House of Ravens (The Nightfall Chronicles Book 2) (28 page)

Only the dead and those mourning them are present at St. Gabriel's Cemetery the night the Princess of Ravens stands before a tombstone. She brushes off the dirt and cut grass that cover Charlie's name, and lays a bouquet of rainbow roses down. They were the girl's favorite.

Corinne doesn't have a grave to bring flowers to for her brother, Kai. She regrets that the most. There will be no quiet place to mourn him and connect to his spirit.

There has been too much loss, too much death, too much that cannot be undone. But who is to blame? Nightfall upsets the status quo, but creates choices where none exist. The Orders discriminate and abuse, but keep order and peace.

We all have different sides,
she thinks.
Is one more real than the other?

Scarlett becomes the persona of Nightfall, just as she becomes the persona of royalty when she has to. Like her, Scarlett has different speech patterns and language, a different bearing when she turns into Nightfall.

Lately, they've spent a lot of time together so Corinne can train and learn about her new skills. No matter her methods, Scarlett's heart is in the right place.

Queens, rebel leaders, we're all the same at the core
, she thinks.

She hears footsteps behind her.

He's here.

She turns to the man in long robes.

"Who is that?" the man asks as he twirls his white beard, pointing at the grave.

"A friend," the Princess says, running a finger over the tombstone one last time before she stands to face him, a single rose still in her hand.

"You've lost much in the last few days," he says. "Are you still prepared?"

Corinne raises an eyebrow. "Is this why you wanted to meet? To see if I'm committed?"

He clutches his walking stick as it sinks into the moist soil. "Grief changes people. Has it changed you?"

A wind blows through the cemetery, and the Princess shivers and twirls the rose in her hand, letting the breeze catch its scent. "No. We go ahead with the plan."

The old man cocks his head, his pale blue eyes prying into her soul. "Are you sure you will be able to—"

"I'm sure." The Princess looks down at the rose she holds. And crushes it in her fist. "I will eliminate my father. I will become Queen." She matches the old man's eyes. "And I will help Scarlett destroy the Orders."

The old man smiles. "My granddaughter chose right, when she saved you."

Corrine looks away.

"Do you think me a monster, for thinking so?" he asks.

The Princess pauses. She shakes her head. "We are all monsters," she says softly.

And she unleashes her cobalt blue wings and flies.

***

It's not the scene he would have chosen. His wife deserves better than what he's been able to give. He knows that, and he's grateful for her patience, for her love, for her commitment to their small family. He kisses her goodbye as their daughter runs up to him, her blond pigtails slapping against her small, perfect face.

If his feelings for his wife are clouded by the pain of the woman he loved and lost, at least his love for his daughter is untainted, pure. She's the best part of him, and he knows it. He leans down to hug her.

"Daddy, look," she says, "I found a Fairy Flower. Look how the colors change."

She twirls the flower in her small fingers, and the colors shift from blue to purple to pink to yellow.

"It's beautiful," he says. "Just like you."

She giggles and runs off, and he turns to leave. His eGlass blinks, reminding him of his appointment, as if he'd forget. He clicks it off and drives to the cafe where his brother agreed to talk.

Varian is sitting at a table sipping a coffee when he arrives. There should evidence of grief on the face of a man who just lost his son. Varian shows none.

Ragathon sits across from him, and Varian smiles. "It's good to see you, Ragathon. What did you wish to discuss?"

"You know what I came here to talk about. How can you act like Kai's death means nothing? You treated him like garbage his whole life, making him feel worthless, and now that he's dead you act like he never existed. What kind of heartless monster are you?"

The false pleasantry drops from Varian's face, replaced by sorrow. "You're right. I should have treated him better. I tried. I gave him my name, my status, every privilege of a Prince, but…"

"He was your son, of course you did. That didn't make you a good father," Ragathon says, his heart still torn apart by Kai's death.

"You are so blinded by your own hate, you never even saw it, did you?"

Ragathon's heart runs cold at the sneer on Varian's face.

"What didn't I see?" he asks, his hands shaking.

