A Kingdom of Bloodshed

*¬*Chapter Thirty Four*¬*

I hate this place. This realm of in-between. There's only darkness here. No light, no pockets of hope. Just silence and shadows. If I have to live here for the rest of my life I'll go mad. I'd probably die of insanity.

Thankfully, I'm not stuck here for long. When the world begins to shift and crack, when light begins to splinter through the ceiling and walls shining beams of sunshine through the swirling dark, I know that I'm about to enter my world again.

I don't fight it this time. I don't fight at all.

I just let it happen. Allowing the universe to shift and change once again. When I'm back inside myself, my brain now working as my own, my soul resting behind my ribs and heart; that's when I breathe. Releasing the smallest puffs of air.

It's cold. That's the first thing I notice. It's cold here and I can hear rain.

I'm not in the same tent as before, in fact I'm not even in a tent. No the walls here are stone and so is the floor.

There's a beam in the middle of the room and chains hanging from a link in the ceiling above it. This room is familiar. I've been here before.

It's chilly and smells of mildew but the pounding of rain far above can still be heard. Am I underground? What the hell happened after we left the prison?

A door creaks open at the far end of the room. Wooden. Old. Iron hinges and handle. Made to keep fae in.

"Oh good you're awake." I know that voice. Augustus slips into the room, his gloved hands slipping into his pockets after closing the door. "I guess you're wondering what happened after we left Purgatory? Well I brought you back to Nefaris. We are not in the same prison I held you in before. No this one is older. Ancient. Buried deep beneath the mountain in the ruins of a temple called Seeker. Not very original but I didn't come up with the name." He chuckles as if he finds this amusing, maybe he does. He's psychotic enough to believe anything.

"Anywho, this is the only solid remaining cell that used to be held within that temple. This is the room where answers were found whether peacefully or not. In fact, you may recognize it because as history tells me, your ancestor and mine both resided here. Xavier had Myra locked up in here and chained or tortured for information until she managed to escape."

That's why I recognize this room. Myra was here. I've been here, in my visions. I saw her here. This is where I first discovered the Blood Crown and my history. My past. Or at least a part of it.

Slowly rising to my feet, I meet Augustus's stare and ask, "Why am I here then? Why this room?" He smiles at me, "Because Althea, this is where I will raise Xavier and separate Curseclaw from your body. I need all three of you in your own forms to take over the world. It's going to be painful, the separation, but it's needed. As for the resurrection, do as you're told and it'll be easy."

Snarling at him I cross my hands over my chest, "You honestly think I'm going to make this easy for you?" He laughs, "No. But I fully expect it which is why we are in this room. I'll torture you if I have to and this time there is no one to come and save you. You're alone Thea. Completely alone."

The explosion flashes before my eyes. Seeing their bodies, the carnage. The reek of death. But it was all fake. Somehow that was all staged and they're alive. Somewhere out there my family is alive and coming to get me. This war is approaching and there's nothing we can do to stop it.

Staying silent I ignore Augustus, knowing my silence irks him more than if I reacted to his words. On cue, he grumbles and takes his hands out of his pockets, strides for the door, opens it and calls for Reese.

My stomach plunges. This is happening. He's a fool. The separation could quite possibly kill you in the process. No matter, I'll be here to devour his soul after this war is over.