Chapter 29

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

I t’s been hours since Amaros was here, and I’m not holding my breath for his return. Even if he frees me, unless he’s planning to deal with both of the twins and Hethenos, it’s pointless. They have to be stopped, and I know without a doubt if I escape, they will kill me. If I’m ever going to get out of here, it will be when one of my captors opens my cell door, giving me the opportunity to escape.

Footsteps sound in the tunnels, and I glance up to see Demetros and Lacinda. Our eyes lock, and they run to my cell.

“By the gods, Zarla!” Lacinda panics, tugging on the cell lock.

“Hethenos did this?” Demetros asks, his eyes wide with fury.

I hurry to the gate and reach my arms through to Lacinda, and she hugs me. “I’m so happy to see you both. How did you know I was here?”

Demetros grips the cell bars. “We bumped into Amaros. He told us.”

I raise my brows. I guess he really is trying to help me. “It’s not much use, though. He couldn’t get me out. He went back to find a way.”

Lacinda flexes her fingers and starts pacing, her red curls bouncing around with each movement. “How dare she do this to you.”

“Does my father know? How is he?” I ask with urgency.

Demetros and Lacinda share a look that has my heart beating faster.

“He’s in a coma,” she finally tells me. “They don’t know what’s wrong with him, but he was so sick, the healers had no choice but to induce him into a coma. Hethenos is waltzing around like she owns the place, and has been barking orders like she’s the Queen. And with your absence, she is the one they look to.”

I grit my teeth together and tighten my grip on the cell bars. “She’s poisoned him. That’s what’s wrong with him. She did the same to me.”

Lacinda’s mouth drops open. “She what ?”

I let go of the bars and wander around my cell. “Alaron helped me to remove it.”

Demetros frowns. “Alaron?”

Oh, that’s right. He didn’t give his name when the three of us visited him in the Dark Forest. “The God of Death. His name is Alaron.”

Lacinda tucks her hair behind her ears and steps closer to the cell gate. “Well, that’s good. Why couldn’t he break you out of here too?”

I glance down, remembering what he said about how he can’t upset the balance too much. “He can’t. He removed the poison, and that was all he could do. Oh yeah, and he gave me this rock,” I say, pulling it from my pocket.

Their brows knit together as they look at the green rock in my hand.

“What does it do?” Demetros asks.

I shrug and slip it back into my pocket. “I’m not sure. It’s got to do something, or why did he give it to me?”

Lacinda reaches through the bars and grasps my hand. “What can we do?” she asks, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

I give her a tight-lipped smile. “Find Kyle.”

Demetros lets out a frustrated grunt. “We can’t go to his Kingdom, and we have no way to contact him.”

A sudden thought hits me then. “What about a messenger angel? They sent one there to summon me back to Silanthia. They must be able to pass through into Zarquon?”

They look at one another.

“Yeah, that could work,” Demetros says.

“Let’s go. Now,” she urges, grabbing Demetros by the arm.

Footsteps alert us someone is coming, but there’s nowhere for them to hide. Yimel appears in the tunnel entrance, and his gaze darts between the three of us before he pulls his sword.

“Stand back,” Demetros instructs Lacinda, pulling his own sword as he moves toward Yimel.

Yimel points his sword at Demetros. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“And neither should she,” he replies, gesturing to me.

They circle one another before Yimel charges forward and clashes his sword against Demetros’s. A loud clang echoes through the tunnel. Lacinda stands back against the cell gate, her focus darting between the two of them.

And then she rushes Yimel and lands a firm kick to his chest. He stumbles back, giving Demetros an advantage. His sword slices through Yimel’s arm, and he grunts, stumbling a little.

“I’m giving you a chance now to end this and let Zarla go,” she says.

Yimel chuckles. “You think I’m going to listen to you? A second? I’m the King’s guard. I don’t take orders from the likes of you.”

Yimel swings his sword at Demetros, who ducks out of the way. Lacinda moves in to strike Yimel again, but he’s prepared for her and smacks her in the face, sending her flying back into the wall.

