Darkest Hours (MGL series Book 2)

Chapter 48

"Th-Thorne? A Thorne?" Alder gasped in surprise when his eyes met Madonna's resentful ones. When the bright flash of anger and despise hit him from Madonna's eyes was when he gulped down the fear that was slowly forming inside him.

Devil! The Thorne kin had a daughter?!

"Orla dear," Alder tumbled towards Orla "Dear, your good friend does not have a daughter. I'm afraid Madonna is an imposter." Alder spoke with desperacy as he hurried to Orla. He was just hoping, hoping for Orla to confirm him of his accusation.

He just wanted to know that Madonna was indeed not a Thorne.

"But I am, Alder. I am a Thorne, daughter and sister of people you slaughtered so cruelly." Madonna responded in a casual manner as she took slow steps towards the quivering Alder.

Is he afraid of death? Nay, but he was instead scared of staying alive at the Thorne's mercy. He could the fire that lit the eyes of the young witch. Those eyes silently promised him a hell on the mortal land.

Without thinking much, Alder waved his hand around summoning his warriors to shield him and fight the approaching disaster. The warriors and Lords with Alder's support who were just standing there and watching the opera reacted and moved forward but one glare from Madonna froze them from moving any further.

The people over there knew of the power Thorne has and supported by Lucius, they would certainly be dead so they made no move to shield Alder anymore.

"All right. How about I take the chance of narrating a tale? Before I make your remaining life a living hell, I wish to what exactly is going on." Fina stepped beside Madonna and held her hand affectionately.

Fina's gaze caught Madonna's and when got a nod from her, Fina got a small nod from Orla as well.

"Long ago, many years back, there was a man, a Lord who was a very caring and charming man. He was not just a great Lord but he was as well a good husband and father. Such a good man, isn't he?" Fina posed.

"But it all changed one day. For no apparent reason, the caring person had changed. He got greedy for power and started killing to secure the prowess he wanted. There was no one who could stand between him and his desire. On the way to fulfill his motive, he went as far to offend many powerful people and ruined much more than he should have. He made people for himself; he got stronger day after day until one day he was completely consumed by the darkness." Fina continued with a deep scowl forming on her face.

Seeing how it was affecting her, Lucius stood beside Fina and wrapped an arm around her shoulder in an affectionate brotherly way. Madonna felt a lump forming in her throat when reminisces of the troubles her kin, Fina and herself went through all because of Alder.

Madonna knew how suffocated Fina's life had been in the name of her safety. How she wished for freedom every other moment; how she always wanted to explore the world outside the woods; how she wished to live with a family of her own, she knew everything.

When Lucius saw Fina in trance of her own sad reminisces, he took it upon himself to continue. This was it, he knew it. Lucius knew it was just the matter of showing the mirror of harsh reality to Alder and end the lives of remaining insignificant warriors so they could finally rest in peace.

All the while the major obstacle in their mission was Noll, but now that he was already dead, they have no more reasons to be guarded.

"The man, in the sightlessness of having more and more power for himself, he had not just killed and tormented others but also forced women to carry his offspring who were destined to have a dark soul like his. That was how Noll came into existence. He forced himself on a lowly nymph and when she finally gave him a son, he killed her so he could have all the privileges on the son." Lucius snickered.