Page 35 of King of Knights

“I agree. This place is no longer safe for us,” Ardan adds.

“Then we should collect our swords and leave,” Reilly says.

“But this place will collapse and we will be walking around with a source of our power that should remain somewhere we can trust.”

“That is no longer here, my brother. Let these walls fall. We can no longer call this home. We will build another.”

I tug Reilly into a hug, knowing his words are true. “What woke you, brother?” I whisper.

“I felt…” He cuts off. “It was nothing. Let us go.”

I release him and turn to the crest. The fire is out and smoke is settling around it. My heart aches as not even a single ash remains of my love and her sisters.

They were the last of their bloodline. Now gone forever. Venus once shared with me aboutThe Book of Pathsthat kept her and her sisters connected to their bloodline’s history.

I cannot help but wonder if it was destroyed in the fire. I shake the thought off as my brothers and I move into our respective positions around the crest.

The room shakes as we each call forth our swords. Debris falls from the ceiling and the ground breaks apart. All four swords lift from the ground and come to rest in our palms. I say my last goodbye to my love and then vanish from this place before it caves in. Never to look back or see it again.

Impossible

Present…

It feels as if I’m dreaming, but I know I’m not. I’ve just lived through someone’s past. Or should I say relived?

It’s like pain stabs me in the chest as my mind rushes through visions of the past as well as through memories of my life. The weirdest part about it is that I know I’m not the only one in my head watching all of this.

He is in my head. Kendrick, that’s his name. I also sense someone else. All of it is so confusing and overwhelming.

I fight to open my eyes and regain consciousness. I sit up with a gasp as if rising out of water. Cautiously, I lift to my feet and stand on solid ground.

“Ben kralim,” Kendrick roars.

The mirrors in the room shatter with his words and the room shakes. I duck and cover my head, waiting for the shards of glass to fall on me, but it never happens.

Heart racing, I peek out from under my arm. Kendrick stands across the room with his chest heaving. However, that’s not what has my brain glitching and my eyes wide.

A crown now sits on his head. It seems to pulse with its own energy and electricity sparks around it. Behind him stands what looks almost like a larger holographic, identical version of him.

My entire body is trembling. A zapping sound like a live wire comes from around me. I glance to my left, then my right and nearly piss myself where I stand.

They are not as huge as the hologram figure behind Kendrick, but I’m surrounded by huge knight-looking figures seemingly made of lightning. They are the reasons the glass didn’t fall down on me. They are using their shields to cover me.

“Don’t be afraid. They are protecting you. They will always protect you,” Kendrick says.

“Wh…why? Wh…what are they?”

“These are my knights. I have released my power to see if they would protect you. I am now sure you’re my true mate, Ray Ann Ricci.”

“Oh,” I say dumbly.

He waves his hand and the knights all line up before me and bow. I take a few steps back, then gasp as I realize what really happened on that battlefield. These knights were the ones who turned those men to dust.

In the dream, or whatever that was, it all happened so fast. Glass crunches under my feet with the movement. The knights lift their luminous heads. I’m in awe as I note the expressions of concern on their translucent faces.

Each of them places a hand over their heart and nods their head. Then they vanish. I look to Kendrick and the crown is gone, as is the giant behind him.

He crooks his finger at me. “Come to me, Ray.”

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