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Chapter Twenty-Eight

VOLAN

I hiss at one of my King’s personal guards as he pushes me to my knees, slamming against the tiled floor. Nearby, Melvall and Zoran are thrown to the floor, though due to their restraints, they are unable to brace themselves and sprawl out at the impact.

Nothing stops my growl when Maya kneels on the ground beside me. She should not be touching the dirty floor! She deserves better than this treatment. If I had my way, she would be sitting on the throne.

I cast a glance up at Tanis, whose hand is resting on Maya’s shoulder. My instincts scream at me to demand he remove his touch from her, to keep his distance... but somehow my rational mind still functions enough to realize that he’s standing guard over her. It doesn’t take a genius to realize how much Maya means to me, especially when she’s covered in my scent. Even Tanis figured it out. He’s the closest I have to a friend, the only other person I’ve consistently been around for my entire life.

How is it that I’ve never truly seen him before? All these years, he’s stood by my side, protecting me, advising me in his quiet way. I’ve taken him for granted, treated him as simply another warrior meant to do my bidding. But he’s been more than that—a steady presence I’ve relied upon without ever acknowledging.

Swallowing my anger, I give Tanis a slight nod of approval and thanks. His eyes widen, not used to receiving the praise, but he stands a bit taller. It shames me that I’ve never thanked him before for his efforts. Especially since, no matter what happens here today, I can trust him to do right by Maya.

“Volan,” my father drawls slowly, “I see you have returned.”

His voice is devoid of excitement, pride, or even happiness. My heart aches as I realize that all I have ever wanted was his approval, for him to love me as a father should love his son. It’s never going to happen. He’s never going to love me.

For solars I have wished for him to find joy in the company of my presence... or at the very least, to act like a father should and to help me achieve my dreams. Instead of being excited that I have successfully completed my Challenge, or proud of how I will now become king of our people, he treats me like a threat.

Because I am one, I realize, all too belatedly.

He’s never intended to give me the throne. It’s truly why he gave me such a difficult task. All this time I thought he wanted to prove that I wrongly placed my trust in the outsiders. It was never about him doubting whether I was ready to rule. Nor was it ever about me proving my strength and capabilities.

No; he purposely set me up to fail. It’s about him and his wants. It’s always been about him. The predatory grin on the king’s face confirms my worst fears.

“I have returned, your majesty. I am ready to take my rightful place as King of our people as you have promised,” I say, my voice echoing around the large room. I purposely remind all present of the King’s vow, because once made, it is unbreakable.

Whispers reach my ears. My people hear me, and they know the truth. By law, my father must step down as ruler; I was given my Challenge, and I have successfully completed it.

I send my gaze around the room, meeting the eyes of courtiers who’ve long stayed quiet. Just what threat does my father hold over them, keeping them purposely hiding in the dark?

Fury roars through my body at their behavior. My father has not done right by our people. A ruler, a true ruler, should put his people first. He is supposed to be leading us towards the light and hope, and instead, he’s purposely kept us in the dark all this time. Each of his decisions, his laws, were all about isolating us further from those we could be allied with. All for what? So he can maintain his tight hold on power?

The very fact that he sits so high above us on his throne, forcing us to kneel before him, isn’t a choice. For years he’s stripped away our freedoms, one by one... making my people become the very thing we once despised and rebelled against - slavers.

The very beings that brought us here. The very beings that imprisoned us in this hell. The very beings we rose up against… and we have become the same monsters.

Melvall was right, under my father’s rule, we brutally use others just for pure entertainment. We force them into desperate situations, like fighting impossible odds just to access life-saving medicine… rather than simply help them.

My stomach sinks, a sickening feeling spreading through me. All the raids I’ve gone on, all those people I killed or brought back as prisoners for the fight pits—were they to defend another tribe, or were they really just to destroy a tribe gaining in strength, one that could overpower ours?

