Chapter 53

Evangeline POV

I hear it, landing in her flesh. And in less than a second, Mare is clutching at her stomach. My father is breathing hard, as if something took over his body and mind. He is one to spark out in anger, and do things like this, so seeing Mare smirk at our failure, and Ptolemus covered in silver blood, must have set him off. We have been losing ever since Maven and Elara murdered the King. I think he has had enough, finally tipped over the edge at the lightning girl. After all, Mare is to blame for everything. Before her, everything was in place. Now, the world is chaos. Changed. For the better, I don't know.

"No!" Yells come from all of Mare's family. All of them running to her. Shade and Ptolemus watch in shock, their fight forgotten altogether.

"Mare!" Cal yells, falling to his knees, trying to stop the blood with his hands on her stomach. Mare lifts her head, looking at him. Her blood is all over her hands and now his. "Breathe Mare. Hang on" Cal says, his voice shaking. I have never heard him so scared. "Get a healer! Now!" Cal yells to the soldiers close by. They run off, their speed urgent.

"What the hell have you done" I breathe to my father. Cal will kill him. He is a dead man. What was he thinking.

"She just made me so angry" he breathes, watching Ptolemus scramble over to us.

"Father" Ptolemus says, in shock. Even he knows that was a stupid move. That was a direct attack on the King.

We are all dead.

Mare POV

It hurts. So much. The blood won't stop. I don't feel like I am dying, am I? Everyone is scrambling around me, Cal has gone pale. He holds onto my wound, the knife still lodged in my stomach. Farley is calming Shade, Cameron and Kilorn down, although her eyes tell me even she is panicking. I'm trying to calm Cal down, although I can see him dying inside too.

"It's ok" I say weakly, to everyone. It's not. I'm lying. I feel so weak. I have this sick feeling in my stomach, like I am going to vomit. The pain is unbearable.

I see something in Cal's eyes. Something change. The fire that I have seen before, so many times, moulded into something else. He gets up, wiping his hands on his pants from my blood, and turns towards Volo.

Cal POV

Seeing her, on the ground, covered in blood. Sends me into a panic and desperation I have never known. I always knew there was a risk Mare could get hurt, even die in this war. But, I always thought it would be me instead. I would be the one to go first. At least I wouldn't have to watch her die. Not like this. Volo.

"It's ok" she says weakly, looking up to meet my eyes. It's not. She is lying. I can see it in her ragged breaths and her eyes. They close and open, barely focusing on me.

I get up, wiping the red blood off my pants. I turn towards Volo, the reason all of this is happening. I have never known rage like this. Never known.I walk towards him, my hands lighting up, and Evangeline and Ptolemus move to stand in front of their father.

"No Cal, don't" Evangeline begs. "She will live. It was a mistake" she is talking fast, but I don't register the words. Nothing she says will save him. I have never heard her beg like this. Never thought it was in her.

"Listen to her" Ptolemus says, blood all over his face. Red and Silver. He looks…scared. I have never seen him scared.

"I don't listen to anyone. I am the King. Or did you forget" My words are like venom, and I see the fear register. "Step aside, or you will both die along with your father". They look at each other, weighing up their options. Evangeline grabs her brother, pulling him away, leaving their father exposed.

Leaving him at my mercy. But mercy is not a word I know now. Not for him.

Mare POV

Volo doesn't beg, doesn't say anything. He just looks at me, then at Cal. I see him register his mistake. I see him realise what he has done.

"You better hope for your children's sake that she survives" Cal's words are low. I have never heard his voice like that. I have never heard him so…cold. It scares me. Cal would never kill his own people, never. This is what we argued about so many times. A silver life for a red. Now he is ready to trade it all for me.

I am scared. Scared that if he kills Volo, Evangeline and Ptolemus will seek revenge. Not just that, all of the high houses will hear of this. A King killing a high lord for a red. For me. I can't let him do this.

"Cal!" I yell, my voice ragged. I cough, blood dripping down my face, my chin. That was a bad idea.

"Shh" Shade says, still kneeling beside me. Shade pats my hair, and I feel my body get weaker. The blood leaving. He inhales at the sight of the blood coming out of my mouth. "Cal!" he yells, trying to get his attention. The blood sends him into a frenzy. "Cal!" Shade yells again.

"The healer is coming" Cameron says in relief. "Hold on Mare" she nods to me, tears in her eyes. I can see her past her breaking point. Kilorn is quiet, his eyes on the blade. He is kneeling next to me too, holding my hand. I see the anger, and I am surprised he is not next to Cal, trying to murder Volo where he stands.

Kilorn knows I need him more. I cough again, blood soaking my chin. This is not good. Where did this knife go. Am I dying. I start to choke on my blood, coughing. A hand grabs my face, someone holds my wound tight.

I hear yelling, crying. I hear gasps, as weight falls beside me. I feel movement, I feel my body being lifted. I feel the pain. I feel...

Cal POV

"Cal!" I hear Shade yelling my name. My eyes are still focused on Volo. Ready to end him now. "Cal!" he yells again. I turn around, sensing the urgency in his voice. I'm not prepared for what I see. Mare.

Mare is coughing, blood. So much blood, running down her mouth, her chin. It covers her neck and chest. The knife. What did he hit. What is happening. I run back to them, my hand on Mares face, trying to draw her attention to me. I'm on my knees, feeling helpless. A King. Meant to be so strong, but so weak. Kneeling. Watching. Waiting for her to be ok.

We can't lay her down, we can't. She will choke on her own blood. Her eyes roll back into her head, she is leaving her body. Passing out. Dying. I don't know. My heart beats fast. The healer is on his way, hold on Mare. Everyone is screaming, yelling to her. Someone faints. Kilorn. His body falls hard next to Mare. This is too much for him. Someone screams for him, Cameron down on her knees, tears dripping down. She is watching everything, this is too much.

The healer runs forward, his hands on Mare's wound. The knife comes out quickly, followed by more blood. She doesn't wake up. She lays there, blood all over her.

No. No. She can't die like this. Not like this.

"No" I breathe. "No"

"Wake up Mare!" Shade yells. Shaking his sister. I watch.

No.