Page 17 of King of Knights

“Some friend,” I cry.

She falls into a fit of coughing. I lift my head to look at her as I wait for it to pass. However, it doesn’t.

Pain sears through me as I watch my wife take her last breath. I can’t breathe. This can’t be happening.

“Annabeth, no,” I cry out brokenly.

Anger washes over me. This wasn’t supposed to end like this. She was the handmaid to a powerful healer. My mother believed in their gifts. My grandmother shared stories of healers with powers like theirs when I was a young boy.

How can this be happening? I cling to my child and climb into the bed next to my wife. I kiss both of their heads and break down sobbing.

How am I to tell my son and other daughter they are gone? I sent them away to keep them healthy. They didn’t get to say goodbye.

It feels like I have a hole in my chest. Someone needs to pay for this. This could have been prevented and now someone needs to pay for my loss.

***

“Stop.No one is allowed into the city at this hour,” the guard barks as I approach the gates.

“I have information of a coven and a superbeing. Allow me passage to speak with the bishop,” I say firmly, refusing to turn away.

“Go away. No one is allowed in.”

“I need to see the bishop,” I growl and charge forward.

One guard restrains me, pinning my arms over my head. The one refusing to allow me passage throws a punch at my ribs. I cough and groan, but the pain is welcome. It’s better than the ache of my loss.

“I. Need. To. See. The. Bishop,” I say through my teeth.

The guard goes to hit me again. I close my eyes, but the blow never comes. I crack one eye open and find a man holding his staff across my body, blocking the guard from hitting me again.

“Stop this. Release him,” he says sternly.

The man then turns cold blue eyes on me. A shiver runs through me. I don’t know who this man is, but he emits a power and presence that pulses from him, causing my knees to weaken.

“You say you’ve come across a superbeing?” he says and lifts a brow at me.

“Yes, he fraternizes with a coven of witches in my village. My wife was the leader’s handmaid.”

“Was?”

I drop my gaze to the ground, feeling as if I’m betraying Annabeth. Then I see her and Lily’s faces and my heart breaks. This shouldn’t be. My regrets are forgotten as my anger rises.

“She and my daughter have succumbed to illness. I’ve lost them.”

“Let me guess, this coven wouldn’t heal your family. Now you’re looking for revenge,” he says dryly.

“It’s not right. She walks around with that demigod as if we don’t know he’s different. I’ve watched him change the weather. I know it was his doing. She could have healed them. She should have healed them,” I sob.

The man grabs my arm and yanks me into him, away from the guards. Fear fills me as he growls into my face. “Silence.”

“Open the gate,” he barks at the guards.

My heart pounds as he drags me into the city beside him. What have I done? This feels wrong. Fear overtakes my anger.

“Where are you taking me?” I ask, trying and failing to keep the fear out of my voice.

“This superbeing you speak of. You say he controlled the weather. Are you sure of this?” he hisses.

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