Chapter 20: Think Twice

Realizing their magical shield was useless, and also recognizing the overwhelming dark magic surrounding the evil queen, Cedric removed the barrier, and they came face to face with Queen Ember for the first time.

Amber stepped forward, a look of determination on her face. "Who are you? What do you want from us?"

Ember chuckled, tossing some of her magic from one hand to another. "I think you already know who I am, but if it's an introduction you want… I'm Queen Ember of Exchancia, and you, Queen Amber, are the reason everything around me is crumbling." She snapped her fingers, allowing more light into the room, and folded her arms. "I've heard a lot about you: how you're so beloved by everyone in your kingdom, how you act as a beacon of hope and light for your people…" She sneered, her eyes narrowing into a glare. "But you have no idea how much of a threat and nuisance you've become to me. Everyone here despises me, and even my own leaders are rumored to want me dead."

"Can't imagine why," Cedric muttered sarcastically to Sofia, who nudged him.

"If these idiots knew there was a 'better option' available, they'd likely try to destroy me quicker just to gravitate toward someone who would be considered more ideal. However, looking at you in person, I can see you're just a weaker version of me." With that, she held up one hand, ready to strike.

James quickly moved in front of his sister, defending her by fully blocking her with his own body. "You're nothing but an imposter," he declared, withdrawing his sword. "Compared with Amber, you're a pretty pathetic version of her. Only weak-minded people feel the need to threaten others and pull them down by breaking their spirits. It's no wonder your people hate you."

Ember smiled in amusement, humming thoughtfully. "I guess you must be the 'inverse twin' for my brother, Jaime…" She looked him up and down once, scoffing. "You're a far cry from him though. My brother has murdered others on my behalf, without a second thought."

James clutched the sword more firmly, pointing it at the queen. "Touch one hair on Amber's head, and you'll find I'm not above doing the same thing."

While she was touched by her twin's words, Amber was scared for him when she saw the dark magic around Ember becoming stronger. "James, please," she pleaded as she reached out, placing a hand on his back.

He looked back at her, smiling. "I've got it, Amber. Don't worry. Step back a bit." Seeing that she did as he asked, he glared back at the other queen.

Ember cackled, "You're no match for me, James. With the magic I possess, I could tear your precious twin limb from limb, liquify her insides, or vaporize her on the spot—all of which I've done, mind you. But no…" She stopped, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Mm, yes, I think the best way to torture you all is to watch your precious Amber slowly, painfully rot away to nothingness." She swiftly moved aside, angling her hand toward Amber.

James, seeing this, growled and rushed toward Ember, knocking her off the throne platform, landing heavily on top of her and hearing some sick 'crunch' as his hands lifted to her neck. He was almost sure he'd broken the woman's legs, or at least one of them, but he didn't have time to ponder. He had to keep her down to keep her away from Amber. He began restricting her airflow as Ember struggled to breathe and move.

However, she wasn't easily deterred. In defense, she raised one hand between them, smirking darkly at him, even though she was losing oxygen. A powerful dark magic blast erupted from her palm and fingers, surging through the blonde knight's body and immediately stopping his heart.

The prince of Enchancia's eyes glazed over, his body rigid, as he fell over next to Ember, lifeless.

"James!" Sofia screamed in terror, trying to make her way to her brother, but Cedric held her back as she cried out.

Amber's heart shattered into a million pieces as the sound of James's body hitting the ground echoed in her ears like a death knell. Her instant instinct was also to go to her brother's defense, but much like Cedric, Desmond grabbed her and pulled her into a tight embrace, allowing her to sob heavily into his chest as he kept her close.

