A Kingdom of Bloodshed

*¬*Chapter Twenty Seven*¬*

One of the last things I should have told Kaz was that I loved him. I should have mentioned it when I saw him last. But there was never a good time. Something always stopped me. Maybe that's my problem. Maybe there never will be a good time and I should just say it anyways I should just tell him when I see him next.

But I don't know if I will see him next. The world around me is dark. Just a sea of blackness. Tender, soft, filled with endless silence. A silence that doesn't unnerve me. I could float in this ocean of black forever. It's so calm here. No one chasing me, no one trying to murder me or take some ancient crown to raise an old maniac. It's peaceful.

Althea. Someone whispers to me. Their voice sliding over my skin with ease.

My body floats towards the sound, arms waving through the dark water. I look around but there's not an ounce of colour anywhere. It's just black.

"Where are you?" I call out. My voice echoing throughout the space. I'm here. Letting my feet slip beneath the water, I turn myself around and see Myra staring back at me.

"Myra? How am I seeing you still? I thought you were gone for good." She smiles gently at me.

Thea, you need my help still. There's more to your past that you don't know and I need to tell you now before it's too late. I blink. What is she talking about?

"What do you mean? You've already told me everything." Myra sighs her head tilting back, hair spooling into the water.

Did you get the crown? I nod, "Yes I did. And I died trying to keep it safe." She laughs, Died? No darling, you simply exhausted yourself. You nearly depleted all your magic and in doing so you fell into a deep slumber. You'll wake up soon enough.

I'm really confused now.

"What?" Thea, we don't have much time for pleasantries so I'll cut to it. You need to keep the crown safe. To keep it away from Augustus and his gang. However I fear for your safety. I know he's planning something. Some great terrible evil is coming and I don't know if you'll be able to stop it.

"I thought Xavier was the great terrible evil?" He is, but without him Augustus isn't strong enough to take on both you and Kazimir. He needs something else to fuel his magic. He's going to call upon one of the greatest monsters this world has ever seen.

I shiver, "What is it?"

Myra bites her lips, her eyes darkening with uncertainty and fear. We called it Curseclaw. The Blood Demon. It was this terrible being of rage, fury, and wrath. It would devour innocents and drink the blood of anything that was in it's way. Curseclaw never showed mercy. It was greedy for strength and power; destroying villaging and stealing magic until it became so powerful that it took several High Lords to defeat it. To chain it down and hide it deep within the depths of Hell. There it has remained, waiting. Weakened but waiting and with Augustus aiming to call upon it; I fear this world is doomed. There will be a war; one that I don't think can be won. Curseclaw will not stop; he will ask for something of Augustus in return. There will be an exchange, but he will be under Augustus's control. Then, once he retrieves the crown from you; I know he'll waken Xavier. Then it'll be too late.

Her words leave ice through me. Chilling my bones and setting my veins ablaze. "I need to warn them. I need to go tell Kaz and the others." Myra smiles at me softly, her hands reaching for my face. I have so much more to tell you, but I know we'll see each other soon. Then she places a kiss to my forehead. When she pulls away the water begins to churn around us, a sudden wind blasting throughout this black eternity. "What's happening?"

Wake up Thea.

Faster, the water moves faster and begins to swirl around me. Taking me into a whirlpool. "Myra!" I shout. But she stays just out of reach, her eyes soft and glazed. Wake up.