I had nightmares every night. Nightmares where I would try to profess my love to Thien only to be met by his fists of fury. By his anger and resentment. Punished. Yet again he punished me for my indiscretion, as if no longer loving me wasn’t punishment enough. There’s this void and constant ache in my heart now.
The doors to our bedroom opened and the ache in my heart intensified as Thien walked in. His hands were shoved into his jean pockets. He approached and my pulse began to rise. Loving him was now a curse. A beautiful, six-foot four curse, with a broad chest, rippling abs, and hypnotic eyes. A curse with the kind of lethal grace and unfathomable handsomeness that turned every girl in his vicinity into eye batting, giggling, annoying fools. A curse I’m irrevocably in love with in every way possible…but he doesn’t love me. He probably never will again.
“You look…well,” Thien broke the ice.
I willed my eyes to look at him. As hard as it would be, I made myself look at him. I could smell Qi all over him and knew he’d visited with her. He never once came to visit me.
“Thank you,” I forced a smile to my lips.
“How are you feeling?”
Horrible. Broken. Devastated. I felt like dying. I wanted to stop the constant ache in my heart but something told me it would probably follow me in death as well.
“Are you in love with Qi?” I asked. I didn’t want to make small talk or pretend like nothing happened. I wanted answers.
“Yes,” he nodded.
“And me? Do you still love me?” I asked.
Even if he hadn’t hesitated, part of me already knew the answer to my question. I guess I just wanted to hear him say it. “No,” he shook his head.
Tears formed in my eyes. This was fucking painful. I wanted to touch him, but I couldn’t. He didn’t want me to. I wanted to kiss him and I wanted him to hold me, but none of that was going to happen either. He was done.
“So what now?”
“What do you mean?” He frowned.
“Are you dissolving our union? Are you going to bind yourself to her?”
“You know I can’t. Qi isn’t royalty and my faction would never agree to a union between us.”
“Then what happens with that?” I asked.
What I really wanted to know is would I have to share you with her? Would I have to see her every day as a constant reminder of what I lost?
“I’m taking Qi on as a mistress.”
This time when I made eye contact it wasn’t hard. More punishment. He knew what taking her on as a mistress would do to me.
“Please, don’t do this to me,” I sulked, “Whatever you want me to do I’ll do it. Just…send her away.”
“I’m not going to do that.”
“Thien…” I tried not to sound as desperate as I felt.
“I said no,” he replied firmly, cutting me off.
“You may be over me, but I’m still in love with you Thien. Parading around here with Qi…with your mistress, will torture me.”
“Not if we stay out of each other’s way,” He replied, “Let me know what parties and festivities you want to attend and I’ll make sure we aren’t there. I’m pretty sure we can find other things to do with our time anyway.”
“We?” My stomach churned.
“Yeah. Qi and I.”
Again he delivered yet another blow to my heart. Thien was batting a thousand right now. “What about us? Will you visit me? Will you visit our chambers?” I asked.
“I’m here now, aren’t I?”
“You know what I mean,” my eyes snapped over to his.
“I don’t know,” he shrugged, “Why? Will you go running back to Noah if I don’t?”
“No. I just want to know how you plan to punish me for him.”
“I’m not punishing you,” he spat.
“Of course you are, and you have been for a while now. But it’s okay. You and Qi…as much as I love you, that’s okay too. Just come back to me. When you’re done being angry and you’re done making me suffer…come back to me.”
Thien started to speak when a loud explosion rippled through the building, throwing us both to the ground. We were both back on our feet in a matter of seconds. Thien sprinted for the door and I was right on his heels.
Out in the hall a giant hole had been blown into the side of the building. With a wave of his hand Thien put the wall back together. He stalked from room to room checking to see if anyone was hurt.
We found cowering servants, medics, and administrators, but no family and none of our team. Panic gripped me and I hurried for the front steps of the castle. It was there that I found Thien’s family and our team. They stared out beyond the castle gates where Noah, Gavin, and their army stood with Asher. An army of Angel’s had gone to confront them and slowly they all met their deaths.
Spheres of fire were coming from Asher’s palms as he walked towards us. He didn’t seem to recognize us. He didn’t seem aware of anything. There was just this blank stare on his face. Not Asher…Chaos. It’s starting.
“Aria,” Noah nodded to me as he and Gavin made his way through the fallen bodies over to the members of the Republic.
“That’s far enough,” I warned him, “I won’t let you harm them.”
“You’re not going to hurt me.”
He sounded so sure of himself. He took another step and I answered his step with a blade impaling his foot to the ground. Noah cried out in pain and his blood spurt out of the whole in his boot as I recalled my blade back to my hand.
“Every step will be answered with bloodshed. Every ounce of bloodshed will deplete your reserves. Depleted reserves will spell the end of you and it may not necessarily be at my hands,” I warned.
“Point taken.” Noah didn’t dare another step. Instead his eyes flicked over to Qi who stood glaring at him. “I see my consort is alive and well. I’m guessing I have you to thank for that,” Noah’s eyes flicked to Thien’s.
“No thanks to you she’s alive. But don’t bother exercising your right as her consort over her. I made sure her union with you has been dissolved.”
