Chapter Thirty-Five
Elek
Once she was out, I sealed the hole back up and raised the wall higher. As he kept sending blast after blast, I knew she got out unseen.
Every fiber in me wanted to keep her in the shield. Keep her safe. The soul of Alexius was demanding that I follow her. But from a tactical mind, and against every instinct raging within me, it made sense to have her attack on her own. She was capable. Or at least that is what I kept telling myself. However, now that she wasn’t in the shield, I could let the fire run wild. It wasn’t going to burn me, but I wasn’t confident that she would be spared from it.
Engulfing myself completely, I too started blasting. Each one began to meet his own, causing thunderous explosions in the air as they met.
Feeling out for her location, I sensed she was somewhere behind him. Lowering the wall, I smirked up at the king’s crazed face as he searched for her.
“WHERE IS SHE?”
Pulling a vial of oil from my pocket, I smashed it against the blade.
“I wouldn’t worry so much about her when it’s me you are facing.” I answered, sparking a flame from my fingertips.
The sword roared to life as my wings stretched.
“Fine. I’ll kill you and then find her.”
His face contorted gruesomely.
“And once you’re dead I’ll take your body to her and have her as a celebration.”
Bile forced its way to my throat. There were rumors that he used similar methods to have his children. Even I didn’t want to believe a man could be so cruel. It was all the more reason to meet him head on.
Pushing off the ground, I shot towards him. A simple execution was too humane for someone like him. I wanted to rip those wings, butcher him the way he did to Sera. I wanted him to try and run away, only to be met by me giving him the agonizing end he deserved.
Lifting an elven blade from his belt, he countered my swings. Although he was close to five-hundred years old, he was nimble and instinctive.
Wind swirled, making it difficult to stay on top of. With a curled lip and twitch in his eye, Oberron commanded the wind to push harder. Like razors, invisible knives grazed my cheeks and arms. Any bare skin soon became assaulted as small cuts formed.
“Is that all you got, old man?” I snarked, flicking a flame to my fingers, allowing the blaze to ride the wind.
Waves of flames shielded my body as they traveled in the swirls, soon coming in contact with him. His eyes widened in horror as he let out a bloodcurdling scream. Blisters formed on his face and hands, yet he didn’t recall the wind.
Conjuring more flames they licked him aggressively. When it seemed to become too much for him, the wind died down, but the flames remained. I wasn’t going to let up just because he couldn’t keep up.
Pushing him back, I used the fire as a tether to hold him in place. It snakes around him, binding his arms to his sides. The elven blade fell to the ground, sticking upwards.
“Unhand me!” Oberron shrieked, thrashing. The binding grew tighter with each muscle twitch.
“Dragon kind will sleep well knowing you are gone.”
Fisting the fire rope and raising it upwards, I threw him to the ground. Then I did it again. One more time.
Face down in the churned up ground, turned mud, the king lay motionless. At first it seemed he was done before Sera had the chance to inflict her punishment on him.
Lowering myself, I poked him with the tip of my sword. Not piercing, but enough to get him moving. Grunting, he rolled over to face me.
“Just do it, you fucking tyrant.” He spat.
I wanted to. I wanted to show him just how much of a tyrant I could be. Something stopped me. A shriek of pain.
Walking towards us, his hand gripped firmly around my wife’s neck, was Kellen.
“Let him go and you can have her back.” His voice raised from across the distance.
Sera’s hands frantically scratched at Kellen’s hand and arm, drawing blood in places. He lifted her from the ground, her feet dangling.
“Or I will kill her.” His tone said it was a promise, but his eyes said something else.
Raising my blade towards the crown prince, I gave a small smirk.
“I was taking her back regardless. And your head will be separated from your shoulders faster than you can blink if you keep restraining her like that.”
Part of me respected my fae counterpart. Out of the entire royal family, he was the only one with a level head. But the respect wouldn’t spare him from much.