Surrounding the king are his personal guards, warriors promoted through great deeds. Only, I haven’t seen any of them join the hunters in years, searching out food. I haven’t seen them patrol the fighting pits, facing enraged males in their primes. The very males we forced to fight just so they could save their families and loved ones. The personal guards’ metal armor glitters, unlike the weaker leather of my fellow warriors, even though we are the ones who face battle and harm on a daily basis.

Though I have to wonder, if they were to draw their weapons... have they maintained them? Are they as sharp as those of us who have to risk our lives daily, or have they let them rust and become dull?

“It is true,” the King says. “You have succeeded in your quest to bring a human female before me.”

Beside me, Maya breathes in deeply. I grit my teeth as shame and guilt flood through me once again. She’s here because of me. And this talk? It’s literally rubbing salt into her wounded heart. I know how badly I’ve betrayed her.

Was it worth it?

I glance at Maya from the corner of my eye. She doesn’t have our luminae to physically show her pain. No, she keeps it strongly hidden inside in a place that no one else will ever see it. But I know her.

If given another chance, I would have never led her below the surface. I would have asked her to stay somewhere safe. Her happiness means more to me than anything, even my own life. I would have done her quest myself; finding a way to save her people without risking her.

I would have even walked away from my own people.

The thought hits me so hard, so suddenly, that I barely catch myself from falling.

For her, I’d give it all up. All my dreams of becoming King. It means nothing, without her by my side. I would not make a good leader—but she would.

Even as I think this, I know that Maya would not want me to abandon my people.

With her soft heart, she would call me a fool for leaving behind those who aren’t strong enough to fight for themselves. My people venerate strength—because, in an ideal world, it lets us raise those weaker than ourselves up so that they too may reach their dreams. That’s the true meaning of strength; not to take, but to give.

“I will get you home,” I tell her softly, words only meant for her. “I will help you free your friends.”

Her large eyes turn to me, searching mine through a sheen of liquid tears. Disbelief wars in them... but so does hope. She desperately wants someone to trust. She deserves it, and more.

“I promise you,” I state as firmly as I can. Sincerity bleeds through me, my luminae flashing with my intense declaration. “On my life, Maya, I promise that I will give you your happy ever after.”

“Tell me, Volan, how did you convince the female to follow you here?” The King asks. He leans forward, a cruel smile twisting his lips that catches my attention. “After all, you were the one that said it was an impossible task, and yet here you both are.”

I glare at him as he pulls his cloak further around him, hiding any and all his real emotions. I’m not even sure he can feel anymore, truth be told.

The male sitting before me, wrapped in shadows, is an imposter. You could claim some cyborg has replaced him, and I would believe it. He’s not my King, not anymore. He doesn’t deserve the title. And he definitely cannot call himself my father.

I raise my face and look around the room, meeting many of the courtiers’ eyes. Their luminae remain hidden, just like my father’s; all too afraid to express themselves. But like Maya, I see them, perhaps for the first time ever. I can see the tightness at the corners of eyes, the stiffness of shoulders, and the way they huddle together as if seeking protection.

“I offered to escort her as a pretense. I led her here to the kingdom through deception. She had no idea our people, our beautiful city, was even here. She had no concept of the dangers she even faced. She was naive, foolish even.”

My heart lacerates at the words I say, at the pain I further cause Maya. Protecting females, providing for them, is a vital tenant taught to even the youngest of younglings—a sacred vow that we all take. It’s time I revealed all.

“I offer myself up for judgment to our people,” I declare, my voice unwavering as I call out. It rebounds off the cavern’s walls, echoing in the silence. “Let our people decide if I am worthy to lead them. Let them see how far I am willing to go to protect them—and whether I even deserve to.”

I won’t be judged by the King anymore. I refuse to.

It’s up to our people to decide if I have broken a sacred oath; putting a female in danger, all out of my desperation to make changes to our lives. It’s up to them to decide my fate. Do they hate me for my deeds? I’m realizing that I no longer really care what others think of me. My own opinion of me is what I should consider. Standing firm in my faith and beliefs, not bending to another’s will just to try and please them. Yet I am already guilty, in the King’s eyes and Maya’s. And in my own.