“Of course you have,” Noah scoffed, “Are you sure you don’t want to take me up on my offer to rule at my side?” His eyes slid to me.
“I think we both know it’s always been him,” I replied, ignoring the urge to look over at Thien.
“Even though he forsakes you?”
“Even if he were to take my life.”
“How’s our son?”
“He’s fine. He’s learning and growing. He’s wise beyond his years.”
“Enough of this,” Thien stepped forward, “The only way you’re getting to the Republic is by going through us.”
“All of us,” I added.
“I highly doubt that.” The smirk on Noah’s face made my skin crawl. He was up to something. Something neither of us saw coming. But what? “I’m bored with this conversation. Kill them.”
Noah’s men charge at us, and Thien pushed me behind him. He took on the front line while we caught anything that made it past him. Noah and Gavin were clever enough to keep back while we slaughtered their demons. They made a push hoping to drive us back, but it was in vein.
His thousands of soldiers were no match for us. Disappointed, Noah barked a command to Asher who began to approach us. Spheres of fire sparked in his hands and he shot them at us. A few of them collided into the ground and when they did, it shook our feet from under us. It cost us. Noah’s soldiers advanced, gaining ground and driving us back.
That’s when I noticed Asher setting his sights on Thien. Thien was so focused on the threat from the sky that he didn’t see the threat coming right at him on the ground. I was at least twenty feet away and had no idea if I would get to him in time, but I had to try.
That’s when I noticed Qi. She saw Asher too. Only I was the one running towards him to protect him. I slid in front of him just in time to deflect the sphere with a ray of light. Only I’d underestimated the amount of power contained within the sphere. It carved through my ray of light as if it weren’t there and struck me dead center.
It burned, my skin sizzled, and it felt like someone had taken a blowtorch to my insides. Warm liquid splattered my boots and I fell backwards. I grabbed my stomach only there was nothing there and when I looked down a hole the size of the sphere was present. He’d blown a hole through me, which meant…I turned in time to see Thien fall and then I collapsed beside him. The sphere of fire had gone through us both.
Footsteps. I heard footsteps approaching and then Noah stood over me. There was pain in his eyes. “Find my son!” He shouted.
Liquid filled my lungs. Blood. My blood. I strained to look at Thien who lay beside me, lifeless with his eyes blankly staring up at the sky. He couldn’t be dead. I’d rather him be alive to torture me rather than for him to be gone forever. I needed him to live. But he wasn’t moving.
Qi’s shrill cries for him filled the air. Warmth against my abdomen wasn’t enough to get my attention as I strained to touch Thien. I needed to know if his body was cold.
Warmth. He skin was warm. Still alive. Alive…not dead. Not yet. He was fading fast and if I didn’t do anything we were all going to die here. “Re…REAPER!” I shouted, hoping he could hear me.
I had no idea where they’d taken him. He could be dead for all I know. I just…handed him over. I trusted the Republic and handed him over.
Nothing. Silence. There was no sign of him anywhere and Asher stalked passed me hurling fire at my team. After seeing what happened to Thien and I they scattered, running to avoid his blows. Thien’s blood soiled the ground where he lay and I fought hard to stay conscious.
Several members of the Republic surrendered to Noah’s army, including my father. A collar was placed around their necks and they were taken away. Thien’s father wailed for him as he was dragged away. He dropped to his knees at one point only to be yanked back onto his feet by one of Noah’s men.
“Aria, you stupid…stupid girl. I gave orders for you not to be hurt. I never wanted this for you,” Noah cradled me in his arms, “Find my son!” He shouted to anyone who would listen.
Several of his men ran into Thien’s home and searched the vast castle for any sign of Reaper. My eyes were heavy now and my death dangled itself just out of reach. Something was keeping me tethered to this life.
I looked down at Noah’s glowing hands and realized he was pouring his strength in me to keep me alive.
“Don’t help me, help Thien!” I shouted at him, shoving him away from me.
“Qi is helping him.”
Mommy…
His voice was faint but more mature than I remembered. Deeper. Tears formed in my eyes. I hadn’t realized how much I missed him until this moment.
Mommy I’m coming…please hold on…
“Reaper should reach you before you expire,” Noah whispered to me, “ I know you don’t agree with my methods, but the magistrate must be taught a lesson. Don’t follow me. Don’t come for me.”
“You. Have. My. Father.”
“And I’ve spared you. All of you. Think about the family you have left.”
“Kill me. If you don’t and my father dies…I will come for you…and I will make you pay.”
Noah gently lay me down on the grass. He recalled his remaining men and they vanished just as quickly as they came. Several minutes later I felt two small hands grasping my face. “Mommy you’re hurt,” Reaper knelt over me with tears in his eyes.
“Help. Thien,” I commanded.
Reaper crawled over to Thien whose eyes were still vacant. Still lifeless. He waved his hand over Thien’s chest and the hole in his chest was gone. His flesh bound itself back together and he began to regenerate. I didn’t take my eyes off of him until his chest began to rise and fall. He gasped, taking in a breath and began to cough.
A smile spread across my face. He’s okay. He’s alive. Staring up at the sky with a smile on my face, I inhaled, taking my last breath.
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