“No!” I scream when she hits her head and falls to the ground.

Demetros strikes Yimel in the side of the head and then spins around and lands a solid kick to his side. Yimel winces, grabbing his torso before gripping his sword with both hands and moving in on Demetros. Demetros raises his sword to strike, but Yimel is faster, knocking his sword across the ground, giving him an opportunity to strike Demetros across his stomach.

Demetros grunts as Yimel’s sword slices through his middle, and he drops to his knees. Yimel points his sword at Demetros’s neck, and I scream.

“NO! Don’t hurt him! Please!”

Demetros raises his hands, his chest rising rapidly as he regains his breath.

“Please, Yimel, don’t hurt him!”

Yimel looks at me through wide, angry eyes, blood dripping from his nose, and then slams the handle of his sword into Demetros’s head, knocking him out cold. He slides his sword back into his holster, ignoring the blood, and then drags them both into a nearby cell.

My eyes well as I grip the bars and watch Yimel storm toward my cell, his eyes blazing with anger.

“What the fuck was that?” he demands.

I back up a little at his sudden outburst. I’ve never seen him so angry before. “They just came to help me.”

He glares at me for a while, his jaw tense as he balls his fists. He then pulls out a set of keys, unlocks my cell, and steps inside. I back up until I feel the cool stone on my back, and he moves forward until we’re merely inches apart.

His dark eyes focus on me. “We could rule this Kingdom together,” he says. “We could take care of Hethenos and Rimel. Amaros too. Even Harlum, and we could rule. You’re a powerful angel, Zarla, and you would make a powerful Queen at my side.”

I furrow my brows as I stare into his eyes. “I will never be at your side. You are not worthy to rule any Kingdom.”

Anger seeps from within him, and he thrusts his hand against my neck, pinning me to the wall.

His lips curl into a smirk. “You don’t know what I’m capable of. I’ve watched you for years from the shadows. Always the quiet one. But I’ve thought long and hard about this. Don’t push me.”

He kisses me, and I squeeze my eyes shut as an image of Kyle moves to the forefront of my mind. I imagine I’m anywhere but here.

Suddenly he breaks contact, and my eyes snap open as he’s thrust across my cell and smashes into the wall. He lands in a twisted and unnatural way.

My focus shifts to Hethenos, standing outside my cell, her eyes brimming with fury as she glares at me.

“So much like your mother,” she spits out. “Always putting your mouth where it doesn’t belong.”

I’m confused at her words, but I have no time to ask because Rimel appears behind her. He takes one look at his brother’s lifeless body and reaches for his sword. Before he can do anything else, Hethenos flicks her hand and throws him across the corridor like a rag doll. He, too, lands in a twisted and unnatural way.

A gasp escapes my lips, and I cover my mouth before refocusing on her. She lifts her hand toward me as she steps into my cell, and dark magic swirls from her fingers. She grips the air so hard her knuckles turn white, and an invisible force tightens around my throat.

I gasp for air and drop to the ground, clawing at my neck. Hethenos’s lips part as she smiles, revealing an evil side I’ve never seen before, and I know she’s going to kill me this time.

“You think you’re so special, but you’re nothing ,” she taunts as her grip tightens even more. “You’re not the only goddess around here.”

Confusion reels inside my mind. What in the gods is she talking about?

“You will only ever be a nuisance, just like your mother was. You are unworthy to rule this Kingdom.”

White dots flicker across my vision while dizziness sets in. I feel light-headed, like I could pass out at any moment from lack of oxygen. My eyes struggle to stay open as I look up at her.

“You are a threat to our Kingdom, just as your mother was, trying to conspire with the enemy Kingdom. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“Pl—ease…sto—p…” I choke out, my voice nothing more than a strained whisper.

She laughs, and it’s an evil sound. My eyes droop closed as the pain pulls me into darkness.

And then my eyes flicker open to see a figure standing behind Hethenos.

“Stop.”

The voice is familiar, and I take a moment to register it’s Amaros. The grip on my throat loosens, and I desperately suck in a breath of air and cough and splutter on the ground.