"He was never my son," Varian says. "He was yours. Kai was your son, and you left him and her before she could even tell you. You stormed away like a petulant child who had lost a toy when she chose me, and I was left to take care of the messes you made. I did the best I could with the bastard son of my coward brother."

Varian slams his coffee down and stands, adjusting his suit. "She loved you once," he says. "But when you left without a word, that love died long before she did."

Varian leaves Ragathon sitting stunned at the table. Memories of Kai flash through his mind, and piece by piece it breaks him down.

He had a son.

His son is dead.

A sob racks his chest, and he leans his head down and grieves for all that was lost and is now forever gone.

***

The Cathedral is dark and silent. Zorin sits in his room, re-watching a memory. He sees the crystal coffin shatter, and a frail version of himself falls out. He notices a pale, blond-haired girl, bleeding out on the ground. She looks familiar.

There are soldiers there, dressed in gold. They do not move.

Zorin, ravaged with hunger, crawls to the girl and bites her neck. He drains her of blood, and when someone enters, he pulls away, face covered in red.

It is the Angel. His wings shimmer gold and purple. "Hello, old friend," he says.

Zorin's eyes are hazy. "Where am I?"

"You had been imprisoned. The Nephilim have been destroyed. You are the last."

Zorin shakes his head. There is silence. And then he weeps.

"I'm sorry."

"What of Marcus and Violet?" asks Zorin.

"They are dead."

"No—"

"They had to be killed. They were the ones who kept you prisoner."

Zorin turns to the bleeding body. "And the girl?"

"Their daughter."

Zorin nods. He tears open his wrist and pours blood down the girl's throat.

The Angel steps forward. "No. You cannot save her. She is too dangerous."

"She is innocent."

The Angel raises his golden sword. "I cannot allow her to live."

"You will not touch her," roars Zorin.

The Angel walks forward. His soldiers target Zorin with their guns. "I'm sorry, old friend, but the seals can never be unlocked."

Zorin stands, stepping in front of the girl. He is weak from many years of slumber, but he is strong enough for this. "You challenge the Lord of Night?" The sky darkens, and black tendrils spread from Zorin. An unnatural wind rushes around him. A sword, black as night, materializes in his hand. "You challenge death."

He charges.

The Angel attempts to defend. He is not fast enough. Each of his soldiers collapses, their necks sliced opened. When the Angel lunges to strike, Zorin slams into him, pushing them both out of the truck and into the sky.

They struggle as they fly further and further, a spiral of gold and black. The Angel pushes Zorin away and turns back for the girl. Zorin dives after him. He catches him.

And stabs the Angel through the shoulder.

They fall.

The memory fades.

"Why do you watch this?" asks Carter, standing in Zorin's doorway.

Zorin turns to him. "They should not have died."

"The girl has far too much sway over you. She leads when it should be you."

"I cannot," says Zorin.

Carter sighs. "You will tell her of the seals."

He nods.

"We agreed they must never be opened," says Carter.

"And we lost. I will not lose again." Wind rushes through the bedroom.

"Zorin, I beg you—"

"You continue to challenge me," Zorin roars and stands to face Carter. "I ordered you to stay away from her, and yet you returned here. Do not make me choose between you and the girl."

"My old friend—"

Zorin charges Carter, slamming him into the wall.

And Carter unleashes his wings.

They shimmer gold and purple.

He pushes Zorin back. "I have searched a millennium for one to lead us," he says. "You are that leader, Zorin. You know what must be done."

Zorin steps back, anger leaving his face.

And Carter smiles kindly. "You love her, don't you?"

Zorin says nothing.

"This has happened before, with another. Do not make the same mistake twice."

"I will not," says Zorin, his eyes dark. "Scarlett shall become one of the Four. And the one who betrayed us will die."

Call us Karpov Kinrade. We're the husband and wife team behind
The Nightfall Chronicles
. And we want to say… Thank you for reading it
.
It's our baby, and we hope you enjoyed it. We spent years crafting the world and characters in
The Nightfall Chronicles
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