King's Cage [Completed]

Chapter Forty-Five

Jon

I send 20 soldiers after Kyra, but to no avail. I made sure that they had directions to not leave a stone unturned. She's been missing for over 36 hours. Where could she be hiding? I tear my hair, pacing the room. Her, alone with two guards. She is only sixteen years old. She doesn't know anything about boys and how cruel they can be. I will not allow her to fall in love. She will not be hurt in that way. Only I may cause her pain. I am her father, I make the rules.

Her mother was too gentle. Her brother, too small to know anything, was an accident. A careless mistake on my part. He was never supposed to be alive in the first place. My killing him was just a way of fixing my mistake.

But the past isn't helping the future. Kyra is still gone. I will finally be able to go after her in just a few minutes.

I stare at the timer that holds back the bomb destined to destroy the Scarlet Guard. I couldn't leave Maven alone here, able to disarm the thing. He relies too much on his feelings. But there is no way he will be able to stop it now.

The timer gets closer to zero and I am able to leave with a clear conscience. I grab my bag from the floor and head out the door to find my daughter.

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♥

Cal

We decide to take it slow. We could have exhausted Shade and had him jump us all one by one, but we wanted time to formulate a plan. So, two days after we left, we are only about 20 miles away from camp. But to me, it's far enough. I can't stand the walls that confine me there anymore. I need to be out doing something for Mare. Anything.

After stopping for the night, I sit next to Kilorn. Once, I wasn't able to do this without cringing, but I think now we are okay. For awhile, neither of us talk. We just watch the flames of the fire dance and try to block out the voices around us. I break twigs between my fingers into tiny pieces.

"I thought I loved her like you do." Kilorn finally breaks the silence, and I almost choke on air. He talks so quietly, I lean in to hear him better. "But it's not that kind of love. Mine runs deeper. I watched her grow up. I feel... protective over her. Like nothing in the world is allowed to touch her." He takes a deep breath and I wait to see if I should say something, but he continues. "I'm glad she has you, though. I've never seen her... cling to something so desperately before. She doesn't need anybody, really. She loves them enough. But I can see that she needs you."

Kilorn looks back to the fire and I can see the reflection of it in his eyes. I stare straight ahead.

"Thank you." I say, quietly. "I won't let her down."

His silence is all the assurance I need that we could possible be friends now. But very soon it breaks. With a boom.

Everyone is on their feet looking in the direction we came from. Even from miles and miles away we can see the explosion, and the shock shakes us. The ground vibrates, barely, but enough to let us know that nothing is going to be the same again.

I look at Shade and see the fear in his face, his body, his eyes. I know he's about to move, so I quickly grab a hold of his hand and I jump with him.

When we appear at the edge of the Guard's camp, Shade falls to his knees.

The entire place is wiped out. The water around the island is completely black with ashes and buildings and... people. There is no noise. Just a ringing in our ears.

Everything is destroyed. Everything is gone.

But the thing that crushes me the most is the sound of Shade's agonizing cry.

♥

Mare

I guess I expected to become as big as a house as soon as I found out I was pregnant. Obviously, I know that this isn't how it works. I just feel like I need that bump, those marks, to believe that I really am having a baby. This is my body, I should know... But. What if this is another one of Maven's tricks? Another one of his lies. He knows I wouldn't put this baby in danger, and therefore put myself in harm's way. I can't try to escape. I can't allow myself to get on Maven's bad side. This baby has already miraculously survived the war this long. I will not risk his life again. Or her. However that turns out.

What kind of ability will the child have? Lightning? Fire? Both? None? Anything could happen with the red and silver blood that runs through it's veins.

Silver blood.

Cal.

He might not know. He might just assume that Maven gave me this baby. The thought makes me sick. I'm only glad that we found out so soon after the wedding, for Maven assumes that I am too delicate for some activities...

All activities, actually. Maven has prohibited me from any "queenly business," which is fine with me. I never wanted to be queen. I just wanted what's best for my people. But it does make things difficult. I can't read any important documents. I'm unable to overhear conversations either. I can only wander the palace or sit in our room all day. Maven finally got tired of spending every free second with me. He's used to my constant presence. We've gotten so far from trying to kill each other; from torturing each other. He doesn't hate me with a passion anymore. I can see his love; his desperation for comfort.

That doesn't mean that I wouldn't slit his throat in his sleep. Or cage him like an animal. If still enjoy to watch him suffer greatly. Burn him like he's burned me. Betray him like he's betrayed everyone.

My thought of torture are cut short when my dear husband surprises me with a visit.

"Mare." His voice shakes.

I look at him from where I live on our bed. His hair is messy and he's a white as a sheet. Paler than your usual Silver.

"Maven?" I say, concerned. Not for him. But if he's coming to me with a serious problem, it's terribly strange.

Slowly, he walks toward me. His suit is crumbled, and I can hear it move with every step he takes.

"I'm sorry." He gasps. "I'm so sorry."

An act, I'm sure. Maven could never feel guilt. It's a foreign emotion to him.

"What happened?" I demand.

Maven won't look me in the eye any longer. "Somehow... there was a bomb placed underground. And somehow it was triggered. The-the whole placed was destroyed. No survivors."

"Where?" I ask, too many scenarios running through my head.

"Scarlet Guard Headquarters."

I'm sorry I was gone so long. Well, it felt like forever to me. I hope you loooove this. Next, I'm doing Kyra's POV but I want to start from the moment when she left the tower, so the end will be basically the same as this chapter. Is that okay with you guys? 💙💙💚💚💜