Page 249 of Of Kings and Kaos
“You h-h-have t-to be the one, R-R-Rohak,” he stuttered, and I instantly shook my head.
“I’m not going to kill you, Alois. I’m not. Ican’t.” My voice broke, and I felt hot tears streak down my face.
“P-p-please. T-t-trust me,” he whispered. “One l-l-last time, b-b-brother.”
I sobbed openly now as I watched Alois’ chest fall in uneven, rapid pants.
“P-p-please. D-d-don’t let it b-b-be for n-nothing,” Alois choked.
My breaths sawed in my chest as I watched my friend—mybrother—die. Unable to take him into my arms as he took his last breaths, unable to offer any sort of physical comfort at all.
But I could give him this. I could give him this last request.
Face screwed in pain, I pushed myself away from my dying friend until I could grasp Gisei’s practically lifeless hand with one of my own. I dragged her through the muck and mire,blood, brain matter, and dust coating every inch of our skin and clothes, back Alois’ side.
“I l-l-love you, R-R-Rohak,” Alois stuttered, his eyes fluttering open as he tried to see me one last time. I placed my face in front of his and touched our heads together. Laying a soft kiss on each temple and his forehead, I drew away, my tears falling freely to splatter on my friend’s ashen face.
“I love you, Alois. I’ll see you in the ether,” I whispered before pulling the remaining dregs of my power from Gisei. There was barely a whisper left, a small ember, but it would be enough. Ithadto be enough.
I slowly let a tendril of my Destruction Magic escape the hand clutching Alois’ face and watched as it ate away at my friend’s body.
Slowly, then all at once, I watched as his flesh was consumed by my magic, transforming his clothes and skin into dust tendrils that floated lazily in the early morning breeze to rest amongst the rubble and ruin of the courtyard.
I swore I heard him sigh as I felt his soul leave this plane.
“Alois!” I screamed and sobbed as the last of my brother’s body was consumed.
In my grief, I forgot to release my hold on my magic and felt the moment that I drew past my Vessel’s limits. Her grip spasmed in mine, her whole body contorting in pain as her life force was drained away.
Horror washed over me as I watched Gisei burn out before lying completely still, her hand growing limp and wax in my punishing grip.
No. No. Not her, too.
I sat frozen in my decisions—my actions killing two people a handbreadth apart.
What have I done?
Before I could come to terms with my actions, I felt a pull in my gut, my essence fleeing across time and space to another as my body flamed hot—hotter than I’d ever experienced before, and my limbs began to tremor uncontrollably. Blood flowed from my nose and ears in earnest as I curled into a protective ball as best as possible. My legs wouldn’t cooperate, and each jolt of my broken body felt like hot knives jabbing through my spine.
I screamed in pain, pleading for Fate to end it all, yelling for my mother, and, at one point, screaming brokenly for the woman my soul craved.
The fire, the heat, the pain were all-consuming and, blessedly, my eyes closed.
I knew no more.
Chapter 94
Lex
“Nooooo!” A haunting, high-pitched whine like nothing I’d ever heard before keened from the last place I’d seen Rohak and the Warlord.
My head snapped in their direction, and I watched in horror as the Warlord’s body disintegrated, the embers of Rohak’s magic dancing with the King’s ashes.
Rohak killed the king?
My eyes widened as moments later I watched Rohak’s Vessel and, subsequently, Rohak succumb to tremors so violent I was certain he’d break his neck.
If he survived.
