Chapter 16

CHAPTER16

The crown sat on a velvet cushion, on a pedestal at the center of the public square beneath the golden statue of Larkin’s father.

Larkin couldn’t keep his eyes off it. His father’s crown, the one his mother had kept under lock and key so it would be ready for Elric—no, for Larkin.

But there were only a few more verses left for the priestess to recite, then she would take the crown and place it on Elric’s head.

Elric didn’t look all too happy, despite the fact he was just mere minutes from being crowned. He did a decent job of pretending, but Larkin could see the crease between his brows, the tension in how he carried himself. The long royal robe did nothing to hide that.

None of the other people in the audience seemed to have noticed—all the courtiers, the counselors, nobles and neighboring royalty who had gathered here in the most public venue in the capital to witness his brother taking the crown.

“I’m going to eviscerate him,” Jade whispered, his hand tightening around Larkin’s.

Larkin tried not to sigh at Jade’s now-familiar promise. “We’ll hold him until he can be tried for treason,” he repeated again, squeezing Jade’s hand back. “You won’t eviscerate him, or anyone else. We’re done with that stage of the kingdom’s history. I don’t want my reign to begin with bloodshed.”

He scanned the audience, trying to find the mage. Callan, Elric had called him, who had replaced Rohesia. He didn’t see her there either, and he wondered with a sick feeling in his stomach if Elric had had her killed as well. Elric had said she’d graciously stepped down, but…

He spotted Callan near the front, with the nobles but in a place where he could move in if needed.

It was a good thing he had Jade there to guard against Callan’s magic. One more tied-tongue spell, and Larkin would lose everything.

“We have to…” Larkin felt very small, and he contemplated backing away. He didn’t realize he’d actually taken a step back until he felt Jade’s cool arm around his waist, steadying him.

Larkin had only the vaguest memories of his father’s coronation. He’d been barely five, and his grandfather had died suddenly after being stung by an insect. He’d been too upset by his grandfather’s death to pay attention to all the other goings on. And when his father had passed, his mother had simply assumed rule without any further ceremony.

But he’d been preparing to assist Elric in this, so he’d read up on the rituals and discussed with the priestesses exactly what would be said. What his role was meant to be in all this.

The priestess’s chanting stopped, and she stepped forward to the crown. She turned her gaze to the audience and stretched her arms wide. “Before I bless the crown and our new king, I ask to all gathered—is Prince Elric of Kithage worthy of ruling you? Do you have faith that he will be true and just?”

Larkin squeezed Jade’s hand and, before anybody could begin the customary chants of approval, stood up. The spell Jade had cast to hide their identities fell away.

“He is unworthy!” Larkin shouted for all to hear.

Elric’s expression widened in horror. “No! Guards… Callan!”

Callan swiftly stood and flung something in Larkin’s direction. Another spell, but one that Jade caught and ate.

Jade startled for a moment, but he shook his head and grinned. “You’ve kept your brother silent long enough, pretender. Larkin will speak.”

Larkin let out a shuddering breath, all too aware of just how quickly this could’ve gone wrong. If Jade hadn’t been at his side… He squeezed Jade’s hand again then let him go, standing proudly of his own accord even though his knees were trembling and terror raced through him.

“I have with me the will and testament of our mother, the late Queen of Kithage, along with a letter she wrote directly to me,” Larkin announced. “Elric has deemed me a traitor for attempting to carry out her wishes: for me to rule in his stead. His mage silenced me so I could not defend myself, and he punished me for treason for his own selfish desires.”

He glanced at Jade, looking to him for reassurance, and Jade nodded to him in encouragement.

“I would see these documents for myself,” Elric hissed. “They are surely forged.”

The conflict between the brothers had those around them murmuring, some sounding scandalized and others sounding positively gleeful like this was the most interesting thing they’d seen in ages.

Besides Larkin being put to public use, it probably had been.

The thought made him wobble a little, but he lifted his chin, stubbornly staring at Elric. “No. It is for the court to review and determine. You attempted to have Mother’s documents destroyed, for the pretense that you needed space in her office. But I know the truth. You were afraid she knew who and what you were.”

“You will shut up!” Elric shouted. “Guards! Arrest him for treason!”

The guards seemed unsure at first, but they did begin moving in Larkin’s direction. They had to squeeze past the gathered audience, few of whom cleared space for the guards.

“Keep talking,” Jade said. “I’ll deal with the guards.”

Larkin breathed deeply and nodded. He unfolded his mother’s testament, willing himself not to cry just from her handwriting.

“My castle, my estate, all my lands, and my crown: I leave these to my youngest son, Larkin of Kithage. It is my wish for him to rule and bring our land to prosperity. For my eldest son, Elric: I denounce him as the kin-slayer he is. Cast him from our lands before he becomes the rot that poisons us all.”

“No!” Elric shouted. “Lies! Mother would never have—Callan, kill him!”

Callan met Larkin’s eyes and smirked. When he raised his hand next, something strange happened. The area darkened, so dark that Larkin saw nothing anymore. People screamed, and somebody bumped into him, causing him to stumble against Jade.

Jade roared, sending a large flame cutting into the dark.

Light returned. People were already fleeing the square, shouting and screaming as bodies collided against each other in their effort to escape the area.

