Having survived the River, Akara wakes alone, and with a decision to make.
Find Marek, the mysterious hunter who saved her life through deception and lies?
Or find Taius, the King, who's lies are coming to the surface.
And through the decision on...
I stare up at Zavian's manor, releasing a long, slow breath.
Tai's mother and I have come to quite the conclusion on our plan, and I think it is going to work. And once it does, I'm getting as far away from the Jade Province as I can, and I'm not going to look back. But first, I need to bring everyone else onto this.
"Anybody home?" I call out as I step out into the foyer. My voice echo's, like the place is almost entirely empty.
That is, until I turn to see Zavian rushing toward me.
"Akara...You're alive." He grabs me in a hug, before holding me back so he can check over me, like he doesn't believe I'm actually standing here. I giggle at his reaction, never having seen him so relieved before.
"Of course I'm alive, Zavian. You really thought I was dead?" I question. It doesn't even feel like I've been gone that long, and for some reason, I didn't think about what everyone would think in my absence. I figured Marek may be panicked, but I'm obviously a fool for not considering anyone else.
"It's been five days. Where were you?"
I frown, startled. "It's been five days? Time has slipped by me..."
"Akara. What happened?" Zavian demands.
"It's a long story. One that I cannot telling you until Marek is here also," I tell him. Everyone needs to hear it so we all know how to proceed. I don't think Marek is going to be particularly happy with the ultimate idea, but it's the best one we have had in awhile, and shouldn't include anymore people having to die.
"He is in the forest, hunting for you. He has been since you went missing," Zavian explains, gesturing out the door. I look out toward the dark forest, as if my thoughts alone could summon Marek back to me.
"He hasn't come back?" I ask softly. I feel terrible.
"No. He said if he dies out there, he truly doesn't care," he exclaims. I sigh. Clearly Marek isn't taking this well, but I suppose had he gone missing like that, I wouldn't be acting reasonably either until he was within my sights again.
"You need to call him back," I insist.
Zavian nods. "I'll send someone."
"Where is Tai?" I ask, looking around. The thought of him having free reign around here while I've been gone is a strange thought. I wouldn't be surprised if Zavian told me that Marek got irritated by his presence and killed him.
"In prison. A man came forward, as per your friend's prompting, allowing us to lock him up," Zavian explains. I let out a long breath. That's exactly what we need.
"Perfect. That's perfect." I run a hand down my forehead, finally feeling like everything is falling into place. "I need to go speak to him."
"You've just returned from who knows where, and you wish to speak to him?" Zavian questions, frowning. He probably wouldn't mind if Tai spent the rest of his life down in that prison to rot, but our time is still limited. At any point, the people in Tai's territory could get restless and demand their King returns to his position.
"It's all part of the plan," I tell him assuredly.
"What plan?"
"I'll tell you soon, Zavian. I promise!" I tell him, rushing off through the manor.
The cells are kept right in the depths of the manor, and are far well kempt then what Tai's were in his. He doesn't deserve to be in any good conditions at the moment, however as I reach the far cell, seeing him hunched against the wall looking forlorn and lost does satisfy a place deep inside me.
He barely looks up at me as I crouch down in front of the cell, stuffing his head into his hands. "Seems you're winning, Akara."
"Winning? Is this a game?"
"You never wanted to marry me. You must be very pleased," he mutters, finally raising his head. He looks so hurt I would feel sorry for him, were it not for everything he has done. It's like he is finally paying for what he did to his brother.
I fold my arms over my chest. "I am, actually."
"Of course." He rolls his eyes, twisting his shoulder so his back is facing me. I'm not about to step away now, to give him his space.
"The power got to your head, Tai. It's why you killed your brother, and chased your mother away," I exclaim. Even though I'm probably wasting my breath, I want him to know why I'm doing this. It's not that I want to be specifically cruel to him, even if the desire is definitely there, I just want him to see how unhinged he has become.
"Do you expect me to sound regretful?" he asks spitefully. I swallow uncomfortably. This is going to be harder than I thought.
"I was hoping so."
