Page 134 of A Monarch's Fall

“Calm, calm,” Father shouted.

Then, suddenly, I saw nothing but white, and it felt like I was physically shoved and then suspended in time, with no direction, no up or down.

As suddenly as the sensation hit me, it was replaced by a sharp ringing sound that I could not tell whether it was internal or external. I was aware that I was on my side. I opened my eyes, and smoke and haze filled my vision. The ringing gave way to wails and screams and quick gunfire.

I pushed myself to my knees and struggled to stand. My legs felt numb, and my balance was off.

“Selene!” I heard Rylan call for me, but I couldn’t see him through the fog and falling debris.

“I’m here!” I called back through the cacophony of noise.

I was shoved off my feet by another deafening blast that sent me flying backwards.

It took me longer the second time to get to my feet. The smell of smoke filled the air, and I coughed as I tried to reorient myself. I had no idea which direction I was facing, where the exits were.

Several people pushed their way past me, barely standing, bleeding, confused and screaming. I watched as one woman was hit by a stray bullet at an upward angle at the base of her skull; her head exploded on impact.

“Rylan,” I shouted and made my way in the direction I thought he might be.

I stumbled over tables, chairs, and chandelier debris, and what I knew were pieces of people closer to the explosions.

I tripped over something and looked back to see the hand of Lord Halkias clutching at my foot.

“Selene,” he sputtered, drops of red spattering against my shoe.

“Lord Halkias,” I scrambled to him, taking his hand in mine. His white hair was dark grey from dust, and the wooden flooring of the ballroom was splintered around him. “I will get you help,” I told him. It was a lie to soothe him. His face was pale, all colour drained from him, and I could not stay to help him. He smiledgratefully and closed his eyes. I didn’t know if he was conscious when I got back to my feet and continued. I thought that perhaps I was heading in the correct direction, given where the royal table had been located.

“Rylan,” I called, though I was sure it was useless, that he would not hear me above the fighting and cries of pain and for help.

“Selene?” I heard my father call for me. “Selene!” he shouted more desperately before he grew close enough that I could see him clearly.

Remarkably, he seemed unharmed until he embraced me, and I felt warm sticky blood coating his back, and the smell of his blood was distinct this close, even with so much dust and explosives in the air.

“Come, we need to leave,” he instructed as he released me.

“You’re injured,” I said, and it was no small injury, by the way he moved that was clear. When he had embraced me, it was I who held him up.

“I’ll be fine,” he insisted as he turned his back to lead the way.

And I worried that he was correct, that he would survive this attack, as he had all the others over his lifetime, and rise from the ashes stronger than ever. It would be excellent for the strength of Borealis in the eyes of our allies and enemies that our King would be injured but survive when so many have clearly perished today.

It would do so much good for his image that he could have planned this himself. The immediate jump in his popularity would propel him forward with more confidence… And what would that mean for Percy?

He had made his intention clear.

“Father,” I said, and as he turned back towards me, I struck, slapping him hard across the face.

He fell to the floor and looked up at me with confusion.

“Why?” he asked as he got to his knees.

I walked around him and shoved him back to the ground with my foot on his injured back.

“For Percy,” I told him as I brought my heel down on the back of his head, with enough force to crush his skull.

Adrenaline rushed through me. I had killed the King. My father. Committed the most serious of treason. I looked around; had anyone seen me? In such a chaotic environment, who was to say he wasn’t trampled to death?

I found myself somehow frozen to the spot, looking at my father's twitching body. I thought I would feel something… relief, sadness, guilt. Yet, all I felt was the pounding of my heart. No emotion welled within me.

I was grabbed roughly by the shoulders. General Creel, covered in dust and blood, which I could smell was not his own, shook me.

“Hey, are you in there?” he asked, and I looked back down at my father’s body, which no longer twitched. General Creel followed my gaze.

He released me and dropped to his knees searching for a pulse. When he found none, he shook his head solemnly and rose to his feet.

“My Queen, I am sorry for your loss.”