The King's Remorse

Unbound - Jabez - Chapter 7 - Lost in the Current

Chapter 7

Lost in the Current

Grey leaves first with Alex right behind him, her hand on his shoulder. She feigns a lunge at a Guard who gets too close, flashing her teeth, though she remains in human form.

"Fuck off," she mutters.

Brook lingers, gently ushering Astra out of the Throne Room after a long look at me. I nod.

I'd made her promise to keep Astra safe all those years ago, when the Judge and the Justice ruled in favor of the King's false claims that Freedom and I were abusing Astra, claims made after I refused to let things stay the same after I realized what the King did in bringing me back to life. Freedom made her promise, too. Brook has kept that promise. She could've said no, could've quit, could've left instead of spending ninety years locked away. Instead, she protected Astra in a way neither I nor Freedom could've done.

She didn't have to but she still did anyway, and I'm eternally grateful. I want to keep Astra safe with my own power. I want to get to know her. But my own mistakes are still nipping at my paws, and I won't risk them biting at Astra too.

I can take it. I can take it. I can take it. She can't. She shouldn't have to learn how to like I did.

Ky stands and stares at the King for a long time. A thousand emotions swirl in his brown eyes. He remains still, ears pricked and fluffy tail held out behind him. He doesn't blink. Out of the corner of my eye, I see how the King doesn't either.

"We will be back," Ky says, "and when we return, we will not leave until we have gotten every bit of what we have come for. Farewell, cream puff. Remember that you had every opportunity to say no, to change your mind, and that you did neither. Remember that you brought this upon yourself. Remember that no one forced you into anything."

Ky watches him for a moment longer, before ducking out the door, swiping a paw at a Guard and taking out his knee. Phoenix remains, slowly creeping closer to the King. His head is low, level with his back, and his tail flicks.

Brook urges Astra toward the exit, coaxing her every step as she protests and continually looks back at me.

Go, I silently plead with Brook. She can't be here. You have to keep her safe. Please. Keep her safe like I cannot. I can make no promise about myself, but Astra has to be ok.

Brook inclines her head, ears drawn back, but she nods in another promise to do everything she can to keep Astra safe.

The snake bites down harder against my neck, and blood spills through my fur. I bite down on my tongue until the taste of rust fills my mouth. Astra's so close. She's almost out of the Throne Room. She has to get out. She has to leave. I grit my teeth, screwing my eyes shut and panting.

Astra's almost at the door. She's nearly at the door. She's nearly out. She's nearly away, somewhere the King is not. He never leaves the Amethyst Throne, so if she can just get away, then maybe she can get that much further. Brook had to make a portal to another world to keep Astra safe for ninety years, but if she can just get away maybe we can get just a little bit of time to figure something out.

The snake tightens its coils and jerks me back. My shoulder rolls beneath me as I move, and the open wound I'd clawed on my foreleg drags across the floor, sending searing pain shattering through my body. Every freshly broken nerve on the gash howls in unison, raw and split, screaming at a pain I know won't kill me. I'm not in danger, not from that little wound at least. I exhale through my gritted teeth, wrinkling my muzzle. It hurts, yes, but it's not life-threatening. Why does it hurt so much? Why don't the nerves understand?