“I tricked her,” I tell the crowd. “I tricked her into following me to this place, all under the guise of helping her save her own people. I never had any intentions of returning her home.”

My heart squeezes as the truth unfolds within me, as I speak my shame. I accept it. I have to. Because if I refuse to recognize my own faults, how can I ever become better? We all trip in the darkness sometimes, but we must get up and keep moving towards the light.

My gaze lands on Maya’s tear-stricken face; her disbelief and heartbreak evident. I set out on a quest to save my people, and destroyed myself in the process. I destroyed her - my shining beacon of pure hope and radiant beauty.

I tear my eyes away from hers, her pain searing into my very soul.

“Quite the deceitful ploy, but an effective one,” the king states. His glowing eyes pierce me, considering. It’s like he’s seeing me in a new light, and it burns me.

“I do not deserve her,” I state. “I never did.”

“I’m sure that there are many warriors here who would be happy to take her as a mate, even as deformed as she is without luminae. Who knows, maybe she’ll even be able to give me a daughter?”

“Like hell!” I shout, struggling to my feet. Tanis’ hand lands on my shoulder, the pressure slamming my knees to the floor once again. His grip is painful and firm, but not enough to break bones. Still, it’s a stark reminder of that fine line I am very, very close to crossing.

“She should be returned to her people! They have need of her.”

“You just said you had no intention to return her,” the King replies.

“I...” My thoughts flicker through my mind, trying to determine how I will deal with this situation.

With sudden clarity, I understand what matters most. My dream of becoming king seems hollow compared to Maya’s safety and happiness. I’ve spent my life seeking power, believing it would give my existence meaning. But meaning has found me in her eyes, in her courage, in her unwavering determination to help others even at cost to herself.

Unlike my own kind who hide in darkness, content to remain stagnant, Maya’s people want to grow, to learn, to live better lives. They may be physically weaker, but their spirits—their desire to improve—make them worthy of protection and aid. And they actually welcome the help, unlike my own people who resist change at every turn.

You can’t help those who don’t want to be helped. This truth strikes me like a physical blow. I’ve spent years trying to drag my people toward the light when they cling to shadows. But Maya and her colony—they’re reaching for something better. They deserve my support more than those who refuse to see beyond their fears.

My people can be damned. Let them follow one corrupted by his own greed and fears if that is what they want to do. I have strayed for too long in the dark, and I refuse to continue doing so. I will do the right thing, for once. I will see Maya achieve her dreams.

The King stands, gazing down at me like I am some wild beast he cannot predict. I feel like one. I’m definitely not one that will cower beneath him, or blindly follow his rules anymore just because it might upset him.

“Maya is my queen!” I declare, my voice ringing throughout the room. “I love her!”

Deadly silence descends around us. No one dares make a noise, to bring attention to themselves.

I glance at Maya, seeing her eyes widen, lips parting in surprise. For a brief moment, the pain and betrayal in her gaze gives way to something else—a flicker of hope, of wonder. Has she never truly believed my feelings for her were real? Have I been so caught in my own desires that I never properly told her how deeply she’s affected me?

The realization that I’ve never truly spoken these words to her—not clearly, not honestly, not without some ulterior motive shadowing my actions—fills me with regret. I should have told her every day since I met her. I should have shown her with actions untainted by deception.

The King looks like he’s swallowed something sour, sickened at what he’s just heard. Perhaps because I denied him for the first time ever. Or perhaps it’s because I gave Maya the title that only a King themselves can bestow—I’ve directly challenged him to his throne, effectively declaring myself King, even without his granted grace.

“She is an outsider,” the King spits, his face contorting with rage. “Not good enough for the likes of you.”

“But good enough for you?” I sneer. I shrug off Tanis’ grip, rising to my feet. “You’d force a female against her will, but not let her mate the male that loves her? I’d die for her!”