The person that had been standing in front of Larkin was twisted into unnatural angles, neck completely snapped.

Dead, because Larkin had insisted on retaking his throne.

No. It wasn’t Larkin’s fault. It was Elric. Elric had done all this.

“You will not lay a finger on my treasure,” Jade shouted at Callan.

Callan laughed in response. “Your brother has a pet dragon, Your Majesty.”

Jade was no one’s pet, but Larkin didn’t think this was the right time to point that out.

Instead, Larkin yelled, “Why do you try to murder me, kin-slayer, unless you are afraid of the truth? If you are innocent, why cause this chaos and madness? Call off your mage, and we will take this to the court, as it should be done!”

“I am the court! You are a traitor! A treasonous little coward who cavorts with the very monsters that endanger our kingdom! A dragon destroyed Vanea. Was that you, then, trying to send a message about how you would steal the throne?” Elric motioned for his guards, but they were looking less and less sure of their commitment to him.

So many people had scattered, with only gawkers at the outskirts of the square to watch what was going on nearby, still within range of the spells if they went awry but apparently too curious to care about being swept up in the terrible magics being flung through the air.

The priestesses hadn’t gone far, more certain of their duties than the guards. Some of them had drawn wards, though, protecting themselves from magic.

“Enough!” the high priestess shouted. “Two brothers, torn apart by the alleged words of their mother… This is no matter for the public to witness.”

“The public will know that Larkin chose to side with monsters over his kingdom!” Elric shouted, drawing his sword.

Larkin grimaced. He hadn’t wanted to resort to violence, but it didn’t look like Elric was giving him much of a choice. He tucked the letter and the will away into his inside breast pocket, then settled his hand on the pommel of the sword Jade had given him.

A properly enchanted sword, Jade had said, not the toy he’d brought with him all those weeks ago.

By now, most of the audience had dispersed into the side streets, leaving the square with only the few handful brave—or stupid enough—who wanted to witness this clash between brothers.

“I care for our kingdom more than you, Elric! You were the one who tried to have me killed! Cease all this now, and I will be merciful. I will only—I will only imprison you. But I will not allow your false reign to start.”

Elric snarled at him. “You would tear this kingdom apart instead of allowing the proper ruler to take the crown.” He started to walk purposefully toward Larkin, shedding his coronation robes and leaving them in a careless pile on the ground.

Larkin took a defensive position, not wanting to be the first to attack. He knew he wouldn’t get far by defending alone, but even after everything, he didn’t want to hurt his brother. Jade was by his side, ever-present and providing a boost of confidence he might not have had otherwise.

He’d forgotten about Callan, though. There was another sudden wave of darkness, and Callan appeared in front of them, grinning widely.

“Should have stayed away, boy,” Callan said, a tendril of darkness shooting out from his fingertips too fast for Larkin to avoid.

Jade pushed Larkin aside and snarled. “I will devour you, shadow.” His body began to stretch and fill the area as he shifted into his dragon form.

Callan burst out laughing. “I’d make a very poor meal for you, dragon.”

Too fast for Larkin to see, Callan disappeared again, only to reappear on Larkin’s other side.

Jade stepped between Callan and Larkin and sent out a burst of flame at Callan. Callan slid away from the flame, unperturbed.

Elric continued to advance around the shows of shadow and flame, and Larkin gripped his sword even more tightly. Larkin was an adequate swordsman, and with the enchanted blade, he had a good chance of winning a bout. But he didn’t know if he could do it without seriously injuring his brother—and he didn’t want to do that.

But from the look on Elric’s face, he didn’t have the same compunctions.

Larkin spared a glance at Jade, who was fully focused on Callan, then looked back at Elric—who was frighteningly close now.

“I don’t want to do this,” Larkin pleaded with Elric.

“Then you should have stayed dead,” Elric snarled, going into an offensive stance.

“How did you even know there was a dragon there?” Larkin asked, preparing himself to counter Elric’s blows. He wanted to know so many things. If he could just keep Elric talking…

Elric laughed darkly—and thrust forward. Larkin only narrowly dodged the sword.

“Of course it was a fucking dragon. Whoever heard of wyverns living in a cave?” Elric didn’t give Larkin time to recover, immediately going for another thrust. Larkin parried quickly.

“The men… Did they—” He cut himself off, almost leaving himself open for a strike. He could hear the roaring of flames, and his vision dimmed and brightened in turns, but he couldn’t let himself get distracted. “They knew. And the rockslide…”

He took a quick step forward, jabbing for what he knew to be one of Elric’s weak spots, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He pulled the stab just before it could hit flesh, and he had to stumble back to keep from letting Elric get in a counterattack.

“You’re the only one who would be stupid enough to fall for a trick like that.” Elric swiped at Larkin again, forcing him to back up.

Larkin’s foot landed on something soft, and he lost his balance. He yelped as he fell backward, over the body of some poor soul who hadn’t escaped in time. His sword slipped out of his hand.

Elric grinned and brought his blade to Larkin’s neck. “I would have let you live, if you’d simply kept your fucking mouth shut. But you’re too stupid to do that, too.”

Larkin tried to scrabble backward, but without his sword, with no good footing, he was as good as dead.

Until a large flame shot out, engulfing Elric.