“Not now,” she warns him.

I’m barely able to move as I struggle to regain my breath. I focus on Amaros while he pulls a familiar sword from his belt. My mind is hazy, and I’m struggling to remember where I’ve seen it before. He points it toward Hethenos, and she turns to face him as the invisible hold on my body completely dissipates.

The sword glows, and then it hits me. It’s the sword Finlay had, the one he tried to use on me down on Earth before Amaros swooped in and took it. I completely forgot about it.

Hethenos stares at the weapon, and for the first time, she appears rattled.

My body is so weak at this point I’m barely holding on to consciousness. My vision blurs a little as I try to focus on what they’re saying.

“The Sword of Silanthia,” she whispers.

Amaros looks at me for a moment. “This wasn’t part of the plan,” he says in a hushed voice.

Plan? What plan?

“Zarla was never supposed to be harmed,” he says.

Hethenos laughs. “It may not have been part of your plan, but it was always part of mine. You’ve always harboured a soft spot for her, just like Yimel. And look where that got him.” She gestures to his lifeless body.

Amaros glances at Yimel, then focuses his attention back on Hethenos.

“Forget about her. She has to go. You are a god, and you have Astelle now, a goddess who wants you. You know how powerful she is.”

My mind is spinning. He’s a god? How is that possible? And Astelle a goddess? My head hurts at this new information.

Hethenos turns back to me and raises her hand, and I brace myself for the same torture. Then Amaros unleashes a powerful magic that blasts out of the sword and into Hethenos. She screams, and I have to cover my ears at the sound. The power of the sword sends her flying across the corridor and into the wall.

She knocks her head and then levels a death stare at Amaros as she stumbles to her feet. “You will regret this,” she says before fleeing out through the tunnel.

I blink rapidly while I try to keep my eyes open.

Amaros uses the sword to cut through the lock and opens the cell gate. He hurries to my side, brushes the hair off my face, and then presses a kiss to my forehead.

My head grows heavy, and my eyes flicker closed before I black out.

I blink my eyes open, confused by my surroundings. What happened? I wonder as I glance around. There are four females in the room, two at my side using some sort of blue magic on me, and the other two are near the side of the room, working on something at a bench. I’m with the healers.

I try to sit up, and a throbbing pain shoots through my head. The healer to my right helps lower me back down, and it’s then I realise I’m in some sort of bath. I can barely feel the water though, as it’s the perfect temperature to blend into my body. I glance down at the milky liquid and breathe in the scent of lavender.

“Please relax, Zarla,” the female says, her eyes kind.

Images rush through my mind in waves as my memories flow back to me. Being locked in the cells, Yimel and Rimel being killed, my friends being locked up, Hethenos torturing me, then calling Amaros a god and Astelle a goddess. Amaros saving me.

I attempt to sit up again, still unable to do it. I blink through the throbbing pain in my head and grip the side of the bath.

“Zarla, you mustn’t leave. We are working through your healing,” the other female explains.

I raise my hand and allow my dark magic to flow from my fingertips. I place my hand on my body as the dark magic seeps into me and heals me completely.

The female healers cover their mouths as they gasp and shuffle away from the bath. I sit up with no pain at all and climb out of the tub. I’m wearing a thin white dress which clings to my body.

But I don’t care. I have one thing on my mind and one thing only—I am going to find Hethenos.

“I’m going to kill her,” I say in a level tone as I release my white wings and storm out of the healing chambers.

The corridors of the castle are quiet, and although I’m desperate to know if my father is okay, I don’t have time to check. Hethenos had caused more pain, more damage in my life than anyone ever could. She has to be stopped, and I am the one to do it. But first, I need to find her.

The cool air chills my damp skin, and I decide I have enough time to change into my guardian leathers. If I’m going to take her on, I need to be prepared as best I can. If what Hethenos said is true, if Astelle is a goddess, then that means she is, too.

I make it to my room and snatch up my leathers from my wardrobe. There’s a knock at my door, and I don’t bother turning to see who it is as footsteps enter my room.

