Chapter 4 THE CURSED KNIGHT

The wind roared in my ears as the shadow beast carried me away from the palace. Below us, Luminaire looked like a tiny, sparkling toy. But I wasn't looking at the city. I was looking at Kael. He was still standing in the ruined ballroom, his hand reaching out toward the sky, the black veins on his arm glowing with a sickly purple light.

The beast dropped me onto a cold, stone ledge high in the Forbidden Peaks. I tumbled across the rocks, my breath coming in short gasps.

"Why did you bring me here?" I shouted at the massive creature.

The beast didn't answer. It melted into a pool of ink, and from that ink, the silhouette of the Shadow God emerged.

"You were too slow, little princess," the entity whispered. "You let your emotions cloud your hunger. If I hadn't stepped in, the Dragon's Seal would have turned your soul to ash."

"I had them!" I snapped, pushing myself up. "I almost had Seraphina’s life in my hands!"

"And what of the knight?" the god asked, its eyeless face leaning close to mine. "Did you see his skin? The darkness is feeding on him, too. When you formed our contract in the Abyss, you didn't just change yourself. You changed the man who shared your soul."

My heart skipped a beat. Kael and I had performed a blood-binding ceremony when we got engaged. It was an ancient royal tradition to ensure the king and queen were always connected. I thought the betrayal had broken that bond.

"You mean… he’s dying because of me?" I asked. A strange, bitter feeling rose in my throat. I wanted him to suffer, but I wanted to be the one to cause it. I didn't want a curse to steal my revenge.

"He is rotting from the inside out," the god hissed. "Every time you use my power to devour others, he feels the hunger. If you don't return to the palace and stabilize the bond, he will become a mindless monster by tomorrow’s sunrise."

I looked back toward the palace. "Let him rot. He threw me into the dark. It’s only fair he joins me there."

"If he dies before you finish your revenge, the bond will snap," the god warned. "And you will die with him."

I cursed under my breath. I wasn't ready to die. Not yet. I hadn't seen Seraphina’s kingdom crumble. I hadn't watched the King beg for my mercy.

"Fine," I growled. "I’ll go back. But I’m not saving him because I love him. I’m saving him so I can kill him later."

The Shadow God laughed, a sound like dry bones rattling. With a wave of its hand, a portal of darkness opened at my feet.

I stepped through and landed in the palace gardens. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and panic. Soldiers were running everywhere, shouting about the "Shadow Witch." I ignored them, using my shadows to move like a ghost through the hallways.

I reached Kael’s private chambers. The door was unlocked. Inside, the room was a mess. Chairs were overturned, and a mirror was smashed to pieces.

Kael was on the floor, his silver armor discarded. He was shirtless, and the black veins had spread across his chest, swirling right over his heart. He was sweating, his face pale and twisted in pain.

"Aria?" he gasped, his eyes fluttering open. They weren't blue anymore. They were rimmed with violet. "Are you a hallucination?"

"I’m your nightmare, Kael," I said, kneeling beside him.

I reached out to touch his chest, intending to drain the excess darkness back into myself. But as soon as my skin met his, a jolt of electricity shot through my body.

Images flooded my mind, memories that weren't mine.

I saw Kael standing in the high priest's secret study. I saw him crying as the priest showed him a fake letter. “She’s going to kill you, Kael. Aria has sold her soul to destroy the throne. You must sacrifice her to save the people.”

I saw Kael’s hesitation. I saw the way his heart broke when he gave the order. He hadn't betrayed me out of hate. He had been played like a fool by the Priest and Seraphina.

"You idiot," I whispered, tears pricking my eyes. "You believed them."

"I... I should have known," Kael choked out. He reached up, his trembling hand touching my cheek. "I’m so sorry, Aria. Kill me. Please. I don't want to live in a world where I destroyed the only thing I ever loved."

For a second, the old Aria wanted to forgive him. She wanted to hold him and tell him it would be okay. But the Shadow God whispered in my ear: Feed. He is weak. His magic is pure. Take it all.

I looked at his throat. His pulse was thudding against his skin. If I took his magic now, I would be unstoppable. I could walk into the throne room and end Seraphina in seconds.

I leaned down, my lips inches from his neck.

"I’m not here to forgive you, Kael," I whispered.

I sank my teeth into his shoulder.

Kael let out a sharp cry, but he didn't fight me. He pulled me closer, his arms wrapping around my waist as if he were welcoming death.

But as I began to drink his magic, the door to the chamber burst open.

Seraphina stood there, surrounded by ten elite Holy Knights. She wasn't wearing her saintly smile anymore. She was holding a golden spear that hummed with a terrifying, killing intent.

"I knew she’d come for her dog," Seraphina laughed, her eyes glowing with a frantic, evil light. "Perfect. I can kill the traitor and the failed hero in one stroke."

She leveled the spear at us. "Guards! Fire!"

A hail of glowing arrows flew toward us. I had a choice: drop Kael and save myself, or use my body to shield the man who had executed me.