just influence in the Orenian palace.
Sona wanted the world.
Something dripped onto her forehead. She looked up at the ceiling. Blood was splattered and pooled everywhere. She hadn’t shown mercy to even the lowliest scullery maid. She wiped the blood with the back of her hand, smearing it across her pale, white, forehead.
This is what I’ve become, she thought. Death is my best friend.
“Sona?”
Sona tensed at the unexpected voice.
“Is that you?”
Sona turned around and looked blankly at Claus, her grandfather—the last member of her family. She had once thought of him as a friend.
He looked weak, his skin hanging off his face. Just another Tryan affected by Wexcyn’s devastating plague. His bloodshot eyes looked on in horror as he noticed the carnage all around her. Dismembered bodies littered the floor.
“What’s happened here?”
Sona didn’t speak. She slowly crossed the room towards him. Claus reached out for her, as if to embrace her.
She almost felt sad.
Almost.
It didn’t even cross his mind that she was the monster that he feared. To him, she was still that sweet little girl who used to beg him for sugar cubes meant for the horses. In the darkness of the large front room, he couldn’t see that she was soaked in blood. Her black leather concealed the evidence.
Claus met her blue eyes and she cringed. His tear ducts were bleeding red tears.
He’s crying . Why?
Such an emotion seemed odd to her. Did he actually care about those people she had slain? They had always treated him like nothing more than the servant that he was. Perhaps seeing what she had become saddened him.
She raised an arm to hug his neck. With one touch, he was hers. He melted into her arms.
Charm was funny that way.
She sighed. It was better for Claus to feel something similar to love in his last moment.
He smiled at her, rubbing her smooth cheek as he had so often when she was a child.
“Good bye, Claus,” she whispered reaching for one of the swords secured to her back.
It glowed green with her touch. With a single, powerful, swipe, Sona sliced his head off.
Claus’s head fell, and his body followed.
Sona looked down at his body. He was the last. She could feel the power of her ancestors pass onto her. Centuries of Tryan knowledge and skills radiated through her. She was the last of the Rochfort clan—a Legacy.
Her Charm and the powers of her entire clan would be unstoppable.
Her smile stretched across her pale face. One chapter of her life had ended, and now, another more ruthless and unforgiving one would begin
“IT’S NEVER LASTED THIS LONG.” Queen Aria stood on her covered balcony watching the storm rage on, its waves looking more like a wall of water prepared to crash into her castle.
The waves of the sea roiled and crashed along the silver rocks behind the Orenian palace that hovered in the sky, hundreds of feet above land.
She looked on in horror. The waves were higher than she’d ever seen. She feared that they might actually reach the palace.
“Are you seeing this, Yoska?”
“I’m sure it’ll pass.” Yoska’s white wings reflected the light of the moon as he flew to the balcony and stood on the stone railing. “I do find it odd that I didn’t encounter the storm until I reached Oren.”
“Is Oren the only kingdom affected by this storm?”
“I can’t say for sure. But, it does seem that way. I’d have to go investigate to be certain.”
“What is happening?” She turned to walk back into her bedroom, and Yoska followed. He flew past her and landed on her plush red lounge chair.
“What did Liam say when you went to him?” Aria wrapped a soft, blanket around her shoulders and pulled her legs under her.
“After I told him about the girl being The Flame, his determination was
Sona wanted the world.
Something dripped onto her forehead. She looked up at the ceiling. Blood was splattered and pooled everywhere. She hadn’t shown mercy to even the lowliest scullery maid. She wiped the blood with the back of her hand, smearing it across her pale, white, forehead.
This is what I’ve become, she thought. Death is my best friend.
“Sona?”
Sona tensed at the unexpected voice.
“Is that you?”
Sona turned around and looked blankly at Claus, her grandfather—the last member of her family. She had once thought of him as a friend.
He looked weak, his skin hanging off his face. Just another Tryan affected by Wexcyn’s devastating plague. His bloodshot eyes looked on in horror as he noticed the carnage all around her. Dismembered bodies littered the floor.
“What’s happened here?”
Sona didn’t speak. She slowly crossed the room towards him. Claus reached out for her, as if to embrace her.
She almost felt sad.
Almost.
It didn’t even cross his mind that she was the monster that he feared. To him, she was still that sweet little girl who used to beg him for sugar cubes meant for the horses. In the darkness of the large front room, he couldn’t see that she was soaked in blood. Her black leather concealed the evidence.
Claus met her blue eyes and she cringed. His tear ducts were bleeding red tears.
He’s crying . Why?
Such an emotion seemed odd to her. Did he actually care about those people she had slain? They had always treated him like nothing more than the servant that he was. Perhaps seeing what she had become saddened him.
She raised an arm to hug his neck. With one touch, he was hers. He melted into her arms.
Charm was funny that way.
She sighed. It was better for Claus to feel something similar to love in his last moment.
He smiled at her, rubbing her smooth cheek as he had so often when she was a child.
“Good bye, Claus,” she whispered reaching for one of the swords secured to her back.
It glowed green with her touch. With a single, powerful, swipe, Sona sliced his head off.
Claus’s head fell, and his body followed.
Sona looked down at his body. He was the last. She could feel the power of her ancestors pass onto her. Centuries of Tryan knowledge and skills radiated through her. She was the last of the Rochfort clan—a Legacy.
Her Charm and the powers of her entire clan would be unstoppable.
Her smile stretched across her pale face. One chapter of her life had ended, and now, another more ruthless and unforgiving one would begin
“IT’S NEVER LASTED THIS LONG.” Queen Aria stood on her covered balcony watching the storm rage on, its waves looking more like a wall of water prepared to crash into her castle.
The waves of the sea roiled and crashed along the silver rocks behind the Orenian palace that hovered in the sky, hundreds of feet above land.
She looked on in horror. The waves were higher than she’d ever seen. She feared that they might actually reach the palace.
“Are you seeing this, Yoska?”
“I’m sure it’ll pass.” Yoska’s white wings reflected the light of the moon as he flew to the balcony and stood on the stone railing. “I do find it odd that I didn’t encounter the storm until I reached Oren.”
“Is Oren the only kingdom affected by this storm?”
“I can’t say for sure. But, it does seem that way. I’d have to go investigate to be certain.”
“What is happening?” She turned to walk back into her bedroom, and Yoska followed. He flew past her and landed on her plush red lounge chair.
“What did Liam say when you went to him?” Aria wrapped a soft, blanket around her shoulders and pulled her legs under her.
“After I told him about the girl being The Flame, his determination was
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