“Zarla, you’re healed?” Amaros asks.

I strip out of the soaking wet dress without a care that he is watching me, and that I’m buck naked right now. There’s one focus that’s drawing the entirety of my attention right now. I glance over my shoulder, and Amaros clears his throat as his eyes graze over my body before turning around.

“Is it true, then? You’re a god?” I slip into my leathers quickly and fasten my boots before moving toward him.

He turns to face me, deep concern etched into his features. “Zarla?—”

I hold my hand up. “Don’t.”

His brows crease together. “Don’t what?”

I stare into his grey eyes for a moment, and everything makes so much sense. “Don’t lie to me.”

He runs a hand through his thick hair. “Yes, I’m a god. And before you say anything, I had always planned to tell you?—”

I hold a hand up again. “I don’t have time for an explanation right now. Do you know where my daggers are?”

He swallows hard. “No, I’m sorry. I don’t know where they are. Hethenos likely has them.” He reaches down to his holster and pulls out that same sword.

He hesitates for a moment before he holds it out to me.

“ Zarla …” it calls to me, and I gulp, hesitating for a moment before gripping the handle.

As I make contact with the sword, a surge of power shoots through me that seems to regenerate my entire body, refilling my power stores. The sword feels good in my grasp, as if it were made for me. And then its name drifts into my mind. The Sword of Silanthia . I slide it into my holster.

“Be careful. That’s a weapon of the gods,” he tells me, and my gaze locks with his.

“Is that why you’ve been with Astelle? Because she’s a goddess too? Is that your type or something?”

He furrows his brows. “It’s not like that.”

Without another word, I cross my quarters and open the doors onto my balcony. Amaros grips my wrist, and I stop, reluctantly glancing back to face him.

“I’m so sorry for what they did to you.”

I swallow hard. “Thank you for saving me.”

He gently squeezes my hand, and I tug it back.

“What did you mean when you said this wasn’t part of the plan, back in the cells?”

His mouth drops open as if he’s shocked I heard that, and he scratches his head. “I think you must have misheard me.”

I narrow my eyes at him and then leap off my balcony and swoop up into the sky. There’s a shift in the air behind me, and I know he’s following me.

“Zarla, wait!” he calls out.

Ignoring him, I fly to the only place I can think where Hethenos would go. The Dark Forest.

The sky grows dark, and I can sense a storm brewing. There’s a thunderous crack in the distance, and the sky lights up. The wind grows stronger, which helps me fly faster across the Kingdom. I see the edge of the forest up ahead and glide down to land on the grass.

I spot the huts Kyle and I made when we were young, and fresh pain cuts through my heart. I swallow the lump in my throat as Amaros lands next to me.

He’s lying to me. Somehow, I know he is involved in all of this. I don’t know why, and I don’t know the extent of his involvement, but there’s an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach that I can’t shake.

“Zarla, please just let me go with you,” he says.

I take in a deep breath and raise my head a little. “No.”

I take two steps forward before he grabs my arm, and I turn to meet his determined glare.

“Don’t do this. She’s too powerful. She could kill you.” His eyes search mine, desperate to convince me not to do this.

I yank my arm free. “Don’t you dare convince me not to. She killed my mother! She tried to kill me, and she tried to kill my father, by the sounds of it, and may have succeeded. I don’t even know. She has tried to destroy everything I care about.” I pause before adding, “And you seem to have been involved.”

Amaros stares at me, and I can see the agony in his eyes. But as far as I’m concerned, he deserves it. If he’s involved in this, in any of this, I will never speak to him again.

“She’s a goddess, Zarla,” he says, “a powerful one too. She could kill you.”

I’m not surprised by that, given Astelle is a goddess. “Please free my friends from the cells, if you haven’t already done so. And see that my father is okay. That is your job after all, remember?”

Tears fall down my cheeks, and I angrily wipe them away before swooping into the air, leaving him behind as I fly over the Dark Forest toward the ancient clearing.

And toward Hethenos.