Sasha Swift

Zane

“Where did she go?” Theo yells and I run over to the bookshelf and start grabbing books.

“Damn it, Vlad! It’s a hidden bookshelf. She could be anywhere in the palace.”

“Should we go after her? She could be in danger?” Theo asks but I don’t get to answer him.

Vlad appears behind Theo and knocks him into the wall hard. Theo falls over unconscious slumped against the wall. I growl at Vlad. “Finally done hiding. Let’s settle this!”

Vlad doesn’t move. Just smiles menacingly at me. “I was always hoping you would come back. That’s why I never killed you. Even after you betrayed me I still thought of you as my son.”

He almost looks upset as he speaks. But I know better. Vlad hasn’t shown any real emotion in years. It’s all a sick twisted game to manipulate me.

“Just tell me why you want her. Was it to get me back or is it because she is fae? Surely her blood isn’t worth all the trouble you went through.” Vlad laughs back in response.

“It’s what she represents. The fae aren’t what you think. Their monsters. They need to be destroyed and I will drink the blood of every last one, starting with her.”

I can’t listen to him anymore. I charge towards him. He quickly darts across the room. I stop and turn around. Vlad stands opposite the room of me.

“You can’t save her. If it’s not me. Someone else will come after her. Everyone knows about her now. They won’t stop until she is dead.”

I run towards him again. Vlad and I run around the room playing a game of chase. I finally catch him and we begin punching and kicking each other. He is stronger than me so every hit hurts. He lands a blow to my ribs and I fall to my knees.

He grabs ahold of my chin so I’m looking right into his cold brown eyes. “You are a failure. Every test you took, every beating you endured. It all leads up to this moment. I wanted you would be the one to kill me one day. Sadly you can’t even do that right. I made a mistake choosing you!”

His words hurt. I spent all my childhood looking up to him. Even years later when I found out he killed my birth parents. I still chose him over them. But facing death I know I have been lying to myself. He is the king of monsters and his reign must end now.

He reaches towards my chest and I know he is going to pull my heart out. Time seems to slow down and I pull out the last card I have to play, Aragon's sword. I pull it out of my pocket and shove it into his chest.

Vlad gives me a pleading look. He knows he is done for. He looks down at his chest and then back to me.

“She’s coming.” He whispers and his body emits a bright yellow glow then turns to ashes. I drop the sword and it falls to the ground. The room begins to shake. The whole house feels like an earthquake is happening. The house could come down any minute.

I stand up and run over to Theo and throw him over my shoulder. I have to find her. I have to get Sasha out now.