Page 27 of The Nightmare Queen

They’re moving in quickly towards us. She’s already broken away from me, beckoning the horde to close in, her Wield stretching out to coil around multiple beasts at once. My own magic flickers to life under my skin as the unaffected ones run towards me. My sword makes wide swipes cutting down any of the beasts that get too close.

What in the gods are they?

Even now, after fighting them as we made our way to Oriya, I still couldn’t figure it out. Some look humanoid and others I can’t make sense of how they even stand on their…feet? The question disappears as my blade spears through another.SQUELCH!“EVEERA!” I shout.

Eveera’s diving underneath them, slicing and stabbing all while Wielding. I finish off the ones she leaves behind in her wake of magic. Her moves are fluid and quick. What she lacks in stature she makes up for in speed and flexibility. It’s astonishing.Sheis astonishing, her power is like a heavy blanket of darkness.

I would hate to be on the receiving end of it,I think to myself.

My own power tries to respond to hers.Tainted, broken, cursed. My head twitches as the words rattle around in my head. There’s too many of them. Mist starts to seep from my palms, control always was difficult for me. With no one wanting to help teach me my Wield, I had to learn on my own. If I use it now, I won’t be able to single her out and the Wield will take everyone in it’s path.

Tainted, broken, cursed.

Her scream pierces the air. I whirl on my heel to find five of them are circling her. One of the creatures has it’s gnarled hand wrapped around her hair. “PRINCELING!” Her eyes are no longerblack as her Wield snaps back into her. I can tell she’s losing her grip. “LITTLE HELP HERE!” She shouts at me.

My feet pick up their pace, “I THOUGHT YOU COULD HANDLE THEM.”SLASH!“JUST.”UGH! “FINE.”My sword slices clean through the hand and then the neck of the one yanking her hair as I finally get to her. We fight back to back for while, getting through the horde. By what I hope is the end of it - there are bodies littered around us. “Next time, just ask for my help first.” The words come out breathy and choppy.

The familiar smell of smoke starts to encroach all around us accompanied by a loud roar. She must have taken care of a different location from ours. “Next time?! There will not be a next time! You insufferable—” her eyes black in and out just as—

-

SMACK! “Stupid boy!” My lip stings from the cut his ring has opened up again. “What a dishonor you are to this kingdom! Poisonous mist! An omen if there ever was one.” My vision goes black and I can feel my eye start to swell and that the bones in my nose are broken. “P-please don’t lock me up here again. PLEASE.” His laugh rings out through the room. “Please don’t lock me up here again.” He mocks before landing a kick in between my ribs. “P-please.” I sob out - no NO!

-

I push my Wield out back against hers, not allowing this memory to continue. I can’t see where the hell she is as my mist rolls freely out from my palms. It isn’t until I feel myself slip out of the nightmare that I hear her gasping on the ground next to me, clawing at her throat. “What…” Eveera pants. “The…” Another gasp. “FUCK. Rorin?!”Her gaze is liquid fire.

I grip the soil underneath my palms, my head spinning as nausea crawls up my throat. “What the fuck yourself! Could you control your Wield?!” I shouts.

Her eyes are filled with malice as she stands there accusing me. “And you?!”

Both my shoulders shrug; feigning nonchalance. “We’ll call it self defense.” My nostrils are flaring, my ribs straining as I pull in breath after breath. “You aren’t the only one, Your Highness, who has a Wield to be afraid of.” The words are pure venom dripping off my tongue.

Why did it have to be that memory?

The ground shakes as Vada lands next to us. The fire that radiates through the dragon's body and scales is molten, but somehow not near as hot as the anger brewing between the two of us. The queen begins walking to the beast, her back to me. I stalk off after her, my feet forcing me to catch up. The closer I get the easier it is for me to notice she’s nursing her shoulder, dark liquid leaking between her fingers. “You’re bleeding.” I note.

Her mouth opens and closes a few times, looking down at the open wound.

“Thanks for noticing.” Without missing a beat she climbs up the dragon, taking her seat.

This damn woman.

Eveera

“Why are you bleeding?”Vada growls.

“It’s nothing.One of the creatures got me.”I say, while settling on her spine.

“I thought thesnackyou brought was here to help you? Instead he lets you bleed.”Her agitation isn’t just felt through the bond, it’s making her skin and scales twitch.

“He did help, sort of, and he isn’t letting me bleed. I am lettingmyselfbleed.”I argue back. She slams her mind closed to me while he climbs up, winding his arms around my waist. The motion accidentally brushes against my open wound causing me to hiss at the contact.

“Shit. Sorry.” He grumbles, loosening his hold.

I push my shoulder forward to create more distance, “it’s fine.”

“You’re going to have to see a healer mage before we leave.” He adds.

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