Page 65 of Once Upon a Demon's Heart
No.
I turned to shout for my army to prepare to ride to the top of the slope, but everything behind me had vanished.I have to finish the vision before it lets me go.I charged ahead alone, tripping a few times in my disarray.
When I reached the top, I was transported into my mother’s home. She’s cooking a meal and humming a soft tune. My breaths were staggered, and the blood in my veins chilled.Why is the wisp showing me this?
“Mom?” I called out to her. The moment the word left my lips, her front door was kicked down, and knights of Alzhor rushed in.
“What are you doing?” she screamed, fighting against them as they tried to drag her outside.
“Mom!” I shouted, trying to cut through the knights with my sword, but it went right through them. “No. No!” I continued to swing my blade at them to no avail as they reached the doorway.
“You will pay for this. You will pay!” My mother cried. One knight shoved her to the front steps and another lifted his sword.
Every piece of me shattered as I watched the knight’s blade cut through my mom. The second her body collapsed, I was thrown into darkness.
My knees gave out on me, and my hands hit the ground.
“Why are you showing me this!?” I yelled, tears spilled down my jaw, and a hatred so deep burned in my stomach.
The wisp formed before me. I lifted my head and pleaded, “Please. Tell me this has not yet happened.”
It glowed brighter before disappearing, and in its place was a knight. I stared at the armor, confused at first but then I understood. This is the knight who led the attack orwilllead it.
I must hurry.
My fingers curled into my palms and I stood.
Just like that, I was back atop my horse, just at the base of the slope.Tell me, gods, that it is not too late.
I called for my elite knights to ride with me to Thornhall to ensure it wasn’t in danger.
The moment we rose above the top of the hill, the last screams hit us.
The screams and the stench of blood.
I’ll kill them all. I’ll rid this world of the demigods once and for all.
I led my troops down to the village, but as we descended, I watched as a knight in ebony armor with a white dragon-bone sword atop the far hill raised their blade to the sky and guided all of their paladins out of the valley.
That’s the knight who led this attack. The one from my vision.I memorized everything about their armor. Their scent of death. It’s one I will never forget.
We were too late.
I swore I would find this half-god and kill them along with the entire kingdom of Alzhor. They made me into something I never wanted to become.
They put hate into my heart.
So, I put a curse of my own on that knight, with the help of the only god who ever cared to help the demon-folk.
Pluto only grinned with my request. He shook his head but granted it.
Gods and their games.
I swore to destroy Alzhor, but I needed to find the lovely girl first and save her from the fate I would bring to her kingdom. If she felt the same beckoning call within her to find me, I knew I would find her.
Chapter Twenty-Six
ALIRA