“Kill him!” Oberron shrieked, his eyes wide with fear.
It happened so fast. Sera swung her legs up, locking them onto Kellen’s neck. His grip on her neck loosened and she flopped down to the ground, only to land a blow to his head. Kellen, didn’t have time to react as her leg made contact with his cheek. He went to the ground in a crumpled lump.
Oberron took a chance to crawl away, only to be stopped with my boot swiftly meeting his back. I pushed him back into the mud, firmly gripping the base of his wings.
“If she says you can live, I’ll allow it. But not before taking something precious from you.”
Before she could make it to me, I knew what I wanted to do. I tore at the translucent and delicate wings protruding from Oberron’s back.
“A fairy without wings is hardly more than a human, and a fairy without wings is not able to remain king.”
Agonizing screams erupted from him. I tore slowly, allowing for the pain to grow and linger.
“Please show mercy!” He cried.
Oh, how quick the sadists were at begging for their own lives. Still, I kept pulling until the last strand of sinew was ripped away from him.
To show him further insult, I moved to stand before him. Tears stained his face, snot ran down his chin. Clumping the wings in my fist, they became engulfed in flames. Oberron cried harder, wailing at the loss.
Turning away, I was met with wisps of long black hair as Sera clasped her arms around my neck. With my free arm, I pressed her firmly against me. Relief rushed through. She was safe.
“The choice is yours.” I said, pulling away to look down at her.
She glanced down at the bloody mess that was Oberron, lowering herself down to face him.
“The grievous actions you have taken against your own people should be heard by all. Enslaving the elves, forcing yourself on their women. Your treatment towards my stepmother’s sister, your late wife Rosalia. You deserve to be judged at the next world summit where you will stand trial and receive your punishment. This is more of a mercy than you deserve, and certainly more than you have shown onto others.”
It was a fair judgment, but not one I would have made. Still, as I thought more on her decision the more I knew she just saved the world. If we had just killed Oberron outright there would have been repercussions, luring the desire for war.
Her eyes twinkled up at me, a smile on her lips. Those tender lips. On impulse, I closed the gap between us, crushing her mouth with my own. A small gasp of surprise escaped from between us to soon be followed by soft hands grasping the back of my neck.
A small cough huffed nearby. Huri bent down with rope in hand to bind the king.
“I don’t think we could trust anyone around here to bring him to trial. I’ll just fly him to Regnum. Jovan can begin the summons as soon as possible.”
They turned to eye the unconscious body of Kellen on the ground.
“Should we take his children as well? Hamish has bombarded his door, but I’m sure we can blast it open if we had to.” They smiled slyly, hoping I would order them to do so.
“Take all of them.” Sera answered, turning towards Huri.
“Are you sure? Taking everyone who can govern the country is a slippery slope.” I cautioned. I wanted to take all of them as well, but leaving the country in complete anarchy could prove dangerous.
“I can look after things in Silvania temporarily as I find a suitable replacement for an extended period.” Huri offered.
Scanning the area, Nolan caught my attention as he bound Kellen’s wrists.
“Nolan will do it, along with anyone he wants to pull from the forts.”
The older man gave a silent nod at his new orders.
“I’ll send you daily updates.” He answered.
It hardly seemed so simple, yet it was. The terrorizing of our border was over and Sera was safe with her hands still wrapped around me.
Sheathing my sword, I lifted her up to cradle her close to me. Lifting her head, her cheek pressed against mine. Warm and soft against the stumble forming on my own cheek.
“I’ll bring you back to Nautica.” I offered, flexing my wings to prepare for the long flight.
Her cheek swept against mine with a shake of her head.
“That’s too far, Elek. Let’s go to Maleko. I want to see your home. My new home.”
Who was I to deny her? Of course we could go home.
By the time I reached my windowsill she was fast asleep. We would worry about the blood and grime in the morning. At that moment I just wanted to hold her close as we slept in peace.