Ember sneered at the distraught group, using her good right leg to propel herself into a hobbling/standing position. Her left leg was very clearly broken, given the horrid pain she felt when she tried to apply any pressure to it to keep her balance. As far as she was concerned, killing James was vengeance now. "This isn't over," she declared angrily. "You are to meet me in the courtyard in an hour, Amber, or I'll see to it that both you and your entire kingdom are destroyed. And don't think I won't do to them—" She pointed to the others with Amber, especially glaring at Cedric and Sofia, who only reminded her of Seamus and Sariya and their defiance. "—what I did to him…" She hatefully glared at James, a sense of accomplishment flooding her when she realized he wasn't breathing. With a blast of magic around her, she disappeared, a trail of magic lingering in her stead.

With Ember gone, Amber broke free from Desmond's hold and hurried over to James, dropping to her knees next to his lifeless body. The sight of him lying there, so still, so unlike the vibrant twin she'd always known, was more than she could bear. She sobbed as she unbuttoned his shirt, pressing her hands against his chest, trying to feel for his heartbeat. She lowered her ear to his chest, hearing nothing. The silence hit her hard as she threw herself over James, sobbing so hard that she could hardly catch her breath, her tears soaking both his hair and hers. Every sob felt like a knife twisting in her heart, the pain agonizing, and yet she couldn't stop. Perhaps the cruelest reality to her was the fact that warmth still clung to his skin beneath her hands and face, even though his own warmth—his smile, his vibrancy—was gone. "James, no! Please, wake up!" She sniffled as she felt hands on her shoulders, although she didn't have to turn around to know Sofia had knelt behind her, silently crying as well. Amber's fingers curled into James's shirt, gripping the fabric as if she could somehow pull him back to life through sheer will. "You can't leave me… Think of Vivian, of Arnold… Your family and friends…"

Her words fell on deaf ears, as the prince still lay silent and unmoving. With no heartbeat, and no response, he was officially gone.

Sofia turned to Cedric, her eyes red and puffy, as Amber kept sobbing into her brother's chest, refusing to let him go. "Cedric," she began, her voice breaking as he walked over to her, kneeling beside her (Desmond doing the same for Amber, embracing her when she turned to dive into his arms), "isn't there something we can do? I know our magic is powerful, so…"

"I honestly…don't know, Sofia," he murmured, sounding truly devastated. His own heart ached for the loss they all felt, a helplessness he had rarely experienced before washing over him. The last time he'd felt like this was when Sofia… He couldn't think of that right now, so he tried very hard to focus himself on the situation before him. "It may not be possible, but… I will think of something. I will try my best."

"Please, Cedric," Amber pleaded as she looked up at him, whatever hope she still had hinging on what he said next. "Please, I can't lose him… It would kill me…" Her voice was raw and broken, the sound of someone who had just lost half of her soul—and she had. Her eyes trailed to her twin, and the tears poured down her face again.

"I can't promise anything, Amber, but… We first need to get him somewhere safe, lest that crazed queen return. Desmond, help me out here."

Desmond and Cedric both carefully lifted James and briskly yet cautiously carried him from the throne room, navigating the hallway with their wives behind them, comforting each other. Every step away from that room felt like a betrayal to Amber, leaving behind the place where James had last been alive. They found another empty and apparently unused room in the castle, locking it magically behind them as they lowered James to the floor. Amber was immediately by his side again, with Desmond next to her, trying to whisper comforting words to her. But there were no words that could truly comfort her now—not when the bond she had shared with James since birth had been so brutally severed. Cedric pulled Sofia to the side, drying her tears with his fingers as she stared up at him, looking lost.

"Sofia," he told her quietly, "I can't… It was dark magic, my love…"

Sobbing heavily, she embraced her husband. "He's really gone?"

Cedric said nothing, but he continued holding his wife, gently rubbing her back.

A sense of dread filled the two couples. Without James, they were even weaker than before: physically and emotionally. It felt as if the world had shifted beneath them, leaving them standing on unstable ground. But there was nothing they could do. That dark magic had done more than damage him—it had killed him instantly.

Never had they felt so utterly helpless before. They just hadn't expected it to get worse…

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Phantom Pain