel smile takes over his lips. "Is that I was never Aias."

My heart hammers so fast, I don't think I let his words sink in as that smallest droplet of blood falls into the pit of golden power, and Darius has no time to use his magic as I watch Aias open his arms out wide and dive inside.

At the same time, Darius doubles over, crying out in pain. He shouts for me, and I feel helpless as I lay Tibith gently back down and run toward Darius. I press my hands to his face, needing to see what is wrong, but he crumples to the ground, clutching his chest.

"My powers," he rasps, the golden tan of his skin now a pale shade as he tries to bring some of his power to life with his other hand, yet nothing comes.

This cannot be. No, no—

A bubbling noise emerges from the pit as liquid gold slides between the pillars. The cave trembles before us, and I spot that flame no longer alight as I place Darius's arm over my shoulder, attempting to move us back. That liquid travels through the seeps and cracks of the ground as it begins molding into a figure.

I still as that gold forms bones, skin, hands, feet... and a brown-haired man in black and white armor with the Rivernorth crest—three rivers pointing north—comes forth.

A handsome face carves those taut and chiseled features of his, but the man beneath that is far from beautiful. He is what one would see in dreams only to realize it had been a nightmare all along.

His emerald eyes cut toward me, a cold and twisted look swirling within them.

"Aurum," I whisper, unable to hide my horror.

"Aurum," he mocks in a high voice, fluttering his eyelashes at me before his expression fades to one of distaste. "Oh, Nara, such a waste that the deities would choose you as the next Solaris." He clicks his tongue and sighs as he takes in my seething stare. "Don't give me that look. I thought you cared for me."

Hatred shines in my eyes as Darius keeps his head hanging low beside me. "That was when I thought you were someone else."

Aurum laughs, glancing at his hand as if he is glad to be back in his body. "Ah, well, true."

I interrupt his self-admiration with a demand. "What did you do to Darius?"

"Oh, that." He looks over at us, swaggering his way to kneel in front of Darius. "His powers belong to me." He lifts his chin. "In other words, I own every bit of him, and if he behaves well, I might share some of it with him since, after all, I am his uncle."

Darius glares at Aurum, his jaw clenching as he builds enough strength to lunge at him. He swipes him across the middle, throwing him to the floor as Aurum's maniacal laugh vibrates the Isle.

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