"I'm not redeemable," he mutters, releasing a long breath. I roll my eyes. Am I really sitting here listening to Tai give himself all the self-pity in the world.
"You're just saying that, Tai," I tell him, waiting for him to turn his attention back to me, but he doesn't move. "You think to hold your power, you need to be pure evil. You don't. You're not your father."
Tai whirls around, and the anger in his eyes strikes me straight in the chest. "Don't compare me to him!"
"Then stop acting like him, and I will."
He digs his hands into his hair, knocking his head back against the concrete wall in frustration. "I've fucked up, Akara. Really bad."
"You have. And you can remedy it," I tell him softly, trying to coax him into my trap. I don't want him to die, and his mother has made it clear to me that if he doesn't behave, that will be his fate. It doesn't matter what I feel about him, he doesn't deserve to die. But that doesn't mean I'm not hoping he faces some kind of punishment.
"Why? So I can watch you and Marek live happily? I refuse," he growls, like the very thought of it makes him want to be sick all over the grimy prison floor.
I swallow uncomfortably, knowing it's a sensitive topic for him that I can't push too far without getting an explosive reaction from him. "Just because you and I did not work out, does not mean you won't be happy one day."
"How can I? I've done more terrible things than you could ever imagine," Tai sighs, waving his hand around to encompass all these so called 'terrible things.'
"I know what you've done, and what you plan to do," I say.
"If I don't set off this weapon, the war will continue to rage," he insists, moving closer toward the cell door. I don't move from where I crouch. Partially because I don't want him to see that he still makes me uneasy, and also because I can hardly feel my legs anymore.
"The war is not your burden." The true King that rules over all the lands should be dealing with this, not him.
He shakes his head, his expression suggesting he thinks I'm nothing but stupid for contesting him. "Say if I don't allow the weapon to be entirely completed, then what? You won't let me go back to ruling anyway."
"I'm certain there is a better life out there for you," I say quietly.
For a long moment, he just sits and stares at the far wall, before he finally turns to me again, a strange smile upon his face. "There are a few last acts of revenge that need to happen before I can be inflicted by whatever your plan is."
"Marek..." Dread, thick and cold consumes me. He's going to set off the poison and it's going to kill Marek before we get a chance to find an antidote.
He winks. "Your true lover awaits."
Turning, I sprint for the stairs. I don't exactly know what I can do, but I need to see Marek, whether it's to make sure he is okay or to say goodbye.
Sure enough, he is upstairs with Zavian as I come running around the corner, nearly colliding with the both of them. Marek is standing, alive, but that doesn't mean it's actually going to last for very long.
"Are you okay?" I question, grabbing at his arms then patting all across as if to ensure he is real and truly.
He frowns, looking down at me. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Marek," I dismiss. "Do you feel ill?"
Marek blinks, brushing my hair back from my face. "Tired. I've been out in the forest looking for you. What happened-"
"I fear Tai may have set off whatever poison is inside you," I tell him frantically. Why wouldn't he? I've gone against him by putting him in that prison, breaking our initial deal. How he did it all locked up is beyond me, but if anyone could do that, it would be Tai.
"He hasn't. I feel fine," Marek assures me gently, although I'm not convinced. One minute he could be standing here, find and looking as perfect as he always does, and the next moment he could be gone...
"You're certain?"
"Akara. He is just trying to get into your head." He pulls me into a hug. Leaning my head against his chest, I let out a calm breath, hearing his heart beat steadily beneath his ribs.
"But who else would he want to enact revenge upon?" I mumble.
"Vaia?" Marek guesses.
I pull away from him. "Vaia..."
With Marek on my tail, we run frantically up the stairs to Vaia's guarded room. The two guards standing at her door don't stop us as we barge in.
I already knew what I was going to see, having conjured up images in my head the entire run up here. But seeing it in person is a whole different type of horrifying.
Vaia lays on the floor, blood dripping from her open mouth.
Marek stoops down, pressing his fingers against her neck to check her pulse before looking up at me grimly. "She's dead."
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You will find it under King's Possession Season Three!!