The king waves his hand in our direction. “She’s clearly corrupted you. Tainted your mind somehow. Prior to this, you were never disrespectful. These outsiders must have some secret power we are not prepared for.”

I scoff, staring up at the male that rejects everything he doesn’t understand. Rather than embrace what makes each of us unique, finding ways to benefit us all, he punishes any for standing out… against him.

Whispers. More whispers. Always this insidious noise, a hiss of secrets and lies. The noise drives me mad, the low voices always in the background. But these are from those who have spent countless hours in my father’s presence. They’ve likely learned that it’s not safe to speak their minds without punishment.

I look to Maya, drawing strength from her example. Since the moment I met her, she’s been terrified—I could smell her fear, see it in every tense line of her body. Yet she never stops moving forward. She faced scampers with nothing but a rock and a puny slingshot. She confronted me despite my greater strength. She pushes through her fear because what matters to her—her friends, her colony, the truth—is more important than her comfort or safety.

That’s what I want for my people. Not this cowering, this whispering, this hiding in shadows. I want them to stand tall, to face their fears, to fight for what matters even when their knees shake and their hearts pound. Maya has shown me what courage and strength truly is—not the absence of fear, but the determination to move despite it.

“Maya’s given me the strength to stand tall,” I declare, my voice carrying through the chamber. “She’s shown me that you can be afraid and still be brave. That you can be small and still be powerful. She’s opened my eyes to the way we live; all the injustice of who we’ve become!”

“By your own words, she has tainted you.” The King cries, hurriedly coming to his feet. “We cannot allow one as dangerous as her to stay in our midst,” the King declares. “She’ll bring doom upon us all!”

“No! She’s spent her life giving others the strength they need when they falter. She’s sacrificed herself for others. She will make a fine queen! One better than we deserve,” I shout.

“She’s an outsider that convinced you to take her to our most sacred zone! She could have poisoned us all, destroying our medicine supplies!” The king shakes his head, an expression of sadness crossing his face. “She must be dealt with. For the safety of our kingdom. Take her to the pits, where all will be able to see this threat snuffed out.”

His words freeze me to the bone. The chill of darkness has nothing on what I experience with his decree.

“No!” I shout, reaching for my own weapon. A blade that I handed over when we were found at the medical lab. A blade I thought I would no longer have need of. “You can’t do this! She’s done nothing wrong!”

Several guards step forward, blocking my approach. They are quick to protect their king. Yet, very few courtiers make a move to stop me. Is it because of loyalty to me, or to my father?

The king steps down from his throne, his cloak wrapping around him like a shroud.

“I love you son,” he says, his voice devoid of any actual emotion, as he approaches me. “I will personally deal with this threat to you. Maybe once you heal, and are free of these delusions of outsiders, we can re-discuss you becoming king.”

“What?” I gape, disbelief bubbling up out of me. “Who cares about that!? I won’t let you touch her!”

Fury burns through me, pumping through my blood. The need to do something, anything…

I lash out. With no way to convince my father otherwise, I’ve become desperate. My very instincts scream that I must protect Maya, even if it’s against my father.

The King recoils, his expression horror-stricken.

Two of the King’s personal guards dash forward, roughly seizing my arms and holding me in place despite my attempts to wrestle free. I fight them with all my strength, my claws scratching across someone’s skin before my hands are pinned behind my back. More guards surround me, hands reaching to restrain me. I roar, kicking out, even at the risk of losing my footing.

“For your sake, we will deal with this quickly,” he tells me. He turns to place orders, addressing those around us, ignoring my struggles. “Bring them to the pits. May the tangler devour them quickly.”

Somewhere, beyond the sea of bodies, I hear Maya scream.

This can’t be how this goes. I was supposed to be King, to lead our people to a better future. I was supposed to help Maya achieve her dreams. That was my destiny. Not this!

“Please no,” I scream, my throat raw with fear. My struggles become frantic as I desperately fight, pleading with the universe for some small form of mercy. Take me instead. Anything but this. Anything but her.

“Maya!”