Page 34 of King of Knights

Yet, as I get to the mouth of the temple, I cannot believe the sight before my eyes. Venus and her sister Yanique stand in the center of our crest, surrounded by a beam of light. Zandra and Annaniah are on the borders of the crest on the north and west sides.

The beam of light surrounding Venus and Yanique changes from a blue to a golden color that’s blinding. I’m frozen in shock as Zandra and Annaniah stretch their arms out beside them and begin to chant. A beam of orange light seems to tether the two as if they are holding hands on the outer circle.

Then, two other figures appear in the south and east positions. They give off a stranger power of their own. I can’t name it right away. They are not goddesses, but they are not queens, either.

“Venus, what have you done?” I seethe.

The sting of betrayal sets in. The woman I loved betrayed me for power. I was a fool and she somehow used me for this. To steal from the source of our essence.

I roar with anger, shaking everything around me. The sisters are so engrossed in their treachery they don’t seem to notice. I feel my brothers awakening to their full strength, although they are not there yet.

Suddenly, Venus and Yanique begin to levitate in the air. I can sense something is wrong. Venus’s head falls back and she begins to scream. Yanique releases her hands and falls to her knees.

I can’t tear my eyes away from the one who’s betrayed me. Venus tears at her clothes and rips her blouse open. Before I can think to stop this, she bursts into flames.

“No,” I roar.

Even as my heart burns with betrayal, I feel the loss of my love. I drop to my knees as a fire sparks and quickly surrounds the crest and the remaining sisters within.

I’m so engulfed in my grief I don’t sense the presence that appears out of thin air as if cloaked until this very moment. I look down at the blade piercing my chest. It is nearly impossible to kill me and my brothers, but there are few who know blessed iron can pierce our hearts and incapacitate our power long enough to deliver a fatal blow.

A blade through the heart is enough to cause us pain and leave permanent damage. This is why I grab the blade and fight to keep it from touching my heart. All it takes is the tip and my powers begin to lock down on me.

I look up into blue eyes as I fight to keep the blade from going any farther. My muscles shake with the effort. I do not know this man, but the hatred in his eyes says he knows me.

There is something familiar about his presence, but I cannot call on my senses or wit to figure out what. More screams come from within the fire surrounding the crest. It sets in that my love is gone.

She may have chosen power over our love and used me to get to it, but I will always have love for Venus. Right as I think to allow the blade to push through my heart. The man holding the other end flies back, hitting a wall across the room.

My brothers now surround me. Bradan pulls the blade from my chest and rushes to place it in the man who held it in place as I fought against him. I can feel the fury rolling off Bradan.

As I catch my breath, Reilly looks around wildly and sniffs the air. There’s something written on his face, but I cannot place it just yet.

“What has happened here?” he says as he closes his eyes and a pained expression crosses his face.

“I do not know all the answers,” I say.

He and Ardan help me to my feet. They are now looking at me with wide eyes. I look down at my chest and see it’s already healing.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Have you forgotten what your brother looks like?” I ask.

Ardan runs his hand through the front of my hair. “You do not look as you did when we went to slumber.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your hair is gray, Kendrick. Not all of it, but the blessed iron whitened some of your locks.”

“We can worry about that later,” Bradan seethes. “He is gone.”

“I felt others with him,” Reilly says.

“They weren’t with him. These were witches who used our temple for their own agenda.”

“No, I felt them. However, whoever that was trying to run you through, he wasn’t alone. The cloak slipped and I felt others.”

“He is right,” Ardan says.

“I think it’s time we reconsider resting here. Maybe it’s time we stick with our brother and not leave him with the burden of watching over us,” Bradan says.

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