My Slave King

35 : Sacrifice Of A Valuable Life

35 : Sacrifice Of Valuable Life

"This would hardly be a fair fight. They cannot defeat us." Edmund stated to Cassius who nodded.

RightNow, Cassius was still blinded by rage to decipher his surroundings. He just could not swallow the fact that Xena is dead and Stephen might be too.

Cassius had sent a letter, claiming war to lord Christopher - giving him enough time to prepare.

And while Cassius was getting ready for battle himself, lord Christopher ran to the witches for help. He knew that Cassius would come to know it was a lie real soon so he had to do something else.

Prince Aries accompanied lord Christopher to the witches. They were seated in a tent together with an old witch in front of them.

"Give me something that gives me strength equal to 100 swifters. I will do anything." What he demanded was a lot. Is power equal to 100 swifters?

Was he mad?

One swifter had the power of hundred men - was it even possible that lord Christopher could get that strong?

"Please. I will give you a lot of money." The Lord pleaded and the witch glanced at Prince Aries who look nonchalant.

"A sacrifice of valuable life and you will have the power of 50 swifters." The power of 50 swifters was enough but A valuable life? Where was Lord Christopher supposed to get that? A life that was valued.

Lord Christopher suddenly got an idea and a smug look was achieved on his face.

"Prince Aries, could you give us a minute." Prince Aries nodded and limped out of the tent, not knowing that he was going to be sacrificed that very next hour.

Lord Christopher had decided to sacrifice Prince Aries without him knowing. The witch agreed to sacrifice Prince Aries since he was a valuable person in his kingdom.

Lord Christopher would go to every extent in order to defeat Cassius once and for all. Even if it involved sacrificing a Prince from another kingdom.

And then, he would take Xena with him and probably marry her since now Prince Aries was out of the way.

Xena was at the very moment being prepared for food. Red Indians were going to devour Stephen and Xena.

"What are we going to do?" Xena cried and Stephen sighed. Stephen had promised to bring Xena back, not becoming a meal to a dozen red Indians.

"We are going to escape, that's what." And just like that, Stephen broke his ropes and then turned around to break Xena's too who was hyperventilating.

When the snap of ropes was heard by the red Indians, they had picked their spades and prepared to attack.

"Go Go Go!" Stephen shouted and Xena managed to lift her dress and run barefoot across the land with Stephen running in tow.

Spades were thrown behind them and Stephen stopped to fight them.

"Keep running and don't look back!" Xena obeyed and kept looking forward as she ran while Stephen threw the spades back at the red Indians.

Xena kept running until she saw a hill with a dead-end below which was a large water body. Xena was about to stop only an inch away from the fall until she decided to trip from her large bridal gown and to her death.

Xena survived the witches, her uncle, and the red Indians but then dies from tripping. That would be insulting and that thought alone made Xena come back to her senses and scream for her life.

She was right now falling from the hill so high and there was no one to save her. No Cassius to save her this time and since Stephen himself did not have wings, she was a lost cause.

"Xena!" Stephen shouted and without thinking also jumped off the hill and towards Xena. Xena's arms flailed in the air and Stephen tried to reach her with one hand out towards her as he fell face first.

"Come on, Come on, Come on!" He mumbled to himself and finally, he got a hold of Xena's finger that was also trying to reach his hand.

Stephen immediately pulled her to his chest and tried to think of something.

Something happened.

Gold wings sprouted from behind Stephen and their fall immediately ceased.

Xena was crying in his chest, waiting to embrace the fall any second now but when there was no ground, she opened her eyes to see they were up in the air.

"Stephen! Your wings!" Xena exclaimed and Stephen looked at her with happiness oozing from every inch. A tear slid down his cheek.

A tear of happiness.

"My wings are back!"

Cassius was dressed in some sweatpants with a bare chest. He was dressed so casually as if he was going to sleep and not war. Sadly, he had no idea what was going to happen. What was waiting for him at his destination?

"Karen, I would require your assistance," Cassius told the witch who nodded.

"Of Course." This was the first witch that Cassius did not hate. He actually liked her, she wasn't like the others and always delivered good news.

"Also, I had teleported Killian back to his house." That was what Cassius meant by the bearer of good news.

But the fire still burned bright inside Cassius's chest - he had lost her even before he had her. He was feeling something he had only felt for his family. The feeling to protect and keep close but he failed.

Cassius raised his hand to his neck and gripped the necklace he had given to Xena that now rested around his neck.

"Finally the revenge I desired." But what others did not know was that Cassius was planning to annihilate humans from the face of the world for taking Xena away from him.

Not for his kind but for Xena.

After defeating Lord Christopher for his kind and parents, he would kill every human for ruining everything for him.

For blaming his kind for the things he did not do, for killing many of his kind and his parents, and for taking his family and Xena away from him.

This was the revenge that he desired.

...
He always had to forget what he desired because of his kind - for their betterment but now it was time he got what he desired.

What he wanted his whole life between humans.
I hope you are enjoying the book up until now.
Stephen got his wings back - war is coming up.
Plus, he thinks Xena is dead, a big surprise is coming for him. What do you think the end will be?

P R O Q U E E N