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Kylo on the other hand, is sweating. Nervousness laces his movements. Why would my best friend look nervous. “What aren’t you telling me?” I challenge, searching each of their faces for answers. Anxiety grips them all. No one is going to tell me anything. Fine. I’ll figure it out anyways.

Walking over to Reign, I pull a chair up beside her bed. I watch her breathe, the gentle rise and fall of her chest reassuring me. Reaching out, I lightly grasp her hand, warm and soft beneath my touch. I inspect her wrists, searching for any signs of restraint.

She stirs, her bright eyes fluttering open. “Luke…” She breathes my name like a sigh of relief, her gaze taking in my bloodied form. A crease forms between her brows as she processes the sight. “Why are you covered in blood?”

“It is not my own. No need to worry.” I grin, leaning forward to brush her hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. She is so beautiful, so perfect. Then it hits me. She is too perfect… where is the wound above her brow?

“Reckless,” I say softly, grasping her hand in mine and rubbing my thumb over her knuckles. I hear her intake a shaky breath. She’s tense. Oh, Reckless, what did they do to you? “What healer touched you?”

She has never been good at covering her emotions. Not like me anyway. I see the apprehension slip up, then she tries to hide it. “I didn’t see a healer.” She chuckles, while pulling her hand back.

Sitting up straighter in my chair, my shadows start to leak out of me slowly, little tendrils, slithering around. “I am going to ask you once more—who healed you… and why?”

“She needs her rest, Luke,” Kylo says.

I slowly turn my head to the side, so Kylo can see half my face, and I glare at him. Slowly, I shake my head, so he knows to shut his mouth before I lose control.

“Reign?”

“Dola. She saw the wound on my head and healed it for me.” She gulps and rolls her bottom lip between her fingers.

“Oh Reckless, you should know by now not to lie to me. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.” I stand and look at Elm, Kylo, and my sister. “Someone tell me what the fuck happened. I won’t ask again.”

No one answers. Okay. I guess some persuasion is needed. Shadows burst out of me, twirling around the room. If someone doesn’t tell me in the next few seconds I am going to destroy the room.

Kylo steps forward. “Put them away, Luke.” He sighs. “Vanna?—”

“Don’t!” Reign yells, her voice trembling.

I can’t look at Reign. I know I am not going to like what I hear. “Go on.” I encourage him.

He looks at Reign, giving her an apologetic look. “Vanna had Reign whipped. She was going to have Raymon take her to the dungeons and let guards ‘have their way with her’. However, Lilyana convinced your father that the whipping was enough.”

Rage. Blind rage pulses through my veins. Shadows pour out of me. I hear James yelling, but I can’t make out the words. I storm out of there, my shadows are angrily whipping around me, ripping canvases and sconces off the wall as I stomp past. Let my father and Vanna see the monster they helped create. Let them see the monster within me, the night terror I am, the cold-hearted killer they molded.

Each step I take toward the throne room quakes with malice, making the candles’ flames cower back and die down. Bursting through the doors, I shoot shadows out everywhere. I slam Raymon into the wall. I layer my shadows so thick, he can’t even use his magic.

“You whipped her!” I growl, while looking at my father, then Vanna.

Vanna stands, a stern look on her face. I shake my shadow from side to side, in front of her face, like a finger telling her not to do whatever it is she is thinking.

“Lukene… think! Think about what you’re doing.” James yells as he runs in behind me, lightning crackling around his wrists and hands. Knowing James, the thunder is for if I need him to use it, but it will look like he is trying to stop me. Smart. Cunning.

“If you hurt him, I will kill your little Drifter, Lukene. I will make her suffer greatly before I kill her. I will torture that boy toy of hers, Elm. I will make her watch everything. Then, I’ll kill her slowly.” Vanna smiles.

“Lukene, stand down,” My father demands, the words bellowing from his chest.

“Vanna.” I sinisterly smile. “If you try to take her from me, like you took my throne, I will kill you. I vow right here, right now, that I will end you.” I swirl my shadows around her. Her eyes don’t give anything away, but her fingers are slightly trembling.

I feed off her fear. I revel in it. Bringing in a deep breath, I make my shadow into a whip and lash Raymon across the face, splitting it from his left eye to the right side of his lower jaw. He screams out, and the sweet melody fills my blackened soul with sinful joy.

“Touch him again, and I swear… I swear, Lukene, she is done for,” Vanna yells, her face now reddened with pure anger.

“If you want me to continue to be the Commander of the guards, or if you want me to do your biddings, or take over other kingdoms… you will drop this thing you have against Reign. If anything happens again, Vanna,” I fill my lungs with air, cocking my head to the side, and smile a wide smile as I say, “I will bury this kingdom in shadows. I will bring it all down. My legacy will be that I toppled the great kingdom of Umbrahdor.”

I pour more magic out of me, blocking out almost every ray of light in the room. My shadows twirl around the room, rapid like a hellstorm. They create wind so furious it blows her hair all around, sending cups and whatever else they have in the room flying. “Do not touch her again. This is my first and final warning.” My voice is cold, like death itself.

With that, I suck in all my power. Raymon immediately drops to the floor with a huge thud, while the light seems to shine brightly now, making my father and Vanna squint.